Cheat’s Croque Madame offers a delectable simplified take on the renowned French Croque Madame, featuring gruyere cheese, ham, and a sunny-side-up egg. Utilizing a sandwich press instead of traditional frying and baking methods significantly speeds up the preparation of this tasty dish.
If you’ve been to France you can’t help but come across their famous Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame fried sandwiches traditionally made with ham and Gruyère cheese and often dipped in egg and baked.
The sandwich press/toaster was first mentioned on a Parisian café menu in 1910.
Hence, I thought I’d use one to make a Cheats Croque Madame (topped with a fried egg) and add maple syrup to the Dijon mustard. These flavours marry so well.
This quicker, stripped-down Croque Madame is just as tasty as the traditional version but without all the fuss of dipping in egg, frying, or baking and my family loved it!
This Croque Madame serves 2 but can easily be scaled up to serve 4!
So whether you need a satisfying breakfast, brunch, or lunch, give this toasted sandwich a go,
I’m sure you’ll be as hooked as we are!
More toasted or fried sandwich recipes!
- Avocado Stuffed French Toast with Poached Egg
- Pizzetta Toast
- Cuban Pork Sandwich
- Mozarella Carrozza with Prosciuttio
- Ideas for Toasted Sandwiches
If you don’t fancy frying your egg for the top of the Crocque Madame you could use your air fryer to make my Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese.
Pin for later!
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Cheat’s Croque Madame
Ingredients
- 4 Slices multi-seeded bread
- 40 g butter softened
- 2 tsp rapeseed oil
- 2 Slices ham
- 3 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 80 – 100 g Gruyère cheese grated
- 2 free range eggs
Instructions
- Butter the bread and then place buttered side down.
- Mix the Dijon mustard and maple syrup together, then spread on 2 of the slices of bread (unbuttered side).
- Then add half the Gruyère to these 2 slices, followed by the ham slices and finish with the rest of the Gruyère.
- Close the sandwiches with the other 2 slices of bread (buttered side up).
- Pre-heat sandwich press/toaster and toast sandwiches until golden.
- Meanwhile heat 1 tsp of oil in small frying pan on a medium heat and fry 2 eggs until the whites are cooked and the yolk still runny.
- Once the sandwiches are toasted top with an egg and enjoy your Cheat’s Croque Madame!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
I love the look of this cheat’s version! A lot easier and I think I’d prefer it like this.
Camilla
Thank you Cat, it is much easier and just as tasty:-)
A S,Edinburgh
That’s a great idea! I love the combination of flavours in this.
Camilla
Thank you, it is lush-)
Kat Glynn
That looks quick, easy and tasty! x
Camilla
Thanks Kat:-)
June Etherington
Oh wow I love this recipe. I would really enjoy this one at lunch time. I’ve never thought of using maple syrup which I love. So will be giving it a go. xx
Camilla
Thanks June, glad to inspire:-)
Heidi Roberts
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Camilla
They do indeed:-)
Paul Wilson
Looks like a great tasty snack.
Camilla
It really is Paul:-)
Mina Joshi
This sandwich looks delicious. I don’t eat eggs but my son does so I am going to pass on your recipe to him.
Camilla
Thanks, excellent Mina:-)
Debi @ Life Currents
This looks so yummy! I wish I had this for lunch today!
Camilla
Thanks Debi! There’s always tomorrow:-)
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
It sounds delicious Camilla, I do like a high protein breakfast, keeps me going all day.
Camilla
Thanks Helen, it was a big hit here;-)
Maya Russell
I have to give this a go! I wonder what the maple syrup tastes like with it.
Camilla
Fab Maya-) The maple syrup is quite subtle!
Leisel S
This looks outstanding, even if I don’t trust French cheeses. Long story. Perfect amount of runny yolk, yum!
Camilla
Thanks Leisel! That’s ok then as Gruyere is Swiss:-)
April J Harris
Love this recipe – it’s so nice to have a shortcut to a fantastic Croque Madame!
Camilla
Thank you April, it’s going to be a regular here now:-)
Platter Talk
Thanks for this wonderful and easy Croque Madame; I can’t wait to make it this weekend for a lazy Sunday breakfast!
Camilla
Fabulous, so glad you like it:-)
jenna @ butter loves company
Lovely idea! The egg looks PERFECT! Thanks for sharing <3
Camilla
Thank you Jenna:-)
Rami @ Tasteaholics
Great final shot from the top (and outdoors)! Simple and delicious breakfast, pinned 🙂
Camilla
You just can’t rely on the weather! I did a whole shoot the day before indoors as it was so over cast but then son wanted the same sandwich the next day so I re-shot in the glorious sunshine:-) A win-win:-)
Kavita
Looks good Camilla, I need to use my sandwich toaster more, I go through phases!
Camilla
Thanks Kavey, yes we’re the same but our sandwich press gets a lot more use than the old sandwich toaster ever did!
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen
Looks yummy! This would make a really nice weekend breakfast/brunch 🙂
Camilla
Yes, my hubby says it would also be a great hangover cure (not that we have much call for that these days)!
Ren
Looks delicious – and a perfectly runny egg, too. Will try this for the kids tea.
Camilla
Thanks Ren, I’m sure they’ll love it, mine did:-)
Roz
great idea camilla, look forward to trying it out!
Camilla
Thanks Roz, I’m sure you’ll love it:-)
Gingey Bites
So simple but really tasty! Yummy!!
Camilla
Thanks, I’m all for simple:-)
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
That egg looks perfect Camilla. The perfect runny yolk 🙂
Camilla
Thanks Dannii – I actually found a poached egg mould in the draw that I’d never used which helped with the shape:-)
Patty Haxton Anderson
Camilla, these are great. No fuss and delicious!
Camilla
Thanks Patty, can’t be doing with fuss just want great tasting food:-)
shobha
What a delicious breakfast platter.. I am loving the look of the bread topped with egg.
Camilla
Thanks Shobha:-)
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
My OH would go a little bit nuts (in a good way) for this recipe.
Camilla
Thanks Bintu, send him round:-)
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed
Your Croque Madam looks delicious Camilla. What a great idea to use a sandwich press, I love the sound of maple syrup and mustard.
Camilla
Thanks Sarah – I’m all or making things quicker and easier:-)
Emily Leary
This is great, Camilla. I’ll be trying it out at the weekend.
Camilla
Thanks Emily, glad to have inspired you;-)
Gabriel @ The Dinner Special podcast
Such a great idea. I’m all for no fuss twists of my favourite dishes and I’m definitely going to try this. The addition of maple syrup sounds like a very very good idea!
Camilla
Thanks Gabriel, life’s to short for fuss and fiddle:-)