Food Fix: mini croque monsieur Mini croque monsieur Source: Supplied One hardly needs a recipe for a toasted sandwich, but it's quite possible that you're in post-Melbourne Cup celebration mode and that brings a whole new approach to Tuesday night dinner. You a) are starving, b) don't want to think too hard about what to cook, c) happy to be reminded how to cook even the most basic meal. And it's a bit of a lie to say this is a croque monsieur, for that famed French ham and cheese toastie traditionally contains bechamel sauce. Apologies for that. They're also "mini," but you can ignore that if you want and stick with an uncut version. The beauty of this dish is that it's fried in a pan, not cooked in an electric sandwich maker. This allows the white bread - which we know we should steer clear of but which occasionally deserves a place in your kitchen - to go all buttery and golden on the outside and stay soft and fluffy in the middle. It also means you watch the cheese slowly melt to a perfect consistency and meld with the salty ham. Enjoy it with a big mug of tea and your body will thank you tomorrow morning. Mini croque monsieur Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 4 minutes Skills: Basic Ingredients 8 large white bread slices, crusts removed 80g butter, softened 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 100g gruyere cheese, very thinly sliced 100g sliced leg ham Spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Place, buttered-side down, on a chopping board. Spread half the slices with mustard. Top with half the gruyere. Top with ham. Season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining gruyere followed by bread slices, buttered-side up. Cut each sandwich crossways into 3 slices. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add half the sandwiches. Cook for 2 minutes each side (a palette knife is ideal for turning) or until golden and cheese has melted. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve. Recipe by Gemma Luongo Photography by Craig Wall