14 Ways To Easily Upgrade A Classic Ham And Cheese Sandwich
In this world, we need things that we know we can just rely on. And sometimes, those things come between two slices of bread. The ham and cheese sandwich is as trusty as they come, and it's a choice that people come back to time and time again. In a survey conducted by Contract Testing, ham and cheese was the top pick out of all the sandwich choices out there by almost half of all the people taking part. And honestly, we get it. The combo of savory, slightly sweet ham, and creamy, mellow cheese makes a dynamite flavor pairing, and the protein and fat that both items contain can keep you satisfied for hours.
For a lot of people, the ham and cheese sandwich is perfection that can't be improved on. But we like to think a little differently. While this classic meal is a favorite for a reason, it can also get somewhat same-y. And there is a load of ways that you can change up your ham and cheese sandwich to make it even more delicious. Wanna know our top changes to this timeless dish? Let's dive right in.
1. Turn it into a grilled cheese
Deciding between a ham and cheese sandwich and a grilled cheese is one of life's great choices, almost as big as figuring out which college you want to go to, or which car to buy. Okay, obviously we're kidding. But if you're stuck on your lunch choice, why not pick both? Making your ham and cheese sandwich into a grilled cheese is a simple way to jazz it up, thanks to the fact that the main ingredient, cheese, is already in the fray. Plus, by bulking it out with additional ingredients, you can make this meal even more filling.
To add even more flavor to the mix, try a grilled cheese with smoked cheddar, ham, and bacon. The smoked cheddar pairs excellently with the salty sharpness of the bacon, with the ham bringing extra meatiness. Pop your ingredients in between two slices of regular white bread (or any bread you choose) adorned with mayo or chipotle mayo. Then, either put them straight into a greased pan at medium-high heat or wrap them in foil before pressing them into a hot pan. The foil will allow you to keep the fat levels down slightly, while still letting the bread crisp up.
2. Mix it up with different types of bread
Now, there's nothing wrong with making a ham and cheese sandwich with a standard piece of sliced white bread. Your average white loaf may not be bursting with flavor, but it provides a neutral vehicle for your fillings to shine.
However, if you want to make a sandwich special, you have to think about the basics. Using different bread delivers different flavors that can complement the interior of your sandwich in new and wonderful ways. Using sourdough instead of white bread delivers a tanginess and additional density that gives the sandwich extra layers. Sourdough pairs excellently with other tastes like mustard, which may be subtly present in your ham or cheese (or, indeed, in any mustard you add to the sandwich).
As well as this, using different bread can boost the nutritional qualities of the meal. Sourdough isn't just tasty — it can be great for your gut health, thanks to polyphenols in the bread being more readily obtainable by your body after it's cooked (via BBC Good Food). Using whole wheat bread, too, may give you more fiber, protein, and a pleasant nutty taste.
3. Grab some new types of cheese
If you always use cheddar or mozzarella in your ham and cheese, you're seriously missing out. These cheeses may be easy to find and reliably delicious, but they're just the tip of the iceberg if you want a premium ham and cheese sandwich. The world is full of underrated cheeses you need to try, all of which deliver a different texture and flavor.
Next time you're at the store, instead of mozzarella, grab yourself a block of fontina. This cow's milk cheese has a natural nuttiness to it, and a mildness that allows the ham in your sandwich to take center stage. Another cow's milk cheese, Gouda, is similarly buttery and mild, but when it's smoked, it develops a deep complexity and pairs very well with milder or sweeter hams. Aged Gouda is also a fantastic choice if you want your cheese to have more presence.
To try out something different, Manchego is a great option. This Spanish cheese is made with sheep's milk, and has a higher fat content, making it taste richer than some other options. This creaminess means that it's best suited for ham with slightly more robust flavors, like choices that have gone through an extensive curing process.
4. Think about your spreads
We're gonna let you in on a little secret, friends. A sandwich lives and dies by its spread. While what you slather on your slices of bread may seem immaterial to what's really inside your sub or hoagie, a mere coating for the fillings to shine, it can change the flavor profile considerably, as well as provide essential moisture. And while the standard ham and cheese is usually made with butter or regular mayo, a quick coating of mustard, aioli, or pesto can bring a brand new world of taste to the table.
Our top choice to amp up a ham and cheese, though, is chipotle mayo. Chipotle brings a smokiness and heat to a ham and cheese sandwich, introducing a whole new level of flavor that heightens the impact of the fillings. The mayo aspect, meanwhile, brings down the intensity of chipotle, ensuring that things don't get too hot. The best part is, chipotle mayo is super easy to make at home — all you need is a jar of chipotle paste and some standard mayonnaise. And if you want to make it really special, add some honey for some sweetness that cuts through the spice.
