Croque Monsieur Turnovers

Stop everything you are doing, and check to see if you have some puff pastry in the freezer.  If not, go directly to the grocery store, do not pass Go, and pick some up!

I don’t know about you guys, but having puff pastry in the freezer means that great dishes, meals, snacks appetizers etc are made that much more simple.  Truly a life saver.  These days I purchase my puff pastry from Le Marquis Bakery in Montreal, who does the best gluten free puff pastry I’ve worked with so far.  I’ve tried making my own, but for all the work, homemade gluten free recipes really don’t create the layers that we are looking for when working with great puff pastry.  So I have no qualms about purchasing my own.

Croque Monsieur Inspiration

What exactly is a Croque Monsieur?  It is a lovely French concoction, but you figured that out, right, duh Jen! It’s the best combination of fresh tender ham, Gruyere or Emmental Cheese, luscious béchamel sauce, and the vehicle to transport it all in.  Classically it combined inside two sliced of bread and grilled in a skillet, for the fanciest grilled cheese sammie you’ll ever make.  Of course, the French combo of ham and cheese can be found in almost any setting: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Crepes Bretonne, even Quiche Lorraine uses these flavours with aplomb.

Why Make it a Turnover?

So, you may be asking, why turn it into a turnover?  Simple, because once the prep work is done, you get to make 6 or 8 turnovers all at the same time!  And this way, if you are looking for a fantastic lazy morning or Sunday brunch idea, these will fit the bill.  Plus, once the prep work is done and you have par-baked them, you can freeze them for future Croque Monsieur moments.

Ingredients

Puff Pastry: you can use sheets, or a block, but in the end you want to be able to cut 6 or 8 squares at 5 x 5 inches (13 x 13 cm) So roll out the sheets to 10 x 10 inches (26 x 26 cm)

Black Forest Ham: Thinly sliced deli ham is great for this recipe. I use 1 1/2 slices per turnover.  One slice just isn’t enough.  I gently tear the slices into smaller pieces, as this will make eating them even easier once baked.

Gruyere Cheese: This can be replaced with Jarlsberg, Emmental, Beemster, Swiss or other gentle melting cheese.  I use about 6 oz, both sliced and grated.

Cheddar Cheese: This is my addition.  I think it adds a depth of flavour and a good tang!

Béchamel Sauce: butter, flour (gf blend works great) and milk are your base.  Dijon or even French’s hamburger mustard is fine.  Black pepper, nutmeg and a touch of cayenne all add flavour, so that your béchamel isn’t bland.  Many Ham and Cheese hand pie or tart recipes omit the béchamel sauce.  I think these benefit from the addition.  Really, it takes these to the next level.  Please use it!

Topping: Everything Bagel Blend adds some fun texture.  But if you don’t have any, don’t feel obliged to use it.  Maybe use some sesame seeds instead if you feel so inclined.

Method

Preheat the oven to 425F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll out the pastry to the size needed to create 5 x 5 inch squares.  Divide the ham between each slice, placing it on one side.  Top it with cheese, then béchamel and a bit more cheese!  Fold the triangles so that the points meet.  Press down and dock with a fork to seal the seams.  Transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheets. Brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with grated cheese, and cut some vent holes.  Finish with the Everything Bagel topping and bake them in the oven.  Make sure they are bubbling and taking on good colour.  If you would like a bit more colour, feel free to finish with the broil setting just to add some burnish!  The béchamel will come bubbling out through the vents, and these will be the most tempting treats you will bake up this winter!

Final Thoughts

To prepare these for the freezer, go through all the steps for assembling.  Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet (they shouldn’t touch) and then place the baking sheet in the freezer.  Once frozen, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag.  To bake from frozen, follow the directions, adding 5-10 minutes, baking at 425F till golden brown and bubbly.

You can also freeze the fully baked ones if you won’t be able to finish them in a few day (stored in the fridge in a sealed container.  Freeze using the above instructions.  Thaw and bake at 375F till warmed through and bubbly.

To store for the week, use a sealed container and the fridge.  Do not use a microwave to re-heat, as this will only cause the pastry to become soggy.  Use a toaster oven or regular oven and bake at 375F till warmed through and bubbling.

Croque Madame

Here is one of the best versions of Croque Monsieur ever: Finish your turnover with a fried egg!  Make sure the turnovers are nice and warm.  Slide the egg on top.  At this point you could also shred some more cheese over the egg, but that’s up to you.  As you cut into the egg and turnover, the egg yolk blends with the béchamel and cheeses, and becomes the most sublime party in your mouth.  Happy brunching!  And yes, warmed through, wrapped in parchment, these Croque Monsieur Turnovers are a fantastic breakfast to go, for busy mornings! A great Croque Monsieur is a treat to be savoured.

Love Jen

If you want to make a homemade batch of Everything Bagel Topping, just click here!

Print

Croque Monsieur Turnovers

All the ham and cheesy goodness, along with a creamy béchamel sauce, all wrapped up in puff pastry. Perfect for a lazy morning brunch, or even a take to go breakfast!

Course Baking, Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine French

Keyword béchamel sauce, black forest ham, gruyere cheese, puff pastry

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• Béchamel Sauce
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup milk can use whole, or 2% (low fat)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper optional
• Turnovers
• Two sheets of puff pastry
• 8-10 slices deli black forest ham
• 7 oz 170 grams Gruyere Cheese, divided , or 200 grams
• 2 oz 55 grams medium cheddar cheese, sliced into small batons, or shredded , or 55 grams
• 1 egg whisked with water for egg wash
• Everything Bagel Blend

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. For the Gruyere Cheese, use the fine holes of a box grater, and grate 1/2 cup's worth of cheese. Set aside. Slice thinly or cut into small batons the remaining cheese.

3. Prepare the Béchamel Sauce

4. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk till completely blended and cooked through to lose the raw flavour, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the milk, along with the pepper, nutmeg and cayenne (if using), whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, and then reduce, cook until thick. Set aside to cool down.
6. Take the puff pastry sheet, place it on a well floured surface, and roll them out (with a floured rolling pin) to 10 x 10 inch squares or there about. Cut each into four squares. You should have eight (5 x 5 inch) squares. If you are using a puff pastry block, and can only manage 6 squares, that's fine too. You just may have leftover filling ingredients.
7. Take 1 1/2 slices of ham torn gently into smaller pieces, and place in one half triangle quadrant of the pastry. Leave a small empty edge for sealing. Repeat with the remaining squares. Using half of the sliced Gruyere cheese, divide it evenly over the ham. Divide all the cheddar cheese over the ham and cheese.
8. Spoon 2 heaping teaspoons (if it's closer to a tbsp that's fine!) of cooled béchamel over the cheese. Repeat on all the turnovers. Finish with the remaining Gruyere cheese.
9. Use a bit of water to wet the two edges with the filling. Take the opposing point and fold the pastry over to create a triangle, pressing the pastry into the lightly watered edges. Make sure any filling is not trapped in the seam, or else the edges may not stay closed during baking. Use a fork to dock the edges to seal.
10. Transfer each turnover to a baking sheet, three or four on each one. Brush each turnover with the egg wash. Now take the finely grated Gruyere cheese and divide it between each turnover, sprinkling it on the tops. Use a sharp knife to score three vent holes.
11. Bake in the centre of the oven till bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes. If you would like more of a burnish, feel free to turn on the broiler and give them a further browning, about 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on them, each oven is different.
12. Serve after letting them cool about 10 minutes.
13. For a Croque Madame, serve with a fried egg on top!
14. See blog post for further details.

Recipe Notes

Here is the Everything Bagel Blend recipe