{"id":166726,"title":"Air Fryer Croque-Monsieur","modified":"2026-08-26T20:30:31+02:00","plain":"Sandwich bread, cooked ham, and creamy Emmental, browned for 14 minutes at 180 \u00b0C in two batches: a classic brasserie croque with no pan to babysit.\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s 7 p.m., no one feels like cooking, and a croque-monsieur solves the problem. The buttered bread crackles, the melted Emmental keeps the ham tucked inside, and the top turns golden in patches. The air fryer pulls it off in two 7-minute batches, with no greasy skillet. And the little trick that changes everything? A toothpick.\n\n\n\nSame ham, same cheese, but breaded: the air fryer cordon bleu.\n\n\n\nWhat is a croque-monsieur?\n\n\n\nTwo slices of sandwich bread filled with cooked ham, Emmental, and a cream mixture, then closed and browned until the cheese bubbles and gratinates. The dish first appeared in Parisian caf\u00e9s in the early 20th century and has never left brasserie menus. Add an egg on top and it becomes a croque-madame.\n\n\n\nIn an air fryer, hot air circulates around the sandwich, so the bread browns faster than it does in the oven. But the top heating element colors the upper slice before the bottom has time to crisp, and a damp filling can make the crumb soggy. That\u2019s why flipping halfway through cooking is essential here.\n\n\n\nThe same trio of ham, Emmental, and cream in tart form: the air fryer quiche.\n\n\n\nThe key ingredients in a croque-monsieur\n\n\n\nYou\u2019ll need eight slices of sandwich bread, four slices of cooked ham, 200 g of grated Emmental, 200 ml of thick cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche, 15 ml of melted butter, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. That\u2019s enough for four croques.\n\n\n\nA close-crumb sandwich bread holds the filling well and stands up to the dry airflow. Aim for slices 1 to 1.5 cm thick: any thinner, and the bread dries out and cracks. Choose a ham that doesn\u2019t release water, or the bottom will never crisp properly.\n\n\n\nGrated cheese melts more evenly than slices, which tend to slide around in a single sheet. Emmental and Gruy\u00e8re are reliable choices; mozzarella releases too much moisture. Thick cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche stands in for b\u00e9chamel, but without flour to thicken it, it needs its own weight in cheese. If you skip the cream mixture, plan on 30 to 40 g of grated cheese per croque.\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re in the mood for more melted cheese, try air fryer Camembert.\n\n\n\nTips for a great croque\n\n\n\nThe top slice lifting off is the number one problem. The fan blows just above the basket, and sandwich bread weighs almost nothing: it can stick to the heating element and burn in seconds. A toothpick through the center solves it. Just remove it before serving.\n\n\n\nPress each croque gently with the palm of your hand before cooking: once compacted, it holds together and won\u2019t flutter in the airflow. Leave a 1 cm border around the filling, or the cheese will ooze out, drop to the bottom of the drawer, and smoke up the kitchen.\n\n\n\nStick to 180 \u00b0C. Above 200 \u00b0C, the bread browns before the cheese in the center has melted. Preheat for 3 minutes, cook each batch for 7 minutes, flip after 3 to 4 minutes, and add 1 to 2 minutes more if the top is still pale. For a deeper gratin, raise the heat to 200 \u00b0C for the last 2 minutes only.\n\n\n\nWork in a single layer only: a 3.5 to 4 L basket fits two croques, while a 5 to 6 L basket fits three to four. Stack them, and the ones underneath will steam instead of brown. A small sheet of perforated parchment paper catches any melted cheese; a large sheet lining the bottom blocks airflow. Perforated air fryer accessories do the same job.\n\n\n\nCountry bread or brioche, being denser, need 8 to 11 minutes; if starting from frozen, add 2 to 3 minutes. To reheat, warm at 150 \u00b0C for 3 to 4 minutes, with foil over the top for the first 2 minutes: at 180 \u00b0C, the edges toughen before the center heats through. The air fryer cooking chart covers other formats.\n\n\n\nWhat to serve with it\n\n\n\nRemove the toothpicks, let the croques rest for a minute, and serve while the crust is still crisp. A sharply dressed mustard vinaigrette salad and a few pickles cut through the richness of the cheese.\n\n\n\nAdd an egg on top and the croque becomes a croque-madame: the air fryer soft-boiled egg.\n\n\n\nLet any leftover croques cool on a rack, then refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Avoid reheating them in the microwave; it makes the bread rubbery.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAir Fryer Croque-Monsieur\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tBread and Ham8 slices of white sandwich bread4 slices of ham15 ml of butter (melted)Cheese Filling200 g of Emmental cheese (grated)200 ml of cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche1 pinch of salt1 pinch of pepper4 toothpicks (to hold the sandwiches together)\t\n\t\n\t\tAssemblyIn a bowl, mix the grated Emmental and cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche.Season the cheese filling with salt and pepper.Brush one side of each bread slice with melted butter.Place a slice of ham on 4 slices of bread, with the unbuttered side facing up.Spread the cheese filling over the ham, leaving a small border around the edges.Top with the remaining 4 slices, buttered side facing out.Press each croque gently with your palm to compact it.Insert a toothpick through the center of each croque, from top to bottom, to hold the slices together.Air FryingPreheat the air fryer to 180 \u00b0C for 3 minutes.Arrange 2 croques in the basket in a single layer, lying flat and not touching.Air-fry at 180 \u00b0C for 7 minutes (first batch). Carefully turn halfway through, after 3 to 4 minutes.Check the color: the bread should be golden on both sides and the cheese fully melted in the center. Add 1 to 2 more minutes if the top is still pale.Remove the first batch and cook the remaining 2 croques the same way (7 minutes plus 1 to 2 more minutes if needed), turning halfway through.To ServeRemove the toothpicks.Let the croques rest for 1 minute, then serve immediately.\t\n\t\n\t\t\nTo keep the top slice from lifting and burning, insert a toothpick through the center of each croque and remove it before serving.\nPress the sandwiches down well before cooking, and do not spread the filling all the way to the edges (leave about 1 cm) to minimize cheese leakage.\nCook in a single layer, leaving at least 1 cm between each croque; turning halfway through is essential in most air fryers.\nUse a small perforated sheet of parchment paper cut to the size of each croque; a large sheet blocks air circulation.\nPreheating for 3 minutes improves browning; if you skip it, add 1 to 2 minutes.\nDo not go above 200 \u00b0C: the bread will brown too quickly before the center melts.\nTo reheat, warm at 150 \u00b0C for 3 to 4 minutes (optionally cover with a small piece of aluminum foil for the first 2 minutes).\nFor a croque-madame, top each one with a fried egg after cooking, then return to the air fryer for 3 minutes at 160 \u00b0C.\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalFran\u00e7aise","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}