I thought about having a ham sandwich today, but then, I was all like…Wait a minute! Why have a plain ham sandwich, when you can kick it up a notch, and make a lip smakin’ Monte Cristo! I have never had a Monte Cristo, and yet, I have heard all about these wonderful little sandwich creations. As I was getting my ingredients out, which BTW, are always on hand, I thought, well what if I rolled them up?! And that is how I made these delicious Monte Cristo Roll-ups!
It’s noon, and I am hungry. The kids are hungry too. It’s summer, and it is hot outside. I am in the mood for something yummy, and different from the old ham sandwich and chips. This is the most perfect lunch idea, that I have had in a long time, like for real! I am a cake decorator, so I always have powdered sugar in my pantry. Ham is always in the fridge, because it is all my nephew likes on his sandwiches. There is always some kind of cheese in the fridge, and of course eggs. So this really comes together quickly.
The flavors are all there. A little sweet from the french toast like bread, and a little salty from the ham, and tangy from the Dijon mustard. I could eat these all day. For a party, these are wonderful too, because you can make a lot of them quickly, and everyone will scarf them down!
All you need is some regular sandwich bread, and slice of the ends. Then you roll them thin with a rolling pin, to get them flattened. Add some Dijon mustard, and a bit of mayo, and top with Swiss cheese and ham.
Carefully roll them up like a cigar, and dip in some eggs that have been whisked with a bit of salt, and pepper. Once you have coated them, just fry them in a saute pan with a pat of butter. Cook on both sides until browned, and with a dusting of powdered sugar, you have got a lunch that you will want over and over again!
I served these with a bit of blackberry preserves, but you can use any fruit preserves that you like. Dipping these in a sweet preserve, actually goes really well. I made my own small batch of blackberry jam of sorts, by placing about a half a pint of blackberries in a small saucepan, with 3 tablespoons of sugar, and a squeeze of lemon, juice. I mushed them while they were cooking on medium low, and let them cook down for about 7-8 minutes, because there was so little. I mean this batch literally made about 1/3 cup of jam. But that’s OK, it was the perfect amount for my kids to enjoy these delicious Monte Cristo Roll Ups, and they wanted more the very next day!
I love making new recipes that my kids ask for again. I love them trying new things! Now they love Dijon mustard! And they love ham sandwiches a whole new way!
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bread
- 4 slices of ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fruit preserves (optional)
Instructions
- To begin, whisk two eggs in a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- On a flat surface, cut the ends off of each slice of bread, and flatten bread slices using a rolling pin.
- Top each slice of bread with 1/2 teaspoon each of mayo, and Dijon mustard, then top with a slice of ham, and a slice of swiss chees.
- Gently roll each bread into a log.
- Dip each log into the whisked eggs to coat each side.
- Place in a pan that has been set to medium high heat with butter that is melted, and bubbly.
- Cook monte cristo rolls on both sides for about 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, or until they have browned nicly on both sides.
- Remove monte cristo rolls from pan, and allow to cool for a bit.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Serve with your favorite fruit preserves. (Optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
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