Croque Madames (Simple Rustic French Sandwich)

• Okay ladies and gentle humans.  This open faced sandwich knocked my socks off last night.  The flavors together are like a beautiful symphony.  The best part is that this sandwich is easy enough to make for a weeknight Parisian bistro dinner or as a breakfast sandwich on the weekend.  Again, I made a few changes from the original; I switched out the Swiss cheese for Gruyere and used fresh garlic in lieu of granulated garlic.  A gorgeous recipe for any occasion that I think you're sure to love if you give it a try!!!

For my side, I made some sauteed cabbage with apples.  Simple yet delicious.  Recipe below.

Quick Croque Madames (from Ten Dollar Dinners, Melissa d'Arabian, Food Network)

• 4 large slices country-style bread (I used a Rosemary Olive Oil Boule)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large slices good quality lunchmeat ham
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 eggs

Directions

Preheat the broiler on low.

Gently dry the bread under the broiler, just until dry and with no browning.

In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the white wine and allow to sit.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. On a baking sheet, lay out the bread slices. Take less than one-quarter of the sour cream mixture and divide evenly among the bread slices, spreading thinly to coat 1 side of each slice. Next, evenly distribute the ham on top of the bread. Divide the rest of the sour cream mixture over the ham. Spoon the cheese on top of the sour cream mixture, blotting lightly before adding to remove any excess wine.

Preheat a large, nonstick saute pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry, either over-easy or sunny-side up, according to your preference.

While the eggs are cooking, place the open-faced sandwiches under the broiler until very bubbly and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Watch closely and don't let the topping burn. Place each sandwich on a plate. Season the fried eggs with salt and pepper and place 1 egg on each sandwich. (If desired, use a biscuit cutter to cut the egg into an evenly round shape.)

Sauteed Cabbage and Apples (from Ten Dollar Dinners, Melissa d'Arabian, Food Network)

• 1/2 head red cabbage
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (I used celery seed)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine (I used white wine)
• Splash apple cider vinegar

Directions

Core and slice the cabbage into thin slices. Slice the cheeks off the apples and cut into thin wedges.

In a large saute pan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the cabbage, apples, fennel and salt and pepper, to taste, and saute until the cabbage softens and wilts about 20 minutes. Deglaze with red wine and stir in a splash of cider vinegar. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.