The Best-Ever Monte Cristo Sandwich with Mornay
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 512kcal
This Monte Cristo Sandwich with Mornay is a sandwich you'll want to prepare time and time again. Of course you can you use ham and turkey from your deli, and it will be delish. But leftover ham and/or turkey is amazing. And don't forget to make the homemade Mornay sauce...it's easy and so good!
Print Recipe
Equipment
- A skillet (preferably non-stick), large enough to hold at least 1 sandwich.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bread thickly sliced, white or sourdough are excellent
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 slices ham thick-cut, or 8 thin slices
- 4 slices roasted turkey thick-cut, or 8 thin slices
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter plus more, if needed
- Powder sugar for dusting
Instructions
- There will be 2 slices of bread for each sandwich. Place all 4 on a cutting board.
- Heat the ham and turkey in a large skillet until warmed through.
- Mix together the mayonnaise and Dijon in a small bowl. Use a butter knife to smear the mayo/mustard mixture onto the top-facing side of each slice of bread.
- For both sandwiches, follow these steps. Add ½ cup of cheese on top of the mayo/mustard mixture. Add a layer of ham, then turkey, and then another ½ cup on top. Place the other slice on top of the cheese, mayo/mixture facing down.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Gently mix until the eggs are just beaten.
- Place the sandwich in the egg mixture...let sit for a couple of minutes...and press with your hands. Then, flip the sandwich, and let sit, soak up the egg mixture, and apply a little pressure to compact.
- Melt the butter in a skillet (preferably non-stick) large enough to hold 1 of the sandwiches.
- Gently remove the sandwich from the egg mixture, allowing excess egg to fall off. Carefully add the sandwich to the melted butter and cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the sandwich with the help of a couple of spatulas and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar. Serve with preserves and Mornay sauce.
Video
Notes
We heat the turkey and ham prior to cooking the sandwiches in order to help make sure the cheese melts and gets nice and gooey. This can also be done in the oven, or even the microwave. Cold turkey and ham will make it harder for the cheese to melt simply from the heat of the skillet.
Be sure to cook the sandwich on medium-low heat. This will prevent the bread from browning quickly and will allow the heat to penetrate into the sandwich.
We shred our Gruyere with the shredding attachment of our food processor, or just throw it in and pulse until crumbled. A box grater works just fine, too.
Swiss cheese can be used in place of the Gruyere and still be delicious.
The Mornay is best served right off the stove. If making ahead of time, reheat with a few more splashe of milk or cream until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition
Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 442mg | Sodium: 1416mg | Potassium: 443mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1234IU | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg