It doesn’t take much to make a satisfying sandwich – two slices of bread, a favorite lunch meat and a dollop of mustard or mayo. It takes something else entirely to craft a sandwich that helped launch a national restaurant chain.
On September 17, we celebrate that culinary creativity by taking a big bite out of Monte Cristo Sandwich Day. Bennigan’s didn’t invent the amazing multi-decker, but their sensational sandwich put them on the map of hungry imaginations across the country during the ’70s.
It probably helped that Disneyland Anaheim had already introduced the mouthwatering meal 10 years earlier, but let’s not slice history too thin. Original credit belongs to the French croque monsieur. Around 1910, the pub staple immigrated to American shores where it was dressed up and turned into the sensational sandwich we celebrate today.
If you take pride in your ability to firmly stay on a low-cal, low-fat diet, stay away from the Monte Cristo. This amazing sandwich will seduce the staunchest health food enthusiast. It is impossible to resist the custardy temptation of melted cheese layered with ham and turkey. Don’t even try to turn away from the deep-fried crunch.
I strongly advise saving your willpower for another time. Instead, I offer my simple, home-tested recipe for enjoying the scrumptious Monte Cristo on its special day:
- Open your heart and your appetite to its delicious, golden brown goodness.
- Pan fry it, deep fry it or grill it open-face at your next backyard cookout.
- Sweeten the experience with a dust of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Always be prepared to share because sharing always makes great food better.
It is my pleasure to bring you yet another reason to celebrate another unique date on the calendar. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m headed for the HolidayDispatch kitchen. I suddenly have a sensational appetite.