Chef's 'upgrade' with 1 ingredient that will make your toasties taste even better
Chef Sam Stern has shared his recipe for a croque monsieur with a twist - and it's the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's day
Toasties are a cornerstone of British cooking, but there's an even more sophisticated variation which packs just as much taste. A croque monsieur is a classic French creation bursting with cheese and ham - essentially a posh take on a toastie, if you like.
Yet one chef has elevated the humble sarnie to new heights, ditching ordinary bread for something far more scrumptious. Sam Stern recently unveiled his twist on the comfort food favourite, utilising garlic bread alongside all the extra taste and richness of a croque monsieur.
You'll never view a croque monsieur in quite the same light again, reports the Express.
In an Instagram post from September, Sam wrote: "Croque Monsieur Garlic Bread! The lovechild of a garlic bread and a croque monsieur.
"Rich béchamel sauce with wholegrain mustard, good quality ham and delicious gruyere cheese. YUM!".
So how do you transform an ordinary croque monsieur?
You can either purchase ready-made garlic butter, or grab a ciabatta and smother it with your preferred garlic butter.
Spread on a generous helping of wholegrain mustard, then pile on slices of ham.
To make the creation even more decadent, rustle up a velvety béchamel sauce.
Chuck on loads of cheese for that gooey magnificence.
Drizzle the béchamel liberally over the ham, then crown with additional cheese.
Sam's choice is gruyère for a bold flavour.
Pop the garlic bread into the oven until the cheese has bubbled and turned golden brown.
Top it off with some finely chopped chives and a cornichon on a cocktail stick for that extra touch.
Sam's Reel has already racked up plenty of views, gathering 3,000 likes and more than 60 comments.
Jilly gushed: "Oh that looks absolutely mighty fine."
Another foodie exclaimed: "Need to make this now!".
A third admirer penned: "This looks divine," while Cecy couldn't help but say, "Omg droooooling."
Brisbane Food Lovers concurred: "Oh my! I'm salivating looking at this."