Mushrooms Croque Madame

Ah. The beloved croque monsieur. If you’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying one, a croque monsieur is the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich you could ever wish to consume. Gooey béchamel sauce and swiss cheese layered with ham slices. Not one to conform, I’ve upped the ante and added crispy mushrooms and a fried egg to make it a mushroom croque madame. I think the mushrooms totally make this sandwich.

Recipe and photo by Jenny from The Brunette Baker.

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 5 mins | Makes: 1 Sandwich (Béchamel Sauce makes 2 sandwiches)

Ingredients

Béchamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon each salt and white pepper

Croque Madame:
2 slices soft bread, challah or brioche is preferred
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature and divided
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
4 slices deli-style ham
2 slices swiss cheese
1 egg, fried

Method

Béchamel Sauce:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add in flour and whisk together. Cook mixture for two minutes, whisking constantly. Flour and butter will begin to bubble up and become “fluffy” in appearance. Very slowly add in milk, whisking until mixture is smooth. It’s very important you do not add milk in all at once or too quickly or you’ll end up with a lumpy sauce. Once milk has been incorporated, cook for four minutes, whisking constantly. Sauce will be very thick and elastic-like, but should be very smooth. Whisk in mustard, nutmeg, and salt.
2. This sauce can be made a day ahead. If you choose to do so, place in a container and cover with plastic wrap directly on top to avoid creating a film or skin. Keep refrigerated.

Croque Madame:
1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter. Place sliced mushrooms in a single layer and cook until edges become crispy and golden brown. Remove skillet from heat.
2. Preheat oven broiler to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Butter each bread slice on one side and place butter side down on baking sheet. Spread a generous amount of béchamel sauce over entire top surface and edges of bread slices. Place baking sheet in oven and bake until sauce begins to bubble. Remove from oven.
4. Top one slice of bread with one slice of swiss cheese, ham slices and 1/2 cup cooked mushrooms. Top with remaining slice of bread, béchamel side up. Place a second slice of swiss cheese on top and remaining mushrooms. Place back under heat until cheese is fully melted and bubbly. Once melted, remove from oven and top with a fried egg.

Note: You may choose to omit the egg for a Croque Monsieur.

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Goat Cheese, Mushroom, and Herb Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe is easy, fast, and absolutely delicious. Though vegetarian in this case, feel free to add some meat if you want. Gather all your ingredients and be ready to fall in love with couscous, goat cheese, mushrooms, and tomatoes!

Recipe and photo by Chidinma from Fruitful Kitchen.

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 35 mins | Serves: 6

Ingredients

6 large tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup uncooked couscous
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 cup mixed herbs: cilantro, parsley and basil
1/4 cup black olives
4 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat your oven to about 350°F. While you do this, begin prepping your tomatoes by slicing off the top of your tomatoes–where the stem is–and remove the seeds. You can use a short sharp knife and cut off the filling and seeds, or use a small teaspoon, but make sure to leave the tomatoes walls intact.
2. It’s time to make the couscous, in a pot add 1 cup of water, and a drizzle of vegetable or chicken stock. Separately, add a drizzle of the olive oil to the couscous. Once water is steaming, put in the couscous and let it steam in the water for about 5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the olives with the remaining olive oil and about 3/4 of the total goat cheese. Put in the mushrooms and add the mix of herbs, then transfer everything to the couscous. Stir it all together.
4. When everything is mixed, add about half of the bread crumbs, salt and pepper to your taste and mix together again. Once done, divide the mixture evenly between the 6 tomatoes.
5. Make sure the mix is stuffed completely, you can make it all even using a spatula. When they all look good, add the remaining bread crumbs and goat cheese. If you have olive oil left, drizzle some more on top.
6. Place your tomatoes on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for about 15 minutes. Check that the bread crumbs are golden and your tomatoes are soft, but make sure that they aren’t too watery.
7. Take them out and let cool for about 2 minutes. Serve warm.
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One-Pan Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Potatoes

Brunch doesn’t get much easier than this one-pan, hands-off recipe for baked eggs. I love how the potatoes and onions get roasted and crispy alongside the caramelizing mushrooms, providing the perfect foil for the eggs. Thyme and fresh lemon squeezed on right at the end add a bit of brightness, for a meal that ends up striking just the right balance of being filling without leaving you feeling over-stuffed.

