This Grilled Ham & Cheese Melt is made with mayo brushed on the outside of sourdough bread for toasting and topped with fried Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese, and Dijonnaise before being toasted in the pan until crispy. The whole sandwich is assembled and then transferred to the pan over medium heat to toast.
Ingredients for Grilled Ham & Cheese Melt
Sourdough Bread, Black Forest Ham, Swiss Cheese, and Dijonnaise (Mayonnaise & Dijon Mustard).
Bread
Sourdough bread is so nice for this sandwich. There is a certain twang in the dijonnaise that pairs so well with sourdough bread.
Black Forest Ham
Thinly slice the entire black forest ham with a meat slicer. Sometimes you can take it to the butcher shop and ask if they can slice it for you. Once you have all the ham sliced, weigh out about 90-114 g of ham per sandwich and portion out the rest in Ziploc bags to freeze.
Fried Black Forest Ham
Heat a pan up over medium heat, and when hot, add the ham. Toss it around and separate the pieces. It only needs a minute or so. But you can fry to your liking. Once done, set the ham aside.
Cheese
Swiss cheese is used for a ham & Swiss cheese melt. However, you can add whatever cheese you prefer. Often I use white or orange cheddar thinly sliced. You could shred it and place it on the bread just as well.
Dijonnaise
The Dijonnaise just brings it all together and is really such a nice flavor for this sandwich. I portion out 1 Tbl of mayo & 1/2 tsp of Dijon per sandwich, but you can use as much as you like.
Grilled Ham & Cheese Melt Assembly
Start by frying the ham quickly and combining the Dijonnaise so that everything is ready to go. Clean out the pan and place it back over medium heat when assembling the sandwiches.
Slather mayonnaise on one side of the bread and place it down on the counter or plate, mayo side up. Brush the other slice of bread with mayo on one side and place the mayo side down on top of the other slice.
On the top slice, spread the desired amount of Dijonnaise.
Place sliced Swiss cheese on top, overlapping in the middle. Top with 90g to 114g of thinly sliced fried ham.
Toasted Ham & Cheese Melt
With the pan heated over medium heat while assembling the sandwiches. Place the top slice with the cheese and ham into the pan, followed by the other slice placed on top, mayo-side up. Toast for about 2-3 minutes or until toasted to your liking.
Gently flip over to toast the other side to your liking. Plate and slice in half to serve right away. If the pan gets too hot, remove it from the heat for a few seconds to cool it down and return to toasting.
Grilled Ham & Cheese Melt Sides
The Ham & Cheese Melt makes for a very good lunch or snack just by itself. To turn it into a main course, add side dishes like chips, fries, or a salad. In the picture below, the grilled ham & cheese sandwich is served with a Caesar Salad that omits the croutons and includes the addition of cucumbers; very nice indeed.
Ingredients
- 90-114 g Thinly Sliced Black Forest Ham
- 2 Slices Sourdough bread
- 2 Slices Swiss Cheese
- As Needed Mayonnaise - to brush the toasted sides of the bread
Dijonnaise
- 4 Tbl Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Dijonnaise: Combine the Dijonnaise ingredients together and mix well.
- Fried Ham: Place a pan over medium heat and fry the ham to your liking. Wash the pan out and place it back over medium heat.
- Assembly: Brush one side of the bread with mayo and place it on the counter mayo-side up. Brush the other slice of bread with mayo on one side and place the mayo side down on the other bread. Slather the desired amount of Dijonnaise on the top bread slice and top with Swiss cheese, followed by the ham.
- Toasting: With the pan set over medium heat, transfer the top slice with the Swiss and ham to the pan. Place the bottom slice on top, mayo side up, and toast for about 2-3 minutes or until done to your liking. Carefully flip over and toast the other side to your liking. Slice in half and serve right away.