Keto Croque Monsieur

Keto Croque Monsieur

French cuisine... Croque Monsieur sounds so much more up-market than a fried ham and cheese sandwich, non? Either way, our keto version will have you enjoying every bite! Can you say "oh là là"?
August 7 2017 by , photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Breakfast, Lunch, Meal

Keto Croque Monsieur

French cuisine... Croque Monsieur sounds so much more up-market than a fried ham and cheese sandwich, non? Either way, our keto version will have you enjoying every bite! Can you say "oh là là"?
USMetric
2 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (7½ oz.) 240 ml (210 g) cottage cheese
  • 4 4 eggeggs
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp ground psyllium husk powder
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp butter
  • 5 oz. 140 g smoked deli ham
  • 2 oz. (½ cup) 55 g (120 ml) sliced cheddar cheese
  • ½ (2 oz.) ½ (55 g) finely chopped red onionfinely chopped red onions (optional)
For serving
  • 3½ oz. (2¾ cups) 100 g (650 ml) lettuce
This recipe has been added to the shopping list.

Instructions

  1. Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Mix in the cottage cheese. Add ground psyllium husk powder while stirring to incorporate it smoothly, without lumps. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until the batter has set.
  2. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add a generous amount of butter and fry the batter like small pancakes for a couple of minutes on each side, until they are golden. Make two pancakes per serving.
  3. Assemble a sandwich with sliced ham and cheese between two of the warm pancakes. Add finely chopped onion on top.
  4. Serve the Croque Monsieur warm with leafy greens.

Tip

Put a fried egg on top, and you'll have a Croque Madame! Fancy sounding and equally delicious.

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What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

28 comments

  1. 1
    Adrian K
    July 31 2017
    These pancakes are wonderful but never thought of making a croque monsieur with them. Croques medames are my favorites, so this going right on the menu!
  2. 2
    Tracie
    August 1 2017
    THIS WAS FANTASTIC! (sorry to shout, but I'm an American and we get excited!)
    I made 1/2 the recipe of pancakes, making one pancake each. Once I flipped the pancakes, I topped them with the swiss, then the ham, so that the cheese would melt and ham would warm. Once the pancakes were cooked, I put them on plates and cooked one egg each, sunny side up. I topped each pancake with one egg for a croque madame.

    Instead of topping the open faced sandwiches with the onion, I chopped a shallot and mixed it into the vinaigrette with a small spoon of dijon mustard and let the shallot rest in the vinaigrette while I cooked the meal. I also chopped an avocado and added that to the salad greens.

    This was a *fantastic* brunch. We were stuffed !

  3. 3
    Melanie
    August 7 2017
    In UK cottage cheese is generally a lowfat/no fat option is cream cheese an acceptable alternative?
    Reply: #29
  4. 1 comment removed
  5. 5
    Ruth
    August 7 2017
    Ditto Melanies comment.
  6. 6
    Elle
    August 8 2017
    This recipe is absolutely delicious and like Tracie I was 'stuffed' after eating it all.
  7. 7
    Net
    December 31 2017
    I must've done something wrong, as the batter stayed very lumpy and the generous amount of butter just made for a greasy mess. It never turned into a pancake, just watery looking lumpy scrambled eggs. I waited a bit to see if it would firm up, but it ended up burning. It looked delicious in the pic. ??
  8. 8
    Tanya
    January 1 2018
    I normally make Keto muffins, but thought these looked awesome.
    Mine was a bit runny too, waited for the thickening stage whilst contempting a bit of coconut flour, but decided to try original recipe first.
    I’m Australian so I guess we too make different cottage cheese.
    Used leftover Christmas ham, yummy still.
    Reply: #17
  9. 9
    Karen
    June 3 2018
    This delicious plenty filling with one “pancake. I added tomato in the skillet and put on top with an egg - delish. Include avocado on the side.
  10. 10
    Abdul Waris
    October 4 2018
    This is amazing breakfast which i had in the morning.. i really enjoyed it...i just replace ham deli with chicken deli..
    Thanks for the wonder recipe...
  11. 11
    Maria
    May 5 2019
    I made the pancakes with cream cheese and they were perfect...combined with really good bacon from our local butchery, and avocado (life is too short not eat avocado with bacon), they were the perfect breakfast, with enough batter for breakfast tomorrow!
  12. 12
    Anita Dimitrova
    July 28 2019
    Can you use flaxseed instead of psyllium husk?
    Reply: #13
  13. 13
    Reply to comment #12 by Anita Dimitrova
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    July 30 2019

    Can you use flaxseed instead of psyllium husk?

