Make breakfast for dinner with this croque-madame sandwich recipe

Some nights, you just feel like having breakfast for dinner. It’s soothing, in a comfort-food sort of way.

Layer buttered bread slices with ham, then slather on rich bechamel sauce. Assemble the sandwiches, and top each with a mound of grated Swiss and mozzarella cheeses. Bake the until the bread crisps and the cheese oozes to a glorious mess. You could finish there and enjoy a nice croque-monsieur, but what distinguishes the monsieur from the madame is a fried egg. So add a fried egg and make it a crouque-madame. It’s pure heaven.

CROQUE-MADAME

Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time for the bechamel | Serves 6

Note: Adapted from La Dijonaise Cafe et Boulangerie in Culver City. The restaurant uses bread from a local bakery and recommends pullman-type bread for the sandwiches.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper
Pinch nutmeg

1. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce the heat and keep the milk warm over very low heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When it bubbles, whisk in the flour and continue to cook until the mixture forms a golden roux, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Whisking constantly, add the warm milk in a steady stream. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with one-half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper, along with the nutmeg, or to taste. Remove from heat and set aside until cooled. This makes about 2 cups sauce.

SANDWICH ASSEMBLY

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
12 slices sandwich bread
12 slices ham
Prepared bechamel sauce
6 slices Swiss cheese, diced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper
6 eggs, fried sunny side up

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter 6 slices of bread. Top each slice of bread with 2 slices of ham, then divide the bechamel sauce evenly between the sandwiches, spreading it over the ham. Top each of the sandwiches with a second slice of bread.

3. In a small bowl, toss together the diced Swiss cheese and the mozzarella. Season the mixture with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, or to taste.

4. Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the sandwiches, mounding it on top of each sandwich.

5. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the oven. This may need to be done in more than 1 batch.

6. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.

Each sandwich: 699 calories; 38 grams protein; 40 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 43 grams fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 334 mg. cholesterol; 8 grams sugar; 1,660 mg. sodium.

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