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.

—Tallahasee (Florida) Democrat

compare croque madame

Examples of croque monsieur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lot gets toasted under the broiler, allowing the sauce to char and melt into a velvety smooth shawl over this restaurant-worthy croque monsieur. — Alexia Duchêne, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 June 2026

Later on, the easygoing, all-day menu caters to any cravings, from caviar and oysters to a casual croque monsieur, or competent steak tartare. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 June 2026

Team Frenchette is behind the casual, light- and plant-filled café at The Whitney, where breakfast and lunch (don’t sleep on the croque monsieur) must always conclude with a selection from the pastry case. — Fiorella Valdesolo, Vogue, 11 June 2026

Inspired by a croque monsieur, these Ham-and-Cheese Sliders feature a creamy béchamel sauce and Gruyère. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for croque monsieur

• abjure
• adjure
• allure
• assure
• brochure
• cocksure
• coiffure
• contour
• couture
• demure
• detour
• endure