Croque Monsieur with Pan-Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C).

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens and starts to smell toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and cook, whisking, until smooth and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is velvety, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the mustard, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the béchamel sauce evenly on one side of each bread slice.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. When the butter foams, place 2 of the bread slices, béchamel side up, in the pan and top each with the ham, dividing it evenly. Using half of the cheese, sprinkle cheese evenly on top of the ham. Cover with the remaining bread slices, béchamel side up. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the béchamel. Arrange the tomatoes around the sandwiches. Drizzle the tomatoes with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling and the tomatoes are starting to burst, about 15 minutes. Garnish the sandwiches with thyme sprigs and serve immediately with the roasted tomatoes alongside. Serves 2.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen