... in other words, the grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

and they don't use none of that smelly stuff either.

the best purchased croque monsieur i've ever eaten (ie, not frying it yourself a la maison) was, surprisingly, on the TGV to Paris. i highly recommend it next time you're on the train. and get to the deli early before it all sells out.

its also simple enough to make and improvise. here's an example for those who need spelling out:

- between two slices of bread, place ham and choice of cheese and whatever else you like.
- put sandwich on oven-proof plate and place in 180-degree oven for 5 minutes or until cheese softens.
- remove plate (use mitts pls) and add more cheese on top. insert into oven again until cheese turns light brown on top.
- serve.

however, I think the real french way of making it could be something like this.