Recipe: Croque-monsieur

1- Butter and brown on one side two toasts of white bread.

2- Place on the browned side of one toast some gruyère cheese slices, a slice of lean York ham, on the ham some other gruyère cheese slices, then place the second toast on top.

3- Apply slight pressure to the whole assembly and place this composition in a bi-metal or a pan in which you will have melted slightly "hazelnut" butter.

4- Place in a hot oven (190°) turning from time to time
then trim the edges and serve cut in half crosswise.
That's for the "classic" recipe, we all have at home a toaster that will allow us to make delicious croque-monsieur.
Also know that when this croque-monsieur is topped with a fried egg it becomes croque-madame.
It is now up to you to prepare original versions for example:
cooked chicken breast and cheese spread or sautéed apple slices and black pudding or with salt cod spread and tomato slices. The best remaining the combination of apple slices and sautéed duck foie gras.
and even as a dessert variation: bananas and chocolate squares, pineapple chunks and aged rum etc.