I don’t know if there really is a word in French for grilled cheese sandwich… but in honour of National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day here in the U.S. (yes, there is such a thing…) I thought I would pay homage to my favourite grilled cheese sandwich of all: the croque monsieur.
Croque Monsieurs are classic items on the menus of French bistros and cafés. Croque means to crunch or bite and monsieur means sir so the “crunchy mister” is basically our version of the grilled cheese, typically made with ham and emmental, though the best one in my opinions also have béchamel. A more elaborate version, the croque madame, adds a fried egg on top. I’ve used this recipe to make it at home, but most of the time, I just enjoy having someone else make it for me, so I can enjoy it with a glass of rosé on the side, outside at a terrace. My two favourite here in D.C. are Brasserie Beck’s (you have the option of adding the egg on top for an additional $2 and it comes with the restaurant’s wonderful frites and colourful mayonnaises) and Poste’s Mister Crunchy and Miss Crunchy. Actual names on the menu 😉
Have a wonderful (and hopefully very cheesy) national grilled cheese sandwich day!
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