Rich, Comforting Monte Cristo Skillet
This Monte Cristo Skillet recipe flips the classic, dipped sandwich into a simple, shareable skillet bake. Using cast iron ensures you still get those crisp, buttery edges while the inside stays rich, custardy, and loaded with savory meats!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Rich, Comforting Monte Cristo Skillet
- 🕐 Ready In: 55
- 👥 Serves: 8
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Martha White Cotton Country Cornbread Mix, cooking spray, chopped cooked turkey, chopped cooked ham, shredded Swiss cheese, eggs, milk, mayonnaise, honey mustard, salt, pepper, currant jelly, powdered sugar
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: You'll love this Monte Cristo Skillet recipe because it's part lunch, part breakfast, part sandwich, part dessert, and all the way good! There's no bad time to whip this up.
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A Humble, Award-Winning Brunch Favorite!
This Monte Cristo Skillet was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2006 National Cornbread Festival. It caught my eye because I recently had my very first Monte Cristo Sandwich and absolutely loved it. Southern Living sent me to Charleston to do some presentations for the Taste of Charleston Festival. Have you ever been to Charleston? Oh my goodness gracious, is that a beautiful town! With every sight and sound, I became more determined to bring my family back there someday so I could experience it with them (it is hard to enjoy a trip without the folks you want to share it with beside you).
As I’ve started traveling from time to time, I’ve taken a cue from my adventurous counterparts at SL and started making it a point to try something new in each place if possible. In Charleston, I had my first Monte Cristo Sandwich, and it was right up my alley. I ate it in the cafe of a beautiful hotel right downtown. The flavors were a unique combination for me: Ham, cheese, battered and toasted bread drizzled with a sweet fruit preserve and sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. It was part lunch, part breakfast, part sandwich, part dessert, and all the way good!
So when Martha White offered to guest post, I got nosing around for what recipe I thought would appeal the most to everyone, and as soon as this skillet came before my eyes, my heart just settled on it. This recipe is quick to throw together and feeds six people. I like strawberry preserves with mine, but feel free to use whichever you like best.
What You’ll Need to Make the Monte Cristo Skillet:
- Martha White Cotton Country Cornbread Mix
- cooking spray
- chopped cooked turkey
- chopped cooked ham
- shredded Swiss cheese
- eggs
- milk
- mayonnaise
- honey mustard
- salt
- pepper
- currant jelly
- powdered sugar
How to Make a Monte Cristo Skillet
1. Bake and Cube the Cornbread
Whip up your cornbread mix according to the box directions, but bake it right in your 10 1/2 inch cast-iron skillet.
Because the pan is wide, the cornbread will turn out thin, which keeps the final dish from feeling too heavy. Once it’s done, pop it out to cool for a few minutes, then slice it into bite-sized cubes.
2. Build the Layers
Set your oven to 350°F. Wipe any loose crumbs out of your skillet with a paper towel and hit it with a good spray of non-stick oil. Drop those cornbread cubes right back into the bottom of the pan, then layer your turkey, ham, and cheese evenly over the top.
3. Whisk the Egg Mixture
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mayonnaise, a tablespoon of mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until it’s completely smooth, then pour it evenly over everything in the skillet so the cornbread can start soaking up that savory custard.
4. Bake Until Golden
Pop the skillet in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the center is completely set, and the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.
5. Whisk the Sauce and Serve
While that’s going, warm your currant jelly slightly in a small bowl until it loosens up. Whisk in a tablespoon of honey mustard until smooth.
Slice the hot skillet into wedges, hit it with a quick dust of powdered sugar, and serve it warm with that sweet-and-tangy jelly sauce on top or on the side!
Ingredients
- 1 6 oz. package Martha White® Cotton CountryTM Cornbread Mix
- Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey
- 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
- 1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard divided
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup Smucker’s® Currant Jelly
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the cornbread mix according to package directions, except bake in a 10 1/2-inch cast iron skillet (cornbread will be thin). Remove cornbread from skillet; cool and cut into cubes. Wipe out skillet with paper towels; spray generously with no-stick cooking spray.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Place cornbread cubes in skillet. Top with turkey, ham and cheese. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon mustard, salt and pepper until well blended. Pour evenly over ingredients in skillet. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
- Melt currant jelly by warming slightly. Add 1 tablespoon honey mustard; whisk to blend.
- Remove skillet from oven. Cut in wedges, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with currant jelly and mustard sauce.
Thanks for this! I LOVE monte cristos!!! This post makes me think of my grammy. She is still around, and used to make me strawberry- rhubarb cobbler in her old cast iron skillet. YUM!!! She doesn’t bake anymore (she’s almost 90), but I think of that cobbler from her cast iron skillet often. I don’t feel I can make it as good as she did. Thanks for the memories 🙂
My grandparents used a cast iron skillet but my mom was never interested in using one. Several years ago I asked for one for Christmas and my younger brother bought it for me. He didn’t realize how heavy it was and bought it first on his trip through the mall. He sure was happy to finish his shopping and get to the car after lugging that thing all around! Since my brother is no longer with us I especially treasure my skillet.
I LOVE Monte Cristo sandwhiches with strawberry preserves, too. Especially home made. 🙂 I have my husband’s Grandma’s cast iron skillet. I Love it. They just cook so much better to me and the flavor seems better, too. My mother always always always made her cornbread in her skillets….and everything else. 😉 Best cornbread ever.
My wife always adds comments to your forum, but I love your recipes too. In fact, I bought your cookbook for her birthday! Anyway, I have fond memories of my dad making milk gravy and cornmeal gravy in the same iron skillet we have in our cupboard today. My mom used to cook on an old wood cookstove, and had all the cast iron accessories including a large skillet that would hold 3 cut up chickens at one time! Now that we have an old wood cookstove I hope to use the skillet more!
I have 3 cast iron skillets I live them.. They were my Mom and Grandma’s. I use the smaller one for cornbread which I am making tonight. I have a deeper one I use for fried chicken. The other one for fried potatoes.
As any good Southerner knows you just can’t cook some stuff in anything other than cast iron. When I became engaged and registered for all the stuff to “set up house-keeping” I wanted to register for some cast iron skillets but my Mother talked me out of it. Then on the day of my shower my Mother presented me with her ENTIRE cast iron collection, seasoned and ready to use! Needless to say, I cried. One day I hope to pass it on to my daughter as her wedding gift.
When my precious grandma died, my uncles asked me if I wanted anything from her home. The first thing out of my mouth was her cast iron cookware. I have a large deep skillet and a crepe pan that she made Swedish pancakes. I can still picture her at the stove making mountains of crepe pancakes. They were to die for. I also remember her fried chicken that must have been the best in the world. I will never forget those precious memories.