0.3 pound ham cooked very thinly sliced (see notes)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
0.3 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 tablespoon flour all-purpose
1.5 cups fontina shredded
0.1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons shallots minced
0.3 cup whipping cream
8 slices bread white thick firm (each 4 in. square and)
Equipment
bowl
frying pan
oven
whisk
spatula
Directions
In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stir shallots in 1 tablespoon butter. Stir often until golden, about 3 minutes.
Add flour; stir until blended.
Remove from heat and add broth and milk; whisk to blend well. Return to heat and whisk until mixture is boiling vigorously.
Remove from heat and add cheese and nutmeg; stir until cheese is melted.
Pour sauce into a bowl. Rinse and dry pan.
Lightly butter one side of each bread slice and lay buttered sides down on a board. Divide half the cheese sauce equally among 4 slices; spread sauce to edges.
Lay ham equally over sauce.
Spread mustard equally on unbuttered sides of remaining 4 bread slices; invert each onto a slice topped with ham.
Put frying pan on medium heat.
Lay two sandwiches in pan; cover and cook until well browned on the bottom. Turn with a spatula and brown other sides, about 4 minutes total.
Transfer sandwiches to a 10- by 15-inch pan and keep warm, uncovered, in a 200 oven. Repeat to cook remaining sandwiches. Spoon remaining cheese sauce equally over sandwiches; spread slightly over edges.
Broil sandwiches about 4 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and lightly browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
