Savoury croque-monsieur bread-and-butter pudding with a Cheddar sauce is a double comfort dish. Croque-monsieur and bread-and-butter pudding have to be some of the most well-known, easiest dishes in cookery, and they’re perfect every time. Dig into the melting goodness of this savoury spin on a winter favourite.
Savoury croque-monsieur bread-and-butter pudding with a Cheddar sauce
Ingredients
Bread-and-butter pudding
- cooking spray, to grease
- 55g butter, softened
- 8 (about 200g) slices of bread
- 60ml (¼ cup) Dijon mustard
- 120g sliced ham
- 110g Cheddar, grated
- 6 large eggs
- 250ml (1 cup) milk
- 125g Greek yoghurt
- 25g Gruyère, finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheddar sauce
- 15g butter
- ½ (about 110g) large onion, peeled and chopped
- 15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, finely chopped
- 15ml (1 tbsp) cornflour
- 150ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- 125ml (½ cup) milk
- 5ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 110g Cheddar, grated
- handful microherbs, to garnish
- snipped chives, to garnish
Instructions
For the pudding, preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 19cm x 9cm loaf tin generously with cooking spray.
Spread the 55g butter onto each slice of the bread. Spread the 60ml (¼ cup) mustard over the butter. Pile the ham onto 4 of the slices and top with the 110g Cheddar. Close each sandwich off with the prepared slices that already have butter and mustard on so that you are left with 4 closed sandwiches. Cut each sandwich in half and arrange, standing up in the tin, in such a way that they overlap and fill out the entire tin.
Combine the eggs, 250ml (1 cup) milk, the yoghurt and Gruyère. Season to taste and whisk until smooth. Pour this into the tin so it fills in the gaps between the bread. Bake in the oven until firm, 50 minutes – 1 hour. Allow to cool in the tin, at least 10 minutes, before turning out. It can be served hot or at room temperature.
For the sauce, melt the 15g butter in a hot saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and gently sauté, 5 minutes. Whisk in the cornflour until combined. Pour in the cream, 125ml (½ cup) milk, 5ml (1 tsp) mustard and 110g Cheddar. Cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before puréeing until smooth. Season to taste.
5. Serve the bread-and-butter pudding in slices, garnished with microherbs. Serve the sauce on the side, garnished with snipped chives.
Notes
Cook's tip: This bread-and-butter pudding is also delicious when served cold the next day as a lunch-box treat.
