prep time: 10 minutes (not including time to hard-boil eggs)

cook time: about 30 minutes

yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

WAFFLES

• 8 large eggs
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• ¼ cup powdered Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup ghee or coconut oil, melted but not hot

MORNAY SAUCE

• ¼ cup beef or chicken bone broth, homemade or store-bought
• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 ounce cream cheese (2 tablespoons)
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère or cheddar cheese
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

SANDWICH FILLINGS

• 12 slices ham
• ½ cup shredded Gruyère or cheddar cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ghee or unsalted butter

FOR GARNISH

• Ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the waffles, heat a waffle iron to high heat. Place the raw eggs, hard-boiled eggs, Parmesan cheese, baking powder, onion powder (if using), and salt in a blender or food processor and combine until smooth and thick. Add the melted ghee and combine well.
2. Grease the hot waffle iron. Place a heaping ¼ cup of the batter in the center of the iron and close. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, making a total of 8 waffles.
3. To make the Mornay sauce, place the broth, butter, cream cheese, and shredded cheese in a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often, just until the cheese is melted. Add the salt, then slide the pan off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until very smooth (or transfer the mixture to a countertop blender and blend until smooth); set aside.
4. When you are ready to make the Croques Madames, preheat the oven to broil. Place the waffles on a rimmed baking sheet. Top 4 of the waffles with 3 slices of ham and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese each. Set aside.
5. To fry the eggs, heat the ghee in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, crack the 4 eggs into the pan and fry on one side for about 2 minutes, until the whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny. Place the waffles under the broiler at this point (see Step 6). Season the eggs with salt and pepper and remove the skillet from the heat.
6. While the eggs are cooking, broil the waffles for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the waffles are warm.
7. To assemble the Croques Madames, place 1 ham and cheese–topped waffle on a serving plate. Top with a plain waffle, then add a sunny-side-up egg and smother with Mornay sauce. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and garnish with thyme leaves, if desired. Repeat with the remaining waffles, eggs, and Mornay sauce.
8. Store plain waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat the waffles in a preheated 375°F oven or toaster oven for 3 minutes or until warmed through. Store the Mornay sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it will thicken overnight. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until warm, about 2 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of broth if the sauce is too thick.

TIPS

• The waffles and Mornay sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The waffles can be frozen for up to a month.