The French classic sandwich gets a low carb makeover! A grain-free cauliflower crust turns Croque Monsieur into a healthy dinner recipe.
It always surprises me when, given the option of something savoury or something sweet, people choose the savoury. I guess that says a lot about me and my own preferences. After all, I am known as The Low Carb Dessert Queen in some circles. Probably in a lot of circles, come to think of it. I would wager that at least two thirds of the recipes on All Day I Dream About Food are on the sweeter side. I can’t help it, it’s the way my brain works. Dessert is always on offer at our house, as long as it’s healthy, low carb dessert. That’s the way I stay on track and it’s the carrot that keeps my family on track too.
That’s not to say that I don’t have plenty of really great savoury tricks up my sleeve. This blog truly is a treasure trove of delicious low carb recipes, from breakfast to snacks to dinner and dessert. But let’s just say that if someone offers ME the choice between a sweet recipe or a savoury one, I’m gonna go with sweet.
So I offered the peeps on the ADIDAF Facebook Page a choice between this low carb Croque Monsieur made with a cauliflower crust, or a sheet cake. I really, really wanted to post the sheet cake because I am ridiculously excited about it. But the masses have spoken and this time I listened. One person said “I want savoury, I have enough sweet recipes”. Oh no, my friend. You can never have enough sweet recipes! And the sheet cake will be coming soon, I promise…
Have you ever had traditional Croque Monsieur? It’s an open-faced ham and cheese sandwich made on French bread and it’s pretty damn delicious. But pretty damn carby too, as you might imagine. So I thought it would be fun to get those same flavours with a low carb cauliflower crust. Be sure to really squeeze the liquids out of the cauliflower (don’t burn yourself, wait until it’s cool!) for a crisp, non-soggy crust. Even the kids loved this one!
And if you’re looking for vegetarian options, check out this Vegetarian Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe.
Cauliflower Croque Monsieur
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Topping:
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 lb thinly sliced ham
- 3 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
Crust:
- Chop cauliflower into 1 inch florets. Add to a food processor or high-powered blender (if using a blender, add a cup or two of water). Process until finely chopped (drain if using a blender with water).
- Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 10 minutes. Be very careful when removing plastic wrap as the escaping steam can burn you!
- Set a tea towel into a sieve and drain cauliflower through the tea towel. Let sit until cool enough to handle and then gather the ends of the tea towel together and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Preheat oven to 425F.
- Return to bowl and add mozzarella, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and pat cauliflower mixture into a large, flat rectangle, about 12 by 10 inches. Bake until golden brown and becoming crisp on the edges, and firm in the center about 25 minutes.
Topping:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise and nutmeg. Spread over crust. Arrange ham to cover and then sprinkle with both cheeses.
- Bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Broil a minute or two for nicely browned topping.
Notes
Total fat: 15.23g
Calories from fat: 137
Cholesterol: 91mg
Carbohydrate 7.17g
Total dietary fiber: 2.50g
Protein: 15.44g
