Rant: We Need More French Toast Sandwiches!

The delectable Monte Cristo Sandwich. 

It's essentially ham, turkey and Swiss cheese between two pieces of French toast, though there are plenty of regional variations across the country. For example, the cheese might be different, the sandwich might be grilled or fried, it may contain spicy mustard, could be covered in powdered sugar, and so on. There might even be a side of jelly with your sandwich.

No one seems to know the exact origins of the Monte Cristo though it's believed to be a variation of the French croque-monsieur, which is basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that was invented around 1910. The earliest newspaper mentions I found for the Monte Cristo were from the 1920s, and nearly all in California, which might be where the name was coined, although no one knows the origin of that name, and if it truly is related to the Count of Monte Cristo. 

The first reference to the sandwich was in a California paper from May 1924, which provided a recipe that called for "American full cream cheese" and boiled ham. There was a single reference in the 1920s from another state, and that was Hawaii. The first recipe I found calling for more than ham and cheese was from a 1937 California newspaper, that stated to add  "white meat," such as chicken, turkey, lamb or pork. There's even a National Monte Cristo Day, celebrated on September 22, which was established back in 2015.

For me, and many others, maybe the most compelling element of this sandwich is the use of French toast. What a wonderful and delicious vehicle for the meat and cheese. The eggy texture and flavors of the French toast elevate this sandwich. Without the French toast, this would be a rather boring ham, turkey and cheese sandwich. 

So why aren't there more sandwiches which use French toast? It's extremely rare to find any other sandwich made with French toast and that's plain wrong. It needs to change and offers an excellent opportunity for an adventurous restaurant to blaze a pioneering path to the future of sandwiches. Who will step forward and offer diners unique, scrumptious French toast sandwiches?

French toast would seem a great choice for breakfast sandwiches, but that's an easy choice. Why not a burger on French toast? Many people enjoy eggs on burgers so why not make an eggy bread for it? Or maybe a steak and cheese sandwich? Meatballs? Chicken parm? The possibilities are endless and worthy of experimentation. Home cooks can also try variations in their own kitchens. 

We need more French toast sandwiches!!!

Do you know of any restaurants that make more unique French toast sandwiches?