5. Get toasting
While there are a lot of things we love about sandwiches, we don't love how flimsy they can be. A well-made sandwich is a construction that'll stay intact even after a rollercoaster ride, but get one element wrong — like too much spread or too-thin bread — and that thing is going to fall apart halfway through eating it.
One way to get around this, and to take your ham and cheese to the next level, is simple: Toast that bad boy. By toasting the bread you're using, you give the whole affair extra structural support while delivering a moreish crunch with every bite. If you're using standard sliced bread, all you have to do is pop your slices in the toaster before layering on the ham and cheese.
If you're using a sub roll, however, try toasting it in the oven. Just pop your sliced roll into a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for a few minutes, until everything looks browned and crisp. To make the sandwich extra special, add your cheese on top of one of the pieces first, and allow it to melt in the oven, too. The whole thing will get exceptionally gooey and delicious.
6. Don't be afraid to get sour
The beauty of a ham and cheese is the seriously savory flavors at play. The combo of umami-rich ham and mature cheese makes the whole thing a meaty treat. But if you want to introduce a whole new taste zone into the mix, take a leaf out of your local burger joint's book, and add some pickles.
Dill pickles, in particular, give the sandwich a sour, salty zing, that brightens every bite. Dill pickles, or any other pickles flavored with herbs, also give a slightly floral element to the flavor palette. And, as a bonus, you get to say that you've included some greenery in your sandwich. Hey, it still counts, right?
Dill pickles are, of course, pretty easy to come by in any store. But to make your sandwich special, try some simple homemade pickles. All it takes is a few handfuls of smaller pickling cucumbers, some jars, some pickling mix, and a bit of time and patience. Pop your cucumbers in the pickle jars, wait, and then fish them out once they're sour, crisp, and ready to leap into your sandwich. By doing this, you can also control what goes into your pickles, and limit the addition of any extra sodium or preservatives.
7. Keep it interesting with different shapes
Are you a rectangle or a triangle kind of person? The best shape to cut your sandwiches into is a hotly-contested debate, with various arguments for triangles and rectangles on either side. But we're about to throw a curveball into the ring, folks. There are many more shapes that you can cut your ham and cheese sandwiches into, and doing so can make your meal feel even more special. Cutting ham and cheese sandwiches into more special configurations, like fingers, squares, or even making pinwheels out of them, makes the whole thing a feast for your eyes, as well as your stomach.
While this might seem pointless, how our food looks can improve our experience of eating it, and even potentially cause it to feel like it tastes better, according to a study published in the journal Flavour. And besides, isn't cutting boring old sandwiches into more interesting shapes just a bit more fun? Your kids will certainly think so. Making ham and cheese sandwiches into creative shapes might make children who are more selective with what they eat more likely to try them. Try getting some cookie cutters in the shapes of your kid's current passion (dinosaurs, flowers, you name it), and stamp out some cool sandwiches.
8. Make your vegetables more interesting
While a ham and cheese sandwich doesn't strictly need vegetables to shine, it doesn't hurt. Putting some slices of tomato or lettuce into the mix is an awesome way to get some extra nutrition, freshness, and textural variation. But to make things super special, you don't want to stop at raw vegetables. Delicious though they are, raw vegetables can be jazzed up relatively easily, to add smoky, sweet, and earthy flavors that will reinforce the tastes of the protein elements.
All it takes is a little bit of heat. Make some grilled summer vegetables by slicing up some eggplant, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes, and garlic, and tossing them in a hot pan, one by one, until they're charred and cooked through. Cook your tomatoes last, and then add in any seasonings that you like (dried herbs and heat-giving spices are excellent here, as well as salt), before mixing all of the vegetables. Take them off the heat, and then once they've cooled completely, grab a small amount of the mixture with your tongs, and place them in your sandwich. It'll make the whole thing bigger and better.
9. Don't just use any old ham
With a sandwich as simple as ham and cheese, you really can't afford to be getting the ingredients wrong. Choosing the cheapest, flimsiest ham you can find might make for a cost-effective lunch, but it also means that no matter what else you do to the sandwich, it'll never truly shine. The best way to address this, and improve your sandwich, is to get some special slices of meat.
To keep things feeling classic, a thick-cut honey roast or pepper-crusted ham will add additional tastes into the fray, and keep things exceptionally meaty. Or, you can turn it up a notch by using cured ham. Prosciutto varieties can give your sandwich a briny, developed flavor, with creaminess from their fat content. Spanish hams like jamón iberico, jamón mangalica, and jamón serrano can also provide complexity and sweetness. Bear in mind, though, that some cured hams are sliced especially thin, so these varieties are best used in sandwiches where they won't be overshadowed by other bulky ingredients or bread.
