Southern Belle Croque Madame |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes |
Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 5 |
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French fare with a Southern accent! I came up with this after seeing a version of the sandwich made by Rachel Ray. A traditional southern breakfast (bacon, eggs, grits) is one of my favorite meals - anytime of day. I figured, why not assemble it in a whole new way? Made with sliced/fried polenta (instead of bread), and apple-wood smoked bacon (in lieu of ham). Creamy, cheesy, w/bacon & white gravy - I mean, a bechamel sauce - to boot! (Note: if you want larger sandwiches , slice the polenta lengthwise instead of into rounds.) Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, divided |
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
1 cup milk |
1/2 teaspoon salt (or season to taste) |
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or season to taste) |
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (eyeball it) |
2 teaspoons smooth dijon-style mustard |
12 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (5 cups) |
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese |
1 (18 ounce) package of san gennaro pre-cooked prepared polenta |
1 tablespoon olive oil |
8 ounces apple-wood smoked bacon, pan-fried or broiled (do not microwave) |
5 small eggs or 1 medium egg, fried sunny-side up |
2 tablespoons parsley (for garnish) or 2 tablespoons chives (for garnish) or 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped (for garnish) |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400*F.
2. For the bechamel sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
3. Whisk the milk into the butter/flour mixture and bring to a bubble, then turn heat to low.
4. Season the mixture by adding the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Dijon mustard.
5. Remove from heat when sauce coats the back of a spoon.
6. Add 1/2 cup grated Gruyere and the Parmesan, stirring until incorporated, and set aside.
7. To prepare the polenta: Cut into 1/2 inch slices and pan fry on both sides in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until crispy & golden brown.
8. Place pan-fried polenta slices onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
9. To assemble the sandwiches : Top half of the polenta slices with a dollup of bechamel sauce, 2 slices of bacon each (folded or torn to fit), and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere.
10. Top each with another piece of pan-fried polenta.
11. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven.
13. Using a spatula, top each open-faced sandwich with a fried egg, sunny-side up.
14. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce and garnish with chopped herbs if desired.
15. Serve hot.
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