Spelt croque monsieur with Gruyère is a French bistro sandwich built from toasted spelt bread, ham, and a nutmeg bechamel, baked at 220C/425F until the cheese turns golden and bubbling.
Spelt bread holds up well under the bechamel without turning soggy. Its slightly nutty flavor works with the Gruyère instead of disappearing under it.
This version keeps the classic structure: toasted bread, a thin layer of Dijon, ham, a two-cheese bechamel, then a final bake under the broiler for a crisp top.
It works for a weekend lunch or a fast dinner. The bechamel takes five minutes on the stove, and the rest comes together while it thickens.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bechamel comes together in five minutes flat
- Spelt bread stays sturdy under the sauce
- Broiler finish gives a crisp golden top
- Works for lunch, brunch, or a fast dinner
Ingredient Notes
- spelt bread: Use a firm sandwich loaf, sliced about 1 cm thick. Day-old bread toasts more evenly than fresh.
- Gruyère: Grate it yourself for a smoother melt. Comté or a good Swiss cheese works as a substitute.
- spelt flour: Gives the bechamel a slightly nutty base. All-purpose flour works the same way if that’s what you have.
- ham: Use thin-sliced cooked ham, not thick deli cuts, so it heats through by the time the cheese melts.
- Dijon mustard: A thin layer keeps the sandwich from tasting flat under the richness of the bechamel and cheese.
- whole milk: Gives the bechamel body. Low-fat milk works but the sauce will be thinner and less rich.
Oven-Baked Spelt Croque Monsieur with Ham & Gruyère
Description
Toasted spelt bread, ham, and a two-layer Gruyère bechamel bake together until the top turns golden and the cheese bubbles at the edges.
Ingredients
For the bechamel
For the sandwiches
Instructions
Make the bechamel
- Melt 20 g butter in a 1-quart / 1L saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the spelt flour and cook for 1 minute, until it smells nutty and turns pale gold.
- Pour in the milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then remove from heat.
Toast the bread and assemble
- Heat the oven to 220C / 425F.
- Melt the remaining 20 g butter in a 25 cm / 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast the bread slices in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until light gold but not fully crisp.
- Lay 4 slices on a sheet pan (33 x 23 cm / 13 x 9-inch). Spread each with Dijon mustard, then layer with a slice of ham and a third of the grated Gruyère.
- Top with the second bread slice. Spread a thick layer of bechamel over the top of each sandwich, then sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère.
Bake and serve
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bechamel is bubbling at the edges.
- Switch the oven to broil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, watching closely, until the top is deep golden. Spelt bread browns fast under a broiler, so don't step away.
- Let the sandwiches rest for 2 minutes, then cut on the diagonal and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 140kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 31g48%
- Saturated Fat 17g85%
- Cholesterol 90mg30%
- Sodium 900mg38%
- Potassium 320mg10%
- Total Carbohydrate 44g15%
- Dietary Fiber 4g16%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 30g60%
- Vitamin A 600 IU
- Vitamin C 1 mg
- Calcium 400 mg
- Iron 2.5 mg
- Vitamin D 20 IU
- Vitamin E 1 mg
- Vitamin K 3 mcg
- Thiamin 0.2 mg
- Riboflavin 0.3 mg
- Niacin 3.5 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.2 mg
- Folate 35 mcg
- Vitamin B12 1.1 mcg
- Phosphorus 320 mg
- Magnesium 40 mg
- Zinc 3 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Grate cheese fresh for a smoother melt.
- Bechamel should coat the back of a spoon before you stop cooking it.
- Use day-old spelt bread if you have it, it toasts more evenly.
- Broil only 1 to 2 minutes, spelt bread browns faster than white bread.
