Monte Cristos

 If you've never had a monte cristo, I'm afraid you are missing out. I am not a person who mixes foods at all. If they made separated plates in fine china, I would own them. This is one of these dishes that "it's ok because someone else did it and it's accepted". That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

A monte cristo is basically a sandwich made of ham, turkey, and various cheeses that is coated in a pancake like batter, pan fried, and served with a fruit jelly! This would surely wow any brunch guest. You can serve them cold as well but, they are better warm and melty. 

The first batch, I made for some guests and used leftover hamburger buns. Traditionally, it's made with bread and there is an extra piece in the middle, kind of like a Big Mac. I preferred the thickness of hamburger buns. The second time I did it (above), I used some cinnamon raisin bread. Use your creativity because mostly anything can go here. The only thing I wouldn't do is use condiments on the sandwiches. 

Layer the cheese closest to each slice of bread. I used cheddar and American but, again use Swiss, Monterrey Jack...whatever you like. Then layer turkey and ham on each side and close the sandwich. Press down hard on each sandwich to squish it. Then stack them and press down hard again to get them nice and thin. 

They should be refrigerated as long as possible. It's best to assemble the sandwiches the day before if you can! This helps seal them together. 

When you are ready to fry them up, heat up a nonstick skillet on low. The popular way to cook these is to use oil and fry them but I just can't cook like that. A bit of spreadable butter will do well pan frying them for me. 

Mix up a pancake like batter. This is what I use:

1/2 cup flour
3/4 Tsp baking powder
1/8 Tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 Tsp vegetable oil

Your batter should be runny, so you want to thin it out with water or milk. It should coat the sandwiches without allowing you to see the meat and cheese but not be as thick as batter. Then, carefully dip the sandwiches and fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown. 

While still hot, dust them with some sifted powdered sugar. They are mostly served dipped in raspberry jam, but strawberry or blackberry work as well. Enjoy the eewy gooey breakfast goodness!

Shrimp Casserole

If you have never checked out the Bumble Bee website for recipes, you totally should. Their tuna, salmon, and shrimp are great things to keep in your pantry on hand for those times when you have nothing defrosted for dinner.

 

I didn't use their baby shrimp for this recipe though. I found these salad shrimp at Stop & Shop in the freezer section for only $1! That's pretty unheard of especially for that store. Just defrost them the night before, or grab a can of Bumble Bee for this recipe.

 

This is great for a brunch or a dinner and it's the perfect size for two.

 

1 pouch of baby shrimp

3 slices of bread, cut into pieces

3 slices cheddar cheese

3 eggs, beaten, cut into pieces

1/2 Tsp mustard

1/4 Tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 Tsp minced onion

1/4 Tsp garlic powder

1/8 Tsp lemon pepper

pepper, to taste
              

Recipe Adapted from Bumble Bee

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Lay out bread, then cover with cheese, then shrimp. Repeat layers a second time. Pour melted butter or margarine evenly over the top. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix with remaining ingredients, beating well. Make sure to beat just before pouring, and then pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour, until a toothpick comes out fairly clean.