Monte Cristo

Perfect for brunch, the Monte Cristo is a sweet-and-savory sandwich with ham, cheese, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and jam. Dipped in a French toast batter and then pan-fried, it’s a gourmet sandwich easy enough to whip up in a few minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6

Total Time 21

Servings sandwiches

Calories 725kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

6 slices white bread
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices thick-sliced deli ham
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 slices thick-sliced deli turkey
1 tablespoon raspberry jam plus more for serving
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk
Big pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
Powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

Place two bread slices on a clean surface. Spread the top side of the bread with mustard. Top each with 1 slice of Swiss cheese and 2 slices of ham. Spread the top side of two additional bread slices with mayonnaise, and place mayonnaise side up on the ham. Top each sandwich with 2 slices of turkey and 1 slice of Swiss cheese. Spread the top side of the remaining two bread slices with raspberry jam, and place jam side down on the sandwich.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and salt.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat half of the butter over medium. Quickly dip both sides of a sandwich in the egg mixture and place it in the skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the other sandwich and butter.
Transfer toasted sandwiches to a cutting board. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut sandwiches in half and serve hot with raspberry jam.

Notes

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.

Nutrition