French · snack
Croque Monsieur
Croque Monsieur reads umami 6.8, richness 6.2 and salinity 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a French snack, about 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 7.4 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 2.7 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 7.5 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 0.4 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 6.8 · Richness 6.2 · Salinity 4.5 · Nutty 4.2 · Sourness 2.7 · Funk & Ferment 2.0 · Sweetness 1.6 · Smoke 1.4 · Bitterness 0.9
What's in it (6)
- 4 thick slices thick-cut white sandwich bread
- 4 oz sliced ham
- 3 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup béchamel sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Time & effort: about 15 min (8 min active) · effort: easy
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 235.9 kcal, 15.5 g protein, 18.1 g fat, 13 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (2 steps)
- Spread béchamel on one slice and mustard on another, layer with ham and Gruyère, and close the sandwich.
- Butter the outsides and toast in a skillet, then top with more béchamel and Gruyère and finish under the broiler until golden and bubbling.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Soufflé au Fromage — French
- Galette de Sarrasin Complète — French · Brittany
- Supplì al Telefono — Italian
- Gougères Bourguignonnes — French · Burgundy
- Cheese Pie (Khachapuri Imeruli) — Georgian
Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.