Most classic sandwiches offer little room for improvement.
That said, there is always wiggle room, so let’s remix the classic croque madame. Hot sandwiches in particular appear easy but fall short of expectations when key elements are overlooked or rushed.
What follows is more of a technique than a rigid recipe. By cooking the bread on top of an omelet then folding it into the filling, the fried egg usually served atop our croque madame finds its way inside the sandwich. There’s also a bit of fun in frying the cheese on the outside to texturally contrast the melted center.