Name: Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 6 tablespoons strawberry or raspberry jam; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 12 slices hearty white sandwich bread, lightly toasted; 18 slices (thin) deli Swiss cheese or Gruyere cheese; 12 slices (thin) deli ham, preferably Black Forest; 12 slices (thin) deli turkey; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; Confectioners' sugar

Why This Recipe Works

We loved the idea of preparing a retro Monte Cristo sandwich recipe at home for the whole family, but the traditional method of pan-frying them wasn’t practical since it only allowed us to make them one (or, at the most, two) at a time. For a Monte Cristo sandwich recipe that can feed the whole family, we toasted the bread before the dipping the sandwiches in sweetened egg batter to jump start the browning and keep the bread from turning soggy. And for a sweet and spicy mixture that our tasters love, we spread the bread with strawberry jam swirled with Dijon mustard.

Before You Begin

Trim the slices of meat and cheese as necessary to fit neatly on the bread.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk eggs, cream, sugar, salt, dry mustard, and cayenne in shallow dish until combined. Stir jam and Dijon mustard together in small bowl.

Spread 1 teaspoon jam mixture on one side of each slice of toast. Layer slices of cheese, ham, and turkey on 6 slices of toast. Repeat with second layer of cheese, ham, and turkey. Add final layer of cheese and top with remaining toast, with jam side facing cheese. Using hands, lightly press down on sandwiches.

Pour oil onto rimmed baking sheet and heat in oven until just smoking, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, using 2 hands, coat each sandwich with egg mixture and transfer to large plate. Transfer sandwiches to preheated baking sheet and bake until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side, using spatula to flip. Serve immediately with remaining jam mixture and sprinkling with confectioners' sugar.