Chedder & Fig Monte Cristo Sandwiches
- 1 demi baguette, cut into 8 slices
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Fig preserves
- 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese if from a block of cheese, 4 slices if pre-sliced
- 4 slices ham
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 whole, raw figs, sliced
- Whisk the eggs & the milk thoroughly, pour into a square baking dish (deeper rather than long & shallow) & set aside.
- Spread Dijon mustard on one slice of baguette & the fig preserves on the other.
- Fold your ham slice & place over the slice of bread with the mustard then add the cheddar cheese slices (folded if using pre-sliced).
- Gently set the assembled Monte Cristos into your baking dish. Let them sit for a minute or so. Once soaked, turn them over in the baking dish to ensure the entire sandwich gets soaked in the egg/milk mixture. After about 5 or so minutes they are ready to cook. If you're using stale french bread they can soak longer, potentially even over night. I used fresh bread & didn't want the slices to get too soggy that they fall apart so play it by ear
- Melt your butter & olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat & cook your sandwiches 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown & crispy. They should resemble french toast. This is essentially a french toast sandwich after all. If you are cooking them in batches, store them in the oven on 250 degrees to keep warm.
- Once ready to eat, sift powdered sugar over them, drizzle with pure maple syrup & top with the sliced figs. Enjoy with a warm cup of coffee!rnrnNote: I had a lot of egg/milk mixture. I can't stand to waste food so I sprinkled the leftover mixture with salt & pepper & made scrambled eggs as a side. You could alternatively use less eggs but I really wanted the bread to be completely soaked. The result is a nice fluffy yet crisp sandwich. Your call!
demi baguette, eggs, milk, mustard, preserves, cheddar cheese, ham, butter, extra virgin olive oil, powdered sugar, maple syrup
Taken from food52.com/recipes/36694-chedder-fig-monte-cristo-sandwiches (may not work)