Recipe(tried): Croque Monsieur

Hi LuAnn,

Probably one of the easiest things for your friend to make would be Croque Monsieur (pronounced Croak Misyur). It's a glorified, but very French, grilled ham & cheese sandwich! (And a big crowd-pleaser for kids.)

Ingredients are:
* sliced country-style white bread (such as a round loaf -- if you can get LaBrea bread, sold at Costco and some supermarkets, that's ideal)
* Dijon mustard
* sliced or shredded cheese, such as Swiss or imported Gruyere
* sliced ham, such as Virginia ham or Black Forest ham
* butter
* eggs (optional -- for French toast)
* milk (optional -- for French toast)

There are several ways of making Croque Monsieur.

One is as a closed sandwich: Spread each slice of bread lightly with mustard on one side. Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread, then a slice of ham in the middle. Close sandwich. Butter outsides of bread lightly. Pan-fry, pressing down with a spatula, or grill in a sandwich grill, until golden on both sides. Cut in half diagonally to serve.

Another is as an open-faced sandwich: Toast bread lightly. Spread one side lightly with mustard. Place a slice of ham directly on the mustard. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Grill under a hot broiler until cheese begins to melt and browns in spots. Cut in half diagonally to serve.

Still a third way is to make closed sandwiches, dip them in eggs beaten with a little milk, then pan-fry the sandwiches like French toast. Cut in half diagonally to serve.

Hope one of these fills the bill!

Susan, Hawaii