Meet one of the most delicious French snacks: Oven-Baked Cheese Béchamel Toast! These savory, cheesy, and creamy sourdough toasts are a delicious and easy option for a snack or Sunday brunch!
How to make Oven Baked Cheese Béchamel Toasts?
This decadent recipe was inspired by the iconic “Croque-Monsieur” that is usually found on the menu of every French “brasseries”. Except it is easier to make (and meatless)!
Choose good-quality sourdough bread, preferably a large loaf to slice generously from.
Layer a generous dollop of creamy béchamel sauce (white sauce with a touch of nutmeg). Making béchamel is the only step in this recipe that requires a bit of work. The extra time spent will be worth it, I promise!
Sprinkle your favorite hard cheese (preferably aged for more depth of flavor)! Comté makes a great ally to these toasts! You can use any leftover Comté to make Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash With Spinach And Comté Cheese, Gougères (French Cheese Puffs), or French Shirred Eggs “Oeufs En Cocotte”.
Broil for 5 minutes and this is ready!
And… these toasts allow for a wide variety of wine pairings! What else can we ask for?!
🍷Wine Pairing for Cheese Béchamel Toasts
CHARDONNAY, PINOT NOIR or GAMAY
This recipe is very versatile and pairs well with the most vibrant white wines as well as fruity light reds.
The salty and umami flavors from the cheese and the rich creaminess of the béchamel complement a wide range of Chardonnay-based wines from mineral and citrusy Chablis to richer oakier styles.
Do you prefer red? A light and fruity Gamay will make magic happen!
WINE APPELLATION SUGGESTIONS
White wines
Red wines
Other delicious Snack recipes
Oven Baked Cheese Béchamel Toasts
PRINT SAVEEQUIPMENT
- Whisk
- Sheet Pan
- Saucepan
INGREDIENTS
For the béchamel sauce
- ¼ cup (35 g) butter
- ¼ cup (35 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk (I recommend whole milk for extra creaminess)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
For the toasts
- 8 big slices sourdough bread
- 2 ½ cups (200 g) grated aged Cantal (or aged Comté, aged Cheddar, or any aged hard cheese you like!)
INSTRUCTIONS
Start by making the béchamel sauce
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- When the butter is bubbling nicely, add the flour all at once and stir energetically with a whisk.
- Lower the heat to medium intensity.
- Add ⅓ of the milk and stir.
- Add another ⅓ of the milk and keep stirring.
- Add the rest of the milk and stir continuously for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the ground nutmeg, salt, and white pepper and stir.
- Set aside.
Assemble the toasts:
- Preheat your oven to broil mode.
- Line the sourdough bread slices onto a parchment-lined oven tray.
- Spread a thick layer of béchamel sauce overtop of the slices.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of grated Comté on top of each slice.
- Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbling away!
- Serve immediately with a glass of your chosen wine!