Chicken Monte Cristo Sandwich

 

 

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for one loaf of Nature’s Pride bread and was asked to create an award winning recipe that could win me a trip to San Francisco to attend the 2nd annual Foodbuzz festival and to be a Natures Pride Bread Ambassador at the conference. I really would love to attend this year’s festival and be a Bread Ambassador! It sounds like so much fun! But the best part would be recreating this recipe for the crowds to enjoy! Wish me luck!

My recipe is a variation on a traditional Monte Cristo sandwich. I hate to waste food, and I am always coming up with ways to use left overs in a different way. For this recipe, I used some left over grilled chicken breasts that I sliced thin and added Dijon mustard and Gruyere and surrounded it in a luxurious batter that is fried to a deep Florida tan and topped with confectioner’s sugar and dipped it into a red berry preserve. It’s a very decedent sandwich, perfect served in quarters for a Sunday brunch. Nature’s Pride Stone Ground Whole Wheat with Honey Bread is quite hearty and makes the perfect vehicle to hold this thick and gooey batter in place for frying. The bread’s honey sweetness compliments the spice of the Dijon mustard and the bite of the Gruyere cheese. All the flavors meld together and once it is fried and served, each bite consists of a crunch followed by a melty, gooey goodness.  It really is heaven on a plate.

 

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Batter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 egg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Sandwich

4 slices Nature’s Pride Stone Ground Whole Wheat with Honey Bread

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced into thin pieces

2 slices Gruyere cheese

2 tbs confectioners’ sugar for dusting

2 tbs red berry preserves (either mixed berry, strawberry or raspberry)

Method

Heat oil in a large frying pan. While oil is heating, make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Assemble sandwiches by placing one sliced chicken breast and one slice of cheese on one slice of bread, apply mustard to other slice of bread and sandwich together. Cut each of the sandwiches into quarters, and secure with toothpicks.

Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray with the preserves on the side. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Makes 8 quarters.