Sometimes you just want to bite into a warm, delicious sandwich. When you’re craving a hearty meal but don’t want to put a bunch of time into cooking, my Monte Cristo sandwich more than fills the bill. This recipe is guaranteed to satisfy even the biggest appetites and the pickiest eaters.
Making a Monte Cristo Sandwich on the Blackstone | Heath Riles BBQ
You’ve probably eaten a Monte Cristo sandwich before, and may even love them. With savory ham, gooey cheese, and toasted bread, what’s not to like? Well, I’m going to put my spin on it and cook it my way today. Let’s get started!
The Ingredients
Sourdough bread. This is a great sandwich bread and toasts nicely.
Mustard. I use plain old yellow mustard to give my sandwich zest and flavor.
Mayonnaise. Mayonnaise adds to the savoriness of my Monte Cristo sandwich and really sets off the ham’s taste.
Ham. Thick-cut, Virginia style ham is packed with flavor and makes a great sandwich.
Gruyere cheese. I like to grate mine right before I start cooking.
Eggs. These coat the bread for cooking.
Salt. A few sprinkles adds flavor to the eggs.
Cracked black pepper. Add a couple of pinchfuls to the eggs.
Powdered sugar. A little sweetness balances out the savory ingredients.
The Equipment Setup
My Blackstone was heated up and ready to sear the ham and grill the sandwich.
The Process for Making a Monte Cristo Sandwich on the Blackstone
I shot a step-by-step video of how I made this recipe if you want to follow along with me. I also laid the directions out at the bottom of this post.
- Get the bread ready. I sliced up my sourdough bread and laid 8 pieces out on a pan. I drizzled yellow mustard on 4 pieces and mayonnaise on the other 4 pieces.
- Sear the ham. I rubbed butter on my Blackstone and put the ham directly on it, cooking it a few minutes on either side.
- Add the ham to the bread. Once the ham had some good color on it, I used tongs to take them off the heat and put a piece on each sandwich.
- Layer on the cheese. I used freshly grated Gruyere cheese on my sandwiches. A thick layer of shredded Gruyere right on top of the ham.
- Mix up the eggs. I cracked 4 eggs and mixed them up real good with some salt and pepper. Once they were mixed, I poured them into a shallow pan.
- Dip the bread. This method is kind of like making French toast. I dipped the front and back of each sandwich into the egg mixture, coating them up nicely.
- Grill the sandwich. I laid the sandwiches on my heated up Blackstone to let them grill up and flipped them every few minutes so they’d grill evenly. I wanted the bread to crust up, the ham to heat up, and the cheese to melt.
- Remove sandwiches from heat. I laid my cooling rack on my pan and pulled the sandwiches off the grill.
- Dust the top. I filled up my shaker duster and sprinkled the top of each sandwich with a light layer of powdered sugar. This finishes off the Monte Cristo sandwich with a little bit of sweetness.
- Cut them in half. I used a sharp knife and cut each sandwich in half. This makes it easier to handle and eat.
- Dig in. Grabbing a half, I took a big bite to see if it was as good as it looked like it was going to be.
The Results
This sandwich is killer. The ham and the shredded Gruyere cheese blend together to make an outstanding savory flavor. The sourdough bread with the grilled crust adds some crunchiness to it. And the mustard, mayonnaise, and powdered sugar are the finishing touches that take this Monte Cristo sandwich for good to incredible.
Serving Suggestions for the Monte Cristo Sandwich
Two halves would make a bountiful meal served with chips or potato salad. Or, you could do one half and a bowl of soup if you wanted a lighter meal.
Storing the sandwich
Put the leftovers in a ziplock back or airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind, however, the crust on the bread probably won’t be as crispy leftover as when it was freshly grilled. Still good, though.
Equipment and Tools
Blackstone Griddle, Blackstone Griddle Accessories, Metal Cooling Rack, Large Aluminum Sheet Pan, Powdered Sugar Shaker Duster
*Notes About My Monte Cristo Sandwich
- Before putting the sandwiches in the egg batter, use your hand to “squish” them down a little. This prevents them from falling apart as you’re moving them into the batter and then to the grill.
- Be sure to lay your grilled sandwiches on a cooling rack. If you lay them directly on a pan, the bottom piece of bread will steam and you won’t get a good crust on it.
