Chicken & Pesto Croque Monsieur

Posted on April 16, 2014
Hello, sweet friends! Are you hungry?? If not, I think you might be after this! This recipe was inspired by a recent lunch I had with a friend at a French cafe. It was so good I wanted to re-create it at home and this is what I came up with! A classic French Croque Monsieur is basically a ham and cheese sandwich topped with a creamy bechamel sauuce, sprinkled with cheese and then broiled until all the cheese is melted and gooey and delicious. It is comfort food at its best! There are so many different variations of this classic, and I love this one. You can make it in less than thirty minutes and you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry! And you know it’s a serious sandwich when you need a fork and knife to eat it!
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CHICKEN & PESTO CROQUE MONSIEUR
*Makes 2 sandwiches*
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YOU WILL NEED:
SANDWICHES
4 pieces crusty sourdough or white bread
2 – 4 tbs pesto (homemade or store-bought)
1 roasted chicken breast, diced
4 slices cheese of your choice
1/4 shredded cheese of your choiceCHEESY BECHAMEL SAUCE
1 tbs butter, unsalted
1 1/2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used fat-free)
1/2 tsp salt
3 – 4 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 400 deg F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, lightly toast your bread (either simply in the toaster or in the oven). Spread some pesto (my quantity directions are just approximate, use as much as you like) on each slice, add a slice of cheese on top of two of the slices of bread, then top the cheese with the diced chicken and the remaining slices of cheese, and place the other two slices of bread on top with the pesto side down. Place the sandwiches on your baking sheet and set them aside while you prepare the bechamel sauce.
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2. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small pot. Once it has melted add in the flour and whisk with the butter for about a minute, just to cook out the flour taste. Still whisking, pour in the milk and whisk continually until there are no lumps in the sauce. Add in the grated parmesan cheese (you can use a different shredded cheese if you prefer something else) and the salt, and whisk constantly for a couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens.
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3. Once the sauce is ready, carefully spoon it over each sandwich (you will definitely have some sauce leftover from this recipe!) to cover the top, then sprinkle it with some shredded cheese. Bake at 400 deg F for 5 minutes, then turn the broil setting on for about 3 – 4 minutes, or until the cheese has browned slightly (watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn!). Serve with a side of soup or salad!
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I used THIS NY Times No-Knead Bread for the sandwiches, which worked perfectly!

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Happy Cooking, Everyone!
I will be linking to THESE wonderful blogs!

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  • Ordinary J April 16, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    I don’t know what kind of pantry I have, of all the ingredients in this recipe, I only have white bread, butter, milk, flour and salt….This sandwich looks delicious!!! I guess I need to improve on the supplies in my pantry if I want to make any progress in mastering the art of cooking….

    • Maria April 17, 2014 at 7:00 am

      Thank you! Maybe I’m the only one who has these things in the pantry lol! Hope you have a good rest of your week, happy Easter!

  • Chris Coyle April 16, 2014 at 10:30 pm

    Oh my! You’re right, definitely hungry after seeing this! Sadly, it’s 11:30 pm, not the time to be making this. I also don’t have a chicken handy, so I guess it will have to wait. 🙁
    [#PinItThurs]

    • Maria April 17, 2014 at 6:59 am

      Ha! I always look at recipes late in the evening too, and it makes me so hungry at night! Hope you love this! Happy Easter! 🙂

  • Blair Lonergan April 17, 2014 at 5:25 am

    This looks amazing! I always have a jar of pesto in the refrigerator because my kids love it on pasta. This looks like a great new way to enjoy it. Pinned!

    • Maria April 17, 2014 at 6:56 am

      Thanks, Blair!! Yes, pesto is such a great thing to have in the pantry because you can use it in so many ways and it instantly adds flavor!! Hope you love this!! Happy Easter to you! 🙂

  • Simply Suzannes at Home April 17, 2014 at 9:06 am

    Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    Hi Maria! Thanks so much for coming by to visit . . . It brought me to your beautiful blog!
    Oh my goodness, your croque looks AMAZING! Definitely going to give that a try next week when everything settles down after Easter.
    Thanks so much for sharing!
    Have a great week and a Happy, Happy Easter,
    Suzanne

    • Maria April 17, 2014 at 11:17 am

      Thanks so much, Suzanne! Have a great week too 🙂

  • Linda April 17, 2014 at 5:43 pm

    The directions I want are to your house so you can make this for me – LOLLLLLL!! Looks sooo yummy….

    Linda in VA

    • Maria April 18, 2014 at 9:33 am

      Ha! Well, VA is not too far from here 😉 Thanks, Linda! Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoy the (hopefully) nice weather! 🙂

  • Julie Murphy April 19, 2014 at 5:36 pm

    Wow, I didn’t realize there was a sandwich under there…that just looks good! I’m definitely trying this soon!

    • Maria April 19, 2014 at 8:10 pm

      Ha! There’s a pretty big layer of delicious cheesy sauce on top! Hope you love it! Happy Easter, Julie!

  • Miz Helen April 21, 2014 at 9:31 am

    Oh my, I am drooling on your Chicken Pesto Croque Monsier! Hope you had a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Have a good week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    • Maria April 21, 2014 at 7:46 pm

      Thank you, Miz Helen! Hope you have a good week too!

  • Trish - Mom On Timeout April 21, 2014 at 6:01 pm

    Oh wow! I totally need to make this ASAP! Looks amazing Maria! Pinned!

    • Maria April 21, 2014 at 7:46 pm

      Thanks, Trish!! It was so good, I need to make it again! Hope you had a wonderful Easter and have a good week! 🙂

  • Zainab Mansaray April 21, 2014 at 11:41 pm

    You are right! I have all the ingredients in my pantry. This looks really good. I’m making it this week 🙂

  • Valentina Celant April 25, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    Happy Friday! Just stopping by to let you know your delicious dish is one of my favorites from last week’s Get Him Fed Friday 🙂 You are welcome to come grab a featured button and join the party again. Congrats! 🙂

    {Valentina | The Baking Fairy.net}

    • Maria April 29, 2014 at 6:28 pm

      Thanks so much for the feature, Valentina! 🙂

  • Jess April 25, 2014 at 12:38 pm

    I totally need this sandwich in my life!! Looks absolutely delicious. 🙂 Thank you for sharing at #GetHimFed Fridays – this recipe is being featured in this week’s round-up! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

    • Maria April 29, 2014 at 6:28 pm

      Thanks so much for the feature, Jess! 🙂

  • Cathy Trochelman April 26, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    Oh YUMMMM! This is definitely getting pinned….and made! Thanks for sharing with us at Saturday Night Fever, Maria!

    • Maria April 29, 2014 at 6:27 pm

      Thanks so much, Cathy! Hope you love it!!

  • Miz Helen April 28, 2014 at 10:16 am

    Congratulations!
    Your recipe is featured at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week and enjoy your new Red Plate!
    Miz Helen

    • Maria April 29, 2014 at 6:27 pm

      Thank you so much for the feature, Miz Helen! 🙂

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