Monte Cristo Sandwich

The Monte Cristo sandwich is composed of white bread, slices of ham, turkey, or chicken, and Swiss cheese. The sandwich is dipped in egg batter, deep-fried in oil or fried in butter, and then dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberry or raspberry jam for dipping. The Monte Cristo is a variation of the American grilled-cheese sandwich that evolved from the French croque monsieur. The sandwich was first mentioned in an American restaurant industry publication in 1923. The origin of the Monte Cristo has been traditionally attributed to California, and it was featured on a 1941 menu in Gordon’s, a restaurant once located on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Although no explanation of the name has been determined, the sandwich may have been named after the popular movie The Count of Monte Cristo, produced in four adaptations between 1908 and 1934. By the early 1950s a Monte Carlo version of the sandwich was being made with sliced tongue, and both sandwiches, cut into small squares for serving with cocktails, were called Monte Benitos.