Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This recipe for a Monte Cristo sandwich will have you craving them morning, noon, and night. It’s an easy twist on the basic ham and cheese combination and oh so very satisfying. Plus, it’s the perfect place for leftover ham.
When you have leftover ham, you make sandwiches. At least we do. And not just any sandwich, a Monte Cristo. Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.
If you’ve never enjoyed a Monte Cristo, well, we’ve got to change that. What is a Monte Cristo, you say? Basically, it’s just the best ham and cheese sandwich ever! And it’s so cosmopolitan-ish sounding too.
A variation of the Croque-monsieur, the Monte Cristo is made with ham, cheese, a bit of mustard, and mayonnaise, then it’s dipped in egg and cooked just like french toast. Say whaaat?!? Yep, no joke. It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it? Crazy town is what it is. We’re walking on the wild side with this sandwich, people.
How to make Monte Christo sandwich?
- Place two slices of white bread on a flat surface. Spread mustard on one slice and mayonnaise on the other.
- Add thin slices of ham shredded gruyere cheese on top of the mustard and cover the cheese with the other part of the sandwich. In a nonstick pan over medium heat, add butter to melt.
- In a shallow bowl, add the eggs and whisk them until the egg whites and yolks are incorporated. Carefully dip the sandwiches in on both sides. Once the butter has been melted, fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on top.
The Monte Cristo isn’t just for lunch or dinner either. Talk about a great breakfast sandwich. Sometimes the Monte Cristo is served with preserves and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, so I think breakfast is totally appropriate, don’t you? We also enjoy these sandwiches with a small bit of honey. This sandwich really does make the most perfect savory and sweet combination with a just a bit of sweet added.
Tips and variations:
- To make a Monte Christo sandwich ahead of time, fill the sandwiches with mustard, mayo, ham, and cheese, then wrap those in a foil. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Once you are ready to eat, dip the sandwiches in the egg, fry in butter and enjoy!
- You can reheat the sandwich back in the pan over low/medium heat. Or also in the microwave.
- For crunchy and golden brown outside, make sure to use a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan and have it preheated over medium heat.
- A light dusting of sugar or a little bit of honey gives this sandwich a delicious (and easy) gourmet chef’s touch.
Of course, this sandwich is on the decadent side, so it’s not an all-the-time sort of thing. But if you plan a brunch, or have leftover ham in need of a job, give this Monte Cristo a try. I think you’ll be glad you did.
More delicious breakfast and sandwich recipes you will enjoy:
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
- Easy Sausage Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Mozzarella Basil Sandwich
- Yogurt Pancakes Recipe
- Hash Brown Casserole
Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe
Monte Cristo Sandwich
Ham and cheese never looked so good. Try this easy Monte Cristo Sandwich for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- pinches of salt and pepper
- 4 slices sturdy white bread (or white bread of preference)
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 pound thick sliced baked ham
- 1/2 ounce, weight shredded gruyere cheese
- additional salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Beat eggs in a shallow dish (large enough to fit a sandwich) along with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble sandwiches, with mustard, mayonnaise, ham, cheese, salt and pepper to personal preference. Slightly compress sandwich.
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Add butter; allow to melt.
- Dip and coat each sandwich in beaten egg, and place in skillet. Cook sandwiches 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned to liking and cheese has melted.
This looks delicious. Your blog is awesome!
Great recipe. Made this for dinner last night and it turned out great. Do not soak the sandwich too long in the egg dip, do it very quickly. Daughter loved this so much, she requested a second sandwich for her lunch today. She is a big fan of Bennigan’s Monte Cristo as well. Used grape jelly instead of strawberry and it was yummy. My daughter preferred the grape anyway
I use to make these in a restaurant I worked in years ago. I would add the ham and cheese and then dip them in French Toast batter and make them. They are still on the menu now in that same restaurant.
I think this taste like the bennigans Monte Cristo, without as much breading (which I prefered), plus it isn’t all greasy. We have seven in our family, so by the end of making these, I figured out why some were soggy. I used a pie pan for the liquids, and a slotted metal spatula. Build the sandwich, then place in the liquid, QUICKLY scoop flip and quickly remove allowing the excess to drip off.
this is VERY good!
Basic ham and cheese will turn into mouthwatering recipe. I heard about Monte Cristo recipe and I know this is the best. I can prepare this in any kind of occasion. I should add this recipe on our anniversary.
This was easy and quick to throw together after baseball. The kids loved it
I am doing an in-school practical to make a Monte Cristo sandwich but I can’t find anything that would go with it to put on a menu I am making so could you please suggest something that can be made that is simple
I apologize for the delayed reply. Monte Cristo is typically a breakfast or brunch sandwich, so I would serve it with other breakfast foods, perhaps breakfast potatoes and fruit?
Great sandwich!
YUM YUM YUM wow i am full!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for this great Recipie!!
Such an Amazing Post..I love to read it .
This recipe HIT THE SPOT!!! Thank you! I left out the mayo, mustard and salt. For the cheese I used a sharp white cheddar, thinly sliced and then after cook dipped in raspberry jam. So good and SUPER easy!!
This information is wonderful. So it is a bit funny that the Monte Cristo sandwich may as well be one of my favorites, but I have never tried to make it by myself. I would like to think the comments I have read will encourage me to finally try to make mine. I also hope I get it right because I Intend to add some modifications based on the common recommendations on this page.
I tried this recipe and had a bit of trouble getting it done, although I may re-visit it again now looking at it again. I did however make it slightly different. Do french toast with the bread, put the mayo/dijon on both pieces, then the gruyere and then broil that side until the cheese melted. Serve it open face with ham on each piece (or Canadian bacon). Well received. The Dijon though… genius.
There are always different ways to achieve similar results. This one in particular sounds like a very nice approach!
For sure the dijon sounds like a good plan. I am thinking about maybe trying it with grainy brassica next chance I get.
It’s so delicious and easy to make
Cracking sandwich!
Great recipe. Made this for dinner last night and it turned out great. Do not soak the sandwich too long in the egg dip do it very quickly. Daughter loved this so much she requested a second sandwich for her lunch today
Absolutely yummy….My whole family and friends loves when I make these. Truly our favorite meal, especially now that my kids are old enough to help me make it.
Haven’t had one of these in year’s and I’ve been wanting one, they’re good with maple syrup slathered on the top. Yummy.
I forgot the mayonnaise and mustard and these were delicious. I probably will make them just the same next time. We used whole-wheat bread for some and raisin-cinnamon bread for others and both were really good.