CROQUE MADAME

This classic recipe is perfect for breakfast. We modified the recipe just a bit from the original in “Melt It” by dividing the ingredients to make four sandwiches instead of the original two.

You’ll have lots of béchamel so if you find yourself with extra, it’s the perfect base for making cheese sauce to stir into some macaroni and cheese or to sauce a sauteed piece of fish or steamed vegetables.

We also skipped another step in the original recipe, running the béchamelcovered sandwich under the broiler to brown it before adding the egg. We liked keeping the sauce all creamy, but you should feel free to stick with the original.

One step we didn’t skip was the addition of the sage leaves. They add just the right amount of herbal punch.

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:

1 1/2 cups low-fat milk Grating of nutmeg 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour Salt and freshly ground black

pepper

SANDWICH:

8 1/2-inch slices sourdough bread 4 tablespoons unsalted butter,

softened, divided

16 sage leaves

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 8 slices ham

4 ounces Gruyere, grated 4 ounces Monterey Jack, grated 1 tablespoon olive oil

4 eggs

Make béchamel: In a medium saucepan, heat milk and nutmeg over low heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. In a separate medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour to make a paste. Slowly add warm milk to the butter/flour paste and whisk until mixture has thickened and there are no lumps, about 5 minutes. Season to taste and keep warm.

Make sandwich: Cover work surface with parchment paper. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Press two sage leaves onto each buttered side. Turn four slices over and spread with mustard. Top each mustard-covered side with 1 tablespoon béchamel and two slices ham. Sprinkle with Gruyere and Monterey Jack, divided evenly between the four slices. Top each with remaining 4 slices of sourdough, buttered side out.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and once hot, add the sandwiches, sage and butter side down. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until browned, then flip and cook until the second side is golden brown.

While sandwiches are browning, in a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add eggs and fry to your preference.

When sandwiches are brown, move them to serving plates and top with béchamel. Top each with a cooked egg and serve immediately. Serves: 4

Adapted from a recipe in “Melt It: The Grilled Cheese Cookbook” by Becks Wilkinson ($14.95, Kyle Books).

Per serving: 771 calories (percent of calories from fat, 58), 41 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 50 grams fat (26 grams saturated), 348 milligrams cholesterol, 1,572 milligrams sodium.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY HENRI HOLLIS