Description
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!
Ingredients
Béchamel sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of black pepper
Assembly:
- 12 ounces puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1 cup shredded swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F and lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Make sure your puff pastry stays very cold. It needs to be thawed in the refrigerator in order to roll it out, but once you cut the puff pastry and place in the muffin tins, return it to the refrigerator until just before baking. If puff pastry is too warm, the butter will leak out and it won't puff up properly.
Keep these croque monsieur bites stored in an airtight container the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 350˚F oven until warmed through.
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.
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.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 0.7 g
- Sodium: 200.4 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 10 g