    Flaxseed can work as a sub for psyllium in some recipes but we have not tested it in this one.

  14. 14
    honeybee
    November 16 2019
    over 1000 calories for one serving??? i know you advocate no calorie counting, but some of us have to anyway.
  15. 15
    Whitney
    December 6 2020
    I was using a very liquid cottage cheese, but by adding another tablespoon of psyllium, I could get the pancakes to thicken up. Delicious and filling - I had actually wanted to make Croque Madame, but they were already so huge that I didn't need to add the fried egg.
    Reply: #16
  16. 16
    Reply to comment #15 by Whitney
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    December 6 2020

    I was using a very liquid cottage cheese, but by adding another tablespoon of psyllium, I could get the pancakes to thicken up. Delicious and filling - I had actually wanted to make Croque Madame, but they were already so huge that I didn't need to add the fried egg.

    Great! Glad you enjoyed them!

  17. 17
    Reply to comment #8 by Tanya
    Cheryl
    March 28 2021
    Hi Tanya what recipe do you use for keto muffins? I’ve been looking for a good one ☺️
    Reply: #18
  18. 18
    Reply to comment #17 by Cheryl
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    March 28 2021

    Hi Tanya what recipe do you use for keto muffins? I’ve been looking for a good one ☺️

    Our keto egg muffins are a great option! https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-egg-muffins

  19. 19
    anna
    April 7 2021
    i have made this recipe several times now and it really is terrific, but does require some mindfullness when prepping -- like any crêpe or frittata. usually, i'm making a 4-serving batch and instead of the psyllium husk i use 1/4c almond meal/flour. i definitely allow the mix to set up before frying so the almonds get hyrdrated. i heat about a teaspoon of oil for each pancake in an 8" non-stick skillet (because i like the size of the finished "sandwich" when folded over). i cover the pan, and as it starts to set up, i gently shake the pan to make sure it isn't sticking. after about 4 minutes it's ready to flip -- onto a plate and then over and back into the pan to finish. i let the pancakes cool a little bit before setting them up with mustard, ham, cheese, caramelized onion and lettuce on one side and then fold over. obvi, a poached egg would be amazink. thanx for this recipe.
    Reply: #20
  20. 20
    Reply to comment #19 by anna
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    April 7 2021

    i have made this recipe several times now and it really is terrific, but does require some mindfullness when prepping -- like any crêpe or frittata. usually, i'm making a 4-serving batch and instead of the psyllium husk i use 1/4c almond meal/flour. i definitely allow the mix to set up before frying so the almonds get hyrdrated. i heat about a teaspoon of oil for each pancake in an 8" non-stick skillet (because i like the size of the finished "sandwich" when folded over). i cover the pan, and as it starts to set up, i gently shake the pan to make sure it isn't sticking. after about 4 minutes it's ready to flip -- onto a plate and then over and back into the pan to finish. i let the pancakes cool a little bit before setting them up with mustard, ham, cheese, caramelized onion and lettuce on one side and then fold over. obvi, a poached egg would be amazink. thanx for this recipe.

    Thank you for your tips and ideas! We do have the poached egg included in our Croque Madame recipe!
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-croque-madame

  21. 21
    Sam
    April 17 2021
    Tried this for the first time, today. Enjoyed it (feel like it needs salt? But that's me, I'm a salt freak).
    Anyway, the question is: My calculations show 8 Net Carbs per serving, but I suspect it's the Cottage Cheese? I'm using a 2% Cottage Cheese, which has 12 Net Carbs per cup. Is there a recommendation?
    Reply: #22
  22. 22
    Reply to comment #21 by Sam
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    April 18 2021

    Tried this for the first time, today. Enjoyed it (feel like it needs salt? But that's me, I'm a salt freak).
    Anyway, the question is: My calculations show 8 Net Carbs per serving, but I suspect it's the Cottage Cheese? I'm using a 2% Cottage Cheese, which has 12 Net Carbs per cup. Is there a recommendation?

    That will depend on your goals as to whether you use full fat or low fat cottage cheese. Also be sure to check ingredients, as many brands contain additives and fillers that can increase carb count.

