Last Updated on February 16, 2022 by Anne-Marie

These easy croque monsieurs with honey bechamel sauce are gluten free. Also includes a croque madame recipe.

Why this recipe works

Have you ever made croque monsieurs? Or served up a croque madame?

Well, you probably know them by more familiar names – grilled cheese with ham or the same grilled sandwich served with an egg on top!

My family and I were introduced to croque monsieurs sandwiches when we traveled to Switzerland to visit my sister. Our children and their cousins were young, so it was easy to order croque monsieurs for them.

It was the child’s version, which was more like a panini or an American-style grilled cheese and ham. After all, what kiddo doesn’t like grilled cheese?

What are croque monsieurs?

In France, you can order real croque monsieurs in cafes. Served on a sometimes sugared brioche-like bread, croque monsieurs are filled with ham, then dipped in egg batter, and topped with grated cheese,

Then the whole thing is either grilled or baked to perfection. Yum!

Another version of croque monsieur, according to the NY Times, is brushed with butter, filled and topped with a Bechamel sauce, then cooked on a griddle and toasted under a broiler.

I’ve seen a croque monsieur recipe with a smidge of Dijon, too.

The British newspaper, The Guardian, gives an excellent treatise on the croque monsieur.

Making an easy gluten free croque monsieur recipe

Just because you’re gluten free doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an Easy Croque Monsieur with Honey Béchamel Sauce.

Here’s how:

Ham: First, use a certified gluten free ham like one from Boar’s Head. (Here’s a list of other gluten free ham brands.)

How to make gluten free Béchamel sauce

Second, traditional croque monsieurs use béchamel sauce. You can use this as both a spread or a dipping sauce.

So, I made up a small batch of gluten free béchamel sauce from my Healthy Moussaka with Gluten Free Béchamel Sauce recipe.

The honey echoes the sugar used in croque monsieur recipes and compliments the ham.

Bread: Third, I used already sliced cheese and gluten free bread from the store to keep things easy.

Grill: Finally, I used a counter top electric grill to cook my croque monsieurs instead of frying them up in a pan.

(I always ended up burning grilled cheese when I use a frying pan.)

I swear by my George Foreman grills. They’re cheaper than fancy panini grills and make wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches.

Air Fryer: You can make this in the air fryer, too. Check out this easy air fryer grill cheese sandwich recipe to learn how.

How to make an easy croque madame, too!

Sometimes us grownups want something a little more exciting than just a grilled cheese sandwich. But we don’t want to make two entirely different dishes either!

That’s why this croque monsieur recipe is so versatile since you can add a fried egg on top and turn it into a croque madame.

If you like runny eggs (I do!) slice your grilled sandwich into “soldiers” for dipping into your egg and a little dish of extra honey béchamel sauce.

Then go one (easy) step further and serve the croque madame recipe on a bed of spring lettuce with sliced tomatoes and onions.

(Save time by using bagged, prewashed lettuce.) Now you have a croque madame sandwich worthy of a fancy restaurant!

A croque madame recipe served this way would make a lovely light dinner or a fun luncheon or brunch meal with friends.

If people don’t like fried eggs, an alternative is using hard boiled eggs. You can buy cooked hard boiled eggs at the store if you’re entertaining and don’t want to bother with peeling all those eggs!

Either way – Easy Croque Monsieurs or Croque Madames with Honey Bechamel Sauce – is a winner at lunch with family or entertaining your friends!

How to serve a croque monsieur sandwich

While I served this grilled sandwich on a bed of lettuce, you can also serve this with a prepare salad on the side like this Easy Garbanzo Bean Salad.

A crunchy salad like Cucumber Onion Salad or Broccoli Bacon Salad would also go well.

If you’re looking for a drink, try Lemonade Sangria or Iced Tea Sangria. Both are mock-sangrias (no alcohol).

Originally published on February 18, 2016. Updated with new pictures and information.