French Food Friday...Croque Madame Muffins

Bonjour mes belles,


Last weekend I happened to turn on the television in time to watch Rachel Khoos cooking programme where she cooks French inspired recipes from her petite flat in the centre of Paris.

I really liked the idea of this recipe as it is  her take on the French classic, a Croque Madame. Most of you are familiar with a Croque Monsieur which is a toasted cheese and ham sandwich, commonly served in most French bistros for lunch or as a light snack.
 For a more decadent treat, the Croque Monsieur is also sometimes coated with a béchamel sauce and baked in the oven until the sauce is golden and bubbling.
A Croque Madame, on the other hand, has the addition of an egg.

Rachel Khoo’s version is to make them in a muffin tin, producing gorgeous little snack-sized savoury treats which would be perfect at breakfast, brunch or lunch.


Croque Madame Muffins (Makes 6, adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen)

cheese sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon plain flour

200ml milk

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

30g Gruyere cheese ( you can use Comte, Emmenthal or Parmesan)

salt and pepper to taste


6 white bread slices, crusts cut off and flattened thinly
3 tablespoons melted butter
75g ham, cut into strips
6 small eggs


To prepare the sauce: Melt butter in a pan, add flour. Beat to form a smooth paste. Take off heat, cool for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, until there is no lumps. Place pan back on medium heat, add mustard and nutmeg, simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking to prevent burning and clumping. As it thickens, remove from the heat. Add the cheese, stir till it melts. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some milk. Sieve if there are lumps.


Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Brush each flattened bread with melted butter. Press in a 6 hole muffin tin. Press down with a small glass. Divide ham between muffins followed by the egg. If egg is too much, pour away a little of the egg white. Put 2 tablespoons of sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper. 
Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how runny you like your eggs. Serve immediately.

...bon appetit à tous, Leeann x