Preppy Kitchen Recipes Sandwiches Monte Cristo

Monte Cristo

By John Kanell Published Feb 7, 2024
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A mouth-watering cross between French toast and a French croque monsieur, the Monte Cristo is a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors from ham, cheese, and raspberry jam. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy a gourmet brunch sandwich in the comfort of your own home!

A plate with a Monte Cristo sandwich cut in half with another one in the background along with a glass of water.

Popular at Cafe Orleans in Disneyland, Monte Cristo sandwiches are a grilled ham and cheese sandwich taken to new heights. Cheese, ham, and deli turkey are layered among 3 slices of bread spread with Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and jam. The flavor combination is simply sublime, with the sweet jam balancing the tangy Dijon and savory ham and cheese.

The loaded sandwich is then dipped in a simple egg batter and pan-fried to crisp, golden-brown perfection. For a truly gourmet experience, dust your Monte Cristo with powdered sugar and serve it alongside more raspberry jam for dipping. For more brunch recipes, try my eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, or French toast recipe.

What You Need to Make this Recipe

Ingredients needed to make Monte Cristo sandwiches.

Bread — plain white bread is all you need for the perfect Monte Cristo sandwich recipe. Make sure it is a sturdy bread so it can withstand all the fillings. Each sandwich needs 3 slices of bread.

Condiments — three essentials make up this delicious sandwich: Dijon mustard for tang, creamy mayonnaise for moisture, and jam for sweetness.

Cheese — Swiss cheese is the traditional choice, but if you don’t like it, feel free to swap it out for a melty cheese that you enjoy! (Check out my Pro Tips section for ideas.)

Sliced meat — you need deli ham and deli turkey for this loaded sandwich. This turkey and ham sandwich is a great way to use up any leftover honey baked ham from the holidays!

Batter — for the simple batter, you just need an egg, whole milk, and salt.

Garnish — powdered sugar is the ideal garnish, both for aesthetic and flavor purposes in this sweet-and-savory sandwich.

How to Make a Monte Cristo

Set of two photos showing Dijon mustard spread on bread and sliced ham placed on top.

1. You’ll be making two Monte Cristo sandwiches simultaneously, so be sure to do the same thing for each sandwich. On a clean surface or cutting board, place two slices of bread and spread Dijon mustard on the top side of both slices.

2. On top of the Dijon mustard, place 1 slice of Swiss cheese and 2 slices of ham and set aside.

Set of two photos showing mayonnaise spread on bread and sliced turkey added on top.

3. Grab another 2 slices of bread and spread a layer of mayonnaise on the top side of both. Place the bread slice, mayo side up, on top of the ham.

4. Place 2 slices of turkey and 1 slice of Swiss cheese on top of that. Set aside.

Set of two photos showing jam spread on bread and egg whisked with milk in a bowl.

5. On the last 2 slices of bread, spread a layer of raspberry jam on the top side. Place the slice of bread, jam side down, on the sandwich (so it is in direct contact with that final layer of Swiss cheese).

6. Make the batter in a large shallow bowl by whisking together an egg, whole milk, and a big pinch of salt.

Set of two photos showing the assembled sandwich placed in the egg mixture then pan fried.

7. Before dipping the sandwich in the batter, heat butter in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. The skillet needs to be ready when you start dipping. Quickly dip both sides of one whole sandwich in the egg mixture and immediately place it into the hot skillet.

8. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side (turning once), until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for the other sandwich.

Set of two photos showing powdered sugar dusted over the sandwich and then cut in half.

9. Transfer the toasted sandwiches to a clean cutting board and dust them with powdered sugar to your liking.

10. Cut the sandwiches in half, or into triangles, and serve your Monte Cristo sandwich with jam for dipping.

A plate with two halves of a Monte Cristo sandwich stacked on top of each other and dusted in powdered sugar.

Pro Tips for Making this Recipe

Cheese options: If you don’t like Swiss cheese, feel free to use a different melty cheese! Some good options are mozzarella, provolone, muenster, Monterey Jack, fontina, and gruyere cheese.
To avoid a soggy grilled sandwich: Don’t dunk the sandwich in the egg mixture for too long. The bread will absorb too much batter and become soggy, which could also cause the sandwich to fall apart. Aim for about 5 seconds per side.
Heat the skillet before dipping the sandwich. This way, the sandwich doesn’t have to sit and become soggy, and you’ll end up with crispy bread on both sides.
For more French toast flavor: You can add vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the sandwich batter to give the sandwich a hint of French toast decadence.
Press the sandwich. If your sandwich is very tall and you’re worried about being able to cook and hold it easily, consider pressing it to make it flatter. Before dipping the sandwich into the egg mixture, cover the top with parchment paper and place a heavy pan on top of the sandwich. Leave it for about 5 minutes so the sandwich flattens. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written.

Half of a Monte Cristo sandwich dipped into a bowl of jam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make it ahead of time?

You can assemble the sandwiches a night ahead of time and wrap them tightly in foil. Refrigerate until you are ready to cook them. Note that if your bread is not sturdy enough, the condiments can make it soggy as time passes. Choose a bread with a thicker slice if you plan to make them in advance.

What’s the best bread to use?

No need to overthink it. Plain white sandwich bread works perfectly! But other thick, fluffy breads like soft sourdough, brioche, or challah are great substitutes that will yield a more hearty sandwich. Cut the bread into about ½-inch thick slices, and when dipping the sandwich in the egg mixture, let each side soak for 5 seconds.

What to serve with it

The Monte Cristo is a mouthful, literally, and is plenty filling on its own! I like dipping my sandwich into raspberry preserves or jam, blackberry jam, or even strawberry jam, but you could also drizzle honey or maple syrup on top. If you want to go all out, you can make homemade powdered sugar for topping!

How do you store leftovers?

Monte Cristo sandwiches are best eaten immediately, so only cook as many as you need! This recipe yields 2 sandwiches, so if you are cooking for one, halve the ingredients.

If you’ve tried this Monte Cristo recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!