Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, 

Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Springtime is Brunch time. I don't know why exactly, but we look forward to Sunday every weekend, just so I can whip up some pancakes or doughnuts or waffles in the case of this recipe. We are waffle-crazed people ever since I bought us a fancy schmancy waffle maker last year. And hey guys, what's more brunch-y than a Croque Madame Sandwich? I mean, it has ham, cheese, a glorious cheese sauce, and a big fat friggin' fried egg on top. Sign us up, we're totes there. But, we couldn't just make a classic sandwich, we don't know how to do classic in this house. Why not a Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with overnight yeasted waffles in place of bread? Perfection. This stacked "sandwich" is made for a man, but trust me, no woman could do this down. The waffles have this wonderful yeasty beer taste, and then when it's paired with sweet ham, nutty gruyere cheese, and extra runny fried eggs... you're in hangover food paradise. We would know, we're hungover a lot. After everything is all layered and stacked, you get the utterly satisfying vision of watching the Béchamel Sauce cascade/waterfall over the waffles. And in Piece, Love, & Cooking land, fried eggs make everything better. Oh hey, fun fact, did you know that eggs actually help you feel better when you're hungover? There's something called "cysteine" that break down toxins in the body. So, drink as much alcohol as you want, as long as you eat eggs afterwards... that's right, right? Yep. Be fancy, make a stack of waffles, call them a Napoleon, and cure your hangover all at the same time... that's our motto!! Enjoy :)

More Eggs... Less Hungover

Oh-so-many yeasted waffles

This is the cascading waterfall that I was talkin' about...

For the Overnight Yeasted Waffles:

½C Warm Water

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

2C Buttermilk, Warmed

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

1t Salt & Sugar

2C AP Flour

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

¼t Baking Soda

For the Béchamel Sauce:

3T Unsalted Butter

3T AP Flour

2C Whole Milk

12oz Gruyere Cheese, Grated

½ C Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Freshly Grated Nutmeg, To Taste

For the Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon:

Prepared Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Cooked until Golden Brown & Crispy

Dijon Mustard

Thinly Sliced Honey Baked Ham, For Layering

Shredded Gruyere Cheese (the remaining that is leftover from the sauce)

Prepared Béchamel Sauce

2-3 Fried Eggs per Stack

Minced Chives, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Overnight Waffles: Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the bowl. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature overnight. When you’re ready to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron. Also, preheat the oven to warm and place a baking sheet in the oven. Just before making the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth (the batter will be very thin). Fill the waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or until golden brown & crispy. Transfer the finished waffles to the baking sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm.

2. For the Béchamel Sauce: Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add ½ cup of grated Gruyere and the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3. Assembling the Stacks:Heat broiler to high. Place 2 waffles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tbsp. mustard over each. Top with 2 slices ham, some Gruyere, and a fried egg. Repeat this process again by stacking another waffle spread with mustard, ham, and cheese. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. Top with one last waffle, then pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

4. Garnishing the Stacks:Once the cheese has melted, remove the stacks from the oven and top them with one last fried egg and garnish with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper, as well as some fresh chives for color.