Monte Cristo sandwich — United States

The Monte Cristo sandwich is a hot sandwich of ham and cheese, sometimes layered with turkey, that is dipped whole in a beaten egg batter and pan-fried until the outside turns golden and the cheese inside melts. It is generally described as an American cousin of the French croque monsieur, built the same way but finished in egg rather than simply toasted or grilled. The sandwich is reported across the United States, with a strong presence on the West Coast; it is closely tied to Southern California restaurant menus of the mid-twentieth century and has remained a fixture of American diners, brunch menus and theme-park restaurants ever since. It travelled from there into wider American cooking, appearing on menus from coast to coast under the same name. To prepare it, slices of white sandwich bread or brioche are layered with ham, cheese such as Swiss or Gruyère, and sometimes sliced turkey, then closed into a sandwich. The whole sandwich is dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs and a little milk, much like French toast, and cooked in butter in a hot pan or shallow fryer until each side is golden and the inside is fully melted, then cut into halves or diagonal strips before serving. Versions differ mainly in how sweet or savoury the finish is: some cooks serve the sandwich plain or with a pot of mustard, others dust it with powdered sugar and set out a small dish of raspberry or currant jam, and a few finish it with maple syrup. The choice of bread and cheese, and whether turkey is added alongside the ham, also varies from one kitchen to the next.