10. Add a little sweetness
Sweet and savory flavors are often treated as separate, but they were born to go together. Touching up an umami-heavy dish with a hint of sweetness is a great way to offset heaviness, and keep your whole tongue entertained. And in ham and cheese sandwiches, adding sweet elements improves them hugely. Think about it: Both ham and cheese go brilliantly with sweet things on their own, with ham glazed in honey or molasses and cheese served with grapes and apples. So why not throw them all together?
Our favorite way to add sweetness to ham and cheese is with honey. With its floral, mellow taste, a quick spread of honey on your bread brightens up the whole thing, as well as working with the flavor profiles of ham and cheese and not being too distracting. For extra crunch, you might also want to try slicing up some apples or pears and slotting them right into your sandwich. Just make sure that you're cutting them thin, and dabbing them dry with a paper towel first so that they don't become too bulky or make your bread too moist.
11. Get a little spicy
We think that there are very few foods in the world that aren't made better with spice. And we definitely think that about ham and cheese sandwiches, too. Although ham and cheese subs are beloved for their reliable savory flavor, a bit of spice can go a long way. The heat from chiles or a spicy relish can add piquancy to the sandwich that takes it beyond its humble flavors and makes the whole thing just a little more complex and interesting.
If you're seeking the heat, some sliced fresh chiles can add fierce spice to the meal. Make sure you use them sparingly, though, so that you don't change the flavor of your sandwich entirely. The idea is to deliver just enough spice to boost the taste of the ham and cheese, not distract from it. If you like things to be a little more subdued heat-wise, but still full of flavor, try adding in a dash of paprika. Paprika, and smoked paprika, are classy options to sprinkle into a sandwich, and in smoked paprika's case, can add a chorizo-like flavor to the ham without the intensity and fattiness of the cured sausage itself.
12. Turn them into a crowd-pleaser
What's better than having a ham and cheese sandwich all to yourself? Why, sharing it with your friends, of course! Okay, that may depend on your opinion of sharing food, but if you're in the giving spirit, making a bunch of ham and cheese sandwiches rocks. There's a tendency to go fancy with crowd offerings, but honestly, given that everyone loves ham and cheese sandwiches, why rock the boat?
You still want to make things a little different, though. So try out some baked ham and cheese sliders. Sliders are a terrific way to feed a bunch of people in one go, and it's a simple operation to assemble them. Just put some ham and cheese between some Hawaiian rolls spread with mayonnaise, in a fairly deep baking dish. Then, the secret touch: a melted butter drizzle, mixed with mustard, brown sugar, finely chopped onion, and Worcestershire sauce. This tangy combo amps up the flavors of the ham and cheese and allows the whole construction to brown in the oven without burning. Pop them in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or so, take them out, and feed the hungry masses.
13. Don't stop at just bread for the carbs
One of the things we like most about ham and cheese sandwiches (and we like a lot of things about them) is how perfectly balanced they are, nutrient-wise. Although, indeed, there may not be a whole lot of green items in your standard ham and cheese, you're still getting a great amount of carbs, proteins, and fats. This makes it a sandwich that will keep you going for hours.
But we all have those days where we just wanna have a few more carbs. And to do that, while making your ham and cheese super-tasty, is to reach for the fries. A french fry sandwich, also known as a chip butty, is a thing of sheer beauty. Commonly enjoyed around St. Patrick's Day, a chip butty consists of putting fluffy, soft fries between two slices of bread, or in a bun, and chowing down.
Now, we're not nutritionists, but we can see how that would provide a lot of carbs and not a lot more. But by throwing some fries into your ham and cheese, you're still getting the protein and fat that will sustain you, while also enjoying an ultra-carby treat.
14. Change up your fats
Ham and cheese sandwiches often rely on some generous lashings of butter to keep the whole thing moist and flavorful. But while we're not complaining about that, even something as mouth-watering as butter can get a bit boring after a while. And if you want a quick and easy way to upgrade a ham and cheese, trying a different kind of fat could be the way to go.
The simplest, and arguably best, swap to make is to use olive oil instead of butter. Olive oil has a distinctive taste of its own when used raw, with an earthiness and slightly herbal flavor that make a nice counterpoint to the ham and cheese. Extra virgin olive oil, in particular, is more robustly flavored and is also full of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, both of which can be beneficial for your heart health, per Healthline. If you prefer your fats to be neutral-tasting, but you still want the mouthfeel and heartiness that fat supplies to a sandwich, try using a brushing of canola or sunflower oil.