Monte Cristo in a Pan
Egg-battered griddle sandwich with two cheeses and a smear of jam. Car camping breakfast that eats like dessert.
- calories
- 790
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 88
- protein
- 34 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 8 min
- cook
- 7 min
- total time
- 15 min
- water
- 60 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- Real dishes
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Sourdough bread | 4 slices | day-old is better, it soaks without falling apart |
|---|---|---|
| Smoked cheddar | 2 oz | sliced thin at home |
| Swiss cheese | 3 oz | sliced thin at home |
| Whole eggs | 2 | or 4 tbsp powdered egg plus 6 tbsp water |
| Shelf-stable whole milk | 1/3 cup | a boxed single-serve carton, or 2 tbsp powdered milk in water |
| Sugar | 2 tsp | |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp | |
| Ground nutmeg | 1/8 tsp | |
| Butter | 1 tbsp | |
| Strawberry jam | 2 tbsp | single-serve packets travel cleanest |
| Powdered sugar | 1 tsp | optional |
Method
- Build two sandwiches: cheddar and Swiss between the bread, cheese kept back from the edges so it does not run into the pan.
- In a wide bowl or a deep pan lid, beat the eggs with the milk, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. If you are using powders, whisk them into the water first and let them sit a minute.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Low and slow beats hot here.
- Dip one sandwich flat in the batter, a couple of seconds a side. Do not soak it. Move it to the pan holding it closed.
- Cook 3 to 4 minutes until the underside is brown, then flip and press the edges down with a spatula to seal them.
- Cook the second side until the cheese has gone completely soft. Cut in half, dust with powdered sugar, and dip in the jam.
This is a griddled cheese sandwich that has been dipped in custard, so the batter has to stay thin. Too long in the egg and the middle turns to paste before the cheese ever melts. Two seconds a side, then straight into the butter.
The cheese runs the timing. Cheddar and Swiss both melt slower than the bread browns, so the pan stays at medium and the sandwich gets pressed flat on the second side to close the edges and push heat into the center. Camp version: cheese is pre-sliced at home, the milk is boxed or powdered, and powdered egg makes the whole thing cooler-free if you want it that way. The jam is not garnish. Sweet against smoked cheddar is the point of the dish.
Packing
Slice the cheese at home and stack it with parchment between layers. Sugar, salt, and nutmeg go in one small tin, premeasured. Bread rides on top of the bin or it arrives crushed.
Variations
- Powdered egg and powdered milk make the batter shelf-stable, which drops the cooler entirely.
- Swap the jam for apple butter if you want it less sweet.
- A slice of hard cheese only, no Swiss, still works. The Swiss is for the stretch.
https://ohmyveggies.com/meatless-monte-cristo