croque monsieur paninis

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these croque monsieur paninis have everything there is to love about croque monsieur PLUS everything there is to love about paninis:  creamy béchamel, salty ham, melty & gooey swiss cheese & good, chewy french sourdough grilled & pressed to golden perfection.  a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter leftovers or entertain a couple of girlfriends for a…
croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

these croque monsieur paninis have everything there is to love about croque monsieur PLUS everything there is to love about paninis:  creamy béchamel, salty ham, melty & gooey swiss cheese & good, chewy french sourdough grilled & pressed to golden perfection.  a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter leftovers or entertain a couple of girlfriends for a weekend lunch (just don’t forget the rosé!).

 can we talk about guilty pleasures for a second?

like, the embarrassing, i-can’t-believe-i’m-admitting-this kind of guilty pleasures?

ok.  i’ll go first.

i have a major thing for stupid, feel-good rom coms.  & this might not seem too embarrassing on the surface, but there’s also the fact that sometimes i’ll get into a mood & i know nothing’s going to fix it other than laying by myself in bed watching a rom com & crying my face off. 

& while i’ll never turn down a good old nicholas sparks movie, my favorites are kinds of rom coms with a strong female lead amidst a life/identity crisis & needs to re-find herself.  i like to think that the scripts & storylines, albeit a teeny tiny bit predictable, are intelligent & witty.  like…the holiday.  & crazy, stupid, love.  or eat, pray, love.  or in her shoes.  & the devil wears prada

so cheesy, i know.  can we still be friends?

croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

i’ll be the first to own up to the fact that that these movies aren’t the greatest stories ever, or the most well-produced films for that matter.  hence, guilty pleasure…but sometimes you just need to shut your brain off & feel your feelings, okay?

one of my favorite movies falling into this category is it’s complicated.  you know, the 2009 nancy meyers rom com with meryl streep & alec baldwin & steve martin & john krasinski?  (& actually, it’s just one of my favorite movies, period.  much to chris’ demise i own 2 copies of it.  he’s asked me to get rid of the 2nd copy for as long as i can remember & is baffled when i tell him i can’t because it’s one of my favorite movies.)

if it’s complicated isn’t not ringing a bell, allow me to bring you up to speed: this is the one where meryl’s character, a successful ina-esque restaurateur, finally recovered from her divorce but starts to have an affair with her ex-husband. 

if you haven’t seen it, you should.  (hey, i’ll lend you my 2nd copy!)

if you have seen it, by now you should recall that meryl’s character has the dreeeeeeeeeeeeeamiest kitchen & home i’ve ever seen.  like, the kind of perfection that you pin on your “dream home” pinterest board.  a beautiful french farmhouse style kitchen with amazing natural light, an open-concept into the dining area, & the most understated & sophisticated marble slab island i’ve ever seen – covered a bounty of bread in baskets, fruit in bowls, herbs in planters, & baked treats on cake stands, of course.

croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

omg. i die. 

this kitchen is just everything that food should be about: an open & inviting gathering space for family & loved ones.  (ahem…with an abundance of pastries…)

so it should come as no surprise that i absolutely died when meryl had steve martin’s character over for a casual dinner & whipped up croque monsieur while he was seated at that dreamy marble slab island.  

ugh.  how elegant & understated & sophisticated & amazing?!?!  i.just.can’t.even.

& ever since then i’ve had a slight obsession with croque monsieur.  i’ve made the classic, i’ve made it into a casserole, i’ve made it into crepes, & i even have it whenever i see it on a brunch menu

& today i share with you one of my more brilliant creations as of late: croque monsieur paninis. 
croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

croque monsieur paninis have everything there is to love about croque monsieur PLUS everything there is to love about paninis:  creamy béchamel, salty ham, melty & gooey swiss cheese & good, chewy french sourdough grilled & pressed to golden perfection.  i add some arugula for a nice peppery kick.

aside from whipping up homemade béchamel (which literally takes 3 minutes & 4 staple pantry ingredients), these croque monsieur paninis are no more difficult to make than making any other sandwich: you generously butter the bread & season with a little pinch of salt (my secret for a flavorful, crunchy bite), flip the bread over & layer on your béchamel, cheese, ham & greens.

croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

pop into a panini press & five minutes later you’ll have a seriously bistro-worthy sandwich (& if you’re anything like me, you’ll be pretending you’re in meryl’s it’s complicated kitchen).

croque monsieur paninis would be great for:

