I pretty much live on these the weeks before Christmas. I’m way to busy and mentally exhausted to cook…and I LOVE cooking. But it’s cold and after sitting through an hour of traffic just to get from 114 in Danvers back into Salem the idea of dishes and prep makes me sad and want to just get take out. But my go to meal is the Croque Monsieur and a glass of wine. This is a super family friendly French culinary delight.. its basically a grilled cheese but more and can pretty much be made to order.. . Every year I post some version of this French Classic… but this year I’m just going to keep it simple. I am even taking a slight turn away from the traditional preparation and making this an open faced version. So turn on your broiler and grab a few ingredients open a bottle of wine and you are good to go!
* I will make one recommendation, try using the “When Pigs fly Tuscan Wheat” Bread. It adds a real seasonal heart to the overall taste.
Shredded Gruyere cheese(you can substitute with Swiss)
Find out what's happening in Salemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Sliced rosemary Ham (from the deli,sliced thick)
Hearty Rustic Bread(sliced about ½ inch thick)
Find out what's happening in Salemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Butter(room temp /easy to spread)
Dijon Mustard
Pre heat your oven to Broil. Take your sliced bread and butter both sides place under the broiler for a few minutes until top is slightly browned . Remove from broiler turn bread over and spread mustard on tops. Layer ham and then cheese return to broiler and heat until the cheese is melted and browned to your liking. Serve immediately.
