✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Bennigan's Monte Cristo is a triple-decker of ham, turkey and two cheeses, battered, fried golden and snowed with powdered sugar. Dunk it in raspberry jam; it makes no sense and it's perfect.
How Do You Make a Bennigan’s Monte Cristo? (Quick Answer)
Stack day-old bread with ham and Swiss, then turkey and American, in a triple-decker and pin it with 4 toothpicks. Dip it in a batter of flour, baking powder, salt, egg and water, then fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden and 165°F inside. Remove the toothpicks, quarter it, dust with powdered sugar and serve with raspberry preserves.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Use day-old bread. Fresh, soft bread drinks up batter and fries greasy; slightly dry bread stays light and crisp.
Why You'll Love This Monte Cristo
- The Bennigan's legend the sandwich the pub chain was famous for.
- Sweet meets salty ham, turkey, melted cheese, sugar and jam.
- Crisp, not greasy a light batter fried at a steady 350°F.
- Big enough to share two sandwiches feed four as a lunch.
- Pantry batter flour, baking powder, egg and water.
What Was the Bennigan’s Monte Cristo?
Bennigan's opened in Atlanta in 1976 and became the Irish pub on every suburban strip. Its most famous order was the Monte Cristo: a towering ham, turkey and cheese sandwich, battered, fried, sugared and served with raspberry jam.
The sandwich is older than the chain; it shows up in American cookbooks in the 1930s and 40s. There's no official Bennigan's recipe, so this is how I make mine.
Can you still eat there? A few. The company-owned Bennigan's closed overnight in July 2008, and a few full-service restaurants are still open in the U.S., plus small On the Fly counters. If none is near you, this is the next best thing.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Bread: plain white sandwich bread, a day old.
- Ham and turkey: thin-sliced deli meat, so the stack heats through.
- Swiss and American: Swiss for flavor, American for that creamy melt.
- Batter: flour, baking powder, salt, egg and cold water.
- Raspberry preserves: seedless if you prefer, for dipping.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Day-old bread. Fresh bread soaks up batter like a sponge. If yours is fresh, leave the slices out for an hour.
- Count the toothpicks. Four in, four out, every sandwich. I lay them on the plate as I pull them so nobody bites one.
- Pancake-thick batter. It should coat a spoon and drip slowly. Too thin slides off; too thick turns doughy.
- 350°F, not 375°F. A thick sandwich needs time for the cheese to melt. Hotter oil browns the outside before the middle warms.
- Lower it away from you. Use a spider or wide slotted spoon and slide it in gently. Back burner, handle turned in, lid nearby.
- Rescue in the oven. Golden outside but cold cheese? Five minutes on a rack in a 350°F oven fixes it.
- Sugar at the last second. Powdered sugar melts into a hot sandwich. Dust it just before serving.
Bennigan’s Monte Cristo Sandwich
4
servings (2 sandwiches)15
minutes10
minutes520
kcal25
minutesCopycat Bennigan’s Monte Cristo: a triple-decker of ham and Swiss, turkey and American on day-old bread, pinned with toothpicks, dipped in a light egg batter, fried golden at 350°F, then quartered, dusted with powdered sugar and served with red raspberry preserves. Makes 2 big sandwiches (serves 2 to 4).
Ingredients
- For the Sandwiches
6 slices white sandwich bread, preferably a day old
4 oz thin-sliced deli ham
4 oz thin-sliced deli turkey
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 slices American cheese
8 wooden toothpicks
- For the Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2/3 cup cold water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed
- To Fry and Serve
2 quarts neutral oil
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup red raspberry preserves
Directions
- Build
- For each sandwich, layer bread, half the ham and a slice of Swiss, bread, half the turkey and a slice of American, then a final slice of bread. Press down gently.
- Push a toothpick through each corner, 4 per sandwich, so the layers hold together in the oil.
- Batter and Fry
- Heat about 3 inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy pot. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk in the egg and water until smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon. Add a little more water if it’s pasty.
- Dip one sandwich in the batter, turning to coat every side, and let the extra drip off for 10 seconds.
- Lower it into the oil on a spider, away from you. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden all over.
- Drain on a wire rack for 1 minute and check the center reaches 165°F. If the cheese isn’t melted, finish it in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with the second sandwich.
- Serve
- Remove ALL the toothpicks. Cut each sandwich into quarters, dust with powdered sugar through a sieve and serve with raspberry preserves for dipping.
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Monte Cristo vs Croque Monsieur vs Grilled Cheese
Three ways to put ham and cheese between bread.
| Monte Cristo | Croque monsieur | Grilled ham and cheese | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coating | Batter or egg | Bechamel on top | Butter |
| Cooking | Fried | Baked or broiled | Griddled |
| Served with | Powdered sugar, jam | Nothing, it’s rich | Pickles, soup |
| Mood | Sweet and salty | Bistro | Weeknight |
Storage and Reheating
A Monte Cristo is best fresh. Leftovers keep 1 day in the fridge; reheat on a rack in a 375°F oven or air fryer for 6 to 8 minutes until the center reaches 165°F. Add the powdered sugar after reheating.
More Retro Restaurant Favorites
For brunch, my Cracker Barrel French toast is the Monte Cristo's sweet cousin. Keep the night going with my Chi-Chi's fried ice cream or the Steak and Ale Hawaiian chicken, and see the full list of discontinued fast food items you can still make.
Bennigan’s is one of the eight chains in my forgotten restaurant chains collection, each with the dish people still miss.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on a Bennigan's Monte Cristo?
Ham, turkey, Swiss and American cheese stacked in a triple-decker, dipped in batter and fried, then dusted with powdered sugar and served with red raspberry preserves. This is my copycat version.
Is Bennigan's still open?
Yes, but only a few. The company-owned restaurants closed in 2008, and a few full-service Bennigan's are still open in the U.S., plus small On the Fly counters in places like airports.
Is a Monte Cristo the same as French toast?
They're cousins. A classic Monte Cristo is dipped in egg and pan fried like French toast. The Bennigan's version uses a thicker batter and is deep fried, so it's crisper and puffier.
Can I make a Monte Cristo without deep frying?
Yes. Dip the sandwich in 2 eggs beaten with 1/2 cup milk and cook it in butter in a skillet over medium-low for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then 5 minutes in a 350°F oven to melt the cheese.
Why is a Monte Cristo served with jam?
The sweet, tart jam cuts through the rich, salty ham and cheese and the fried batter. Raspberry is the classic, but strawberry or red currant jam works too.
Can I make Monte Cristos ahead?
Build the sandwiches up to a day ahead and keep them wrapped in the fridge. Batter and fry them just before serving, because fried sandwiches go soft as they sit.
