A Croque-Monsieur is simply a  yummy grilled ham and cheese sandwich. It originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack. Typically,Emmental or Gruyère cheese is used.

The name is based on the verb croquer (“to crunch”) and the word monsieur (“mister”). The sandwich’s first recorded appearance on a Parisian café menu was in 1910.

The lady version of a  Croque-Monsieur is served with a fried egg or poached egg on top and is known as a Croque-Madame (or in parts of Normandy a croque-à-cheval). According to the Petit Robert dictionary, the name dates to around 1960. The Croque-Mademoiselle or Miss version  is associated with many different sandwiches, from diet recipes to desserts.

These are some original bite-size Croque-Monsieur and Croque Madame we found at the Cheese Store in Beverly Hills!