Mondays Bite! Disneyland Monte Cristo

Upon visiting Disneyland the most popular dining recommendation I received over and over was "Do not miss Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square!" Boy was everyone right! 

My Monte Cristo was so good that I decided to try my hand at making my own Blue Bayou Monte Cristo after returning home.  Gotta feed those cravings.

I found a recipe on the D23 site (Update: It is no longer up on their page) and started cooking. The sandwich is on the menu at Disneyland's Blue Bayou restaurant and has been for 50 years. If you've never had one, a Monte Cristo is a sweet and savory, deep-fried grilled cheese with ham and turkey sandwich. The Monte Cristo was on the original menu in 1967 and upwards of 200 of these sandwiches are served per day when the park is open.

BLUE BAYOU 
MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 thin slices ham
8 thin slices turkey

8 thin slices Swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
Confectioners sugar
Blackberry preserves

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl.
3. On one slice of bread, arrange 2 slices of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice each sandwich in half diagonally.
4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil.
5. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with the other three sandwiches.
6. Cook one at a time. Allow the oil to reach the desired temperature between each.
7. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

Are you a vegetarian? You can make a meatless three- Cheese version to enjoy by modifying the above recipe. Keep the Swiss cheese, but swap the ham and turkey for some mozzarella and double-crème brie cheese. The finished product easily is a decadent rival to the meaty version.

Making a Blue Bayou Monte Cristo is truly delicious and a fun way to bring the magic of Disneyland home!