Southwestern Monte Cristos Recipes

BLACK BEAN STOUP AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the hot pot, then the garlic, celery, onions, jalapeno and bay leaf. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, and then add the bell peppers and continue to cook. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. Use a fork to mash up the beans in the remaining cans. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with 2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Add the stock and tomatoes to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, about 15 minutes. Add the lime juice. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• While stoup cooks, make the Monte Cristos. Spread the bread with a light layer of hot pepper jelly. Build the sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese and turkey per sandwich. Beat the eggs with the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons hot sauce. Sprinkle the eggs with a little salt. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. Dip each sandwich in egg coating and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt the cheese and warm the meats through.
• Ladle up the black bean stoup and top with the sour cream and scallions. Cut the Monte Cristos corner to corner and serve halves alongside the stoup for dipping and munching.

BLACK BEAN STOUP AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add EVOO to hot pot then bay leaves, jalapeno, garlic, celery and onions. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add red peppers and continue to cook. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. With remaining can, pour the juice and half the beans into the pot. Use a fork to mash up the beans remaining in the can. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and 2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce. Add stock and tomatoes to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes over low heat.
• While stoup cooks, make Monte Cristos: spread bread with a light layer of pepper jelly or chili sauce, salsa, taco sauce then build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese and turkey per sandwich. Beat eggs with milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce and season the eggs with a little salt. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. Dip each sandwich in egg coating and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt cheese and warm the meats through.
• In a small bowl, mix together sour cream and scallions and reserve for topping the stoup. Ladle up black bean soup and top with sour cream mixture. Cut Monte Cristos corner to corner and serve alongside soup for dipping and munching.

SUPER-STUFFED MONTE-CRISTO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat a griddle pan or large skillet over medium high heat. Cook bacon and remove to paper towels to drain, 5 minutes. Drain off fat. Reheat griddle over medium heat. Make sandwiches in 2 batches.
• Beat eggs with half-and-half, nutmeg and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the griddle or pan and melt. Turn 4 slices bread in batter, then add to griddle or pan. Turn bread after it browns, 2 to 3 minutes. Top 2 bread slices with mustard, the other 2 with cranberry sauce. Add 2 slices of cheese and bacon on the cranberry covered bread. Add ham, then turkey to the mustard covered bread. Use a spatula to assemble 2 sandwiches and turn and press gently to set sandwiches in place. Repeat to make 2 more sandwiches. Cut sandwiches from corner to corner.
• Heat syrup in microwave safe container for 30 seconds. Drizzle syrup over sandwiches at the table.

ITALIAN-STYLE MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat a large griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
• Prepare the sandwiches by spreading 4 slices of the bread with preserves. Top with a slice of cheese, 2 slices of folded prosciutto, then another slice of cheese. Spread the remaining bread slices with Dijon and set in place over the cheese.
• In a large shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the milk or cream, Parmesan, and parsley. Nest the butter in a paper towel and wipe it across the hot pan. Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture and cook the sandwiches until deep golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large serving bowl. Cut the sandwiches from corner to corner and serve alongside the salad.

BLACK BEAN STOUP AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTE CRISTOS

Steps:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO to the hot pot, then add the bay leaf, jalapeños, garlic, celery, and onions. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the bell peppers and continue to cook. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. With the remaining can, pour the juice and half the beans into the pot. Use a fork to mash up the beans remaining in the can. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the hot sauce. Add the stock and tomatoes to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
• While the stoup cooks, make the monte cristos: Spread the bread with a light layer of pepper jelly or chili sauce, salsa, or taco sauce, then build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese, and turkey per sandwich. Beat the eggs with the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons of hot sauce and season the mixture with a little salt. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. Dip each sandwich in the egg coating and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt the cheese and warm the meats through.
• Ladle up the black bean stoup and top with sour cream and scallions. Cut the monte cristos corner to corner and serve alongside the stoup for dipping and munching.

BLACK BEAN STOUP AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the hot pot, then onion, celery, garlic, jalapeno, and bay leaf. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add red peppers and continue to cook. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. Use a fork to mash up the beans in the remaining can. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and 2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce. Add stock and tomatoes to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes over low heat. Add the lime juice. Remove and discard the bay leaf
• While stoup cooks, make Monte Cristos: spread bread with a light layer of pepper jelly, chili sauce, salsa, or taco sauce. Build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese and turkey per sandwich. Beat eggs with milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce and season the eggs with a little salt. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. Dip each sandwich in egg coating and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt cheese and warm the meats through.
• Ladle up black bean soup and top with sour cream and scallions. Cut Monte Cristos corner to corner and serve alongside soup for dipping and munching.