Monte Cristo Puffs

I had my first monte cristo sandwich at Disneyland and I’ve been obsessed ever since. The flavors of ham, gruyere cheese and dijon mustard all together are just about the best thing ever!

Someday I will figure out a copycat recipe for that sandwich, but for now, these monte cristo puffs are really doing it for me!

I love these puffs more than I should and put more of the mustard/mayo sauce on it than I would care to admit. Shhhhhh!

a photo of a golden monte cristo puff on a white plate on top of a blue cloth napkin

You all have loved our ham and cheese puffs, and these are similar but we add a yummy mayo/mustard sauce and take out the spinach. I love the gruyere in these puffs too!

What is in Monte Cristo Puffs?

There is not a whole lot to these monte cristo puffs which is one of the reasons I love them. They are made of simple ingredients and are easy to make. Here are the ingredients you will need:

Puff Pastry
Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard
Ham
Gruyere Cheese
Egg
Water
Jam

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

a photo of a monte cristo puff that has been torn into with one piece dipping in jam.

How to Make Monte Cristo Puffs

The key to these puffs is the puff pastry. It is such a fun ingredient! You can find it in the freezer section at the grocery store usually by the pie crust. Puff pastry is a flaky, light pastry made from laminated dough. It puffs as it bakes and makes the perfect pocket for all the goodness inside. Here are the basic steps for making them:

Let the puff pastry come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut into 4 squares.
Mix the mayo and mustard together and put some in the middle of each puff pastry square.
Top with cheese and ham.
Fold up each corner of the puff pastry and brush with egg wash.
Repeat with all the pastry squares.
Bake.
Serve with jam or dusted with powdered sugar (or both!).

More detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

a photo of a golden monte cristo puff on a white plate with a cup of respberry jam sitting next to it for dipping.

What is a Monte Cristo Sandwich?

A monte cristo sandwich is a variation of a French croque monsieur. It is a ham and cheese sandwich with a little mustard and mayo that is dipped in eggs and then pan or deep fried. Think of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich combined with french toast. It tastes as amazing as it sounds!

What is Gruyere Cheese?

Gruyere is a hard yellow Swish cheese. It has a delicious nutty flavor and is so creamy when it melts.

What Can I Substitute for Gruyere Cheese?

While gruyere is my favorite for this recipe, there are a few cheese that will work just fine as a substitute:

Dubliner
Fontina
Emmental
Jarlsberg

a photo of a monte cristo puff that has been torn into with one piece dipping in jam.

Can You Make Monte Cristo Puffs Ahead of Time?

Yes, these work great as a make ahead meal. Here is how you would do it:

Make the puff pastry shells ahead of time. Cut the puff pastry into 4 squares, fold up the corners and brush with the egg wash. Bake as stated on the puff pastry packaging. Let them cool completely and then freeze in a plastic bag.
Then make the filling when you’re ready to eat them and place in the shells and bake at 350 with a sheet of foil gently laid over the top for about 15 minutes.

Can You Freeze Monte Cristo Puffs?

Yes these freeze great! Make the entire recipe and then cool completely. Carefully pull the foil up and around the puffs and then store in plastic bags in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in the oven as stated above.

I’m writing this post in March 2021. They just barely announced that Disneyland will be reopening on a limited basis after being closed for over a year. Blows my mind! It’s only going to be open for California residents to begin with, so there’s no Cafe Orleans monte cristo sandwich in my near future.

In the meantime, I’ll be baking up these monte cristo puffs! The best sweet and salty bite I can get my hands on while I patiently (sort of) waiting to get down to the happiest place on earth!

More Fantastic Ham and Cheese Recipes:

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