Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe

This amazing Monte Cristo sandwich is a classic combination of ham and Gruyère cheese on thick-sliced white bread, dipped in an egg-and-milk batter and pan-fried in butter until golden. I dust it with powdered sugar and serve it with red currant or raspberry jam. The best part is that it’s ready on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

The Monte Cristo is an American diner sandwich, a ham-and-cheese sandwich battered and pan-fried in butter like French toast. Then you dust it with powdered sugar and serve it with red currant or raspberry jam. It is the American answer to the French croque-monsieur, popularized on lunch counters and diner menus in the mid-20th century. It delivers the sweet-salty-savory combination that makes a great breakfast-for-lunch plate.

The origin story on this sandwich says one thing, but for me it looks a lot like leftovers reworked into something to sell. That’s why you will often see turkey on a Monte Cristo, which would not have been on the original. It was somebody figuring out how to move Thanksgiving deli meat on a Wednesday lunch shift, and the sandwich stuck. Ha!

The way I make it at home is exactly how they cook it on a diner line, just with better cheese, of course. Egg batter goes together first in a shallow pie tin so the sandwich has room to sit flat in it. The bread gets a light coat of mayo and Dijon mustard on the interior of each slice. Then a generous pile of shredded gruyere goes on both sides of the ham so every layer melts into cheese. Gosh, do I love it. Butter goes into a pan, and the assembled sandwich is dipped in the batter on every side before it cooks.

I am all about presentation, so I love plating this sandwich with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Don’t forget to slice in half diagonally, and serve it with a small dish of red currant or raspberry jam on the side. I highly recommend making it after a holiday, when there’s still leftover ham in the fridge. You’ll quickly see why my family and I are obsessed with this classic American diner sandwich.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here is what I use to make this Monte Cristo sandwich and some substitutions that work great:

• Eggs – The base of the batter. Large eggs, straight from the fridge or at room temperature, both work.
• Whole milk adds richness to the egg batter without thinning it too much. Whole milk is my default because more fat means more flavor, and the batter should sit a hair thicker so it clings to the bread. Half-and-half or heavy cream makes it richer if that’s all you have on hand. Skim, 1%, or 2% all work fine too.
• Sandwich bread is the backbone of the sandwich, and the layer that has to hold all the ham and cheese together through the batter and the fry. Any good thick-sliced white bread works, and my homemade white bread is what I like using. Homemade brioche makes the sandwich sweeter, and a sourdough gives it more of a tang flavor.
• Homemade mayonnaise – A thin coat adds fat and flavor and helps the sandwich stay glued together. Full-fat is the only version worth using here.
• Dijon mustard – A thin swipe of tang and spice that is what balances the salty richness of the ham and cheese with the sweetness of the powdered sugar and jam on top. Use it. Whole grain works too if that is what is open.
• Gruyere cheese – Adds the salty umami note this sandwich lives on, and it is one of my absolute favorite cheeses to pair with ham. Nothing else tastes quite like it. Shredded off a block is what I do here because it melts smoother and more uniformly than pre-shredded. Comté or a good swiss are the two closest substitutions.
• Ham – The main protein and the reason this sandwich exists. Any good country ham or black forest ham works, sliced thin or thick depending on what is at the counter.
• Butter – What browns the batter in the pan and gives the outside its rich French-toast flavor. Unsalted only, so the seasoning on the sandwich stays under my control.
• Powdered sugar – A heavy dusting across the top right before serving. It’s a garnish, not a dessert coat. A gentle sprinkle across the top of the sliced sandwich is the goal, not a snowbank.
• Red currant or raspberry jam, I know it sounds odd on a ham-and-cheese sandwich until the first taste. Once you do, it’s impossible to imagine the plate without it. Trust me, the acidity and fruit cut through all the salt and fat and pull the whole sandwich together. A good grape jelly can for sure work.

How to Make Monte Cristo Sandwich

Whisk the egg batter: In a shallow pie tin, whisk together the eggs and milk until the batter is smooth. Chill the batter in the fridge while the sandwiches get assembled.

Assemble the sandwiches: Lay 4 slices of bread down on a parchment-lined sheet tray and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise across the interior side of each slice. Follow with a thin swipe of dijon mustard across each. Sprinkle a generous layer of shredded gruyere on top of the mayo-and-mustard side of every slice. Then lay the ham across half of the slices, then a second layer of gruyere on top of the ham. Cheese on both sides of the ham is what makes the sandwich sing. Close each sandwich with a top slice, mayo-and-mustard side facing in, and press lightly so the layers hold together.

Heat the pan and the butter: Bring a large frying pan to low-to-medium heat and add the butter. Wait until the butter is fully melted and just beginning to bubble at the edges.

Batter and fry: Pull the egg batter out of the fridge. Dip one sandwich into the pie tin, press it into the batter to soak up as much as it can. Flip it and press the other side. Stand it up briefly on each of the 4 edges so the crusts also get a coat. Lift the battered sandwich straight into the pan.

Brown every side: Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, until the outside is golden brown. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side. Stand the sandwich up on each of the 4 crust edges for about a minute per edge, holding it in place with a spatula, until every side is browned.

Finish and plate: Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and dust the top with powdered sugar. Slice on the diagonal so the melted gruyere is showing on the cut face. Serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

Serving Suggestions

This is the sandwich I put on the table for a Sunday lunch when there’s still holiday ham in the fridge and I want one meal that tastes like a classic diner. My daughter always asks for a stack of homemade buttermilk pancakes, while my wife usually goes for a lighter breakfast sandwiches.

I also always place a little dish of red currant jam next to every plate, because eating a Monte Cristo without the jam is missing half of what makes the sandwich so good. For the weeknight version, I slide the Monte Cristo into a sandwich lineup with my ultimate BLT and a bowl of tomato soup with grilled cheese on the side.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: I fry the sandwiches up to an hour before serving and hold them on a parchment-lined sheet tray in a 200°F oven. This sandwich is meant to be eaten right out of the pan. However, holding in the oven is a solid backup if the whole batch is going down at once.

How to Store: I cover any leftover sandwiches and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Wrapped tight, the sandwich also freezes for up to 3 months. I thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.

How to Reheat: I set the sandwich in a hot pan over low-to-medium heat with butter and cook a couple of minutes per side. The outside should be crispy again, and the cheese should be melted. The other option is putting it in a 350°F oven on a parchment-lined sheet tray for 8 to 10 minutes. Skip the microwave.

How to Freeze: I wrap the fully cooked and cooled sandwich in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

More Sandwich Recipes

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• Steak Sandwich 
• Meatball Sub Sandwich
• Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
• Chicken Cutlet Sandwich