Sheet Pan Croque Madame Egg-In-A-Hole

Name: Sheet Pan Croque Madame Egg-In-A-Hole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups milk; kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper; freshly ground nutmeg, to taste; 8 thick slices country bread; 1/2 lb thinly sliced ham, preferably French jambon or 1/2 lb black forest ham; 2/3 lb gruyere, coarsely grated; thinly sliced chives, for serving

Submitted by norasingley

"This open-faced French sandwich, smothered with creamy béchamel and topped with gruyere and ham, only gets better when turned into a toad! With an egg in its center, this toad-in-a-hole is all classed up. And best of all, it’s easy to make multiples and serve a crowd, when assembly becomes seamless with this sheet pan version."

Download

photo by Jonathan Melendez

Ready In:: 30mins
Ingredients:: 9
Serves:: 8

ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
8 thick slices country bread
¹⁄₂ lb thinly sliced ham, preferably French jambon or 1/2 lb black forest ham
²⁄₃ lb gruyere, coarsely grated
thinly sliced chives, for serving

directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Make béchamel: Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture bubbles and thins out a bit, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place bread slices on baking sheet. Using a round biscuit cutter that fits within the perimeter of the slice, punch a hole in each piece of bread. Place punched bread along side of slices. Divide half of béchamel sauce among bread slices and holes, spreading to coat. Top bread slices with ham and cheese, being careful not to cover the hole too much!
Drizzle remaining béchamel over cheese and ham. Crack eggs into the center of each slice, season with salt and pepper, and transfer to oven. Bake until eggs are just cooked through and béchamel is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with chives, and serve immediately.

Questions & Replies

I may be dense, but I'm confused :P Are you cutting a hole for the egg to go into? You're not cutting most of the center of the bread slice out, are you? And do you just serve the cutouts like toast on the side? Thanks.

annagram54