Monte Cristo Benedict

My favorite sandwich is the Monte Cristo, a roasted ham and turkey with Swiss and processed cheese fried in a milk egg batter. As you may of noticed I have an obsession with eggs Benedict, so why not bring the two together? Let us start with a base of French toast, top it with roasted ham, turkey, Swiss and processed cheese. Then add a perfectly poached egg and cover with a drizzle of strawberry jam thinned into a sauce. Maybe you can add bacon if you want to. I think this creation successfully brings two of my favorites together into one great tasting dish.

Ingredients:

 2 slices day old bread (traditional is challah bread but any firm white bread will do)

 3 eggs

 1 Tbsp. butter

 3/4 cup half and half

 4 slices honey ham

 4 slices roasted turkey

 2 slices Swiss cheese

 2 slices American cheese

 1 tsp. vanilla

 1 tsp. sugar

 powdered sugar for dusting

 strawberry jam

 water

Directions:

 1. Mix 1 egg, vanilla, sugar and the half and half in a shallow dish to form a custard. Soak both sides of the bread in the custard.

 2. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add the butter. When the butter starts to foam add the bread and cook both sides to golden brown. Keep warm.

 3. Poach the remaining 2 eggs and keep warm. In a small sauce pan heat the jam and thin to a sauce-like consistency.

 4. Build the Benedict starting with the French toast. Stack a slice of Swiss cheese, ham, turkey then a slice of American cheese.  Add a poached egg then drizzle with the strawberry sauce and finish by dusting with some powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

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