Now, some might say that’s not a bad thing. This sandwich — an over-the-top mash-up of French toast and grilled ham and cheese — has its detractors. I knew I had had one once before, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember where or when. (Maybe at Bennigan’s when I was in high school?)
Get the recipe: Monte Cristo Sandwich
As I started to explore recipes, I discovered that the origin of the sandwich is as murky as its ingredient list. Some claim it is a variation of the French croque-monsieur, but others say certainement pas! Many sources cite California in the 1960s as its birthplace, but with little documentation to back that up. Was it named after Alexandre Dumas’s “The Count of Monte Cristo”?
We may never know, but we can cite the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America’s claim that it was first written about in 1923 in an American restaurant industry publication. These days, it’s a must-try sandwich at Disneyland and pops up on chain restaurant menus and less often in little cafes and diners.
In some cases, folks take it way, way over the top, making it a triple-decker, adding caramelized onions, and dipping the whole sandwich in pancake or beer batter before deep-frying it. I wasn’t prepared to go that far, and I decline to take a stand on what’s considered a classic or must-have in a Monte Cristo recipe.
Instead, I’ll tell you where I landed after much experimentation. I used two slices of hearty white bread, thinly sliced turkey and ham, and Gruyere. I spread one slice of bread with raspberry jam and the other with whole grain mustard. Then, I dipped that whole sandwich in an egg wash and pan-fried it in butter until it was golden brown.
Finally, as is traditional, I lightly sprinkled it with confectioners’ sugar, and served a dollop of jam on the side for dipping.
The balance of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy this created worked well for me. When I described its contents to the gang at work, eyebrows were cocked, but after it was photographed in the Food Lab and tasted, it got thumbs up all around.
As I tested it, I realized it was ideal as a post-holiday treat. If you want to try it, you can use leftover bread, turkey and/or ham and, in place of the jam, how about a smear of cranberry sauce? (I tried the sandwich with smoked turkey and ham and really liked that flavor as well.) For the cheese, I prefer Gruyere, but feel free to swap in Swiss, cheddar or your favorite variety. Some folks like it drizzled with maple syrup or honey rather than sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
That’s a lot of variation, I realize, so if you follow only one recommendation from me, let it be this: Slice the Monte Cristo in half and split it with someone, served beside a crisp, green, lightly dressed salad. This is one rich sandwich.
Get the recipe: Monte Cristo Sandwich