Looking for an old fashioned Monte Cristo recipe? This copycat of the Disney Monte Cristo tastes every bit as good as the theme park’s famous sandwich.
Why this Monte Cristo is the Best
You take a turkey and ham sandwich, batter it up, deep fry it, coat it in powdered sugar, dip it in raspberry jam, and you’ve got the most ultimate sandwich you’ll ever hold in your hands.
The Monte Cristo is a spin on French croque-monsieur (fried ham and cheese sandwich) and has Cajun origins.
Is it the healthiest sandwich in the world? Definitely not, but what’s life without a little indulgence, right?
For years, I thought of the Bennigan’s Monte Cristo as the best Monte Cristo. After all, my husband and I more or less fell in love over these sandwiches.
Then, I tried the Monte Cristo at Disneyland.
The Blue Bayou restaurant in the park is famous for its Cajun fare and especially their Monte Cristo.
DISNEY FAVORITES: Churro Bites | Dole Whip | Churro Toffee
This sandwich is savory, salty and sweet with a crisp exterior. The inside is perfectly balanced with meat and gooey cheese.
A light dusting of powdered sugar brings everything together to make this one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever made.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread – Use your favorite white or wheat sandwich bread. Each sandwich will use 3 slices of bread.
- Crescent Rolls – These get rolled out and cut into strips to wrap the sandwiches in before they are fried. Use two packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls or use the newer dough sheets.
- Ham and Turkey – Deli meat works great here, just make sure it’s thinly sliced so the sandwich is manageable.
- Cheese – Using both Provolone and American cheese is classic for these sandwiches, but you could certainly swap in your favorite cheese if you’d like.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this is sprinkled on the hot sandwiches after they are fried.
How to Make a Monte Cristo
Prepare the bread. Stack three slices of bread on top of each other and cut off crusts on all four sides. Do the same for the remaining sandwiches.
Assemble the sandwiches. Layer the turkey and one slice of American cheese on the first piece of bread. Top with a slice of bread then a layer of ham and one slice of provolone cheese. Complete the sandwich with a slice of bread. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.
Wrap the sandwiches. Stretch and roll out one package of the crescent rolls on a lightly floured surface. Cut 3 strips from the dough and wrap one sandwich in one strip of dough. Wet fingertips to wet the seams and pinch them together. Repeat with last two strips and then the second package of dough to cover all 6 sandwiches.
Fry. In a large skillet, heat the canola oil until very hot. Working 3 sandwiches at a time, place them flat side down in the hot oil. They should brown in 1-2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and cook until all sides are browned. Remove from oil and repeat for remaining sandwiches.
Finish. While sandwiches are hot, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately with jam for dipping. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- To check if your oil is hot enough, sprinkle a little flour into the pan first. If it sizzles right away (without smoking), you’re good to go. Keep an eye on the Monte Cristo as they’re frying and adjust the heat as needed.
- Fry the sandwiches in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. You should be able to get 3 sandwiches in your pan at a time.
- Raspberry jam is my preferred accompaniment for Monte Cristo but it would also be good with blackberry, strawberry or boysenberry preserves for dipping.
- The recipe is written to make 6 sandwiches, but you can adjust this up or down to make however many sandwiches you need.
Recipe FAQs
Monte Cristo is a Cajun style layered sandwich filled with turkey, ham and cheese that’s wrapped in dough and deep fried, then sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with jam.
If you can’t get your hands on crescent rolls or crescent dough sheets, you can swap it for a refrigerated or homemade pie crust dough.
You can assemble the sandwiches in advance and store, wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before frying the sandwiches then serve immediately.
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Monte Cristo
Ingredients
- 1 loaf wheat or white bread 18 slices
- 2 packages Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or the new sheets works better
- ½ lb thinly sliced turkey
- ½ lb thinly sliced ham
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 6 slices American cheese
- cooking oil
- Raspberry jam for dipping
- Powdered sugar to garnish
Instructions
- Stack three slices of bread on top of each other and cut off crusts on all four sides. Repeat for remaining 5 sandwiches.
- On first slice of bread, layer turkey with one slice of American cheese. Top with a slice of bread, a layer of ham and one slice of provolone cheese. Complete the sandwich with a slice of bread. Repeat for remaining 5 sandwiches.
- On lightly floured surface, open one package of Crescent rolls. Stretch and roll the dough until it is nearly twice the size. Cut 3 strips from the dough. Wrap one sandwich in one strip of dough. Wet fingertips to wet the seams and pinch them together. Repeat with last two strips, then repeat with second package of dough until all 6 sandwiches are covered.
- In large skillet, heat canola oil (about 1 inch deep) until very hot (sprinkle of flour should make it sizzle). Working 3 sandwiches at a time, place them flat side down in oil. They should brown in 1-2 minutes. Flip all sandwiches until all sides are browned. Remove from oil and repeat for remaining sandwiches. While sandwiches are hot, sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve and dip in raspberry jam. Enjoy!
Notes
Video
Nutrition
A copycat recipe inspired by the Disney Monte Cristo, these cheesy fried ham and turkey sandwiches are a must-try!
Is it ok to Fry these in extra light tasting olive oil? I want to make these but we ever only use olive oil so that’s what we have. I have no problem picking up the canola oil if it can’t be subbed 🤗 thank you so much for the awesome recipe! Very excited to make this for the family!!
I wouldn’t use olive oil because of the smoke released (or so I have heard) can be toxic. Plus olive oil is much more expensive, and the amount you need wouldn’t be worth the money wasted on frying in it. Go grab some vegetable oil instead!
Thanks for this recipe. I wanted to know what temperature would you use in an air fryer?
Thanks for posting this recipe! I love the Monte Cristo sandwiches at Disneyland. It’s been years since I’ve been there. At least 25 yrs . It’s gotten so expensive just to get into Disneyland. I’m gonna try your recipe. It sounds good. Thanks for the memories!
L. D.
looking for recipe on mac noodles and ground beef casserole recipe