My Monte Cristos and Manny's Orange and Oregano Salad - Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals

When I looked through the many sandwich options in Rachael's cookbook I thought this one would be a winner with our family. Hubby has always enjoyed a good Monte Cristo sandwich when going out, and the boys favorite sandwich is often grilled cheese. This version of a Monte Cristo is very similar to a grilled cheese so I thought this one was a no-brainer.

When I was putting these together I used the white bread option for the sandwich. The particular bread that I got at the store did not hold up very well to the egg and milk mixture that it was dipped in before grilling. Unfortunately, when this bread got wet it tended to fall apart instead of just soak up the mixture. I was able to piece the sandwiches back together and they were mostly intact after cooking.

This was another quick and easy recipe to put together and that was very nice. The flavors were not appreciated by the family. Hubby felt that this Monte Cristo was very different from the version that he is fond of ordering in restaurants. The boys were not thrilled about the apple slices in their sandwiches or that their grilled cheese look-alike sandwich had french toast for the bread.

Timing: Recipe States: 30 minutes, My Actual Timing: 30 minutes for the sandwich and salad
Servings: Recipe States: 4 sandwiches, Servings For My Family: 4 sandwiches
Leftovers: We did not save any leftovers.


Family Ratings:
Me: It tasted like a grilled turkey and cheese with apples to me and it was fine, but nothing I have to repeat again soon.
Hubby: He thought it was a fine sandwich, but now he is hankering to try a recipe closer to the sandwich he enjoys at restaurants.
Big Man: He ate his sandwich with minimal complaining.
Bear: Bear was not a fan at all, he whined so much he was almost sent to bed. We compromised by having him eat 3/4 of his sandwich.
Mr. T: Mr. T complained about his quite a bit too and got the same deal as Bear, I think some of his complaining comes from listening to his brother.

Will I repeat: Probably not.

What will I change: I will probably just try a new recipe.

I wanted to be sure to try one of the salads from this book so I elected to serve the Manny's Orange and Oregano Salad as a side dish with these sandwiches. The boys enjoy fruit a lot and I thought it would be something nice and fresh alongside the grilled sandwich. Most of the time I do not like a heavy dressing, or any dressing, on a vegetable salad and prefer no dressing at all on a fruit salad. I thought this one had a simple, light dressing so it would be a good one to try for us.

It was very quick and easy to put together, with not too many ingredients. I think I would have preferred it without any dressing at all. I think the boys would have preferred having just the orange slices. Overall this meal was a success in that it was a quick and easy meal to put together. Unfortunately, it was just not the flavors my family was looking for.

Timing: Recipe States: 30 minutes, My Actual Timing: 30 minutes for the sandwiches and salad
Servings: Recipe States: versatile for the number of servings you need, Servings For My Family: I made enough for all of us.
Leftovers: We did not have any.


Family Ratings:
Me: I thought it was okay, but I prefer my fruit plain.
Hubby: He was not a fan.
Big Man: He did not want onions on his fruit.
Bear: He did not like that there was anything on his fruit.
Mr. T: He picked the oranges out of the onions, and asked to, "never do that 'gain."

Will I repeat: No.

What will I change: I will not change anything.