croque monsieur

noun

croque mon·​sieur ˌkrȯk-məs-ˈyər 

-ˈyə,

ˌkräk-,

ˌkrōk-,

-məsh-

variants or Croque Monsieur or less commonly croque-monsieur

plural croque monsieurs ˌkrȯk-məs-ˈyər(z) 

-ˈyə(z),

ˌkräk-,

ˌkrōk-,

-məsh-

or Croque Monsieurs also croque-monsieurs

: a ham and cheese sandwich often with béchamel sauce that is sometimes dipped in egg batter before being grilled, baked, or pan-fried

At one point they were in Paris and shared a croque monsieur, a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese.

—Dan McGowan

Fill the bread with ham and cheese to make two sandwiches, or croque monsieurs, then toast them for 1-2 minutes under a grill …

—Victoria Gray

And while most croque monsieur recipes use béchamel sauce with grated gruyère, this one combines both to make a mornay sauce …

—Jessica Yadegaran

… we never found mustard or any other condiment included on any Croque Monsieur when we were in Paris.

—Tallahaseee (Florida) Democrat

compare croque madame

Examples of croque monsieur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Forbes also highlighted Lustig in Culver City, whose croque monsieur pizza includes béchamel, prosciutto cotto, gruyere and parmesan cheese. —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2024

There was also an espresso bar with more dessert, as well as crepe and croque monsieur carts for late-night sustenance. —Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023

For now, Toussaint Brasserie, along with its full-service bar and patio, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week with plats du jour, but a weekend brunch menu with dishes like lobster benedict, croque monsieur and tuna niçoise will be available in the coming weeks. —Dallas News, 25 Feb. 2022

Fair trade organic coffees and teas are the perfect complement to a flaky croissant, mango tart, or croque monsieur. —Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2023

Trays of crab meat salad, mini croque monsieurs and skewers of prosciutto and melon sat nearby. —Lulu Yilun Chen, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2023

How to use the broiler to fire up your home cooking Cheesy French Toast Pitas You’ll be reminded of croque monsieur with this recipe, which stuffs the pitas with seasoned ground turkey patties, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and greens. —Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 15 July 2023

Ideal for lunch after a visit to the Picasso museum, La Petite Place, on rue de Parc Royal, is a cute bistro with classic French dishes like onion soup and croque monsieur. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023

As her croque monsieur arrives, Ricci eyes the salad next to it and looks up at our waitress. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "(one) bites with a crunch (the) gentleman"

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above