Le Croque Psychopathe
Three layers · two cheeses · smoked ham
Three slices of garlic sourdough, two layers of pepper jack, cheddar, and smoked ham. Butter melts into the bread from within while a thin mayonnaise coating creates a deeply golden crust. Crisp outside, molten inside, and gloriously excessive.
- PREP
- 10 MIN
- COOK
- 16 MIN
- TOTAL
- 26 MIN
- MAKES
- 1 SANDWICH
Ingredients
One enormous sandwich
- 3 thick-cut slices garlic sourdough bread
- 4–6 slices pepper jack cheese, for two layers
- 4–6 slices cheddar cheese, for two layers
- 4 slices smoked ham, thinly sliced (2 per layer)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for interior layers
- 2–3 tbsp mayonnaise, for the exterior coating
- 1 tbsp butter for the skillet, if needed
Method
- 01
Square the bread
Trim the three slices of garlic sourdough into matching rectangles. Keep the slices thick enough to support two substantial layers.
- 02
Build the layers
Spread softened butter on the interior bread surfaces. Layer the first slice with pepper jack, cheddar, and two slices of smoked ham. Add the middle slice of bread, then repeat with pepper jack, cheddar, and two more slices of smoked ham. Top with the final slice.
- 03
Mayonnaise armor
Coat the outside of the assembled sandwich evenly with mayonnaise. A thin, complete coating is all you need.
- 04
Brown the bastard
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp butter if needed. Pan-sear the sandwich until the exterior and edges are golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side.
- 05
The convection finish
Transfer to a preheated convection oven at 160°C (320°F) for 10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the center is hot.
- 06
Rest and destroy
Rest for 1–2 minutes, slice, and serve while the cheese is still molten.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 1200 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 78 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugars
- —
Per entire sandwich. Calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber reproduce the approximate values supplied on Duane’s original card. Sugars were not provided. These figures have not been independently recalculated. Bread thickness, cheese slice size, the 4–6 slice ranges, mayonnaise, and retained skillet butter can change the totals substantially. Excludes any additional infused finishing butter. These are approximate ingredient-based calculations, not laboratory measurements.
Duane’s Triple-Decker Croque recipe poster: Le Croque Psychopathe.