Monte Cristo sandwich

Monte Cristo sandwich

Type	Sandwich
Place of origin	United States
Main ingredients	Bread, ham, cheese (Emmental or Gruyère), egg or batter
Cookbook: Monte Cristo sandwich   Media: Monte Cristo sandwich

A Monte Cristo sandwich is a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in egg and pan-fried. It is a variation of the French croque monsieur.

The first documented reference to a "Monte Cristo Sandwich" was in an American restaurant industry publication in 1923,^[1] despite the common claim that it was developed in the 1960s in Southern California.^{[citation needed]} From the 1930s to the 1960s, American cookbooks commonly had recipes for similar croque monsieur variants, under such names as "French sandwich", "toasted ham sandwich", and "French toasted cheese sandwich".^[2] It was especially popular in southern California, and became more broadly popular after the Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland began serving it.^[3]

The sandwich can either be savory or a mixture of savory and sweet. In its most basic form, it is dipped in beaten egg and pan-fried, though it may also be deep-fried in beer or pancake batter.^[4][5] Regional variations^[2][6] may include sliced turkey or caramelized onions. Some variants are served grilled; in others, it is served as an open sandwich, with only the bread egg-dipped and pan fried. In such cases, the fully assembled sandwich is then usually heated slightly under a grill or broiler.^[2] In sweeter versions, it is often covered in powdered sugar and served with maple syrup or preserves.

• Cheese dream
• French toast
• Grilled cheese
• List of sandwiches
• Welsh rarebit

• Count the Monte Cristos at The Stranger