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.
Table of Contents
What is a Monte Cristo?
You take a perfectly healthy turkey and ham sandwich, batter it up, deep fry it, coat it in powdered sugar, dip it in raspberry jam, and eat it before you have a chance to second guess yourself.
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.
4 Easy Steps
STEP 1. 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 5 sandwiches.
STEP 2. Assemble the 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.
STEP 3. Wrap the 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.
STEP 4. Fry
In a large skillet, heat canola oil (about 1 inch deep) until very hot. 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.
Tip for Frying: 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.
While sandwiches are hot, sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve and dip in jam. Raspberry jam is my preferred accompaniment for Monte Cristo but it would also be good with blackberry, strawberry or boysenberry preserves. Enjoy!
More Easy Recipes:
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