From Pan Bagnat to Jacques Pépin’s Pork Merguez, These Are 6 of Our Favorite French Sandwiches
A country with bread as good as France deserves sandwiches just as magnifique. Whether you’re broiling a Croque Monsieur that’s slathered in rich Mornay sauce or brushing a fresh baguette with flavorful olive oil for a Pan Bagnat, these sandwiches evoke the places where they were first created. Channel a wintry day in a Paris bistro or transport to a sunny one in a Provençal market. Either way, you can celebrate French flavors in the comfort of your home with these recipes.
Pan Bagnat (Niçoise Salad Sandwich)
\Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Pan Bagnat means “bathed bread” in Provençal, the language of southeast France. Brushing the bread with oil, then letting the slices sit for a few minutes, gives this sandwich its titular bath, yielding a moist and deeply flavorful bite. The most common filling for a Pan Bagnat is a Niçoise-style tuna salad.
Monte Cristo
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee
A sweet-and-savory hybrid, the Monte Cristo pairs ham and Gruyère cheese with raspberry jam and Dijon mustard. This recipes calls for the sandwich to be dipped in a cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla-flavored egg batter before being fried lightly in butter.
Croque Monsieur
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
Alongside its “madame” counterpart, the Croque Monsiuer is perhaps the most iconic of French sandwiches. It’s not a grab-and-go affair; with gooey Gruyère and a rich Mornay sauce, you’ll need a fork and knife to enjoy this hammy, cheesy bistro classic.
Croque Madame
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Croque Madame translates to “Mrs. Crunchy.” (That means a Croque Monsiuer is “Mr. Crunchy.”) This half of France’s hottest sandwich couple is distinguished by a fried egg on top. As one story goes, the Croque Madame got its name from a sunny-side-up egg’s resemblance to a woman’s hat.
French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Annie Prost / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
This grilled cheese isn’t a traditional French sandwich, but it draws its rich and nourishing flavors from the well of French bistro cuisine. Made with French onion soup–style caramelized onions and nutty Gruyère, its richness is cut by the tang of Dijon mustard and pickle slices.
Merguez with Pork and Grilled Tortilla Bread
David Malosh
“Along with other North African dishes, merguez is very popular in France,” writes Jacques Pépin. “That little lamb sausage is a classic at any backyard barbecue or picnic there, as popular as the hot dog is in the U.S.” Pépin makes his merguez without casings and forms the sausage mixture into patties. (He adds pork to the traditionally lamb-only dish.)
Chicken Pan Bagnat
Susan Spungen
This take on Pan Bagnat is perfect to use with leftover roast chicken. It’s the ideal companion to fancy potato chips and a cold glass of rosé from the Coteaux du Varois, Cassis, or Bandol.
