Eggnog Monte Cristos
My husband has more recently talked about the Eggnog Monte Cristos I made last year for Christmas Eve, & as soon as he said the word “Monte Cristo” I think both of our mouths started watering. They were served as a finger food - grilled cheese-esque sandwiches cut into small single serving size bites with a big bowl of warm cranberry sauce for dipped. & oh my god they were so good. Like best holiday appetizer I’ve every made. We’ve had to talk so much lately about planning out the holidays this year, & the topic of “what should we make” seems to be the center of the conversation. What can I say - we love to cook. & I’m not too sure that these Monte Cristos will make the cut this year since we like to change it, but hell - they’'re definitely too good to not make again for just us two. So my pre-bartending meal this Saturday was centered around re-creating these festive treats, & getting fueled up with yummy, sweet, & crispy sandwiches. & of course making a little lunch-time surprise for Jordo.
Monte Cristos are like fancy grilled cheese with a French toast twist. Main thing to note: worth every single indulgent calorie. There’s meat & cheese inside, and with a French toast twist you get the whole sweet & salty thing that’s real tasty. Instead of slathering the bread with butter, the pieces of bread are soaked in milk (in this case - almond nog for a holiday twist) & then fried up to crisp up the edges, melt the cheese, and get the whole thing nice and toasty. Biting into it, the bread is soft just French toast, & the savory filling is warm & a little salty, and the taste of the egg nog is prominent & delicious.
Fun holiday twist #2 - cranberry dipping sauce. It’s a little sweet & tangy element, and it tastes really good with the melty, salty sandwich, eggnog soaked monte cristo. Make it yourself or make it easy on yourself - buy a good quality cranberry sauce and just go from there. I mean - Trader Joe’s has a couple pretty good options. Just saying. Definitely just avoid the stuff in the log form because, hello, dipping is the fun part.
The recipe is for my own kind of slimmed down version (GF bread, almond nog instead of egg nog), but of course substitutions are a-okay.
For the Egg Nog Monte Cristos (for 2 sandwiches)
4 slices GF white bread
Organic Mayo (about a tablespoon)
Dijon mustard (about a tablespoon)
1 c. shredded gruyere cheese
3 slices of ham
3 slices of turkey
1 1/2 c. almond nog
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (combine nutmeg & cinnamon in it’s place)
2 tbsp butter
1 c. pre-made cranberry sauce
Start by slathering a thin smear of mayo & Dijon on one side of each slice of the bread (this will be the “inside” of the sandwich). Cut the meat slices in half, splitting the turkey & ham equally between the two sandwiches. Top each with the shredded cheese, and firmly press the other slice of bread (condiment side down) on top of the cheese. Wrap the sandwiches with seran tightly, and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Whisk the nog & spices in a small baking dish. Add in the sandwiches, soaking egg side in the nog for 2-3 minutes.
Place a large skillet over medium heat & turn the oven to 300. Add butter to the skillet & place a ramekin of cranberry sauce in the oven. Once melted, add in the sandwiches, cooking on medium for about 5 minutes on each side. The sandwich should have the good grilled cheese char. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan.
Place the sandwiches on a plates with a small handful of salad dressed with your favorite dressing. Serve alongside the ramekin of cranberry sauce, dipping the sandwich in the sauce as you eat. So tasty!