Make This Classic French Sandwich With Less Effort Using A Simple Sauce Swap

I had the privilege of visiting Paris decades ago, and one of the culinary memories that sticks out in my mind the most is enjoying a perfectly toasty, savory, oh-so-cheesy croque monsieur from a street cart. I've been able to create something similar a few times in my own kitchen, but the process of making béchamel sauce — the creamy, cheesy layer that sits on top of the bread and below the crispy, melty layer of Gruyère cheese — has proven to be quite an undertaking. Enter: the humble jar of Alfredo sauce. 

This inexpensive staple that so many of us have in our pantries can work well to create a sandwich that's a decent croque monsieur (or croque madame, if you're in an eggy mood) imposter. While you won't get exactly the same flavor you'd get at a French restaurant (as béchamel and Alfredo sauce have some differences), it's a decent imitation that will satisfy your cravings when you want something cheesy, salty, and perfectly toasty. 

To get this right, you'll want to spread each slice of bread (yes, that includes the bottom slice) with your Alfredo sauce, stack up your sandwiches, top them with another layer of Alfredo sauce and a handful of parmesan and Gruyère, then pop them under the broiler until they reach crunchy perfection. While this hack is pretty simple, the key is in elevating your Alfredo sauce before it hits your bread. Let's take a look at how to transform jarred Alfredo sauce into béchamel sauce's fancy-yet-unpretentious culinary cousin.

Transforming jarred Alfredo sauce into something worthy of a croque monsieur takes a little bit of effort, but it's well worth your while. If your Alfredo sauce is on the thinner side, you might want to cook it down a little bit to get it closer to the consistency of the béchamel sauce that typically tops the sandwich. In addition to that, you can add a bit of extra cheese (both cream cheese and parmesan work well), or you can whip up a cornstarch slurry (just like the one you'd use to thicken up gravy) to make the Alfredo a bit less runny before you use it to top off your bread.

You might also want to season your Alfredo sauce with salt, pepper, and a bit of nutmeg, as these spices are commonly used in béchamel, or add some dry mustard powder to give it a kick. Taste as you go, and remember — it doesn't have to taste exactly like béchamel sauce to be delicious. As long as you're getting it in the pretty-close realm with something rich and creamy, and which binds the sandwich together while adding moisture, you're going to have a sandwich that would fit right in at an upscale cafe.