Monte Cristo Sandwich

paula

10 years ago

The first Monte Cristo sandwich I remember eating was for lunch at a bar/grill called Mycroft’s in Huntington, WV when I was in graduate school. I was immediately hooked after the first savory and sweet bite. Years later, the college where I taught started offering them as a lunch special every few weeks. The cook, Ben, made very similar Monte Cristo sandwiches, but they were not quite the same. In fact, I noticed that each diner/restaurant where I have had a Monte Cristo since has made them just a little different. Some were double deckers; some were singles; some where grilled; some were deep fried; some were with just ham….I am sure you more than get the idea.

Other than my expanding waist-line after graduate school, I am not sure why I never made my own Monte Cristo sandwiches until recently. They are easy to make and very tasty.

I did not make the double-decker sandwich to save some calories…they were way too much even when I was super skinny. It still is not a low-cal sandwich.

Recipe: Monte Cristo

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1/2 c. heavy cream or half-and-half
1 /2 – 1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Thicker sliced white or egg bread (French, Italian, Challah, Brioche)
butter
sliced ham
sliced turkey
Swiss or Swiss-style cheese (Emmental, Jarlsberg, etc.)
mayonnaise (optional)
Maple syrup, for serving (optional)
jelly, jam, or preserves, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Beat eggs until fluffy and well incorporated in a dish that is wide enough for sandwich to be dipped.
Whip in cream, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg (if using).
Place a tablespoon or so of butter in skillet over medium heat.
Meanwhile, place cheese, ham, turkey, and more cheese on a slice of bread. Top with another slice of bread. (You can also add mayonnaise to the middle of the sandwich at this time or wait until after the sandwich is cooked.
When butter is melted, dip the sandwich in the egg mixture. Turn over to get both sides.
Place in skillet and brown as desired on both sides.
Place on a baking sheet and put in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until all sandwiches are done.
Repeat steps for remaining sandwiches, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.
Upon removing from oven, add mayonnaise between meat, if not already added and desired.
Cut sandwich into halves or quarters.
Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Serve warm with maple syrup and/or jelly, jam, or preserves.

I like my sandwiches served with maple syrup; my husband likes the syrup and hot pepper jelly; a server at a diner once told me that it was not a Monte Cristo unless it was served with strawberry preserves…how you serve them also depends on your personal preferences/taste.