Shortcut Monte Cristo Sandwich on Ben’s Honey Wheat Bread – with brie apple and ham…but feel free to create your own cheesy combination of flavours.
Shortcut Monte Cristo Sandwich
The idea for this shortcut Monte Cristo Sandwich was really born of frustration with trying to make one the “authentic” way. Traditionally the entire sandwich is constructed, then dipped in the egg batter before frying butter or deep frying in some cases where the ends are pinched together to seal.
That whole process can be fraught with problems; from fillings leaking out to the centre not being heated enough to melt the cheese while the outside gets overcooked. I do love the flavours that can go into a Monte Cristo sandwich and I also love the idea of a hot cheesy sandwich for lunch or dinner but it often is not worth the aggravation.
We had used Ben’s new Honey Wheat Bread for French toast one morning a couple of days earlier and the idea dawned on me to use French toast pieces in a Monte Cristo Sandwich to make it that much easier to manage. The great flavour of real Canadian honey baked into the bread is ideal for this purpose as well.
Shortcut Monte Cristo Sandwich
As I mentioned recently when I used the same bread in our Ham Omelet Grilled Cheese Sandwich, the trend toward natural sweeteners is still rising upward in Canada with honey production in particular being at an all time high. Since Ben’s Honey Wheat Bread also contains no artificial flavours or colours it definitely appeals to those following this more health conscious trend. You can try it for yourself for a limited time. It’s on shelves in Canadian stores now.
With a little leftover baked ham still in the fridge, some crisp apple and brie cheese on hand (one of my sandwich combo faves) I set out to give it a whirl. My son came home from school at lunchtime and found me making the French toast for the sandwiches, so he requested a bacon and cheese version. No problem. I fried a little bacon while lightly sautéing the ham for the sandwich too. With so many cheese combinations that you can make, it’s easy to keep the whole family happy with this idea.
For more information on the entire line of Ben’s Breads as well as their other baked goods, be sure to visit the Ben’s website.
Shortcut Monte Cristo Sandwich with Bacon & Cheese
- 4 slices Ben's Honey Wheat Bread
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp cream or milk
- salt and pepper to season
- 4 ounces good quality sliced ham lightly sauté to warm it if you prefer, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces brie cheese at room temperature
- 1 Granny Smith Apple thinly sliced
- a little butter for frying
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Whisk together the eggs, cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Transfer it to a shallow dish, larger than the size of the bread pieces.
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Melt a little butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Dip the bread slices in the egg batter before placing them in the hot pan.
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Cook until golden brown on one side then flip them over and add the cheese on top of one slice and the ham and apple on top of the other.
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When the bottoms cook to golden brown again, flip the cheese topped slice onto the ham and apple topped slice.
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Transfer to a cutting board, slice and serve.
Rock Recipes is very pleased to have Ben’s Honey Wheat Bread as sponsor of this recipe post. Both product and compensation were provided in exchange for this recipe post. The opinions expressed are based solely upon my experience and are entirely my own.