Holiday

Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich

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Homemade Monte Cristo with Turkey, Cranberry Sauce & Brie Cheese

Please don’t get all purist on me. I did look up the exact definition of a Monte Cristo and I realize it is an egg-battered sandwich with Swiss cheese and ham. I am working with creative liberties here. In this Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich I used turkey & brie. If you want to swap those out and use ham & swiss be my guest. One thing is for certain, my version of the Monte Cristo will make you very happy.

Pieces of leftover Thanksgiving turkey for sandwich.

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you would know that I am a huge fan of Β these high protein, crispy on the outside-soft on the inside Β “fried” sandwiches. My friend Barbara from Modern Comfort Food has said these sandwiches have become my signature dish!

When I say fried I mean a pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray, blasted on medium high heat. The egg whites create a nice little crust on the outsides of the sandwich. It becomes toasty & the cheese melts, but this stays light-with a flavor guarantee!

Ingredients for Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich

Go ahead & try my Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich & let me know what you think. I even had one for breakfast with a big side of cranberry dipping sauce. This sweet & savory combo is a keeper that we will enjoy all year long for lunch & dinners (breakfast too.) A great way to use up those holiday ingredients and you can pack it easily in your lunchbox too.

Homemade Monte Cristo with Turkey, Cranberry Sauce & Brie Cheese

I am curious, what would have you named this Thanksgiving leftover extravaganza?

Homemade Monte Cristo with Turkey, Cranberry Sauce & Brie Cheese

Note: at first this was going to be a panini, but Cookin’ Canuck beat me to it!

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Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich

serves 1 – simply adjust ingredients to make more

NOTES

  • I love to use Ezekiel sprouted grain bread – it is full of fiber & nutrients & tastes great especially toasted in a pan.
  • You can re-heat & brown your turkey breast in a little bit of butter or olive oil & garlic salt first if you wish.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pieces Ezekiel or your favorite Whole Wheat Bread
  • 2 ounces sliced Turkey Breast
  • 1 ounce Brie cheese, broken into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons Cranberry Sauce
  • a layer of roasted Sweet Potatoes (or a few tablespoons of leftover Sweet Potato Casserole)
  • 2 ounces egg whites
  • pinch of Garlic Salt
  • pinch of Cracked Black Pepper
  • pinch of Smoked Paprika
  • a few pinches of chopped fresh Rosemary
  • Cooking Spray

METHOD

Spray a small non stick skillet with cooking spray & heat over medium high heat.Β Put egg whites in a shallow bowl large enough to dip sandwich. Add a pinch of garlic salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine.

Assemble sandwich. On each slice of bread put a tablespoon of cranberry sauce, 1/2 of the brie cheese. Add the turkey, to one side and the sweet potatoes to the other. Sprinkle with a little rosemary.Β Carefully combine both halves of the sandwich & gently press together.Β Dip both sides in egg whites until absorbed.Β Heat sandwich in the pan a few minutes on each side until it is nicely browned & cheese is melted. You can press gently with a spatula to help it stick together.

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    Variations

    • Again if you are looking for a more traditional Monte Cristo use ham & swiss cheese.
    • Add a layer of baby spinach leaves to get some extra veggies in your meal.
    • Goat cheese, feta or cream cheese would be tasty in this too.
    • This would be great with chicken breast or pork.

    Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe Links

    Thanksgiving Sandwich Recipe Links

    ~ Marla Meridith

    Join the Conversation

    49 thoughts on “Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich

    1. Well that is ingenious. I would definitely call that a Monte Cristo. Even better idea to put it on Ezekiel bread. I love ezekiel bread but usually only have it as toast. I will make this. Yes, I will.

      1. Dara: Now I just need to get to Utah for all of your amazing recipes for the holidays. You truly inspire girl!

        Georgia: I think I am more excited about the leftovers than the actual meal!

        Mariko: Thanks for confirming that I can call this a Monte Cristo. I feel much better now.

        Susan: Miss Contemporary. Thats me πŸ™‚

    2. Marla! You have so much fun in the kitchen and it is so apparent: your papers, and wrappers and beautiful sandwich and cranberries… all SO gorgeous and delicious looking… and I know I can count on the nutritious part.
      YUM.
      πŸ™‚
      Valerie

    3. Sandwich couldn’t be better than this! such a beautiful presentation. Your pic is getting more and more photogenic. πŸ™‚

      Happy Thanksgiving, Marla (& your family too)!! πŸ™‚

    4. How about the “crispy pilgrim” as a name? Looks delicious but I’m afraid in
      both of my family thanksgiving dinners there is hardly a sliver of turkey left over…but it might be worth roasting turkey the rest of the year….

      1. Nahomi: You are hilarious! The “crispy pilgrim” is both intriguing & perhaps a bit daunting for a pilgrim πŸ˜‰ I love your creativity – that suggestion will not be forgotten! I think leftovers are my favorite part of parties & holiday meals. They even taste better the next day, ya know. Maybe that is because all we need to do is reach in the fridge & re-heat!

        Grace: I squeeze those sweet potatoes in every chance I get!

        Duo Dishes: Dinner for breakfast. Breakfast for dinner – it’s all good!

        Sonia: Thanks for your sweet compliment. I am hard at work trying to up the quality of my food styling & photos all the time.

    5. Not gonna lie, with all of these Thanksgiving flavors, I’d much rather have this than a traditional Monte Cristo. I love making “fried” sandwiches on my George Foreman. Zero extra calories with all of that crispy on the outside goodness.

      Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Marla!

    6. Oh my goodness, you know I’ll be making this beauty today! Looks gorgeous, Marla! And I have to say, I absolutely love taking creative liberties in the kitchen too…that’s what makes cooking fun, right? πŸ˜‰ Hope you and your family had a fabulous Thanksgiving! XOXO

    7. I might have called it the Pilgrim Panini or the Grilled Pilgrim Sammy, but I’ll gladly go along with your Thanksgiving Monte Cristo. It looks so friggin’ good, who am I to mess with perfection?

    8. How creative are you? These turkey sandwiches look incredible and aren’t I lucky that I’m cooking another turkey this Sunday (don’t ask!) and will promptly be using the leftovers in this pretty sandwich.

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    10. You are 100% correct!!! THIS is a beautiful sandwich! I’ll definitely be giving this one a try! Great way to use up the turkey leftovers as well!