Foodwhirl

Waffled Monte Cristo Sandwich

Pin It

The Monte Cristo is a legendary artery-clogging treat: it’s a breaded and deep-fried ham sandwich served with a side of raspberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Sounds amazing, but it’s not something I want to serve to my toddlers. Enter the waffle iron: I can make the sandwich fun and kid-friendly by making it waffly and healthy by avoiding the deep fryer.

This sandwich will please adults, too, but the waffle texture really sells it to the kiddos. My 2 year-old kept asking for “more waffle.” If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can use a George Foreman grill, a sandwich press/panini maker, or a hot skillet with a press of some sort (I use a flat stainless steel scraper with a pot on top of it, but you can also use a clean cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich).

I used plain old sandwich wheat bread because it fits perfectly on my waffle iron, but this would be amazing with a better bread. Check Dot’s French Toast article for more info on choosing bread.

Recipe (per sandwich):

• 2 pieces of bread, your favorite kind
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• 1 oz lunchmeat (ham or turkey are good)
• 1 oz cheese
• Powdered sugar and raspberry jam for garnish

Special equipment:

• Waffle iron (or alternate listed above)
  

To Make:

1. Heat waffle iron.

2. Beat egg(s) in wide, shallow bowl (big enough to fit bread in). Each egg will do about two sandwiches, depending on how saturated you want your bread to be. Season eggs with nutmeg and salt, if desired.

3. Slice cheese thinly.

4. When waffle iron is hot, dip bread in egg mixture. You can dip both sides, or only the outside (just depends on how eggy you like your sandwich). Place bread on waffle iron, then thin slice of cheese, meat, and another slice of cheese. Place egg-dipped bread on top, and close the waffle iron.

5. Press down on the waffle iron a bit at this point (kinda like a panini). Let it cook for 5 minutes, or until all the egg is cooked.

6. Remove sandwich from waffle iron, slice, and garnish with powdered sugar and a side of raspberry jam.

This Sandwich has Special Powers:

• Use Up Old Bread: This is a great use for day-old bread because the egg adds a lot of moisture to stale bread
• Quick Meal: You can make this for everyone in less than 30 minutes and without much prep
• On the Go: Try this as an out-the-door breakfast for your kiddos
• Any Meal: Sweet & savory means this is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner

About Heather: I love simple projects with big impact! I blog about fun food and cooking with toddlers at CROQ zine, and simple craft projects at Dollar Store Crafts.

Tags: 30 Minutes or Less, bread, breakfast, brunch, dinner, egg, french toast, kids, monte cristo, on-the-go, sandwich, stale bread, waffle, waffle iron

Pin It Jump to Comments!