Cheesy Monte Cristo Sandwich With Maple Syrup
Grilled toasted cheese and ham sandwich meets french toast; what better combination can you ask for! And this is just what a Monte Cristo Sandwich with Maple Syrup is.
If you have never had a Monte Cristo sandwich before, then you are in for a treat.
This is a great brunch recipe but suitable for breakfast or even lunch. It combines two favourite recipes to make a mouth-watering sandwich you will want to eat again and again.
I have to say, till a few months ago, I had not even heard of the Monte Cristo sandwich. And it was not until I was sitting watching one of my favourite T.V shows on Netfilx that I discovered it.
To me, it just looked like a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, so I did some research to find out more about it.
Once I found out what it was, I had to make it to try and WOW!
Over the last few months, I have been cooking, testing and getting family members to sample this fantastic sandwich.
With full ticks of approval, including my father-in-law (an ex-chef), I am now sharing my version of this recipe with you all.
How to make a Monte Cristo sandwich with maple syrup sandwich
A straightforward and quick recipe to make. And great for unexpected guests, who show up around brunch.
Ingredients
- White Bread
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon Mustard
- Gouda Cheese
- Deli Ham
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Maple Syrup
- Sea/Kocher Salt
- Olive Oil
- Butter
Method
In a shallow dish or bowl, add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and salt pinch. Whisk together until well combined.
Combine the mayonnaise and dijon mustard together in a small bowl.
Spread about 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise and mustard mix onto two slices of bread.
Add 1/3 cup of grated gouda cheese on top of one of the slices of bread. Then remove about a teaspoon of the cheese off and set it aside; you will need this shortly.
Fold over two slices of the sandwich ham and place them on top of the cheese. Then put that little bit of cheese you took off before and place that on top of the ham.
ProTip: the cheese acts like glue when melted, keeping the entire sandwich together while frying it.
Add about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a fry pan or skillet and heat over medium-low heat.
Once heated, add a good amount of butter, and allow it to gradually melt. I use roughly 25 to 30 grams of butter to get a nice buttery taste through the sandwich.
Pro Tip: the oil stops the butter from burning.
While the butter is melting, place the sandwich in the egg mix, coating the outside of the sandwich, just as you would for french toast. Then carefully flip over and coat the other side.
Lift it out of the mix, allow the excess liquid to drain off, and place it in the frypan.
Fry on each side for about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until it’s a nice dark golden brown and crispy.
Place your Monte Cristo on some paper towel and pat down the other side with a paper towel to remove the greasiness of the butter and oil.
Cut in half, but don’t pull it apart straight away. Allow it to sit for 30 seconds or so. This will give you that nice string of melted cheese when you pull the two halves apart.
Serve with extra maple syrup for dipping.
Some great substitution ideas for this Monte Cristo with maple syrup sandwich
- Cheese – You can use any cheese you like if you do not want to use Gouda. I find the gouda cheese is subtle in taste and melts perfectly. Tip: use freshly grated cheese as this melts better.
- Dijon Mustard – usually, yellow mustard is used on a Monte Cristo, so you can use that instead.
- Ham – I use standard deli ham, but you can use Christmas ham instead or even turkey or chicken slices if you like.
- Bread – If you are not a white bread eater, you can use the bread you like to eat instead.
- Maple Syrup – you can leave the maple syrup out altogether or add a little caster sugar for extra sweetness.
Some more great brunch ideas from Just So Yum!
- Cheesy Broccoli And Cauliflower Fritters
- Egg And Bacon Pie
- Greek Yoghurt, Raspberry And Blueberry Smoothie
Cheesy Monte Cristo Sandwich With Maple Syrup
Ingredients
- 8 Slices White Bread
- 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1⅓ cups Gouda Cheese
- 8 slices Deli Ham
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Maple Syrup
- pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and salt in a shallow dish and set aside. Then mix the dijon mustard into the mayonnaise.
- Spread a small amount of the mayonnaise mixture onto each slice of bread. Add a ⅓ cup of cheese onto the bottom slices, setting aside a small amount from each one to attach the top slice of bread. Add two slices of ham on top of the cheese, then add the rest of the cheese you removed before. Place the top slices on top.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a frypan or skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add about 30 grams of butter and allow it to melt slowly.
- Dip each side of the sandwich into the egg mix, allow the excess to drip off and place into the frypan. (You should be able to get two sandwiches cooked at once depending on the size of your pan). Cook on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes a side or until each side is a dark brown colour and crispy.
- Place the cooked sandwiches onto some paper towel and pat down gently to remove excess oil and butter. Then cut in half and serve with extra maple syrup for dipping.
