Croque Monsieur Bites

These delicious Croque Monsieur Bites are made with puff pastry, homemade béchamel, ham, and gruyere and swiss cheese. They're the perfect easy 2-bite appetizer for any occasion!

If you're looking for a Christmas or New Years Eve recipe that's sure to be a hit, you can stop your search here. These mini puff pastry bites have it all – they're crispy, cheesy and the béchamel keeps them moist and super flavorful!

There's a bakery/coffee shop near us that we go to quite often, and they make ham and cheese croissants that taste just like a croque monsieur in croissant form. This tastes just like it, in mini version!

Jump to:

• Croque Monsieur Bites Ingredients
• How to Make this Croque Monsieur Bites Recipe
• Storage
• Tips and FAQ
• Top tip
• More appetizer recipes
• Reviews

Croque Monsieur Bites Ingredients

For the béchamel sauce

• Unsalted butter and all purpose flour to make the roux, which is the base of the sauce. This is essential for making sure your sauce is thick and creamy.
• Milk: Whole milk is best, but 1% or 2% will work here, too.
• Dijon mustard: For flavor! Don't skip this.
• Salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

For assembly

• Puff pastry: Any puff pastry will work here, but for the best quality, we suggest using Dufour puff pastry. It's made with real butter and it creates the most crispy, flaky layers.
• Ham: This recipe is a great use for leftover ham from the holidays. Or, just buy pre-sliced ham and dice it into smaller pieces.
• Cheese: We use a mix of shredded gruyere, swiss cheese and parmesan for maximum flavor and meltiness.
• Fresh thyme: Optional for topping.

How to Make this Croque Monsieur Bites Recipe

PREP: Preheat oven to 400˚F and lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

STEP 1: Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12x12-inch square.
Cut the puff pastry into 12 rectangles. Place one piece of puff pastry in each muffin tin. Refrigerate while you make the béchamel.

STEP 2: Heat the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan until it's foamy. Reduce heat to low and add the flour, whisking for one minute, until smooth.

Slowly stream in the milk, whisking until no lumps remain. Whisk in the dijon, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Continue whisking over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Let cool slightly.

STEP 3: Spread 1 teaspoon of béchamel in the bottom of each puff pastry. Top with a thin layer of ham, then a layer of cheese. Spoon in another 1 teaspoon of béchamel, then another layer of ham and cheese. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.

STEP 4: Bake for 22-24 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown and the puff pastry is golden brown around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Storage

Keep these croque monsieur bites stored in an airtight container the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 350˚F oven for about 10 minutes.

You can also freeze them for up 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350˚F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

Tips and FAQ

More tips

• Use a mini muffin tin: For even smaller appetizer bites, you can make these in a mini muffin tin. Just cut the puff pastry into smaller rectangles (about 2-3 inches in diameter) and use fewer ingredients per bite.
• Try these with sliced turkey or chicken instead of ham for another variation.
• If your béchamel sauce gets too thick, just whisk in another 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out.
• Don't forget to lightly grease your muffin tins to make sure the puff pastry doesn't stick. We also use nonstick muffin tins to make it extra easy.

More appetizer recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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