INGREDIENTS
- 1
- Tablespoon unsalted butter plus more for buttering the bread
- 1 1/2
- Tablespoons flour
- 1
- cup hot whole milk
- 1/2
- teaspoon salt
- 1/4
- teaspoon pepper
- pinch nutmeg
- 6
- ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/4
- cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8
- slices white sandwich bread
- Dijon mustard
- 8
- thin slices of ham
DIRECTIONS
- For the Mornay sauce: In a small saucepan melt the butter. Add the flour to the butter to form a paste and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour the hot milk into the flour mixture and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until sauce has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. Remove mixture from the heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, Parmesan, and Gruyere cheese. Stir to combine. Set aside the Mornay sauce.
- Before assembling the sandwiches, preheat a grill pan or skillet to medium high heat. Slightly toast the bread either in a toaster or in the skillet so that the bread does not get soggy when the Mornay sauce is added.
- Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread and place each slice butter side down. Spread the other side of each piece of bread (the side facing up) with Dijon mustard. To assemble, spread a tablespoon or so of Mornay sauce on the bottom piece of bread. Next place two slices of ham and about 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese on top of the Mornay sauce. Top with the second piece of bread with the butter side facing out.
- Brush grill or skillet with butter and place the sandwich on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. Cut in half and serve.
- *Note: If serving this for a fancier occasion such as brunch after removing the sandwich from the pan, top the sandwich with additional Mornay sauce and some Gruyere cheese and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese gets bubbly and starts to brown.
