These campfire monte cristos feature cheese, jam, and your choice of ham or turkey for a golden, sweet and savory sandwich!
One thing we enjoy about camping is there's less of a need to live by the clock.
This includes mealtimes to some degree — should we have breakfast now? Or is it brunch? Lunch? Does it even matter what we call it?
That's the spirit in which we bring this campfire monte cristo recipe to you. It's a recipe that can easily slide into any part of the day!
Featuring eggs, meat, cheese, and a touch of sweet, it's cooked over a campfire for a toasty, delicious meal any time of day.
What Is A Monte Cristo?
Although it may call to mind thoughts of a mysterious and vengeful Count (no? just me?), a monte cristo is actually a toasted sandwich.
It's sort of a cross between a ham and cheese sandwich and French toast, similar to the croque monsieur made in France. Variations can use other types of meat, such as chicken or turkey.
It can lean either towards sweet or savory. In this version, we're using jam to add a little pop of fruitiness. You can also add sugar or syrup on top for a more breakfast-like vibe.
Want more camping-friendly treats? Here are some ideas for customizing s'mores! Also, try making a camping charcuterie board, a campfire breakfast hash, or a campfire BLT.
How to Make Campfire Monte Cristos
Start by whisking together your eggs and milk, using a shallow bowl if possible so that it's easier to dip and coat slices of bread.
Next, make up sandwiches using your meat of choice, cheese, and raspberry jam.
Now it's cook time! Place an oiled cast-iron skillet on a grate over the campfire.
Dip each of your sandwiches into the egg mixture; then move them immediately over to the skillet.
Cook the campfire monte cristos in the skillet for about three minutes, and then flip them to keep cooking.
Go by the color of the bread (golden) and the meltiness of the cheese to decide when they're done, because exact timing will vary on a campfire!
Finally, drizzle the monte cristos with honey if you want to. Serve them hot, and enjoy!
Campfire Monte Cristos
Equipment
- bowl To scramble eggs
- whisk or fork To scramble eggs
- plates To serve
- forks To serve
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 4 slices bread of choice I like Italian loaf or sourdough. Use gluten-free bread if needed.
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
- 2 slices Swiss or Gruyere cheese Or use more as desired
- 4 slices ham or turkey (~2 ounces) Or used shaved meat
- 1 tablespoon raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon oil or butter
- honey (optional)
Instructions
- Lightly whisk egg and milk (or water) in a bowl. The bowl should be large enough to dip bread in, so a shallow bowl works best.Divide ham or turkey between 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Add raspberry jam to the remaining slices of bread, then place bread jam-side down onto the meat and cheese, creating sandwiches.
- Add oil or butter to a cast iron skillet and place on a hot campfire grate to pre-heat the pan.Dip each of the sandwiches briefly in the egg mixture, then place in skillet.
- Cook Monte Cristo sandwiches on one side for about 3 minutes, or until golden. (Timing will vary depending on how hot your pan is.)Flip and cook the other side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown with melted cheese.
- Optionally, drizzle with honey. Serve immediately while still hot.
Jan says
Brings back memories..... I have a fleeting memory of my mother ordering this sandwich at an upscale restaurant in Minneapolis (in an IDS Tower restaurant that was featured on the Mary Tyler Moore Show intro before the restaurant became popular) on a mother/daughter day shopping. We felt so fancy. It looked spectacular and my mother swooned over it. So, I tried it today and made subs to recreate my memory.
I used strawberry jam vs raspberry. I used both ham and turkey. I used the Swiss cheese as suggested and sourdough bread. I also made it in my kitchen vs on a campfire. Once on the plate, I I sprinkled it with powdered sugar. I garnished it with sliced strawberries. Yeah, that was the sandwich mom had and it tasted oh so extravagant! She couldn't stop raving! As a teen, I opted for a lower calorie salad at that restaurant (worried about my figure), but now I wish I'd taken part in that sandwich so that it had been something we shared. Lesson learned.... sometimes you just need to live a little, calories or not! This is a sandwich to remember. Not an everyday sandwich, but something to make special memories. Go for it!
Alisha Trenalone says
Sometimes food makes for the best memories, doesn't it? 😊 So glad you got to try this one out, and thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes