The Single Difference Between A Croque Monsieur And Croque Madame Sandwiches

There is something about French cuisine that makes it feel a little more elevated than other types of food; possibly because of its complex techniques paired with — let's face it — fancy-sounding pronunciations. While it may be easy to throw together a lunch meat sandwich with what you have in your kitchen, the French take it one step further. These elevated lunches might include either the croque monsieur, which is a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in egg, or the croque madame, a similar ham and cheese sandwich topped with a fried or poached egg.

When it comes to these lunchtime classics, the addition of egg is actually what sets these types of sandwiches apart from the rest — and apart from each other. The croque monsieur follows a similar technique to french toast, in that the sandwich is dipped in beaten eggs before it's cooked. In contrast, the croque madame uses an egg-on-top method.

While the origins are debatable, it is believed that the croque monsieur was invented by Michel Lunarca of Paris's Le Bel Age café. As it gained in popularity, the croque madame version also came into fashion. Think of both as a more upscale grilled cheese or ham and cheese sandwich. The croque monsieur, which translates generally to "crunchy mister," features ham and either Gruyére or Emmental sandwiched between two pieces of white bread. For extra creaminess you might top the sandwich with bechamel, a white sauce made with butter, flour, and milk, in addition to dipping it in the egg.

The croque madame, with a name that is essentially the feminine opposite of the croque monsieur, more often features bechamel, in addition to being topped with an egg instead of dipped in it. The sandwich partly earned the name "croque madame" because the egg is meant to represent a woman's hat. The sandwiches are similar in flavor, but the bechamel in the croque madame creates a slightly different texture than the egg-dipped croque monsieur because it doesn't crisp the way the egg dip does.