Saturday, March 20, 2010

Dijon Croque Monsieur with Elderberry Jelly



Nothing beats having dirty, exhausted kids. That sounds like a strange statement, but when my kids are cranky, tired and filthy then it probably means that our day has been spent outside, digging in the dirt, climbing jungle gyms and soaking up as much of this beautiful weather as possible. I love it, and although it means having to double up on baths and showers, it's absolutely worth it. However, it also means that my time in the kitchen and at my computer will be significantly lessened, so my posts my be a bit more sporadic than normal. I'm going to do my best to keep up with you, but if you don't see me around for a while, it hopefully means it's because we're getting delightfully kissed by the sun! Ah, I love the spring!

I probably wouldn't have made these cheesy gooey sandwiches if it wasn't for a little trip I took to Kitchen Kettle in Lancaster, PA with one of my friends. I am in love with this place as it's full of fantastic foods made by the Amish, and they allow you to sample just about everything that they made. I went specifically for a jar of their pickled beets (most of you are probably grimacing at that, but don't knock 'em till you try 'em, they're awesome!), but along the way we discovered this elderberry jelly, which was delicious. It's hard to describe the taste except to say that it has that dark "three berry" sweetness in it and it's wonderful. My friend had mentioned that they had a jelly like this to accompany some Monte Cristo sandwiches and that it was to die for. Not being able to get the idea out of my head, I found this recipe in my Cooking Light mag (where else), and got to work. I can't tell you what the difference is between a Croque Monsieur, and a Monte Cristo (can you?) but I will tell you that the jelly is honestly what topped this sandwich off beautifully. Since the sandwich is very savory with it's buttery Gruyere cheese, salty ham and tangy Dijon, the elderberry jelly cuts right through it with it's sweetness. I warmed it just a bit before serving it to thin it out a bit and it was perfect! If you don't have elderberry jelly, you could probably try this with any sweet jelly you have on hand. Apricot or raspberry would be excellent!



Dijon Croque Monsieur with Elderberry Jelly
Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon fat-free mayo
8 slices Italian Bread (I just used whole wheat)
6 ounces thinly sliced ham
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup fat free milk
cooking spray
1/2 cup warmed elderberry jelly for dipping

Directions

1. Combine mustard and mayo in a small bowl. Spread 3/4 teaspoon of mustard mixture over each of 4 bread slices; evenly distribute ham and cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle evenly with pepper. Spread remaining mustard mixture on each remaining bread slice and assemble sandwiches.

2. Combine egg substitute and milk in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture.

3. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Use jelly for dipping.

Serves 4


Per Serving (not including jelly): 350 cal, 11.7g fat, 25.1g prot, 34.6g carb, 1.7g fiber

Points per Serving: 8

Enjoy the Spring!!

35 comments:

Erica said...

Glad you and the kiddos are enjoying the weather!!! Its so incredible out. A love when a restaurant inspires me to make something new/different at home! Looks fabulous

Heidi said...

Sounds like the kids had fun! So worth the 2nd bath :) These look amazing. I've had a croque madam, but not monsieur. I'll bet that jelly was amazing.

Rachel said...

This looks delicious. I love savory sandwiches dipped in sweet jelly!

Joanne said...

Sounds like you guys had a really fun day! The best days are definitely the ones spent outside.

this sandwich looks delicious! I have no idea what the difference is between a Monte Cristo or a croque monsieur, but both are so yummy.

Christo Gonzales said...

the elderberry jam sounds so very good!

Kim said...

Glad to see that you are having great weather. It's always nice to get the kids outside and tire them out real good;D Makes for an early bedtime!
You had me with the dijon, which makes any sandwich delicious. I'd love to try the elderberry jelly, sounds like it added just the right touch.

Martha said...

Mmmmm, sounds simple and delicious! Glad you enjoyed the weather. Today was the first day in a long time that I was able to remember that I live in Florida. I think I'm all thawed out now :-)

Jenn said...

