The History of the Croque Monsieur

The Croque Monsieur was invented roughly 100 years ago in France and is typically made with toasted white bread, ham, and Gruyère cheese, although some chefs have been known to add additional ingredients. According to legend, the classic sandwich may have been invented by accident when a worker placed a sandwich too close to a radiator, thereby melting the cheese and toasting the bread. While we may never know exactly who invented the Croque Monsieur, we do know that it began appearing on Parisian menus as early as 1910. Marcel Proust even mentioned the popular sandwich in his 1918 novel, In Search of Lost Time. Reportedly, the first restaurant to serve the Croque Monsieur was Paris’ Boulevard des Capucines. The sandwich reached peak popularity in the 1960s; this coincided with the French women’s liberation movement. Today, the Croque Monsieur remains one of the most beloved Parisian-style sandwiches; it is still served in French cafés and is also popular in many other parts of the world, including the United States.