Monte Cristo

Name: Monte Cristo
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 19 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 slice Bread; 80 g Ham, sliced; 80 g Turkey, sliced; 60 g Swiss cheese, sliced; ½ cup Egg batter, beaten; 2 tbsp Butter; 1 tbsp Powdered sugar; 4 tbsp Jam; ⅓ tsp Salt; 0.13 tsp Black pepper, ground

Monte Cristo · ready in 19 min · 2 servings · 665 kcal per serving · easy · 10 ingredients

A diner classic with French toast style bread, savory ham, turkey, melted Swiss, a snowy sugar finish, and jam on the side.

Prep: 11 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 19 min
Serves: 2
kcal: 665
Difficulty: easy

American Main dishes Quick (30 min or less)High-protein (25 g+)

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 2 servings

4 sliceBread
80 gHam, sliced
80 gTurkey, sliced
60 gSwiss cheese, sliced
½ cupEgg batter, beaten
2 tbspButter
1 tbspPowdered sugar (to serve)
4 tbspJam
⅓ tspSalt
0.13 tspBlack pepper, ground

Equipment

stovetop, shallow bowl, whisk, skillet, spatula, knife, cutting board, plate, sieve

Instructions

Gather Ingredients
Gather bread, ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, egg batter, powdered sugar, jam, butter, salt, pepper, a bowl, whisk, skillet, spatula, knife, and plate. · 4 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured and tools are within reach.
Assemble Sandwiches
Layer ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese between the bread slices, pressing the edges lightly so each sandwich holds together during frying. · 3 min
What to look for: Each sandwich is compact, even, and filled to the edges.
Season Batter
Whisk egg batter with salt and black pepper in a shallow bowl until smooth enough to coat the bread in an even custardy layer. · 2 min
What to look for: The batter looks smooth and lightly speckled with pepper.
Heat Butter
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until foaming, then lower the heat slightly to keep the sandwich from browning too fast. · 2 min
What to look for: The butter is foamy and smells nutty but is not smoking.
Dip Sandwiches
Dip each sandwich in the egg batter, turning to soak both sides briefly while keeping the bread intact and the filling enclosed. · 1 min
What to look for: The bread is evenly coated but not falling apart.
Fry First Side
Fry the soaked sandwiches in the foaming butter until the underside is deep golden and the cheese begins to soften. · 3 min
What to look for: The bottom is golden brown and the edges look set.
Turn And Finish
Flip carefully and fry the second side until golden, custardy at the center, and hot enough for the cheese to melt. · 3 min
When it is done: Check that the filling is steaming hot, with poultry at 74°C/165°F if any turkey was not fully cooked.
Serve With Jam
Dust the hot sandwiches with powdered sugar, cut each one in half, and serve at once with jam for dipping. · 1 min
What to look for: The sandwich is snowy on top with jam served beside it.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	665
Protein	38 g
Carbohydrates	57 g
of which sugars	23 g
Fat	32 g
of which saturated	16 g
Fibre	2 g
Sodium	1718 mg

Nutri-ScoreD

Allergens

Contains: gluten, milk, eggs

Storage and reheating

Fridge: up to 2 days
Freezer: not recommended
Reheat on a rack until hot and crisp, then add powdered sugar and jam after reheating.

Ingredient substitutions

Ham

Turkey: Keeps the sandwich poultry only but reduces the cured pork flavor.

Turkey

Ham: Gives a richer cured meat flavor while keeping the sandwich traditional in spirit.

Butter

Olive oil: Use when butter is unavailable, though the classic browned dairy flavor will be lighter.

Powdered sugar

Jam: Serve extra jam in place of the sugar dusting if needed.

Jam

Powdered sugar: Add a slightly heavier dusting when jam is unavailable.