Bonjour! Ready to take the day with a 10-minute power breakfast? Here is a simple recipe that will ensure you start your day off right. Traditionally, the dish is a hot ham and cheese grilled sandwich, and was originally served in cafes and bars France. The Croque-madame is based on a variation of a french dish, the Croque-Monsieur, which excludes the eggs atop the toasted bread.

Before I began cycling, I discovered this smart time-saving dish while watching a friend make a quick breakfast. However, I observed that the dish only provided one egg on one slice of toast. After many renditions of the ham-egg-cheese combination, I finally reached perfection in the process to create the delicious fried-egg-cheese-ham-toast sandwich in under 15 minutes. From that point, I was hooked on this wholesome breakfast sandwich.

The first recipe will give you the steps to cook the complete Croque-madame featuring an extra slice of toast along with other extras you might enjoy, and the next recipe will give you the 10-minute power breakfast! I am a strong believer in a big healthy breakfast. Enjoy!

For your convenience I have listed the nutritional information at the bottom. Here is a look at the ingredients.

   Spinach, wheat bread, pepperjack cheese, ham, and two eggs.

Left to right: Olive oil, garlic powder, basil, and crushed red pepper.

 Introducing, the Croque-Madame.

Croque-Madame

The Basics:

Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 1 generous portion

The Goods:

• 2 eggs
• 2 slices of wheat
• 1 slice of ham
• 1 slice of gruyere cheese
• Dash of basil
• Dash of garlic powder
• Dash of crushed red pepper
  Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter

The Steps:

1. Pre-heat a medium-sized saute pan, and add a tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Place the ham on the pan and begin toasting the bread.
3. Brown the ham, then flip it after 2 minutes.
4. Lay the cheese on top of the ham, and allow the cheese to melt for 2 minutes.
5. After the cheese has melted, carefully lift the cheese and ham together and sandwich it between the toasted bread.
6. Now add olive oil and the two eggs to the empty pan.
7. Sprinkle the basil, garlic, salt and pepper to the eggs.
8. Lift the eggs from the pan, and place the eggs a top of the stack of the toasted bread, ham, and cheese.
9. Crucial finishing note: Place your croque-madame onto the pan to add a final crispy sear to the bottom of the toast, and re-warms the entire dish. Turn the heat to high heat for 2-3 minutes, and check the bottom for browning. Then, serve when desired shade of brown is reached.
10. Apply a drizzle of olive oil to finish.