Sunday is National Monte Cristo Day (9/17), proving once again that we Americans love to celebrate all things food. The yummy dish reminds me of a collision between French toast and a lunch box ham sandwich – the traditional version, a favorite during my childhood, is made with ham and cheese book-ended between white bread, dipped in an egg mixture and then pan fried or even deep fried (gasp) with raspberry preserves and powdered sugar to garnish! Crazy yum!

Of course, I’m anything but traditional so today I’m sharing my even more brazen version of this classic sammie – a Beef Blue Cheese Monte Cristo with Cherries! Read on to get all the juicy details and recipe.

Don’t shy away from the audacious pair up of sweet and savory. Roast beef, dark cherries and blue cheese are ahhhhh-mazing together and sandwiched up between and artisan whole grain bread, even better! I’ve used BOTH cherry preserves and fresh cherries, but if cherry season has come and gone, you can substitute frozen cherries that have been thawed and drained well. I’m even thinking of trying with pomegranate arils for a winter holiday luncheon. 

After laying the bread out and smearing, spreading and piling up ingredients, each side on the sammie is set in an egg-milk bath so the bread sops the mixture up like a sponge. Just like French toast and, hey, from the eggs you get a little added protein for your day. After a quick pan fry in a bit of butter, this “haute” hot sandwich is ready to be garnished to your preference – add a dollop of cherry preserves, more blue cheese dressing, more blue cheese crumble — I can never get my fill of the award-winning blue cheese crumbles from Simply Artisan Reserve.

I love to make Monte Cristos for the family when I’m slammed for time at dinner – even though it’s “sandwich night,” the finish product is actually quite fancy!

Have you ever had a Monte Cristo? What’s a special food you remember from your childhood? What’s your favorite thing to put in a grilled cheese sandwich (other than cheese!)? Please share in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer 

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Beef & Blue Cheese Monte Cristo with Cherries

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

Make sandwich night something special with this unique take on a Monte Cristo -- Artisan whole-grain bread is filled with blue cheese, roast beef and cherries and grilled!

Course: bread, Fruit, Main Dish, Sandwich

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 large slices sourdough bread
• 1/4 cup Litehouse Food’s Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
• 4 ounces Simply Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese Crumbles
• 8 ounces deli roast beef
• 1 cup cherries, halved and pitted
• 1/4 cup cherry preserves
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Optional garnish: additional bleu cheese dressing, cherry preserves, blue cheese crumbles and spring lettuce mix, as desired

Instructions

1. Lay out bread, side by side. On first four pieces, spread 1 tablespoon of bleu cheese dressing on each slice. Top this with approximately 1 ounce of blue cheese crumbles and 2 ounces of roast beef.
2. On each of the remaining 4 slices, spread 1 tablespoon of cherry preserves and top with ¼ cup of cherries. Bring both sides of sandwich to meet each other.
3. In bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt. Pour out into very shallow pan or plate. Set sandwiches in the mixture, flipping to both sides, until most of the egg bath has been soaked up.
4. Heat skillet to medium heat and add ½ tablespoon of the butter. When butter starts foaming, set a single sandwich in the mixture and cook on each side, until egg-soaked bread firming up and outside browning, approximately 6 to 8 minutes total. Continue process with remaining butter and prepped sandwiches.
5. Slice in half and garnish as desired.