Monte Cristo with Raspberry Dipping Sauce

while I was thinking of things to put in the Snakmaster I remembered the Monte Cristo - such a great sandwich!  simple enough, too.  I gave it a shot and it was actually good.  it's not the fried outside like you'd get from Cheddars, but we really liked it.

 

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH WITH RASPBERRY DIPPING SAUCE:

sliced ham and turkey
Swiss cheese slices
sourdough bread slices
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

powdered sugar

For the sauce, heat the raspberries in a pot on medium heat with sugar and maple syrup until the sugar is dissolved, the raspberries are breaking apart, and the sauce has thickened.  Let cool.  This can also be done in the microwave, but watch to make sure it doesn't boil over - it's a big mess.

Whisk together egg, milk, and 1 tsp sugar (optional, but better with it) and set aside.  Layer ham, turkey and cheese together, cut diagonally and lay between two slices of bread.  Dip in egg mixture and place in the preheated Snakmaster making sure the diagonal lines in the wells matches up with the cut made in the meat and cheese. Close the lid for 30 seconds - this will be a tight squeeze if you really layer the filling up - then open the latch and let sit for another 30 seconds or so.  Cut sandwiches in half, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with the raspberry dipping sauce.

 

Stuffed French Toast Crunch

I've been going to Sunny Street Café by our house and getting their French Toast Crunch.  it's breaded in brown sugar, coconut and granola - it's so good!  every time I eat it I think about how I can make my own.  then I started thinking about my other favorite French toast - IHOP's stuffed French toast with cream cheese and strawberries.  then I wondered how awesome those two would be together!  so out came my mom's Snakmaster and here we are.

 

  

THE BEST MOST AWESOME STUFFED FRENCH TOAST CRUNCH:

 

8 slices of bread (your choice of flavor, I used honey wheat because that's what we normally eat but cinnamon raisin bread would be really good!)

1/2 C shredded coconut

1/4 C granola (I use Archer Farms Pecan Sticky Bun granola cereal from Target because that's what I could find and it sounded good)
2 TBSP brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 - 1/2 cup milk

4 oz. cream cheese

3 TBSP butter

1/4 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

optional:
fresh or frozen strawberries, or other fruit
sugar
 

Heat strawberries on stove (or in microwave) with a little sugar (optional) until they can be mashed up.  Set aside to cool. Cream butter and cream cheese together, slowly add powdered sugar until combined, add a splash of milk if too thick, and mix in vanilla.  Tweak flavor if necessary and set aside.  Add milk to beaten egg and set aside.  Pulse coconut, brown sugar, and granola together in a food processor (I use a coffee grinder) until it looks like bread crumbs, set aside.  Spread filling onto a slice of bread and sandwich with another slice, dip in egg and milk mixture, then dip in coconut and granola mixture and lay in the preheated Snakmaster.  Close the Snakmaster for a minute, then check to make sure it's not browning too much.  When the outside is brown enough for your liking, take it out.  Top with powdered sugar and/or fruit.
 

Snakmaster!

I remember watching HSN when I was a kid in the 90's and seeing the Snakmaster - it looked so neat to me.. for some reason!  my mom got one and we used to put pancake mix in it.  it was fun for a little bit and then we forgot about it.  recently I've been using it and coming up with some recipes, and all our food has pretty much been triangular, but it's all good.

some things I've made are grilled cheese (Leo loves this with Ranch dressing and eats it crust and all),

leftovers quesadilla made from a tortilla and leftovers from the fridge (chicken tetrazzini, I think) and cheese,

"corn dogs" made from Jiffy cornbread batter and hotdogs,

and muffin mixes (Leo's finger in the corner waiting to snatch one).

I'll be posting some recipes I came up with soon, and I have to say, they are really good!