Basically Croque Monsieur

Like a hot ham and cheese sandwich, but slathered with cream sauce and baked to bubbly perfection. (Yeah, it's as good as it sounds.) In France, the croque monsieur is traditionally served as a bar snack, but this recipe scales up easily and is a great brunch for a crowd. And once you master béchamel, the super-simple cream sauce that is the star of this dish, the possibilities are endless—it's the base of so many indulgent classics, from macaroni and cheese to lasagna...and also tastes great on just about anything.