puffles Archives - I am a Honey Bee

Aside from eggs benedict, my favorite savory brunch delight is the croque madame.

It’s like the best grilled cheese stuffed with ham that is then topped off with a cheesy sauce on top and then some oozey eggs. It’s such a great savory option to change things up from your typical french toast and pancakes. Don’t get me wrong, french toast is awesome with its crisp egg crust, big pat of melty butter, and sweet, sweet syrup. But there are times when you need to skip the sweets for brunch and get a croque madame. And don’t forget your bloody mary!

Of course I had to make it in waffle form!

When I was originally thinking of making a croque madame waffle I was thinking of making an infused waffle that was spiked with mustard powder and everything bagel seasoning, which I still think is an awesome idea, but I ultimately decided to make it in puffle form.

The puffle makes the sandwich have such a great crunch. I loved it.

This recipe wraps up my puffle recipes for the month. I loved them all but this was my favorite as it had some much flavor in it from each and every aspect of it from the ham and cheese sandwich then the bechamel sauce, and eggs. Sure, it’s more complicated from the other simplier ones but it’s worth the extra bit of effort to make the bechamel and to fry up some eggs.

The recipe is perfect for hosting brunch as it makes 8 puffles, which can equate to 8 to 4 servings (depending on your side), but you can easily halve it and make it for a casual weekend brunch at home.

Brunch will never be the same when you give these Croque Madame Puffles a try!!

Croque-Madame Puffle Waffle

Makes 8 puffles

Ingredients

For the puffles

1 17.5 ounce box of puff pastry dough
16 slices of honey ham
8 slices of swiss cheese
1/4 cup or so of dijon mustard

For the bechamel sauce

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon mustard powder
3 1/2 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (1 1/3 cups)

8 eggs
olive oil

Process

Thaw the puff pastry according to the instructions on the box. (Typically 40 minutes at room temperature prior to use)
While the puff pastry is thawing, begin to make the bechamel sauce. Place a 1 quart heavy bottom saucepan over moderately low heat. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard powder, and 1/3 cup cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper until you are ready to use it.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface to be 12″ x 12″. Work the dough to eliminate the seams. Cut the dough into 4 equal sized pieces. Score each piece in half.
Leaving 1/2″ boarder, spread a teaspoon of the dijon mustard on half of each piece. Add the ham and cheese to each half. You will need to rip the slices to make them fit.
Fold the other half of the puff pastry over the filling, crimp the edges to seal the filling inside the pastry dough.
Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry dough to make the other 4 puffles.
Preheat your waffle iron at this point. Place the puffle dough on the waffle iron. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. The dough should no longer be expanding and puffing up when you open the waffle iron.
Gently remove, and place on a cooling rack until ready to serve the puffles.
While the puffles are cooking/cooling, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil to the skillet. Crack 2 eggs in the skillet to begin frying up. If you prefer them over-easy, when they are just about set on the bottom, carefully flip them over and cook for no more than 20 seconds.
Plate 2 puffles, drizzle some bechamel sauce on, and then top with the fried eggs.

Puffle adapted from Epicurious, sauce adapted from Epicurious

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I hope you are enjoying all my Waffle Wednesday recipes and enjoyed this month of fun puffle recipes. Be sure to give them a try. xoxo