Croque Monsieur Sandwich (with Prosciutto)

I don't know what it is about me forgetting to take food pics lately, but I missed another one.

Anywho...

I made these yummy and decadent sandwiches for our dinner tonight. I had some prosciutto that needed to be used, and I remembered tagging this recipe in my Barefoot In Paris cookbook. Oh man, I am glad that I tried them!!! There were fairly easy to put together and ooooohhhhhhh so rich and delectable. I made a couple of minor substitutions to try and make them an eensy bit more healthful, but they were still pretty naughty.

Croque Monsieur Sandwich (with Prosciutto)
Adapted From: Barefoot in Paris cookbook; By: Ina Garten, 2004

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot fat-free milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
4 ounces of Gruyere, grated and divided into 1/3 portions
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard, mixed (about a tablespoon of each)
4 slices of prosciutto de Parma

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/3 of the grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard mix, add two slices of prosciutto to each, and sprinkle with another 1/3 of the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the last remaining 1/3 of the Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Jen's Notes:
These were so rich, I think next time I am going to add an acidic element to our sammies...just for a little diversity; albeit not very traditional. I think fresh sliced tomatoes or a simple arugula salad dressed with salt, olive oil, and lemon juice or vinegar would be a nice topping. Also, you can forget about picking these up to eat them...fork and knife is practically required!