Brunch-Worthy Croque Madame Bagel Sliders Recipe

A croque monsieur is the French version of a grilled cheese sandwich. Literally translating to "mister crunch," the sandwich is notable for having a thick, gooey, slightly crunchy layer of broiled melty cheese on top of soft and crusty bread. Though surprisingly hearty for French cuisine, like most Parisian food the sandwich is refined, a perfect balance of cheese, bread, and meat. It's not uncommon to eat the gooey sandwich with a glass of wine, a quintessential part of a French lunch; and if you're craving a little more protein, the croque madame is served with an egg, fried and placed directly on top of the Gruyère.

The sandwiches both make wonderfully tasty and indulgent brunch options and making them for a crowd is relatively easy, especially in the form of sliders. Swapping out the thick French bread for miniature bagels, developer Michelle McGlinn's croque madame-inspired bagel sliders make brunch into an elegant French affair. Layered with slices of ham and Gruyère and then filled with egg and baked, the sandwiches become warm, gooey towers of flavor in less than 20 minutes. Topped with arugula, salt, and pepper, the sandwiches are a perfectly French way to enjoy a slow Sunday morning.

The first thing you'll want to grab, and what makes these sliders unique, are miniature bagels. They're easier to find than you'd think, as a few of the biggest bread brands have their own versions. Check the bread aisle for Pepperidge Farms and Thomas bagels, and if you can't find them there, try the recipe with one of the brands' regular-sized bagels instead. From there, head to the deli for sliced ham and sliced Gruyère — if you can't find Gruyère sliced, you can use provolone, Swiss, or Havarti. You can also shred your cheese, if Gruyère is a must-have. Then, just grab eggs, butter, salt, pepper, and arugula to finish building the sandwiches.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the 8 bagel bottoms on the baking sheet.

Cut the tops so that the hole in the center is about 1 ½ inches wide, then set aside.

Add 2 slices of ham to each bagel.

Add 1 slice of cheese to each bagel.

Top with the top piece of bagel and brush the tops of the bagels with melted butter.

Crack the eggs into the holes at the tops of the bagels.

Bake until the egg is set, about 15 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add arugula to each slider to serve.

Adding the eggs to the sliders can be a little challenging. If you've ever made a "toad-in-the-hole" sandwich — the American kind, not the British one — which involves frying an egg into a sliced-out hole in a piece of toast, then this technique will be familiar to you. What makes it challenging in this recipe is the small size and the odd shape of the bagels. To avoid egg spilling all over the sheet tray (which may happen regardless, but don't worry), you'll want to crack your eggs ahead of time.

Crack your eggs into a measuring cup with a spout for the easiest pouring and crack as gently as possible to avoid breaking any yolks. Before adding the eggs to the bagels, make sure each bagel top sits flush against the cheese underneath it so that the egg doesn't slip through. With the eggs cracked, use a spoon to aid the yolk into the holes of the bagels, which you have already carefully sliced larger to fit more egg. With the yolks in each hole, pour the remaining egg white around the yolk. Work quickly to put the eggs in the oven, where the egg whites will begin to set immediately.

Though the prep for these sliders is easy, there can be some challenging aspects to cooking eggs. Eggs are very delicate and cook quickly, especially in the all-encompassing heat of the oven. To avoid overcooking the eggs into plasticky, rubbery messes, rotate the pan halfway through and keep a watchful eye on the eggs in the last few minutes. The eggs will be just barely set when they are ready — any longer and you risk a hard yolk. The good news? The arugula can cover any mistakes.

If the whole toad-in-the-hole thing isn't working out, don't force it: Instead, pivot. Whisk the eggs into scrambled eggs and cook on the stovetop until just barely set, then transfer to the bagels. Instead of sliding the eggs into the holes of the bagels, add them to the middle of the slider, right underneath the cheese. This way, the cheese melts into the eggs for a cheesy, easy-to-eat slider.