📌 Chicken Croque Monsieur

Posted 11 May 2026 by: Admin #Recipes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Servings

4 servings

Have you ever found yourself on a Saturday afternoon staring at your fridge with no idea what to make, even though there’s leftover chicken from yesterday, some sandwich bread, and a block of cheese? That’s exactly why this recipe exists. No fuss, no intimidating techniques — just a result that’s really worth the effort.

Final result — A well-browned chicken croque monsieur, cut in half to reveal its melty layers of béchamel and cheese.

Place the sandwich in front of you and observe: the uneven surface, golden like light caramel, with a few amber spots where the cheese has browned the most. You put the knife down. The bread gives way with a slight crunch. Inside, the béchamel is still creamy and steaming, the chicken remains tender, and the turkey bacon adds that subtle smoky undertone that elevates everything without overpowering. The smell of butter and nutmeg still lingers in the air.

Why you’ll love this recipe

✓The béchamel changes everything : This isn’t just a hot sandwich. With homemade béchamel, it’s creamy inside and browned on top — two textures in one croque.

✓Leftover chicken finally useful : Leftover roast chicken from Sunday works perfectly here. It’s already seasoned, already tender. No need to cook it again.

✓It really fills you up : This isn’t a quick snack. With béchamel and melted cheese, it’s a real midday meal that keeps you full until evening without effort.

✓Adaptable to what you have on hand : Emmental, Comté, mozzarella — whatever grated cheese you have in the drawer. The result is still generous and melty.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients

Sandwich bread, sliced chicken, turkey bacon, grated cheese and the béchamel ingredients — simple but deadly effective.

The bread : Use slightly thick sandwich bread, not thin toast slices that get soggy at the first contact with béchamel. Brioche-style sandwich bread or country bread in slices — both work well. The important thing is the thickness so the sandwich holds together when cut.
The chicken : Two cooked chicken breasts, sliced, that’s the base. But if you have leftover roast chicken, use that preferably — it brings much more flavor. Cut into thin strips rather than large chunks, so each bite is well balanced with the other fillings.
The turkey bacon : We use smoked turkey bacon. The smoky flavor is present, and the crispiness too after a quick pan-fry. Grill it dry for two minutes before assembling the sandwich — it should be firm on the edges but not brittle.
The grated cheese : Emmental or Comté preferably. They melt evenly and brown without burning too quickly. Avoid pre-shredded industrial gruyere in bags — too moist, it melts into a puddle rather than a nice crust.
The nutmeg : A pinch in the béchamel, no more. It gives that warm, slightly spicy undertone that you can’t always identify but miss if it’s absent.

Start with the béchamel

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan — wait until it foams slightly, without letting it brown. Add the flour all at once and stir immediately with a wooden spoon. It sticks a bit to the bottom, smells slightly like biscuit. Normal. Pour in the milk gradually, whisking constantly. The sauce thickens quickly in the first two minutes, then settles. Salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg. It should coat the back of a spoon without running — neither too liquid nor as thick as a puree. Remove from heat and let it cool for five minutes.

The bacon, quick prep

Grill the turkey bacon slices dry in a very hot pan. One minute per side. It should be slightly firm on the edges but not brittle. The smoky smell that fills the kitchen during those two minutes is already half the pleasure. Place the slices on paper towels and set aside while you assemble.

Assembly without rushing

Preheat the oven to broil at 200°C. Arrange four bread slices on a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of mustard if desired — just a thin layer, not a thick coating. Distribute the sliced chicken, then the turkey bacon slices. Cover with the remaining bread slices. Generously coat the top of each sandwich with the still-warm béchamel — it spreads easily with the back of a spoon, smooth and creamy, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Lots of cheese. No holding back at this point.

Under the broiler, watch closely

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Stay nearby, because the difference between perfectly browned and burnt is only a couple of minutes. The cheese will first melt, then start bubbling, then develop those characteristic amber spots — sign that it’s ready. When you take the sheet out, the béchamel underneath is still creamy and steaming. Let it rest for two minutes before cutting.

Tips & Tricks

If your béchamel has lumps, give it a quick blast with an immersion blender for thirty seconds — that fixes the problem without having to start over.
For crispy bread on the bottom even with béchamel: toast the bottom slices for thirty seconds in a toaster before assembling. The base won’t get soggy.
You can prepare the béchamel the day before. It thickens as it cools — thin it with a little warm milk before using.

Close-up — The cheese stretches in strings when you lift the slice — a sign it’s perfectly melted and browned.

FAQs

Can I use raw chicken?

No, the chicken must be cooked before assembling. Under the broiler, the cooking time is too short to cook meat through. Leftover roast chicken or poached breasts work great.

How do I keep the bread crispy despite the béchamel?

Toast the bottom slices for thirty seconds in a toaster before assembling. This creates a slight crust that prevents the béchamel from penetrating and softening the bread during cooking.

Can I prepare the béchamel in advance?

Yes, up to two days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It thickens as it cools — stir in a little warm milk to loosen it before using to restore the right consistency.

Which cheese works best?

Emmental and Comté are the best choices: they melt evenly and brown without burning too quickly. Mozzarella gives a more stringy result. Avoid pre-shredded bag mixes, which are too moist to brown well.

How to store and reheat the croque-monsieur?

They keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap. To reheat, bake them for 5 minutes at 180°C (350°F) — the microwave will make them completely soggy and that’s a shame.

Can I prepare the sandwiches in advance and broil them later?

Yes, you can assemble and coat the croque-monsieur up to 4 hours ahead, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Broil them straight from the fridge, adding 2 minutes of cooking time.