BAKE CLUB: MONTE CRISTO STICKS

Bake Club: Monte Cristo Sticks

Yield: Makes 1 dozen or more

Ingredients:

1 pack French Toast Sticks, defrosted

½ lb Deli Ham, sliced

½ lb Swiss cheese, sliced

+oil for frying

+confectioner’s sugar

Method:

With a pairing knife, slice into but not completely through each french toast stick nearly end-to-end to create a pocket or envelope effect.

Stack one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on top of one another, cut in half, then cut into small slivers, the depth of your French toast stick pocket. Stuff as many of these strips into the French Toast stick pocket as will fit.

Smoosh the stuffed stick with the palm of you hand to secure all layers together. Repeat as needed.

In a skillet, pour enough oil to create a 1/8” “shallow” frying environment. Heat on medium.

Test a stick out by shallow pan frying it on each side (the open envelope side last) until golden brown (about 1 minute each side) and you can see the cheese starting to melt and ooze. Taste and assess/adjust as needed.

As you repeat, remove each stick from hot oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly and drain. Slice on a fancy diagonal, dust with confectioner’s sugar and dig in!