As many of us practice social distancing and stay home during the ongoing global pandemic, we're finding new ways to spend our free time. One activity that seems to be sweeping the internet is making homemade versions of popular food items you'd find at restaurants, hotels, theme parks and more. From the DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies to Disney World's Dole Whip and Mickey Mouse Beignets, there's been no shortage of fun recipes to try at home. Once you've made your way through those recipes, Disney fan club D23 just shared the recipe for one of Disneyland's most iconic menu items—the Blue Bayou Monte Cristo sandwich.
According to D23, the Monte Cristo is the most popular menu item by far at Disneyland's Blue Bayou restaurant. The now iconic sandwich was available on the restaurant's original 1967 menu —accompanied by a fresh fruit compote topped with toasted coconut—and is still available on the menu to this very day. The Monte Cristo has been so popular over the years, with upwards of 200 of them ordered and served a day in Disneyland, that Blue Bayou actually created recipe cards to have on hand for when guests requested the recipe.
Since would-be park goers can't order a Monte Cristo from Blue Bayou for the foreseeable future, D23 has taken the initiative to share the recipe in order to bring some of that Disney magic right in your home. Disney Food blogger @DisneyHungry shared her own homemade version of the Blue Bayou Monte Cristo on Instagram and, TBH, it looks as good as the real thing.
Here's what you'll need, as well as the step-by-step instructions, to make this delicious meal on your own:
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 thin slices ham
8 thin slices turkey
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
Confectioners sugar
Blackberry preserves
Instructions:
Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl. On one slice of bread, arrange 2 slices of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice each sandwich in half diagonally.
Heat oil to between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with the other three sandwiches.
Cook one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature between each. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.
Will you be making your very own Blue Bayou Monte Cristo at home?
Photo: D23