Croque Monsieur Pullapart Brunch

About

You just might want to start a Keto intermittent fasting diet just to get to eat this whole recipe in one sitting! These pull-apart Croque Monsieur rolls are made with a pillowy Keto fathead dough and filled with high-fat cream, two types of cheeses, and thick-sliced ham. The rolls are sliced and baked in an oven until everything turns golden brown, hot, and cheesy. Pull apart a piece and bite into the heavenly roll – and then another, and another, and another! If you can’t keep your hands off these brunch bites, add as many servings as you need to break your fast to your Carb Manager food log. If you’re not using this as a Keto intermittent fasting recipe, just include one or two pieces in your normal Keto meal. You can incorporate the recipe into your meal prepping, keep leftovers fresh in your refrigerator, or freeze the raw slices for baking at a later time.

What Is A Croque Monsieur?

If you couldn’t tell from the name, Croque Monsieur is a French name for a hot cafe sandwich. A classic Croque Monsieur includes crusty bread layered with ham, Emmental cheese, and a bechamel sauce. It is sometimes then fried in an egg batter. There is a similar sandwich, Croque Madame, which is topped with a fried egg instead.

Can I Freeze The Recipe?

The way the recipe is prepared is very similar to cinnamon rolls, so you can follow the same guidelines. After slicing the Croque Monsieur roll, you can freeze the slices in a prepared baking dish or as individual pieces. Simply pull right from the freezer and bake immediately at a higher temperature.

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup, shredded mozzarella cheese, whole milk
1 oz cream cheese
1 large raw egg
1 ½ tablespoon butter, unsalted
3 tablespoon cream heavy whipping
1 dash salt
5 slice (from pre-sliced package) – each 3/4 ounce swiss cheese
3 medium slice – 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" x 1/16" – each 0.75 ounce deli ham
¼ cup, shredded gruyere cheese
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Make the fathead dough and cream sauce ahead of time. Sift together almond flour, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl, and set it aside. In a pot, combine shredded mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. Heat the cheeses on your stove until they melt and can be stirred together into a solid white, creamy cheese without any streaks. Let the cheese cool off the stove for about 30 seconds before continuing.
When the cheese has cooled but is still melted, crack the egg into the pot. Stir the egg and cheese together until the ingredients separate and come back together in a wetter product. Add the cheese and egg to your mixing bowl of dry ingredients, and begin stirring everything together until it’s combined into a sticky dough. Transfer the sticky dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, and use the plastic to knead the dough until it’s streak-free.
Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap. It will help you later to shape the dough into a flat rectangle for faster cooling. Store the dough in your refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until firm. After making the dough, heat a small pan or pot over low heat on your stove. Melt butter into the pan, followed by stirring in heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Stir the ingredients together over low heat until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken. Cook until the sauce leaves a thick, glossy coating on the back of a spoon. Allow the completed sauce to cool and finish thickening.
When it’s time to make the Croque Monsieur, turn on an oven to preheat to 350 degrees. Unwrap and place the chilled dough in between two large sheets of parchment paper, and roll the dough out to a rectangle approximately 8×5 inches. On top of the dough rectangle, spread 1-2 tablespoons of cream sauce until a thin layer reaches each corner. Arrange a layer of swiss cheese (you can break cheese slices in half to fit them on the dough) followed by a layer of ham slices. Use the parchment paper under the dough to gently lift up the side nearest yourself, and roll the dough up into a tight log.
Use a paring knife to slice the Croque Monsieur log into 1-inch slices (approximately 8 per roll). Arrange the slices face up in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet like you would with cinnamon rolls. However, leave a little extra space in between each piece instead of pressing them close together. If you don’t own a cast-iron skillet, you can also use a round or rectangular heat-safe baking dish. Spoon the remaining cream sauce over the slices, and follow with a layer of shredded gruyere.
Sprinkle pepper over the top of the skillet or dish, and place it in your oven. For a cast-iron skillet, bake the Croque Monsieur pull-apart rolls for 45 minutes or until done. The dough should be golden brown and bounce back when touched, and the cheese on top will be melted and golden. If you use a different baking dish, you may need to bake for longer. You may also use a broiler to give the dish extra browning before serving hot.