Bennigan's Monte Cristo

There used to be this awesome 50's-ish diner in The Grand Casino in Biloxi called Roxy's. My mom took me there all the time when she worked there. I guess I was between the ages of 5 & 8, not really sure. I just remember I was little. Anyways, they had the best food, like their slides, and yummy onion strings. But, there was one thing that stood above the rest. It was the amazing tower of yummy-ness. This was a Monte Cristo; turkey & swiss piled high on bread and then deep fried, topped with powdered sugar and served with raspberry jam. For those of you who have never been able to indulge in this masterpiece, you may be thinking...turkey & jelly?? what the? But I can promise you, this sandwich is on my list of all-time favorite foods. No other Monte Cristo compares to this one. I promise you! Anyways...lol...I have been on the search for this sandwich for a couple years now, with no luck in finding this restaurant. So, about a week ago, I started searching for the perfect recipe when I came across this one. I have never been to a Bennigan's, so, needless to say, I didn't know they had a Monte Cristo on their menu. This is what theirs looks like:

Ok, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

 INGREDIENTS

• 9 slices whole wheat bread
• 3 slices cooked turkey
• 3 slices cooked ham
• 3 slices American cheese
• 3 slices Swiss cheese

Batter

• 1 egg
• 1 to 1 1/4 cup water - I used 1 1/4 cups.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour - I had to use what I had, so I used 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and then 1 cup of a mixture of 1/2 AP & 1/2 whole wheat flour.
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• vegetable oil (for deep frying) - I didn't deep fry. I didn't have enough oil. So, I just put about an inch or so of oil in a skillet and pan fried. Turned out great!

DIRECTIONS

1. Place turkey & Swiss cheese on one slice of bread and ham & American cheese on another slice of bread. Place third slice in-between and secure the triple-decker sandwich in the corners with tooth picks.
2. Place egg in mixing bowl, add water and beat together.
3. Add salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder. Beat batter until smooth. 
4. Dip sandwich in batter and carefully cover all the sides and surface.  
5. Carefully place in hot oil and fry until golden. When sandwich has turned a warm gold color remove from hot oil and place on paper towel. Let cool for a few minutes before removing the tooth picks. 
6. Before serving, slice into fourths and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with raspberry jam. 
   
   
   
    So, this is how mine turned out...whatcha think?
    
   
   

As you can see, I didn't use 3 slices of bread per sandwich. I don't know why, I just didn't want to. It turned out just fine. I would suggest, though, using good quality bread. I will say, it was DELICIOUS!! Both of my parents liked it as well.