  1. easter leftovers.  the thick slices of leftover easter ham would literally be perfect in these paninis, which do tend to get pretty flattened in the panini press.
  2. weekend brunch gatherings.  last weekend my mom came to town to see beauty & the beast with me (uhh…have you seen it? AMAZING.) & i made these for lunch before the movie.  they were totally comforting & totally satisfying, but still felt light & didn’t put us into food comas.
  3. wooing a man.  i mean, just take a page out of meryl’s casual & elegant it’s  complicated date night book, right?
  4. girls night.  i can’t think of a better spring date with your girlfriends.  set out some patio furniture, assemble the paninis, have them bring a simple salad & some rosé, & laugh the night away.  does it get any better than that?
    croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

check out the recipe below & tell me…what’s your favorite rom com?  have you seen it’s complicated? (& are you obsessed with meryl’s kitchen?)  have your own guilty pleasure?…let’s hear about it! xx

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croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

croque monsieur paninis

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Description

these croque monsieur paninis have everything there is to love about croque monsieur PLUS everything there is to love about paninis. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter leftovers or entertain a couple of girlfriends for a weekend lunch (just don’t forget the rosé!).


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 batch of bechamel sauce (ingredients & recipe below)
  • 4 tbsp butter at room temperature
  • 8 slices of french sourdough (or sandwich bread of choice)
  • 1 lb ham, thinly sliced
  • 2 C swiss cheese (I use a swiss & gruyere blend from Trader Joes)
  • 1 C arugula (or greens of choice)
  • salt

For the bechamel

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 C milk (plus more as needed for desired consistency)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

Instructions

Prepare your bechamel

  1. Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, add flour & stir to combine. Continuously stir for about 1 minute until the mixture browns slightly, cooking off the flavor of the flour. Turn heat to low.
  2. While stirring, add milk to the pan & stir vigorously. The sauce will thicken pretty quickly, so continue to stir to avoid clumping.
  3. Once the sauce reaches your desired thickness (it should be thick enough to coat the back of your spoon & stay separated as you run a finger over it), finish with salt & nutmeg, stir to combine, & turn off the heat.
  4. If the sauce gets too thick, don’t worry. just add another couple splashes of milk & turn off the heat while you stir it in & it should thin out again.

For the croque monsieur paninis

  1. Preheat your panini press. (If you do not have a panini press, you could always pan fry these over medium heat – grilled cheese style.)
  2. Assemble the paninis: Butter one side of each slice of bread with 1/2 tbsp butter & sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Flip the bread slices over, & to their unbuttered side you’re going to spread bechamel on half of the slices of bread & add cheese to the other half. Layer ham on top of the bechamel & add some greens on top of the cheese. Carefully flip each ham & bechamel covered slice of bread on top of each cheese & greens slice of bread, forming 4 sandwiches.
  3. Cook in panini press until crusty, golden, & heated through – about 5 minutes.
  4. Slice in half & pair with a chilled glass of dry rose!


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4
croque monsieur paninis are an easy & delicious lunch or brunch meal. a seriously simple, yet seriously elegant way to use up easter ham leftovers or to entertain a couple of girlfriends for a casual weekend lunch (just don't forget the rosé!) | croque monsieur, sandwich, french recipe, girls night, easy recipe, easter, easy entertaining |

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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Comments

  1. 4.15.17
    Danny said:

    Of course, what a fantastic website and enlightening posts, I surely will bookmark your blog.All the Best!

  2. 4.13.17
    Lana_SHON said:

    Great post! Thanks for sharing.

    • 4.22.17
      jess said:

      thanks for stopping by!! x

  3. 4.12.17

    I’m with Ellie and I don’t think I have seen It’s Complicated. But now I need to, esp to get a glimpse of that kitchen. I haven’t had a panini in so long but now I have a feeling I’m going to be busting out my panini grill!

    • 4.22.17
      jess said:

      omg, we’re going to need to have a girl’s party to watch it. you guys would love it! xx

  4. 4.11.17

    Omg, It’s Complicated is not only one of my favorites, but I’m completely on board with that being one of the dreamiest kitchens EVER!!!! I also die. Loving this sandwich too…I’m a sucker for anything panini or grilled, or between bread in general. Loving this!

    • 4.22.17
      jess said:

      ahhh, twins!!! thanks for dropping in lindsay! i also happen to love anything between bread…especially good french bread! *drool* =) xx

  5. 4.11.17

    These look delicious! I am with you on wanting a French inspired kitchen perfect for making pastries!

    • 4.22.17
      jess said:

      right? there’s like…NOTHING…that would make me happier! thanks for dropping in, brooke! xx

  6. 4.11.17

    Ok now I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen It’s Complicated! Seriously though, I’m gonna need to borrow that second copy… #notevenkidding

    • 4.22.17
      jess said:

      i totally forgot to send you home with it! next time. you’d love it!! xx

  7. 4.11.17
    GiGi Eats said:

    I think I have only had one of these in my life. When I was in France, so I mean… WAY TO GET ALL local color – right?! 😉