The Monte Cristo Sandwich is squarely in that category of dishes that used to be classic and on almost any diner menu, but can now actually be tough to find. In fact, I can’t really remember the last time I saw one on a menu.
This is fine though. You probably shouldn’t be ordering it in a restaurant anyway for the same reason that you shouldn’t order a ham and cheese. Just save your money and make the sandwich at home.
This sucker might look more complicated than that, but if you can make a ham and cheese sandwich and french toast, then you can make a Monte Cristo Sandwich. There’re a few little tricks though that makes all the different. (SPOILER: Third piece of bread!)
How to make the perfect classic Monte Cristo sandwich. Ingredients are simple. It’s all about the method! You’ll never make a normal grilled cheese again!
Lay out three slices of sandwich bread. Split grated cheese between two slices of bread. (You can sub smoked gouda if you want). Top cheese with sliced ham.
Lightly spread mayo on BOTH sides of the third piece of bread. Place the mayo piece of bread on top of one of the two sides. Then flip the other ham/cheese side on top so the mayo piece of bread is in between the two sides, creating a two layer sandwich. The cheese should be on the outsides of the sandwich.
Slices the ends off the sandwich and press it with some weight to really compact the layers. You can just cover it with a flat plate or cutting board and press on it gently for a few seconds.
Whisk together the egg, milk, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
When butter is melted, dredge pressed sandwich in the egg mixture, coating all sides. Immediately move sandwich to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until sandwich is golden brown. Also, upend the sandwich to cook on the ends for about 15 seconds per side.
Sandwich is done cooking when it is a dark golden brown and cheese is completely melted. Cut sandwich in half and serve immediately!
I made this sandwich in various configurations about five times over the last week or so. The truth is that it’s always pretty delicious, but there are a few tricks to make it even more delicious, which you might as well do.
Trick one is to actually use three slices of bread and make a double decker sandwich. Oneachside is some good cheese (I like a gouda/smoked gouda mix, but swiss or Gruyere would be great also). There’s also a slice of ham on each side.
In the middle is a piece of bread that has beenbarely brushed with mayonnaise. You could also use mustard, but you need something for the ham to grab onto.
Stack this stuff up! Make sure that the cheese is on the outer most parts of the sandwich. SO: BREAD-CHEESE-HAM-MAYOBREAD-HAM-CHEESE-BREAD. Get it?
Trust me on this next part: Cut off the edges.
TRICK TWO of Monte Cristo: Press this sucker. I tried a version without doing this and the sandwich doesn’t have the same integrity. Also the bread soaks up too much of the custard mixture later.
By pressing it though, it turns nice and dense. It also turns a two layer sandwich into the thickness of a one layer sandwich. The middle piece of bread almost disappears in the final sandwich.
It doesn’t really matter how you press it. I did one version with just a cutting board on top of the sandwich and I pressed down on the cutting board for 10 seconds. I also did one version with this weird setup. Whatever works!
Cooking the Monte Cristo Sandwich
So now you have a really dense sandwich. Time to cook it.
In a small bowl, stir together the egg, milk, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Dip the sandwich in this mix and just coat it well. The egg mixture will stay in a thin layer, but won’t really soak in much because of all the pressing.
Cook this in butter please. Okay… you could use oil if you want (olive oil or coconut oil would be good), but butter just makes for such a delicious final product. Melt a tablespoon or two in a small skillet over medium heat.
Cook the sandwich for about four minutes per side. Also be sure to stand the sandwich on the ends for a few seconds to sear the edges of the sandwich.
Look at this sucker. It’s a thing of beauty.
After the sandwich comes out of the skillet, I recommend transferring it to a few paper towels to let any extra grease drain off.
This one turned out particularly good.
I like to slice mine in half to show off the goodness. In the below photo notice how the middle piece of bread is almost invisible? It basically acts as glue to hold the whole thing together. When you’re eating it, you don’t even notice it.
But, I must say I tried a version without the third piece of bread and it just didn’t seem as complete. The sandwich fell apart and was on the thin side.
The next time you’re getting a grilled cheese craving (like, now, right?!) try this out.
Most culinary experts believed that the Monte Cristo Sandwich is a variation of a French dish called Croque Monsieur, a grilled cheese sandwich consisting of Gruyere cheese and lean ham layered between two slices of crust-less bread, fried in clarified butter and made in a special grilling iron with two metal plates.
