Food Recipes Croque Madame and Tot Casserole 5.0 (1) 1 Review Crispy tater tots make an appearance in this creamy brunch dish inspired by the indulgent egg-and-cheese sandwich. By Marianne Williams Marianne Williams Marianne has been writing and testing recipes in the test kitchens for Dotdash Meredith since 2016. She studied at the International Culinary Center, in New York, and the International School of Italian Cuisine, in Italy, under highly esteemed chefs and graduated in 2015. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 17, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Servings: 8 The iconic French croque madame, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with an egg on top, gets a revamp in this show-stopping brunch bake. Frozen tater tots step in for toasted bread and mingle with hefty pieces of ham in a creamy, mustard-spiked cheese sauce. One perk of letting the oven do the work here is that the ham crisps up beautifully and the eggs set with jammy yolks without dirtying a skillet or standing over the stove. Gruyere is the traditional cheese of choice in a croque madame. Here we use fontina for its buttery creaminess, but feel free to swap in Swiss or Gruyere. Ingredients Cooking spray 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups half-and-half 8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard .50 teaspoon kosher salt .50 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5.50 cups frozen potato tots (from a 32-oz. pkg.), divided 6 ounces thick-cut sliced ham, torn or cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces (about 3/4 cup) 8 large eggs 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, until flour is golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly add half-and-half, whisking constantly, until incorporated and thickened, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese, a handful at a time, whisking constantly until melted between additions. Add mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Toss together 4 cups potato tots and ham in a large bowl. Add cheese sauce and toss to combine (mixture will be thick). Spoon into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and 1 1/2 cups potato tots. Bake until potato tots are golden brown and cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Crack eggs into larger crevices among potato tots. Return to oven and bake until egg whites are set and yolks are still runny, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives. Note Feel free to swap in Swiss or Gruyère for the fontina. Rate it Print