Recipe and photo by Alanna from One Tough Cookie.

Prep Time: 5 mins. | Cook Time: 25 mins.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon clarified butter or your preferred oil
1 large baking potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup quartered, stemmed white mushrooms
2 cups coarsely torn oyster mushrooms
2 eggs
Fresh cracked black pepperFor serving:
Wedges of lemon
Green salad

Method

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In a large oven-safe skillet, melt clarified butter. Add potato, onion, thyme, and salt. Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Carefully remove hot skillet from oven and stir in mushrooms. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Toss the roasted vegetables. Using a spoon, create two indents in the roasted vegetables. Crack an egg into each indent and return skillet to oven for 4-6 minutes, until egg whites have cooked but yolks are still soft (or longer, of course, if you aren’t a fan of runny eggs, about 10 minutes total).
4. Remove from oven, and season with cracked black pepper (and additional salt) if desired. Serve with a green salad, and some slices of lemon for a little acidity on the potatoes.
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Ginger Wasabi Pickled Mushrooms

Use them to add a touch of drama to an appetizer table or Sunday brunch. Try serving them in a medium serving bowl with a dish of toothpicks nearby so guests can poke and pop them into their mouths.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Amy from Family Feedbag.

Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 5 mins. | Makes: 2 x 500 mL (2 cup) jars

Ingredients

1 ½ lb (675 g) white mushrooms
2 bird’s eye chili peppers
2 bay leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) yellow mustard seeds
1 ¼ cups (300 mL) unseasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup (60 mL) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
1 tsp (5 mL) wasabi powder
1 tsp (5 mL) grated fresh ginger

Method

1. Rinse the mushrooms well under cool running water. Leave the small ones whole, chopping the larger ones into bite-size pieces.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally Drain (you can keep the mushroom water for making soups or noodle dishes).
3. Meantime, in each of two 500 mL (2 cup) jars, add 1 bay leaf, 1 bird’s eye chili and ½ tsp (2 mL) mustard seeds (if you’d prefer, you can combine the ingredients in one 1 L (4 cup) jar or a medium mixing bowl instead). Distribute the mushrooms equally into the jars.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, wasabi and ginger. Pour over the mushrooms.
5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

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Grilled Mushroom and Arugula Pizzettes

I’ve used a blend of white button and crimini mushrooms to top off this pizza, but it’s also great made with shiitakes or oyster mushrooms if you’d rather take a walk on the wild side (the wild mushroom side, that is).

Recipe and photo by Isabelle of Crumb: A Food Blog

Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 10 mins. | Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
8 oz brown crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 pound prepared pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh baby arugula
2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms in butter, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool off.
2. Preheat a lightly oiled gas or charcoal grill on high heat. While the grill is warming up, divide the pizza dough into four equal pieces, and gently stretch into ½” thick rounds. Brush the tops lightly with a little olive oil. (Don’t worry if your rounds look more like amoebas, as long as they’re a nice even thickness. They’ll taste fine, regardless of how they’re shaped.)
3. Once the grill reaches about 500F, gently place the pizzettes onto the grill over direct heat, oiled side down. Brush the tops with a little more olive oil, and then grill for about 1-2 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown and crisp. Turn over and cook for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up the other side. Remove from grill and arrange on a baking tray.
4. Top each pizzette with a few pinches of cheese, then add a thin layer of mushrooms and finish with the rest of the cheese. Return to the grill and cook over indirect heat with the lid closed for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Meanwhile, toss the arugula with lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Pile the dressed arugula onto the finished pizzas, and serve immediately.
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