Most culinary experts believed that the Monte Cristo Sandwich is a variation of a French dish called Croque Monsieur, a grilled cheese sandwich consisting of Gruyere cheese and lean ham layered between two slices of crust-less bread, fried in clarified butter and made in a special grilling iron with two metal plates.
I love a Monte Cristo! It's a fried sandwich with ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, and mustard dipped in beaten egg and pan-fried until golden and gooey for a delicious alternative to your usual ham and cheese sandwich. Great with berry jam on the side.
The statue, made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles, sits on a square stone pedestal base about 26 feet (8 metres) high, which itself is situated on a deck atop the mountain's summit.
Monte Cristo is America's answer to the French classic Croque Monseur. Most commonly made with ham, but also found made with turkey and other sliced meats.
A Croque Monsieur is not the same as a Monte Cristo sandwich, but the two are similar. The Monte Cristo is a newer creation that first showed up on a menu in California, and is a take on the croque monsieur. A Monte Cristo usually has sliced turkey in addition to the ham and cheese.
The Godfather. Great sandwiches are not born great — they are built great. Layered with Capicola ham, Genoa salami, and soft provolone cheese, The Godfather will send the traditions of Italy flowing through your veins after the very first bite. With such a great sandwich comes great responsibility.
The sandwich bread is basically french toast and some choose to enjoy their Monte Cristo with maple syrup for this reason. The crisp outside of the sandwich can also be paired with jelly. A fresh little cup of jelly with just the right sweetness is brought to your table.
In prison, the Abbe Faria demonstrates to Dantes that a small red tincture, which he uses as medicine, can ward off instances of stroke, to which he is prone. This chemical, as Dantes later finds out during his travels in the East, is called “brucine,” and it is a poison.
In her 2018 book What Did Jesus Look Like?, Taylor used archaeological remains, historical texts and ancient Egyptian funerary art to conclude that, like most people in Judea and Egypt around the time, Jesus most likely had brown eyes, dark brown to black hair and olive-brown skin. He may have stood about 5-ft.-5-in.
The Monte Cristo sandwich likely originated around 1910 as a variation of a similar sandwich called a croque monsieur. It was invented and initially served in Paris cafes but gained popularity in the U.S. in the 1930s. It appeared in many American cookbooks under names like “French Sandwich” or “Toasted Ham Sandwich.”
A muffaletta is a famous italian sandwich invented in New Orleans with cured meats (ham and salami), provolone cheese, olive dressing and great bread. The olive dressing sports chopped green and black olives with onions and olive oil and spices, and the bread is a round sesame-seed roll big enough for sharing.
Is it true that wrapping sandwiches in foil helps keep them fresher for a longer period of time? Foil can work well for warm sandwiches. Provided that they are not kept too long in the foil. The only problem with foil is that you can only reheat a sandwich in foil in a normal oven… not a microwave.
Croque comes from the French verb croquer, or “to bite.” Madame is the usual way to address a married French-speaking woman, akin to the English use of Mrs. The egg perched atop a Croque Madame sandwich is said to resemble a woman's hat.
The Count of Monte Cristo was originally published in the Journal des Débats in eighteen parts. Serialization ran from 28 August 1844 to 15 January 1846. The first edition in book form was published in Paris by Pétion in 18 volumes with the first two issued in 1844 and the remaining sixteen in 1845.
Montecristo, also Monte Cristo (/ˌmɒntiˈkrɪstoʊ/, Italian: [ˌmonteˈkristo]) and formerly Oglasa (Ancient Greek: Ὠγλάσσα, romanized: Ōglássa), is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea and part of the Tuscan Archipelago. Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Portoferraio in the province of Livorno, Italy.
The Count of Monte Cristo ends with the Count falling in love with Haydee, the Greek girl he saved. After watching her grow up, he eventually falls in love with her. Using the knowledge gained from years of plotting, the Count gets revenge on Villefort, Mondego, and Danglar.
Dantès is likely based on the real story of Pierre Picaud, a shoemaker falsely accused of treason who, once released from prison, embarked on a course of vengence that spun wildly out of hand. Like his real counterpart, the fictional Dantès works to exact revenge on all those who have wronged him.
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