Croque-Madame Caserole

Beautiful fall weather and geocaching have seriously cut into my cooking time! However, I remain committed to do at least once recipe a week. When winter rolls in and the wind starts whipping around, I am sure I will be cooking away to help heat this drafty 'ol farm house!

I will tell you this, yesterday we had an awesome day geocaching with the whole family, Beeler, and La and Va. We saw some beautiful sites and learned some interesting facts. In the evening we BBQ'd and made smores over a fire pit. I highly recommend skipping the chocolate bar and throwing on a reeses cup. You can also peel and slice a banana, fill it with chocolate chips and marshmallows, wrap it in foil and roast. That is some lip smacking good fire pit desert! Hint: Never lick the metal utensil that you roasted your marshmallow on, it will leave a mark! LOL!

This dish was not one of my fav's....I did not really care for the bites that did not have every ingredient in it, but the bites that had the ham, egg, a LITTLE bread were good. There seemed to be to much sauce as well. I don't think I will make this one again.

Croque-Madame Casserole
Pg 110 The Deen Family Cookbook

8 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
10 to 12 slices of bread
8 oz deli ham
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese
6 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish. Make a white sauce by melting butter in a large skillet and cook until bubbling. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick and bubbly. Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

2. Pour a thin layer of sauce into the pan, cover with 5 or 6 slices of bread, 4 slices of ham, and a thin layer of the cheese (3/4 cup). Repeat layers once more ending with a layer of sauce over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, cut into six equal pieces.

3. Fry the eggs, season with salt and pepper and top each portion with a fried egg.

Walker said he would eat this once a year. James said once a lifetime! I agreed with James! But just because we didn't care for it does not mean you won't so get cooking and give it a try!