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Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
YIELD 3 Sandwiches

Ingredients

Sandwiches

  • 6 slices of preferably day-old bread sliced ¾ inch (2cm thick) *I used Brioche
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened for easy spreading
  • 6 tablespoons (90g) dijonnaise (half dijon mustard, half mayonnaise)
  • ¼ Jar Fruit Preserves (Jam, Jelly, etc.)
  • 1 wheel of brie cheese, cut into strips
  • 9 thin slices of ham or 6 thick slices
  • 1-2 tablespoons (25g) unsalted butter, for frying
  • 1-2 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil, for frying

French Toast Batter

  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional for added flavor)

Serving Options

  • Powdered sugar, sifted over top
  • Fruit preserve (jam, jelly, etc.)
  • Syrup (Maple, berry, etc.)

Instructions

Assemble the sandwiches

  1. Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread and leave it butter-side-down on the plate while you assemble the sandwich.

  2. For each sandwich, spread fruit preserves on one slice of bread, dijonnaise on the opposite slice of bread, add a layer of cheese to the dijonnaise, add a few slices of ham on top of that, and place the fruit preserve slice on top so the buttered side is on the outside of the sandwich.

  3. For best results, place a layer of parchment paper over the sandwiches, place a cast iron skillet on top of the parchment paper to press the sandwich together. Leave this on the sandwich for about 5 minutes. Remove pan and parchment paper when finished.

Assemble the batter and coat the sandwiches

  1. In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, heavy cream, milk, vanilla (and cinnamon, optional) until combined. Dip the sandwich in the batter, soaking it for only a few seconds on each side.

  2. Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

  3. Preheat the skillet over medium heat. Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet pan (swirl it around so it coats the pan bottom evenly) along with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Cook the sandwiches

  1. Transfer sandwich to the hot skillet, cooking each sandwich one at a time. Cook until golden brown, 1-3 minutes on each side. You may need to add a little more butter and oil before cooking each additional sandwich.

  2. Once each sandwich has been cooked to golden perfection on both sides, place it on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once all sandwiches have been cooked on the stove, place them in the oven at 350F/175C for 10-20 minutes or until desired gooey, cheese-y insides have been achieved.

  3. Cut sandwiches diagonally and serve immediately with your favorite toppings and dipping sauces: maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar, fruit, etc.