Baked Bean
“Croque Monsieur”.
Ok, so technically it’s not a Croque Monsieur (at all) because it’s not ham & cheese, but bear with me here because this might be the greatest invention of my life to date. It’s like beans on toast but on a whole new level. If you like beans and you like cheese, you won’t be disappointed (and if you don’t like beans and cheese, you’re a crazy person).
This recipe makes 2 sandwiches… I’ll let you decide how many that serves!
Ingredients.
200ml milk
20g plain flour
20g butter
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp English mustard, or more if you like lots, as i do
2 cheese slices, emmental or gruyère ideally, but cheddar works here too
400g tin of Baked Beans
100-160g cheddar, grated for the top & the sauce (to taste)
4 slices of bread, buttered
Equipment.
2 small pans: one for the beans, one for the sauce
Method.
Preheat your grill to its highest setting
Simmer the beans on moderate heat whilst you’re making the sauce, reducing the liquid slightly to help keep them in your sandwich
Make a roux for your cheese sauce: melt the butter in a pan & mix through the flour on a gentle heat
Add your milk gradually to the roux, whisking continuously until you get a silky sauce
Add the nutmeg, mustard and seasoning, and whisk the sauce for a few more minutes on a moderate heat to cook the flour and thicken the sauce
Take the sauce off the heat and stir through the half of the grated cheddar
Toast your bread under the grill on one side, then turn the slices over and build your sandwich:
toast > beans > cheese slice > toast > sauce > remaining cheddar
Place under the grill again for 5 mins or until the cheese is brown and bubbling
