Croque Monsieur with Shallot + Thyme Béchamel

My husband and I took our first trip to Europe back in 2010 and absolutely fell in love with Paris.  I instantly became obsessed with crepes and croque monsieurs.  Upon landing back in the US, I set out to make both of these two things, well...quite often. I love using shallots but I had to sub yellow onions when I made this post.  I also used dried thyme and turkey instead of ham.  I was not in the mood to head to the store for 3 ingredients when I had great substitutes on hand.  Plus, it's rare I ever make this with ham since we almost always have turkey on hand.  I like it just as much, if not more with a smoked deli turkey.  

The Ingredients:
Makes 4 sandwiches 
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

3 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1/3 Cup Shallots, chopped (or 1/4 cup yellow onion)
1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Cups Whole Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
8 Bread Slices, 1/2'' thick approximately (I used an Italian Hearth loaf)
8 Deli Turkey Slices (I like to use Applegate brand)
2 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded (I like to use Trader Joe's Swiss & Gruyere Blend)
Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

The Steps:

1) Add the butter, salt, pepper, thyme and shallots to a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until shallots begins to soften (about 2-4 minutes). Then add in the flour and whisk or stir with a wooden spoon.  It will be a very thick consistency.

2) Slowly add in the milk, while continually stirring.  I like to add about 1/2 cup of milk at a time, stir and allow to thicken slightly before adding in more milk.  It will develop into a beautiful, creamy and smooth sauce.  

3) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add all 8 bread slices.  Spread on a couple spoonfuls of the sauce over each bread slice. Add 2 slices of turkey meat on only 4 slices of bread.  Add another spoonful of sauce on the turkey then add a heaping 1/4 cup of cheese on the turkey slices. 

OK, now almost done with the layering!  Take the slices with sauce only, and place on top of the turkey slices.  Add any remaining sauce then finish off with another heaping 1/4 cup of cheese.  It's OK if the cheese and sauce spill over the edges of the bread.  Personally, I actually prefer that!  

4) Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes then turn the oven to Broil and leave them in there another 2-3 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.  Sprinkle each sandwich with a pinch of nutmeg and serve immediately.  I served it with crispy sauteed kale...delish!