I’ve had Monte Cristos on several occasions in my life; nearly all of them while at some eating establishment with the word “diner” in the title and where someone says, “You’ve got to try their Monte Cristo.” It never occurred to me to try these at home until my friend Dawn, who is a great cook, invited me over for lunch last month and whipped up a bunch of these sandwiches. They were so yummy and it inspired me to make them at home for my family too- so thanks Dawn!
If you’ve never had a Monte Cristo Sandwich and you’re looking at the ingredient list thinking I’ve made a dreadful mistake, guess again! A Monte Cristo is an interesting concoction; basically a ham and cheese melt on French toast. Sound strange? It’s one of those things that sounds strange, but tastes oddly delicious! If you love a sweet and salty combo you’ll love these. My husband had never tried one before, and both he and my 2-year old thought they were awesome. This is actually a great meal that could be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or a snack.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- White sandwich bread – Any bread that makes good French toast will make a good Monte Cristo!
- Deli ham – Thin sliced. Smoked or honey ham.
- Swiss cheese – Swiss cheese can vary a lot in flavor and intensity. It’s good to have some contrast with the sweet components of this sandwich, but if you don’t like a strong Swiss, look for baby Swiss, which is more mild than regular Swiss. Jarlsberg, muenster, or provolone could also work.
- Butter – To fry the sandwich. Real butter is going to be best here, but you could oil your pan instead if you prefer.
- Eggs
- Milk – Any milk will do!
- All-purpose flour
- Strawberry jam – Raspberry is also good.
- Powdered sugar – For dusting
- Dijon mustard or maple syrup – Optional for serving, to taste.
How to Make a Monte Cristo Sandwich
- This goes quick! First you’ll make a quick French toast batter with flour, milk, and eggs.
- Then you just assemble your sandwich with meat and cheese between two slices of bread, dip each side in the flour/milk/egg mixture, and fry in a hot buttered skillet until the cheese is melted and the outside is toasty brown.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve with jam!
Storing and Other Tips
- These sandwiches are best enjoyed fresh out of the pan!
- If you find you’re having a hard time dipping your whole sandwiches, simply dip one side of a piece of bread, place it in the pan, then build your sandwich right in the pan, finishing with another piece of bread that’s been dipped on one side, just make sure the dipped sides are facing out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, as long as you have a gluten-free bread that makes good French toast, it will also make a good Monte Cristo!
No, these sandwiches are best made and served fresh.
Sure! These cook up well on an electric skillet. If you don’t have one, I would recommend just using your largest pan. You can keep finished sandwiches warm in the oven set to it’s lowest heat while you finish up cooking the rest.
Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 slices white sandwich bread
- 8-12 ounces deli ham thinly sliced
- 8 slices Swiss cheese sliced
- butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- strawberry Jam or raspberry works too
- powdered sugar
- optional, for serving: Dijon mustard or maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk flour and milk and then add in eggs and whisk until well-blended and place in a shallow dish. Now this isn’t rocket science- basically you want to put the cheese and the meat on the inside of the bread, then dip both sides of the sandwich in the egg/milk mix, then grill in a hot buttered skillet until the bread is browned and toasty and the cheese inside is melted.Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Jam. Done.
- You can either assemble sandwiches with cheese, ham, and cheese again, and then dip each side in the egg/milk mixture, or you can dip one side of a piece of bread, place it in your pan, then assemble the sandwich in the pan, finishing with another piece of bread with one side dipped in the egg mixture. Just make sure the dipped sides of the bread are facing out!
- Fry in a hot buttered skillet until golden brown on the outside and hot and melty on the inside. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with jam for dipping, or you can spread a thin layer on the inside of the sandwich. Dijon mustard or maple syrup are other alternatives for serving as well.
Questions & Reviews
This Canadian has never heard of a Monte Cristo that was deep fried or served with anything sweet, but I might be willing to try some kind of jam with it.
Canadian version:
In addition to the ham add a slice of turkey (real turkey, not processed meat) Make the sandwich, cut it in half diagonally and secure with toothpicks. Dip the halves in the egg mixture, coating all sides. Cook on griddle, browning all sides. Serve with ketchup or chilli sauce.
(some people put mustard or mayo on the bread before adding the meat and cheese)
This is how a proper monte cristo should be made. Dipped in a crepe batte, fried until golden, dusted with powder sugar and strawberry preserves. Just had a perfect one at Milton’s in Del Mar (San Diego)
I gotta try this!
I enjoy a raspberry mustard on top of these: one part raspberry jam to two parts honey or dijon mustard.
I am really looking forward to making these. The first time I experienced a Monte Cristo sandwich was at the Blue Bayou inside the Disneyland Pirates Ride, and I am so excited to attempt these. Thank you so much!
My kids are eating these as I type…it’s strangely quiet at the lunch table. Two of my three are somewhat picky eaters, but I think I’ve found a winner!
There was a restaurant I used to go to when I lived in Northern California that would make these only they were 3 layers cut in triangles and enclosed in the egg batter and deep fried. They’d also have ham, turkey and cheese in them and then they’d sprinkle the powdered sugar on them and serve with a pina colada marmalade that was really good.
When I make these, I actually make thme a little more savory and skip with jam and put the mustard in with the egg and milk. add a little cinnamon, too.
I grew up ordering these from a local Bennigans and have always loved them. Now that I’m looking toward food with a little less of a fatty/greasy tendancy, I will definitely give these a go!
This was a different twist on my understanding of a monte cristo. The only place I’ve ever seen them was at a restaurant called Bennigans here in MT. Those ones were deepfried though… so maybe it was still really french toast, just fried french toast? Then it was dipped in the jam. It was surprisingly good, once you got past thinking about what exactly you were eating. 🙂