We’re really in a golden age right now for vegan food. While the outlook in other areas of our society might not be very golden, it’s some comfort to see veganism move ever increasingly into the mainstream. Vegan options and alternatives have never been more readily available (though affordability is still very much an issue).

The one snag that vegan cuisine has historically encountered while trying to replicate certain dishes is the cheese component. Early vegan cheese options were limited and didn’t really have the melt quality that was so often key, then brands like Daiya, Violife and Earth Island came along and made huge strides in producing suitable alternatives. These pioneers paved the way for the current explosion of readily available vegan cheese products.

It wasn’t so long ago that making dairy and meat laden cuisine vegan friendly would involve some intense ingredient sourcing and inventiveness. Croque Madame, a French sandwich situation involving ham, cheese, and butter, all topped with an egg, is a good example of a dish that would be seemingly impossible to replicate, but here we are in 2023, with whole sections of plant-based cheeses, butters, eggs, and meats in nearly every major grocery store.

With access to such wonderful alternatives, I took on the task of veganizing this most un-vegan of sandwiches and can happily now report that it was a success. One divergence however; Gruyere is the cheese that is typically used in a Croque Madame and I could not find a specific plant based Gruyere, but authenticity is already being sacrificed for the greater good here, so I swapped it for Daiya’s Swiss Flavour Slices.

For the Mornay Sauce:
1/2 cup of salted vegan butter (I used The Future of Butter)
2 tbsp of flour
1 cup of plant based milk (I used Oat Milk)
1/2 cup of grated vegan Parmesan (I used the Parmesan Style Wedge from Violife)
1 tsp of nutmeg

For the Croque Monsieur
1 loaf of sourdough bread.
1 package of vegan ham slices (I used the Smoke Ham Flavoured Slices from Tofurky)
1 package of vegan cheese slices (Again, I used Daiya’s Swiss Flavour Slices)
2 tsp of mustard
1 tbsp or more of butter
1 227 package of JUST egg patties or other egg patty substitute.
Parsley and/or Maldon Salt for toppers

Directions
1. Make the Mornay Sauce. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the 2 tbsp of flour, and combine with a whisk to make the roux.  Once it’s reached the appropriate consistency, usually after 5-6 minutes, it will turn a brown, caramel-ish colour. Whisk in the 1 cup of plant-based milk. It’s wise to continuously whisk while preparing but if you suspect the sauce is burning just reduce heat. Add in the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. Continue whisking until the cheese is melted and blended into the sauce.
2. Assemble the sandwich. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter one side of two slices of bread and place, buttered side down, on frying pan or cast-iron skillet over low heat. On the top of one half, spread the 2 tsp of mustard. On the other half, spread about 1 tbsp of the Mornay Sauce. Top the Mornay Sauce side with a slice of the vegan cheese (splitting it into three wedges is easiest), and then top with two or three slices of the ham.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the buttered side is slightly crispy, and then remove from heat.
3. Place the mustard half of the sandwich on top of the other half. Top the sandwich with another 1 tbsp of the Mornay Sauce, and another slice of the cheese.  If you’re using a cast iron skillet, place directly in the oven. Otherwise, you can transfer the sandwich to a baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. While the sandwich is cooking, heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add one of the JUST Egg Patties. Cook for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
5. Remove the sandwich from the oven, top with the egg, along with some parsley and finishing salt. Enjoy!