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15 tasty toast toppings

With either savory or sweet toppings nothing says 'comfort food' like a thick piece of toasted bread.

15. Croque monsieur tartine

Kendra Nordin/The Christian Science Monitor
Croque-Monsieur Tartine

By Kendra Nordin, Kitchen Report

Serves 4

For the béchamel:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups hot milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Ground nutmeg, to taste

For the tartine:
Four thick slices of country-style bread
8 slices of cooked ham
2/3 cup grated Gruyère cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter and set aside. Grate the cheese.

2. To make the béchamel: Add butter to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over low heat. In a separate small saucepan, heat milk over low heat (do not let it come to a boil).

3. While the milk heats, whisk the flour into the melted butter, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells nutty and fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let it brown. Slowly add the hot milk to the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a simmer and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove béchamel from heat.

4. To assemble the tartines: Place the bread slices on the greased baking sheet with two overlapping slices of ham on top. For each sandwich, spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the béchamel over the ham (more, if desired). Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the béchamel. Bake until the cheese melts and evenly browns, and the bread is golden and crisp on the bottom, about 12 to 15 minutes.

5. Serve immediately with a simple salad of mixed greens.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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