Heddy’s Ham, Cheese and Mushroom Croissant.

Over the years my own mother prepared a lot of great food.  Having a German heritage, meant we ate a lot of European foods.  But I loved one thing in particular that was not from her usual recipe collection.  It was a delicious sandwich that she made when her friends came to lunch.  Now I make it when I want an easy supper for Harry and I, or when our own friends join us for lunch or brunch.

The recipe we’re sharing serves 4 hungry people.  When this sandwich is pared with a salad it’s really a complete meal.

The ingredients are as follows:

• 4 large croissants
• 8 slices of Black Forest Ham or for a lighter touch, try Smoked Turkey breast
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese or a cheese of your choice
• 8 oz mushrooms, button, cremenni or another mushroom of your choice will work
• 2 Tbsp butter to fry the mushrooms
• 1 additional tablespoon butter to make the Bechamel
• 2 scallions sliced
• 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste.

Begin by cleaning the mushrooms. Brush off any dark specks and slice. This is where Harry really excels. He’s the best prep cook around!

Add the first 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan, melt it and add the sliced mushrooms.

The secret to good fried mushrooms is to coat them in the melted butter and  fry them on high heat so they don’t loose all their moisture.  Never salt them at this point. It also brings out the moisture and you’ll be boiling mushrooms not frying them.  Try not to stir the mushrooms much as this will make them watery too.

Yes, its hard to let something cook on high heat for fear of burning, but a decent fried mushroom will thank you for letting it do all the hard work over the heat. You want them to be golden brown when done.

Now its time to add the scallions, the additional tablespoon of butter, and the flour.  Stir it over medium heat until you can’t see raw flour. Then pour the milk over the mixture and boil it until the sauce thickens.  This will take about 2-3 minutes. Then add the salt and pepper.

The sauce becomes thick when it reaches the consistency of a cream sauce.

Next heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and slice the croissants horizontally. Layer the ham and cheese on the open face of the croissant.  Divide the hot mushroom mixture over the meat and cheese. Place the top of the croissant on the sandwich and heat for about 10 minutes.  The cheese should melt and the top of the sandwich should be a deep golden brown. Serve with a side salad and Voila!  A dish fit for company but easy enough to make at the end of a busy day.

Cook’s tip: Buying sliced mushrooms makes it even quicker to prepare the sauce. Bagged salad with some seasonal fruit and crumbled cheese adds interest to humble greens.

So as we say in German, “Guten Appetit”

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