croque madame muffins

True life: I am obsessed with Rachel Khoo.

Since discovering The Little Paris Kitchen, I have been smitten with her simple approach to French cooking. Pretty much every time I watch her show, I immediately 1) want to move to Paris, 2) wish I could pull off bangs, and 3) want to make every recipe she has ever made.

While I've not gone crazy enough quite yet to literally cook through all of her recipes, it has happened on occasion that I've finished an episode, immediately gone to the grocery store to pick up whatever I'm lacking, and gotten to work. Such was the case with this insanely good dinner. And now... these adorable muffins!

Just looking at these will make you happy. But eating them will make you even happier.

Croque Madame Muffins (adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen)
makes 6 muffins

you'll need:
6 slices of bacon
1 tablespoon butter, plus about 3 tablespoons melted for brushing
1 tablespoon AP flour
7 oz. milk (I used skim)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
6 small eggs
1 oz. grated Gruyere cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry bacon in a skillet until it's lightly done (it will cook more in the oven, so don't overcook it now). Remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until it forms a paste. Add milk, mustard, and nutmeg and whisk constantly until sauce has thickened. Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Remove crusts from bread and, using a rolling pin, flatten each piece to about half its original thickness. Brush both sides of the bread with melted butter and fit them into a muffin tin, tucking in the corners so that it fits well and forms a little cup. Place the bacon inside the bread. Crack one egg into the center of each piece of bread. If you have large eggs, pour out some of the egg white first so as not to overfill. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the sauce over each egg and sprinkle with Gruyere.

Bake for 15 minutes for a runny yolk, 17-20 minutes if you like your yolk more done. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Bon appetit!

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