Recipes

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Midway between the croque monsieur and the McGriddle lives this deep-fried double decker.

  • Serves

    2

  • Time

    20 minutes

Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO

By SAVEUR Editors


Updated on March 17, 2023

People have strong opinions about the Monte Cristo sandwich, a double-decker of Swiss cheese, ham, and chicken or turkey, which is battered, fried, dusted with confectioners sugar, and served with a side of tart red jelly. Some consider it a marvel; others, an absurdity. Divisiveness aside, the perfect Monte Cristo recipe is an impressive one; the resulting sandwich is a stunning creation, requiring a knife and fork at the table. This recipe ran alongside Carolynn Carreño’s 1998 article, "Fried Nirvana?"

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 6 thin slices white bread
  • 4 thin slices cooked turkey
  • 4 thin slices cooked ham
  • 4 thin slices Swiss cheese
  • Confectioners sugar, for garnish (optional)
  • Red currant jelly, for serving

Instructions

Step 1

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk; season lightly with salt and black pepper and set aside.

Step 2

For each sandwich, lightly butter 3 slices of bread on both sides (using a total of about 1 tablespoon of the butter). Place 2 slices each of turkey and ham between 2 slices of bread. Top with 2 slices of cheese, and then top with a third slice of buttered bread. Trim crusts, secure with toothpicks, and cut in half on the diagonal. Repeat with the remaining bread, turkey, ham, and cheese.

Step 3

In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Dip the sandwich halves in the reserved egg-milk mixture to coat. When the melted butter foams, place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, flip the sandwiches, and continue cooking until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the sandwiches to 2 plates, sprinkle with confectioners sugar (if desired), and serve hot with red currant jelly on the side.

Continue to Next Story

Want more SAVEUR?

Get our favorite recipes, stories, and more delivered to your inbox.