"CroqueMonsieur" news and stories

One of the simplest French dishes is also among the most surefire crowd-pleasers -- the croque monsieur. At a holiday dinner last year a room erupted into moans of pleasure when these were served. All for a ham and cheese sandwich!

The name of this crisp and creamy treat derives from the French verb "croquer," which means "to crunch," and the word "monsieur," for "mister." Together they make "Mr. Crunch," which doesn't sound nearly as appetizing as en Francais, in which seems an elegant name worthy of its flavor and Proustian roots. (The meal first popped up in literature in Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time.")

Learn more about "Mr. Crunch" after the jump.

Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture of my meal tonight. Unfortunately, the three of us were ravenous fiends who had no time to sit for a second and appreciate the food on our plates. What did we eat? A mystery soup (my friend refuses to tell me what was in it), a salad, and the rich, fatty, and delicious croque monsieur -- otherwise known as French ham and grilled cheese topped with bechamel and more cheese.

I have made a lot of things for these guys over the years -- bisques, fajitas, fish and chips, sauteed tofu, stuffed mushroom caps... -- but nothing has ever gotten the praise that a couple plates of croque monsieur have. I'm talking moans of surprise with almost every bite, as if it was an ongoing, neverending shock of quiver-inducing flavor. The vegetarian got the sandwich sans meat, while the rest of us had prosciutto slipped inside, instead of ham.

I think it's my new holiday favorite. We always get set on big productions of food for the holiday, but why go to all that effort when you can get the same, or an even better, response from a simple, saucy ham and cheese?