Monte Cristo Crepes Recipe

The Monte Cristo is one of the world's great breakfast sandwiches, combining ham and cheese with jelly and more. Here it's reimagined in crepe form.

By
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a creative blogger at Host the Toast. She has an absolute obsession over all things edible.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated May 28, 2019
20190310-monte-cristo-crepes-morgan-eisenberg
Photograph: Morgan Eisenberg

Why It Works

  • Using thin crepes instead of bread allows the fillings to shine.
  • A quick dip in the egg mixture allows for a crisp exterior without making the crepes soggy.

Inspired by the iconic breakfast sandwich, these Monte Cristo crepes are filled with ham, cheese, and a tangy jelly-mustard mixture (sounds weird, but we swear it works!), and then coated in an egg batter and pan-fried until golden. It's a masterpiece of the sweet-and-savory genre, and it turns out it's just as good in crepe form.

Recipe Details

Monte Cristo Crepes Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 6 crepes
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (160g) seedless raspberry or red currant jelly

  • 1/4 cup (65g) Dijon mustard

  • 6 cooked basic crepes

  • 6 slices Swiss cheese

  • 6 slices Gruyère cheese

  • 18 thin slices deli ham

  • 1 cup (8 ounces; 240g) milk

  • 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Kosher salt

  • Confectioners' sugar, to dust

  • Assorted berries, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk together jelly and mustard. Spread a thin, even layer of the jelly mixture over each crepe. Fold the crepes in half to form a semicircle with the jelly sandwiched inside. Top each folded crepe with a slice of each cheese and then layer 3 slices of ham on top of the cheese. If the rounded edge of the crepe is sticking out, fold it inward and tuck under the cheese then roll the crepe up tightly and and set seam-side down. Repeat for remaining crepes.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk in a generous pinch of kosher salt. Using tongs, briefly dip a crepe into egg mixture. Allow excess to drip off and transfer to the skillet, seam-side down. Repeat with another crepe. Fry crepes until golden all over, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining crepes, frying two at a time and adding butter as needed.

  3. Dust crepes with powdered sugar. Serve warm with berries and the remaining jelly-mustard mixture.

Special equipment

Tongs, 10-inch skillet, Whisk

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
600Calories
41gFat
22gCarbs
37gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories600
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g53%
Saturated Fat 23g113%
Cholesterol 280mg93%
Sodium 1605mg70%
Total Carbohydrate 22g8%
Dietary Fiber 2g7%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 11mg56%
Calcium 649mg50%
Iron 2mg10%
Potassium 628mg13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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