Puff Pastry Croque Madame Recipe

One of my very favorite things to do in France is to find a small neighborhood brasserie, ask for a table outside, and order a croque madame. It doesn’t matter if it’s on a busy street in Paris or a sunny square somewhere in Provence. There’s just something so enjoyable and romantic about sitting at a sidewalk table, watching the locals pass by, and lingering over something so simple and satisfying. 

A croque monsieur or croque madame is rarely rushed. It is served directly out of the oven, bubbling around the edges with béchamel and Gruyère cheese. And it’s usually served with a simple green salad dressed in vinaigrette and maybe a few chips. It’s not elaborate, and it’s certainly not fancy. It’s just a warm, savory, and amazingly satisfying snack.

What exactly is a croque madame?

A croque madame isn’t complicated. It’s just ham, cheese, and a perfectly cooked egg. For me personally, I think it’s the simplicity that somehow makes it feel so romantic.

The difference between a croque monsieur and a croque madame is simply the egg. The madame is topped with a fried or baked egg, while the monsieur is not.

While a true croque madame is made with two slices of bread, I decided to make a simpler, lighter version using puff pastry. In this recipe, I traded bread for crisp, golden layers of puff pastry with ham, melted cheese, a creamy béchamel sauce, and a softly set egg on top. And it turned out perfectly!

The ingredients

For the béchamel sauce:

• Flour
• Milk
• Butter
• Dijon mustard
• Salt
• Nutmeg

For the croque madame:

• Puff pastry sheet
• Eggs
• Egg yolk (for brushing exposed edges of the puff pastry)
• Salt sprinkled on top of the eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper on top of the eggs
• Gruyere cheese (grated)
• Thin pieces of French ham
• Fresh chives (for garnish)
• Fresh thyme (for garnish)

Directions for making puff pastry croque madame

For the béchamel sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour, whisk until combined, and cook for just a couple of minutes.
2. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in the milk, and cook until the sauce has thickened. Off the heat, add a pinch of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, and the Dijon mustard.

For the puff pastry croque madame:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry dough and cut it into four equal pieces. Place the dough pieces onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets and score a 1/2″ border on each piece. 
4. Spread a small amount of béchamel sauce on each piece of dough. Top the béchamel sauce with the grated cheese.
5. Cut each piece of ham in half. Using the ham, create a small well around the sauce and cheese, and use the back of a spoon to tamp down the cheese, creating room for the egg. Add a few pinches of thyme on top of the cheese.
6. Crack an egg into each well that you created. Depending on the size of your eggs, you may need to remove some of the egg whites before you add them to the puff pastry so the eggs fit into the wells. 
7. Top the eggs with a little salt and pepper, and brush the exposed puff pastry crust with the egg yolk mixture.
8. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through to ensure they bake evenly.
9. Remove from the oven, top each piece with fresh chives, plate, and serve immediately.

Bringing a little bit of France home

I love trying to recreate a simple French classic in my own kitchen. And I think this puff pastry croque madame captures the essence of a French brasserie. The flaky layers, the creamy béchamel, the egg, and a simple green salad on the side make it feel complete. Serve it on the porch or open a window, and pour a glass of sparkling water or wine. And just for a moment, you might almost feel like you’re sitting at a small sidewalk table somewhere in France.

You might also enjoy these other French classics

• French Ratatouille Galette
• 3-Ingredient French Snack
• Chocolate Mousse Recipe From Chapon’s Famous French Mousse Bar
• Simple French Carrot Salad
• Make a French Presse (a refreshing, tart lemonade)