croque madame

noun

croque ma·​dame ˌkrȯk-mə-ˈdam 

-ˈdäm,

ˌkräk-,

ˌkrōk-

variants or Croque Madame or less commonly croque-madame

plural croque madames ˌkrȯk-mə-ˈdam(z) 

-ˈdäm(z),

ˌkräk-,

ˌkrōk-

or Croque Madames also croque-madames

: a ham and cheese sandwich often with béchamel sauce that is sometimes dipped in egg batter before being grilled, baked, or pan-fried and that is topped with a fried or poached egg : a croque monsieur with a cooked egg on top

Also worth a mention is the croque madame, a grilled ham and cheese topped with a poached or fried egg …

—Stefani Dias

Brunch specialties include the Croque Madame, a counterpart to the batter-dipped Croque Monsieur sandwich, topped with a sunny-side-up egg.

—Joe Hotchkiss

Croque madames come in myriad combinations. Thinly sliced ham and gruyère cheese seem the constant, but the sandwiches can be grilled until golden or baked until puffy.

—Sue Kidd

The version that adds a fried egg on top, said to resemble a lady's hat, is called the croque-madame.

—Kendra Nordin

compare croque monsieur

Examples of croque madame in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a cookbook that captures the appetites and hunger of young Europeans who love a good Parisian brunch café, reflected in a recipe for a gooey, open-faced croque madame that swaps out ham for eggplant, but also retreats into the familiarity of pickles and dill, cornerstones of Polish cuisine. —Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2024

Francophiles who find themselves in Chapel Hill will be delighted to choose between a croque madame or steak frites and crème brûlée or torte au chocolat et aux noisettes. —Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2024

Think Pithiviers stuffed with lamb, shiitakes, and Sichuan pepper; a croque madame layered with shrimp and chile oil; and fresh pasta tossed with saucy mapo tofu. —Lindsey Tramuta, Bon Appétit, 27 June 2024

The cafe serves breakfast all day including an omelette au fromage, croque madame, an egg and cheese croissant and breakfast burrito. —Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2024

Tempting brunch fare includes chicken and waffles, a croque madame and a short rib benedict. —Jenny Hartley, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2024

Brunch items include its croque madame: ham, Swiss cheese and garlic cream sauce baked on country bread, then topped with a fried egg. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Jan. 2024

Bost started things off in full luxury mode: a croque madame topped with Ibérico ham and caviar. —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "(one) bites with a crunch (the) lady"; formed after croque monsieur

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above