  23. 23
    Sam
    April 21 2021
    Update: Made this a 2nd and 3rd time (gets better every time).
    - I added a bit of cinnamon to one batch (yummy)
    - I made it as above but added a little English Mustard to the ham (double yummy).

    Next time I'll likely try blending the mixture in a blender to smooth out the batter.., make the texture more like actual pancake batter? Experiment, experiment, experiment....

    Reply: #24
  24. 24
    Reply to comment #23 by Sam
    Charlotte Zwart Team Diet Doctor
    April 21 2021

    Update: Made this a 2nd and 3rd time (gets better every time).
    - I added a bit of cinnamon to one batch (yummy)
    - I made it as above but added a little English Mustard to the ham (double yummy).
    Next time I'll likely try blending the mixture in a blender to smooth out the batter.., make the texture more like actual pancake batter? Experiment, experiment, experiment....

    This sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.

  25. 25
    Betty
    September 18 2021
    Oh, my! How delicious! Being in the Autumn of my life with many ailments, I usually don't even have energy enough to make this simple but detailed dish. I scheduled this for Saturday a.m. when I do not leave the house early and could make this at my own pace. What a blessing this was for me this morning. I put it on my favorites right after eating. Give it a try. Thank you DD for this recipe.
  26. 26
    Moobit
    April 3 2022
    I tried these today. I found the recipe excellent. I read the comments first to see if there were any issues and then cross referenced the recipe to see what the comments were talking about. The short, I found the recipe quiet good! My suggestion is to test your psyllium husk powder of choice before making the recipe.

    1. This default recipe is for 2 servings. The cottage cheese pancakes would be large. As a single person, I made the recipe as in the default, then used a 1/4 cup scoop to measure out my pancakes. I got about 8 pancakes out of this recipe. My diameter of pancake is about 5 inches or 12-13cm.

    2. Someone talked about lumps. Yes there will be lumps but if you mix the batter well when you add the psyllium, you shouldn’t have psyllium lumps even if you have cottage cheese lumps. I set my batter aside to see if my psyllium was going to thicken the batter (new brand, new bag) and it did, instead of egg and cheese mess, the batter didn’t seem to separate as much and had a more scoopable pancake consistency.

    The only thing I changed was the butter for frying to bacon grease. I find my electric skillet is not one for maintaining a consistent temperature and the butter will burn. Using a higher temperature fat/oil makes for a better turn out as I monkey with the temperature of the skillet.

    Reply: #27
  27. 27
    Reply to comment #26 by Moobit
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    April 4 2022

    I tried these today. I found the recipe excellent. I read the comments first to see if there were any issues and then cross referenced the recipe to see what the comments were talking about. The short, I found the recipe quiet good! My suggestion is to test your psyllium husk powder of choice before making the recipe.
    1. This default recipe is for 2 servings. The cottage cheese pancakes would be large. As a single person, I made the recipe as in the default, then used a 1/4 cup scoop to measure out my pancakes. I got about 8 pancakes out of this recipe. My diameter of pancake is about 5 inches or 12-13cm.
    2. Someone talked about lumps. Yes there will be lumps but if you mix the batter well when you add the psyllium, you shouldn’t have psyllium lumps even if you have cottage cheese lumps. I set my batter aside to see if my psyllium was going to thicken the batter (new brand, new bag) and it did, instead of egg and cheese mess, the batter didn’t seem to separate as much and had a more scoopable pancake consistency.
    The only thing I changed was the butter for frying to bacon grease. I find my electric skillet is not one for maintaining a consistent temperature and the butter will burn. Using a higher temperature fat/oil makes for a better turn out as I monkey with the temperature of the skillet.

    Thanks for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed them!

  28. 28
    Rose
    April 21 2022
    Ooh la la! It turned out pretty good. Was worried that the pancakes hadn’t set in the middle, but when I ate the assembled Croque Monsieur, the ham took center stage and I didn’t notice whether the pancakes were undercooked or not. Bon apetit!
  29. 29
    Reply to comment #3 by Melanie
    Heather Wegemer
    May 23 2023
    I've switched to using ricotta (10% milk fat, 4g carbohydrate per 110g half-cup) instead of cottage cheese (2% milk fat, 7g carbohydrate per 125g half-cup). I mix it up in a mini-blender until it's nice and smooth.
    (Other changes I've made, in case anybody cares, are swapping ham to deli-sliced smoked chicken, cheddar cheese to swiss cheese, and baking the bread layers in 4-inch silicone pans rather than messing with pancakes.)

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