Christmas Leftovers into a Monte Cristo Pie

As I lay in bed thinking of my turkey leftovers, a Monte Cristo sandwich came to mind. That 1950’s icon that developed out of the French Croque Monsieur starting swirling in my dreams (yes, I constantly dream of food). If it works with ham, why not also use Turkey. I decided to take it one step further. Rather than stand over a frying pan creating an egg dipped sandwich for a family of 5, why not transform it into a bread pudding where the oven does all the work.

What I love about this recipe is that it is very forgiving and accepts almost any leftover. If you do not have Emmenthal cheese then use grated cheddar or Manchego (as I did in this case). I used my pear and cranberry sauce in the mix rather than the traditional cranberry sauce and it was delicious.

RECIPE:

(serves 4)

4  eggs

2 cups milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (if you have any)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 baguette or any leftover bread, sliced thinly

2 1/2 cups chopped turkey or ham meat

1 1/4 cup gruyere or any leftover cheese

1/4-1/2 cup cranberry sauce

METHOD:

Mix egg, milk and dijon mustard together in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste

Mix turkey, cheese and cranberry sauce in another small bowl.

Butter a medium sized oven proof dish, then place half of bread slices on the bottom of the dish to cover well.

Pour turkey mixture over bread slices.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of grated cheese

Place remaining bread slices over turkey mixture then pour the egg mixture over the slices. Cover with plastic wrap and push down on mixture. Allow to sit for 30 minutes so that the egg mixture is absorbed.

Bake in a 180C (375F) oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve with a little extra cranberry sauce on the side and enjoy!