There's been some discussion about this (I think mainly in the commuting/cyclo-cross forums).
A point I remember being made that might be worth considering is that "true" cross bikes are designed to be ridden for an hour at a time, and might not be all that comfy as a road bike to do distance on. What you might be thinking of is something along the lines of a road bike with clearance for bigger tyres, and lower gearing, in which case a tourer might fit the bill better.
If you have the budget for the Expede, you've a fair amount of choice, and could look at something like Planet X' Kaffenback frame, built to the spec you want...
If you don't mind not having drop bars, there's a flat bar build of Planet X' "Uncle John" cross bike available on
Chain Reaction cycles for £599 that could be worth a look;
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24233