French Toasted Ham & Cheese

A croque monsieur meets French toast in miniature form. Sliced ham and Swiss cheese get sandwiched between small party rye bread slices with a smear of orange marmalade mixed with dry mustard. Then each sandwich gets dipped in egg wash and baked in a buttered jellyroll pan until golden and crispy on both sides.

The marmalade-mustard combo is the surprise here. That sweet-sharp spread melts into the cheese as it bakes, creating a sticky, tangy layer between the ham and Swiss that’s way more interesting than plain mustard alone.

Baking instead of pan-frying means you can cook a whole batch at once without standing at the stove flipping sandwiches one at a time. One flip halfway through and they come out evenly golden.

Kitchen Tips

• Melt the butter in the pan in the preheated oven, then place the dipped sandwiches right into the hot butter. This gives the bottoms an immediate sizzle.
• Coat all sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture. The egg sets up in the oven and gives you that French toast crust all around.
• Don’t skip the flip at the 10-minute mark. The bottom will burn while the top stays pale if you let it go the full 20 minutes on one side.
• Serve these hot. The cheese firms up as they cool and loses that melty pull.

Variations

• Use Gruyere instead of Swiss for a richer, nuttier flavor closer to a traditional croque monsieur.
• Swap the orange marmalade for fig jam or apricot preserves for a different sweet-savory balance.
• Add a thin slice of tomato inside each sandwich before dipping for a fresh, juicy layer.