Monte Cristo!

Oh, I am in trouble. Today coming home from grocery shopping,I took a different route and came through town instead of getting on the highway. I haven’t been this way in over a month or two, the highway is much quicker than hitting a stop light every 500 feet.

I knew there was a new building going up on this road, but I never thought it would another restaurant. But there it was sitting on the side of the road, parking lot full of cars, streamers, balloons and a banner announcing the grand opening of Cheddar’s. It was a good thing, the back of my car was full of perishable food otherwise I would have had to stop. Why you ask? For a Monte Cristo sandwich.



What is a Monte Cristo? The only description that pops in my head is pure sin with a side of myocardial infarction. Imagine a sandwich with two different kinds of meat, cheese, dipped into batter, deep-fried,sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with raspberry preservers. My mouth is watering as I speak!



 When we werestationed in Texas, we lived about forty-five minutes to the closest Cheddar’s.This was a good thing since after tasting a Monte Cristo; I knew that I could only allow myself have one of these beauties a year. Now less than five miles down the road is temptation calling to me; sigh. Will power is going to have to prevail here… guess I have to stick to the highway and stay off the surface streets!



Don’t have a Cheddar’s near you? See below for the recipe! I am writing the recipe for two sandwiches, one for you and one to share, because you cannot eat more than one of these!

Ingredients:


Batter for dipping

1 quart oil for frying, or as needed   
2/3 cup water   
1 egg   
2/3 cup flour   
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder       
1/8 teaspoon black pepper   

Sandwich

4 slices of white bread   
2 slices of baby Swiss cheese    
4 slices of Turkey lunch meat   
 4 slices of Ham lunch meat   
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting   

toothpicks to secure

raspberry preserves for dipping



Directions:

Heat oil in a deep fryer or pan deep enough to submerge sandwich

In a large bowl whisk together batter ingredients until smooth, set aside

Assemble sandwiches by placing one slice of turkey on one slice of bread, a slice of ham on another, then sandwich them with the Swiss cheese in the middle. Secure corners with toothpicks.

Dip each sandwich in the batter so that all sides are coated.

Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides

Remove toothpicks, slice into quarters

 Place on plate dustwith confectioners' sugar and serve with raspberry preserve on the side for dipping