Croque Madame

2 pieces artisan bread, sliced thick
Black forest ham, sliced thin
Gruyère cheese, sliced thin
2 eggs.
1 pat of butter
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet and cover the bread tops with slices of ham. Top the ham with thin slices of gruyère and bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the ham is brown and the gruyere bubbling. Meanwhile, fry two eggs in a lightly buttered non-stick pan and top the sandwiches with each of the eggs and a grind of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with a side salad.

For a croque monsieur, leave off the egg.

Serves 2