PopotamRecipes
Open the app
small price, big dish

Homemade ham and béchamel croque-monsieur

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 30 minutes, around $2.04 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

30mintotal
≈ $2.04a serving
714kcalper serving
42gof protein
In season in October
Let's cook
Homemade ham and béchamel croque-monsieur, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea

Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Make the béchamel

    Melt 10 g of butter in the saucepan over medium heat, add the 15 g of flour and stir for 1 minute with the whisk. Pour in the 15 cl of milk a little at a time, whisking nonstop.

    Tip · Whisk without stopping when you add the milk, and pour it in a thin stream: that's what keeps lumps away.

  2. Thicken and season

    Let it cook over low heat, stirring, until the sauce coats the spoon. Add the pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, then, off the heat, half the shredded cheese (50 g).

  3. Fill the bread

    Use 8 slices of sandwich bread: spread the béchamel on 4 slices. Lay the ham (150 g) over those 4 slices, then top with the other 4 slices.

  4. Sear the first side

    Melt half the remaining butter (7 g) in the skillet over medium heat. Lay in 2 croque-monsieurs and brown them for 3 minutes.

  5. Flip and add the cheese

    Flip the croque-monsieurs, sprinkle half the remaining cheese (25 g) on top and let them brown for 3 minutes over medium-low heat, with a lid or a plate on top so it melts.

    Tip · Keep the heat at medium-low so the bread browns without burning before the cheese melts. Serve with a green salad.

  6. Cook the second batch

    Take out the first 2 croque-monsieurs and keep them warm on the plate. Melt the remaining butter (8 g) and do the same thing with the other 2 and the remaining cheese (25 g).

  7. Serve right away

    Cut each croque-monsieur in half and serve them piping hot, with the cheese still gooey.

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 714 kcal. 34% comes from carbs, 24% from protein and 41% from fat.

60 gCarbs
42 gProtein
33 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy714 kcal
Protein42.2 g
Carbs60.4 g
of which sugars10.5 g
Fat32.6 g
of which saturated fat19.7 g
Fiber3.2 g
Salt3.3 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $2.04 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $4.08for 2 people
≈ $2.04a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

Eat it fresh. Bread and wraps get soggy when they sit with the filling. Prep the filling ahead if you want, and put it together the day you eat it!

D-Daymake it the day you eat it
Noit would lose all its appeal

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

Popotam plans your whole week

Lunch and dinner, with dishes like this one, based on your tastes, your time and your budget. The grocery list is sorted by aisle. Free, no account.

Build my week

This dish is also an idea for…

Cheap meal ideas, under $2.50 a serving

With the same ingredients

sandwich bread, deli ham, shredded cheese…