Monte Cristo
The American cousin of the French croque-monsieur, popularised in the 1960s by Disneyland's restaurants. It is a ham, turkey and cheese sandwich dipped in egg and fried in butter like French toast, then — surprisingly — dusted with icing sugar and served with jam. The mix of salty, sweet and rich is its whole point. The key is frying over medium heat, so the cheese melts before the egg burns outside.
Your own work in that: 5 min.
- Assembly 5 min
- Dipping in egg 3 min
- Frying 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSpread the bread with mustard
Spread the slices thinly with Dijon mustard on one side. The mustard cuts the richness of cheese and egg and balances the sweet jam the sandwich meets on the plate.
Ingredients: 6 pcs sandwich bread or brioche · 100 g cooked ham · 100 g roast turkey breast · 120 g Swiss cheese · 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Build a triple-decker
Layer: bread, cheese, ham, bread, turkey, cheese, bread. A classic Monte Cristo has three slices. Cheese on the outer layers acts as glue and, melted, holds everything together.
Ingredients: 6 pcs sandwich bread or brioche · 100 g cooked ham · 100 g roast turkey breast · 120 g Swiss cheese · 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Three slices, cheese on both sides — it glues the whole.Press and trim the edges
Press the sandwich with your palm and cut off the crusts for the diner version. A pressed sandwich does not fall apart as it is dipped and turned.
Ingredients: 6 pcs sandwich bread or brioche · 100 g cooked ham · 100 g roast turkey breast · 120 g Swiss cheese · 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Beat the eggs with milk
In a shallow dish beat the eggs with the milk and salt. Milk thins the egg, so it soaks into the bread rather than sitting on the surface like an omelette.
Ingredients: 3 pcs eggs · 60 ml milk · 1 pinch salt · 30 g butter
Dip the sandwich on both sides
Dip the sandwich in the egg 15 seconds a side, then briefly on each edge. The bread should soak but not go soggy. Soaked too long it falls apart as you move it.
Ingredients: 3 pcs eggs · 60 ml milk · 1 pinch salt · 30 g butter
Fifteen seconds a side — and the edges.Fry in butter over medium heat
Melt the butter over medium heat and fry the sandwich 4 minutes a side, until deep golden. Medium heat is key — on high the egg burns before the cheese inside melts.
Ingredients: 3 pcs eggs · 60 ml milk · 1 pinch salt · 30 g butter
Medium heat — the cheese needs time to melt.Finish in the oven if needed
If the cheese is not fully melted, move the sandwich to a 180°C oven for 5 minutes. Thick triple-deckers often need it — the pan browns, the oven heats the centre.
Ingredients: 6 pcs sandwich bread or brioche · 100 g cooked ham · 100 g roast turkey breast · 120 g Swiss cheese · 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Dust with sugar and serve with jam
Cut into triangles, dust with icing sugar and serve with a pot of raspberry jam for dipping. It sounds odd, but that salty-sweet combination is exactly what makes Monte Cristo famous.
Ingredients: 1 tbsp icing sugar · 4 tbsp raspberry jam
Before you start
The deep-fried version
Disney's Monte Cristo is dipped in a thick batter and deep fried, giving a crisp, puffy shell. The pan version, dipped in egg alone, is lighter and easier at home.
Slightly stale bread
Day-old bread soaks up egg better and does not fall apart. Fresh soft sandwich bread soaks too fast. Brioche gives a sweeter, softer version — both are classic.
Eat at once
Monte Cristo must be eaten straight from the pan, while the cheese is molten and the crust crisp. Reheated it turns heavy and greasy. Sandwiches can be assembled ahead and chilled.
