Croque Mon - Do What I Want

Welcome to this Monday.  It’s already happening, another week, another to-do list, another round of appointments - don't panic.  

You can do this.  

Your hair looks amazing, by the way.

We need to begin this week right, so eat a proper breakfast.  Yes, of course, yogurt counts, especially if you splurged on the fancy European chocolate kind - you’re totally winning.  

The work day and full inbox will likely feel daunting, and you’ll be tempted to come home and crash on the couch with a bowl of leftover popcorn.  But, you are not going to do that.  Instead, you should call up your favorite gentleman or lady, and make a cozy, slightly-more-elegant-than-popcorn dinner.  You’ll thank yourself.  

I’m trying to gather up some of these weeknight dinner weapons because in 235 days I’m going to have a husband.  One of those studly garbage-taker-outers that you have to feed three times a day and provide semi-frequent back rubs for - at least that’s what I’ve heard.  So you see, my classic popcorn and clementine dinners simply won’t do anymore...except maybe on Sunday nights, everything is permissible on Sunday nights.

So this is why I’m learning to make fancy sandwiches that need only a pile of lightly dressed arugula and a handful of chips to become a proper dinner.

Croque Monsieur is the classic French sandwich.  It is little more than a very fancy version of ham and cheese.  By fancy, I mean that it has ooey, gooey (bleh, I don’t like those words… someone please, give me some new adjectives) cheese sauce poured over it.  

It consists of two slices of toasted bread, a thin layer of dijon, ham, and gruyere.  The finished sandwiches are then covered in a rich cheese sauce and baked until the cheese gets brown and bubbly.  I love it, and it really needs no improving, but, I wanted pickles.   

I really love a good sweet pickle.  My dad and I are the only ones in my family that tolerate their charm, and I cannot get enough.  One of my very favorite guilty pleasure foods is a good hot dog with tangy ketchup and a heaping pile of sweet pickles. Oh yes…  But I digress.

So, for the love of pickles, I defied tradition and added a layer of sweet pickles.  Let me tell you, that though this sandwich has always been perfect on its own, if perfection could be improved upon - this is it.  

The spicy mustard plays wonderfully with the sweetness of the pickles and they add a fresh crunch to the rich, cheese-blanketed sandwich.  

Husband or no husband, this is a really good Monday night dinner choice.  And, if you are dining solo and do not feel like eating four sandwiches, you can still make the entire batch of cheese sauce and stow it away in the refrigerator for quick lunches or dinners. 

We’ve got serious weeknight skills. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Croque Mon - Do What I Want

makes 4 / recipe adapted from Ina Garten

- 8 1/2-inch slices of good bread (I used an Italian country loaf)

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

- 2 cups whole milk, warmed (about 60-70 degrees)

- 1 teaspoon salt

- freshly ground black pepper 

- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/2 cups gruyere, shredded (divided use)

- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan + extra for sprinkling 

- 16 slices deli ham

- 1 cup bread and butter pickle slices 

- dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  

Place the sliced bread on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes.  Flip each slice and then bake for an additional 2 minutes, until toasted.  

Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium high heat.  Once the butter has melted, whisk in flour.  Cook, whisking often for 2 minutes. 

Slowly stream in warm milk, whisking constantly, until combined.  Add salt, pepper, and fresh nutmeg and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened; about 3-5 minutes. 

To test the consistency, dip a spoon into the sauce and run your finger down the center of the spoon.  If it leaves a clean line, the sauce has thickened enough; if not, keep cooking.  

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup gruyere and parmesan.  Set aside. 

Set oven on the broiler setting.  

Spread a thin layer of mustard on four of the toasted slices of bread.  Layer each slice with pickles, four slices of ham, and a handful of the remaining gruyere.  Top with a second slice of toast and place in a 9x13 baking pan.  Cover each sandwich with prepared sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. 

Broil for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and slightly browned.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!  

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{The 1st Meal} Sweet Potato Ham Biscuits with Honey Butter

I remember the combination of delight and wonder I felt when my baby sister’s nose turned an adorable shade of orange.  My mother explained that her curious complexion was due to an overdose of sweet potatoes and carrots.  From that point on I made it a point to never go too far with my love for orange vegetables.  A discolored nose was cute on a baby, but not fashionable for a six-year-old. 

I love sweet potatoes.  I love them roasted with salt, butter, and sage, cut into fries, mashed with cinnamon, heck, I’ll even get into that whole marshmallow brown sugar territory.  

I have utmost respect for this humble tuber.  After all, it is without a doubt one of the most versatile vegetables you will find in the produce section.  It can be savory or sweet.  It will happily become soup, pies, waffles, or biscuits.  The possibilities are limitless!  Let us no more give into the erroneous notion that this superb tuber is only for overly sweet holiday casseroles.  Sweet potato fans unite!  Join the Beta CaroTEAM today!  Heehee… I find myself very amusing at times.

Oh come on, let’s just make some biscuits.

Before we go any further I should mention that these biscuits are drop biscuits - meaning that there is no rolling or cutting involved.  We just pull a quick batter together and use an ice cream scoop to portion out our biscuits.  Drop biscuits are certainly different from the fluffy buttermilk biscuits your grandmother baked, but they still deserve to have their place in the culinary world.

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 For those of you who are intimidated by biscuit making, these are a good way to begin.

While the biscuits bake we whip up a batch of honey butter.  I could put honey butter on everything.  We are also going to fry up a bit of ham. I used a thickly sliced black forest ham - I like the contrast between the salty ham and the sweet butter.

When the biscuits have cooled slightly, spread on the butter - don’t be stingy, and layer with ham. 

This is my weekend - well this, plus a mug of hot chocolate, flannel shirts, and good company.  May your weekend be slow and meaningful, may you begin well.

Sincerely,

  Pedantic Foodie

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Sweet Potato Ham Biscuits with Honey Butter

makes 10

for the honey butter

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup honey

Combine honey and butter in a medium bowl.  Use an electric mixer to whip until the ingredients are well combined and the butter is fluffy.  Place in a small bowl and cover with plastic; refrigerate until ready to use.

for the biscuits

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes 
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk 
• 1 teaspoon vinegar 
• 2 medium sweet potatoes 
• 20 slices thickly sliced ham, such as black forest ham or Canadian bacon 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use a fork to punch several holes on each sweet potato and place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-60 minutes, or until fork tender.  Allow the potatoes to cool fully before separating the flesh from the skin.  Use a large spoon to remove all the flesh and then place in the work bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.*  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

In a large bowl whisk to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Toss the cubed butter into the flour mixture and use the tips of your fingers, or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour, breaking it up into pea-sized pieces.  

In a separate bowl, combine milk, vinegar, and sweet potato puree; stir until well combined.  Pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold the dry mixture into the wet.  Mix until just combined, being careful to not over mix.  The mixture should look homogenous, but not completely smooth.  

Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop to portion out the batter.  Place the biscuits directly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fluffy and golden.  Allow to cool slightly before slicing.  While the biscuits are cooling, prepare the ham. 

Place a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat.  Fry ham, in batches, for about 1 minute on each side.  The goal here is twofold: you want to develop the flavor a bit by browning each side as well as heating the meat through.  

assembly

Slice each biscuit in half and butter each side with honey butter.  Place several slices of ham in each biscuit and serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

*These steps may all be done in advance.  The puree can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated until ready to use.   If you are making these biscuits for breakfast I would recommend making the puree the night before to save a bit of time in the morning.