Recognizing the addition of Saturday brunch to The Tomato Head’s offerings, Mahasti presented a recipe for a most memorable brunch sandwich while on WBIR this morning. And the best news…you can order this special, seasonal sandwich at both the Knoxville and Maryville locations of The Tomato Head today. Happy Fall, and Happy Brunch!
Tomato Head’s Roasted Glazed Apple & Ham Monte Cristo Sandwich
For apples:
3.5 – 4 cups thinly sliced apples
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cup apple juice
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
Toss apples and onions with oil. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a medium skillet, over medium heat, mix together apple juice, brown sugar and spices. Bring mixture to boil and allow mixture to boil rapidly for 2-3 minutes. Mixture should bubble and thicken slightly. Toss apples with 1/8 of a cup of glaze. Refrigerate and save remaining glaze for future use.
For Monte Cristo:
4 eggs
¼ cup milk
2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp brown sugar
8 slices of white bread
4 oz of thinly sliced ham
8 slices of Monterey jack cheese
In a medium bowl beat the eggs with the milk, heavy cream and brown sugar. Dip the slices of bread in the egg mixture until soaked through but not soggy – place dipped bread slices on a cookie sheet or large plate. Place 1 piece of cheese on 4 of the slices of dipped bread, followed by approximately 1 oz of ham. Divide the apples between the 4 slices of ham topped dipped bread. Place a piece of cheese on top of the apples then cover with another piece of dipped bread.
in a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter per sandwich. Place 1 -2 sandwiches in the skillet – fry the sandwiches until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the sandwiches over and fry the other side until they are golden brown. Repeat until all the sandwiches have been fried.
Cut sandwiches in ½ sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately with a side of maple syrup.
Serves 4.