Traders -n- 'Wiches

Don't know what to do with those pesky Christmas leftovers? I do! And, Holy Christ, is it good! Naomi isn't here yet, so I cooked! I used lots of plates and bowls, two pans, and the oven! Don't tell! The traditional Monte Christo is a variation of the French Croque-Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese). This sandwich can differ in ingredients from region to region. It almost always contains ham, and/or chicken or turkey, swiss cheese, and then is either egg battered and deep fried Elvis style, or grilled.

We had really wanted to use a Panettone cake for something, but it was so strong and way too overpowering. Not knowing what else to do with the giant loaf cake, my husband made french toast. It was a huge hit! Then I remembered my favorite joke: "What is Jesus' favorite sandwich?" ... "The Monte Christ-O! Hey Ohhhh!" This sandwich was born!

Luckily, I found actual Panettone Bread at Trader Joe's! I almost danced in the isles! Ok, I did! It's sliced sandwich style and much more mild. It contains dried cranberries, almonds and has a sweet flavor to the dough!

In a bowl beat one cage free egg and about a 1/4 cup of half and half, three grinds of fresh pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Pour mixture onto a dinner plate and set aside.

To build your miracle, spread both sides of the bread with dijon mustard. Then, start from the bottom up with one slice of Havarti Cheese, three slices of Rosemary Ham, three slices of Columbus Rotisserie Style Chicken Breast, and one more slice of Havarti.

In a non-stick or cast iron skillet heat enough oil and butter to heavily coat the bottom. Now here's the fun part! Take the entire sandwich safely in your finger tips and gently dredge in the egg mixture, turning several times to coat until most of the egg is gone. I seared each side in the skillet for about two or three minutes until golden brown, and then sliced in half and placed in a 400 degree oven for about five minutes, but you could certainly grill on low for a longer amount of time, or better yet, use your lean mean machine it for a perfect panini. Dust with sifted powdered sugar and serve with Trader Joes Spicey Smoky Peach Salsa (warm is better!) Look! My husband loves it! He said "Holy Count of Monte Christ-O! Thats good!" 

Ingredients

2 slices Panettone Bread
1 Egg
1/4 cup half and half or milk
2 Slices Havarti Cheese
3 Slices of Rosemerry Ham
3 slices of Roast Chicken
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbspbutter
1Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1/4 Cup of Spicy Smoky Peach Salsa
A pinch of salt
A dash of pepper
Sifted powdered sugar

Admit it. You love sardines. You LOVE them. Yum, yum, yummy.

Ok, they make Theresa want to hurl, but just like anchovies, sardines are my friends.

TJ has many kinds of canned sardines. We used the ones in spring water to cut down on the grease factor. There are more than enough other types of fat on this sandwich, some of which are optional, but all add somethin' special. The butter makes it very French. The cream cheese makes it very Lower East Side, circa 1900. Avocados make everything taste better, let's just be honest.

Ingredients

French Baguette, fresh or toasted (¼, sliced in half longways)

1/3 can sardines in spring water, chopped

1 cage free hard boiled egg, chopped

approximately 1 TBSP each of the following:

diced avocado

diced cucumber

diced tomato

artichoke heart petals

chive and onion cream cheese

Irish butter- unsalted

sea salt

black pepper

Mix sardines, egg, cucumber, and tomato in a bowl. Spread chive and onion cream cheese on one half of bread, butter on the other half. Spoon fish mixture onto lower half of the bread. Dot with avocado chunks. Lay artichoke petals on top half. Salt and pepper the lower half.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was unfamiliar with pancetta before we made this sandwich. Theresa suggested the ingredients because they were tried and true and bound to be delicious. The pancetta that we found at Trader Joe's is cubed and packaged so when I made the sandwich I scooped it out and 'sprinkled' it onto the bread. The flavor of pancetta is similar it's adored cousin, bacon, but it 's more 'hammy' with lots o' fat. Fontina cheese is mild and creamy. The sundried tomato olive spread is the most powerful part of this sandwich, so be careful how much you use, or it can be too salty. Using Italian parsley instead of lettuce gives this sandwich a fresh flavor. Plus, the parsley will help clear your arteries.

Ingredients

1 Par-Baked Panini roll

3 Tbsp Cubed Pancetta

3 sprigs Italian Parsley

1 Tbsp Sundried Tomato Spread with Green Olives

2 skinny slices Fontina cheese

Heat Panini roll in the toaster oven as per instructions on package. Cut roll open and allow to cool slightly. When the burning zone is clear, scoop out the bottom half of the bread. Spread the tomato olive paste on the top half of the bread. Lay the cheese on top. Spoon the panchetta into the bottom half. Heat in the toaster oven just until the cheese is melty. Add the parsley, fold together and take a bite.