Mini Croque-Monsieur a French Appetizer - Butter & Baggage (2024)

If you can’t be in France you can still enjoy Mini Croque Monsieur appetizers. An easyFrench inspired appetizerwith puff pastry and a béchamel sauce. Your guests will love this take on a French classic.

Try making these scrumptious French appetizers for your next brunch, co*cktail party or Derby party. Made with puff pastry, and an easy béchamel sauce, they’ll be your new favorite go-to appetizer.

Mini croque monsieur appetizers are inspired by an all time favorite French dish, a Croque Monsieur. It’s basically an open faced ham and cheese sandwich topped with a cheesy béchamel sauce and then placed under the broiler.

Go with a French theme at your next get together and serve these along with French onion crostini and grab some escargot from the market. While it may not be what the French would serve for appetizers, it will remind you of why we love French food!

The only problem with a true croque monsieur recipe is that there’s a lot of bread and it’s smothered in a cheesy béchamel sauce, maybe not the healthiest of lunches but worth every calorie!

If you’re in France and don’t know what to order, you can never go wrong with a croque monsieur, it’s almost always on the menu. While wonderful, it can be a little heavy and requires a knife and fork. These French appetizers, on the other hand, capture the essence but in miniature form.

They are one of my most requested appetizer recipes from my friends, next to sausage balls, and one that I serve over and over again. You can make these French inspired hors d’ hoeuvres in advance and then pop them in the oven before everyone arrives.

They smell so delicious it’s hard to wait for them to cool. They are trés bon while hot, but just as good once they’re at room temperature. No utensils necessary, the perfect finger food appetizer.

If you’re going to serve this at a party, get some helpful tips along with 25 delicious game day appetizer recipes to choose from.

Why Mini Croque Monsieurs are the PERFECT appetizer

• Easy to prepare
• Can be made ahead of time
• Can be eaten with your fingers, no utensils needed
• They are good warm and at room temperature
• All your guests will love them and want the recipe

Ingredients you’ll need to make croque monsieur appetizers

• Puff pastry – I only use a brand that has butter in the ingredients like Dufour or Trader Joe’s. Brands without butter will still work for the recipe, you just miss out on that buttery pastry.
• Ham – any type of cooked ham will work. If you don’t have leftovers, get a few slices from the deli.
• Gruyere cheese – It just doesn’t taste like a real croque monsieur without gruyere. However, that being said, you can use other hard cheeses like parmesan or your favorite.
• Mustard– I prefer a whole grain dijon
• Pantry items – flour, butter, milk and an egg.

Which brand of puff pastry should you use

There are three brands of puff pastry in my area, Pepperidge Farms, Dufour and Trader Joe’s. The difference between them is butter. Dufour and Trader Joe’s use butter and Pepperidge Farms uses shortening. I prefer Dufour any time I can get it, you can really tell the difference, but you will pay for that difference. Trader Joe’s is almost as good and great on your budget but is only available from October through December.

I’ve used Pepperidge Farms many times and it works for this recipe. If it’s available and within your budget, I would recommend using Dufour or Trader Joe’s for a more flaky and buttery texture.

Is it hard to make a béchamel sauce

Absolutely not, and it’s so handy to know how to make one. I use it in my Lasagna, Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Browns and many other recipes. It’s the same technique as you would use to make a roux for Crawfish Etoufee.

You start by heating butter and add flour letting it cook until the flour is hot. Next you slowly add milk or if making a roux, some type of broth. It starts out very thick but as you gradually add the liquid it thins out. It needs to cook slowly until it thickens to just the right consistency.

How do you make the best party appetizers

As fancy as these sound, they’re very simple to make and can be prepared in advance.

Step 1: make the sauce

Start by making the béchamel sauce so that it can cool a little. Melt butter, add flour and then slowly add milk cooking until it has thickened. Then add a little mustard and salt and pepper.

Step 2: assemble

Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into into rounds, then top with the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the top with chopped ham and gruyere.

See Also

20 Hot Sandwich Recipes For Winter - Karen MonicaCuban Sandwich On A Stick Appetizer - Ready Set HostCheap Snacks and Inexpensive Finger Food To Feed a Large Group or Party CrowdVegemite and Marmite - 1,000 Foods to Eat Project - Explore Cook Eat

Make sure you chop the ham into small pieces so that they’re easier to eat. Once assembled, you can refrigerate until ready to bake.

I made these the first time on a night when the girls had gone to a concert and got home rather late with a friend. I figured they might be hungry and want a late night snack. When I got up the next morning there were only a couple left which they quickly ate for breakfast. I would have heated them a bit, but they swear they were perfect at room temperature.

I’ve made these so many times, they are my go-to appetizer when friends are coming over.

How to store French starters

Prior to baking, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1-2 days. If you have any left over, they can stay at room temperature for 1-2 days. After that refrigerate or freeze them. To reheat, place in the oven for 5 minutes at 350º.

Croque monsieur FAQs

Need some more ideas for easy finger food appetizer recipes

• Pinwheels with Spinach and Prosciutto for a savory treat.
• For a quick and easy appetizer, try Mushroom in pastry.
• Make some Cheese Crackers weeks in advance.
• Try something a little sweet and savory with Sweet and spicy Dates.
• Cheddar sausage balls are always a hit
• Puff pastry with caramelized onions for more French inspired finger food
• Messy but delicious Buffalo chicken wings
• Roasted nuts can’t be beat
• Awesome bite sized potato skins
• Thumbprint cookies with tomato jam
• French onion soup inspired crostini

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