I'm glad you're kids were able to enjoy the weather outside. I'm surprised myself how nice it's been these past couple of days.

I've never tried elderberry jelly before. Looks really tasty.

NKP said...

Yum, looks delicious! I have never had elderberry jam before. It got cold here today but I am hoping it gets nice again soon.

Julie said...

These sound wonderful and melty and delicious! Have fun getting dirty with the kiddos :)

Rebekah said...

these are some of my favorite sandwiches!!! makes me want one right now actually!!!!

so happy to hear that you are having fabulous weather and the kids are able to enjoy it!

Alissa said...

Man, that title is a mouthful isn't it?!lol! Dude. That looks sogood, you got me cravin' one of those sandwiches.Right.Now. Mmmmm! I'm loving my elderberry jam as well, it has such a nice tangy bite to it, very yummy:)

Sophia Lee said...

Teresa, these are incredible!!! I love grilled cheese sandwiches, but especially when they are done with a creative twist, and a blend of sweet + savory. It's awesome!

And I'm glad you got some fun time in! Enjoy the lovely weather, and your precious family time! :-)

Anonymous said...

You had me at Dijon! Love it!

Michelle said...

Nice idea to use the jelly as a dip! Love Gruyere cheese!!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

How come I don't find all these awesome recipes in Cooking Light? I've gotten the past two months and all I seem to see are advertisements.

You make a lot of good sammies.
~ingrid

Sook said...

Oh that sounds like a fantastic sandwich! Love the addition of dijon!

Diana's Cocina said...

The weather has been awesome in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. We did get snow last night, about 2 inches. It was all gone by noon. Your Dijon Croque Monsieur with Elderberry Jelly sounds incredible.

Barbara Bakes said...

Sounds like you're starting out the season right! I hope to make it to Amish country one day. The jam and the sandwich sound wonderful.

Pam said...

It sounds like you all have a blast! Nothing like those kids! Your sandwich looks and sounds delicious! Yum!!!

The Blonde Duck said...

Ham and cheese and mustard....oh yum. My favorite!

chow and chatter said...

awesome sandwich Jasmine loves being outdoors as well keeps bringing me her shoes!

Leslie said...

A dirty kids usually equals a tied one that will go to bed early!!!! YEAH!!
Love the sandwich!

Megan said...

I love a Monte Crisco and I like that this is a cooking light recipe, I gotta try this one soon!

theUngourmet said...

Man OH Man! What a killer sandwich! I've got to find that jam!

Glad your kid's enjoyed their day!

Katy ~ said...

I love sandwiches; I love this sandwich. So good to see this kind of post as we eat a lot of sandwiches since I work at home and not every meal is a full meal. I appreciate this kind of variety, so thank you! And yep, I like pickled beets, too. Good eats, grins.

Lynn said...

Mmmmm, mmmmmm, Teresa. This looks outstanding. And a Cooking Light recipe, to boot. Does it get any better? :)

Krista said...

I was just thinking, "This sounds a lot like a Monte Cristo." Either way, it looks wonderful. Love all the Amish goods. I grew up in Indiana Amish country, so I certainly have an appreciation for all of that homemade goodness!

Kathleen said...

This sounds like a hecka fabulous sammie!

Barbara said...

Oh my yes! That heavenly sandwich would be perfect with your elderberry jam! I do it with grilled cheese too!

Cathy said...

Croque Monsieur is one of my favorite sandwiches and I think the addition of a bit of sweet jelly would be delicious. I love this kind of a twist to classic favorites.

Velva said...

Cheers to exhausted kids! :-) I like the sandwich, it's easy and kid friendly too.

Happy Spring to you!

Sokehah cheah said...

These sandwhiches look gorgeous, especially the meaty filling!

Pam said...

What a tasty sandwich!

Elizabeth said...

This recipe looks AMAZING! What a great Cooking Light find!