As a chef I am trying to think out of the box, work with crazy concoctions that you haven’t seen before that most likely took a while to prepare. When I develop recipes I try to take non-intimidating ingredients, something familiar, but adding a fun twist!
This recipe was created as a fun appetizer to share with friends and family. My husband is a brewer, so we always have beer available and I love using it in food. Soaking the sandwich in the IPA custard gives it a beautiful floral note that cuts the richness of the cheese and meat and then the mustard balances the dish with a zing.
Turn some music on, crack open the beer, use the measurements for the beer custard, drink the rest while cooking and then enjoy!
Photos by Amy Robb
Beer Soaked Monte Cristo Sliders
Soaking the sandwich in the IPA custard gives it a beautiful floral note that cuts the richness of the cheese and meat and then the mustard balances the dish with a zing.
Servings 10 -12 sliders
Calories
Ingredients
FOR THE SLIDERS:
- 1 French baguette
- Niman Ranch Ham* sliced the same size as bread
- 5 ounces good quality shaved parmesan cheese
- ½ lb Gouda cheese
- 1 bottle beer I used Firestone Walker Easy Jack (IPA)
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter
- IPA mustard recipe on bottom or store bought
FOR THE MUSTARD:
- 1 cup your favorite Firestone Walker IPA
- 1 cup brown mustard seeds
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
FOR THE SLIDERS:
- Preheat oven 350 degrees.
- In shallow dish whisk eggs, then gently stir in the beer.
- Slice the baguette so the bread is roughly ½ inch thick.
- Using a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Soak the baguette slices in the beer custard for 1 minute, flip bread and soak again for 30 seconds. Place bread in skillet with butter, cook in batches around 5-6 at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. When done, remove and place bread on cutting board. Repeat until all bread slices are done.
- Assemble the Monte Cristo. Bread, spread of mustard, shaved parmesan cheese, sliced Holiday ham, Gouda, mustard and bread. Place on a baking sheet and bake 12 minutes until melty. Serve as a lunch with a green salad or it’s a perfect appetizer to sit and watch a football game!
FOR THE MUSTARD:
- Combine beer and brown mustard seeds in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit at room temperature until the beer is absorbed. This will take around 2 hours
- After the 2 hours, place the mustard seed mixture in food processor and blend until chopped.
- Transfer mixture into large saucepan. Whisk water, vinegar, brown sugar and onion powder. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer stirring frequently. The volume will reduce, this takes around 20 minutes.
- This is great for jarring. The mustard will mellow as it sits.
Notes
*Learn more about Niman Ranch’s gourmet hams.
This recipe comes to us from Edible San Luis Obispo.