Sometimes after we have a healthy meal like Wednesday’s Mediterranean Couscous, we like to treat ourselves to something. . . a little less healthy.
I absolutely love Monte Cristos. I think it was my mom who first introduced me to them at a Bennigan’s restaurant years ago. Since then, all of the locations in our area have gone out of business. That means no more Monte Cristos, unless we make them ourselves.
That never happens.
First, they are SUPER bad for you. The originals are battered and deep fried. Combine that with the powdered sugar that is sprinkled on them and the raspberry jam you dip them into, and you can count on going into a carb-coma. It’s one thing to accidentally order it at a restaurant, and be forced to eat it out of politeness, but to actually plan such a meal?
The second and most important reason is that they are just too much work. For a sandwich.
I had to find a way to do it that would give me all the flavor I crave, without the hard work and mega-calories. Thus, the birth of the Monte Cristo Quesadilla.
This is so much easier than deep frying a batter-covered sandwich, and it truly does have all the flavor of the original – without all the fat.
Ingredients
- 10″ flour tortilla
- 1/4 cup shredded swiss
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
- 2 slices deli turkey
- 2 slices deli ham
- Powdered sugar
- Raspberry preserves (Bonne Maman is my favorite and they aren’t paying me to say that either)
Directions
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat for the tortilla (make sure your tortilla will fit in your pan ahead of time) and a medium skillet on low heat for the turkey and ham. I lightly spray the skillets with cooking spray, but from what I have researched you do not need to use anything for quesadillas. The less fat, the crispier the tortilla will get.
Place one tortilla in the skillet. Spread cheddar evenly on one half, and shredded swiss on the other half.
Place meats in smaller skillet and gently move them around the pan so they don’t burn. This is to get the meats warmed up!
After the cheese begins to melt – about one minute – use tongs to place turkey and ham evenly on one half of the tortilla.
Fold over the other half and press down firmly with the flat side of a spatula. Cook for one minute.
Flip quesadilla to cook the other side. Allow to cook for another minute.
Remove quesadilla from skillet and place on cutting board. Slice in four equal wedges with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with raspberry preserves.
Makes 1 Quesadilla
Is your favorite food no longer available? Did you come up with a way to make it yourself? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below!