Monte Cristo Sandwich: the flavorful recipe for a Disneyland copycat sandwich

Monte Cristo sandwich is an easy recipe everyone loves. Tasty alternative to the French Croque Monsieur, it's a ham and cheese sandwich flavored with mustard and mayonnaise, dipped in egg and fried until golden brown, just like a French toast.

Super quick and easy to make, it's a flavorful recipe you can enjoy at lunch or as snack. Serve it together with French fries or a berry jam for a sweeter treat.

What is Monte Cristo Sandwich?

This Monte Cristo sandwich recipe is a Disneyland copycat you can easily get at Cafe Orleans. It's a ham and cheese sandwich flavored with mustard and mayonnaise, cooked in Fresh toast style and sometimes dusted with powdered sugar.

It is believed that the Monte Cristo was created as an alternative to the classic French Croque Monsieur, hence the name tribute to the French novel The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumas. Both call for a French origins, but Croque Monsieur is a simple ham and cheese sandwich flavored with béchamel, while Monte Cristo is dipped in egg and pan-fried like a French toast.

The recipe changed several times over the years and was famous as "French sandwich", until in the 1950s it was on the menu of a California restaurant under the name Monte Cristo. It wasn't until 1966 that this recipe first came to Disneyland.

Monte Cristo Ingredients

There are many versions of Monte Cristo sandwich, but there some classic ingredients you can't change.

White bread is essential.

Ham should be cut thicker, but you can also get thin slices.

Gruyere cheese works perfectly for this recipe. If you don't have it on hand, you can use provolone or Swiss.

Mustard and mayonnaise add creaminess and flavor.

Eggs, milk and butter are the main ingredients to make a traditional batter to cook the Monte Cristo sandwich like a French toast.

How to make Monte Cristo Sandwich

Spread mustard on one bread slice and mayonnaise on the other. Add ham, cheese, top with the mustard-coated slice. Let the butter melt in a nonstick pan over medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk eggs. Dip the sandwich in the eggs, then let it fry 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown on top. You can dust powdered sugar on top before serving.

Tips

You can make Monte Cristo sandwich ahead of time.

Make sure you evenly distribute the cheese and ham on the bread slices.

Be very careful when you flip over the mayonnaise topped sandwich on the ham covered slices. Make sure you are holding the bread slices from the two ends very firms.

Pay attention when placing the top of the sandwich so that the ham and cheese layer on either of the sides starts to fall off.

How to store Monte Cristo Sandwich

You can store Monte Cristo sandwich in the refrigerator for 2 days, wrapped in a foil. Before serving, reheat it in a pan over low heat.

Instructions

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Spread mustard on a bread slice and mayonnaise on another one. Add ham and cheese.

Close the sandwich.

Over medium heat, heat a large pan with butter until melted.

Dip the sandwich in the egg mixture, then pan-fry in the pan.

Cook for 3 minutes per side or until golden brown on the outside.

Serve and enjoy!