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Ham and Havarti sandwich with apple-mustard chutney

Ham and havarti sandwich recipe

This take on the classic ham and havarti sandwich uses a spicy-sweet apple-mustard chutney in place of the usual trimmings. Cooked in a mild wheat beer for added depth and flavor, the stone-ground mustard sweet apple complement the salty dry-cured Black Forest ham perfectly. Top with two slices of creamy havarti on grilled sourdough bread and you have yourself one seriously good sandwich.

One of the easiest ways to ruin an otherwise terrific sandwich is to use inferior meats.
Cheap ham is particularly noticeable to me and I try to buy the best ham that I can without having to take out a small business loan — but banks don’t even provide “ham” loans, I checked. But even if you’re loaded and have high-end deli meat money, questionable marketing tactics can still be misleading so always pay close attention to the label — they’re usually only telling you as many facts as necessary to meet the letter of the law. Manufacturers routinely embellish and stretch the truth until even the rich, fudgy taste of Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs can be described as a “part of a wholesome nutritious balanced breakfast”.

To ensure you’re getting high-quality ham, try to buy ham graded as “Ham” or “Ham in natural juices”. If you’re a little alarmed that there is ham lurking out there that is not simply “ham”, you’re having the right response. Avoid “Ham, water added” and especially “Ham and water product” as this grade means that producers pumped so much water into the ham, that water accounts for almost half of the total weight. So, buying cheap ham is really just buying expensive ham and phosphate flavored water. Yum.

Image: ForkingSpoon



Ham and havarti sandwich recipe

Yields2 Servings

Black Forest ham, havarti cheese and apple mustard chutney on grilled sourdough bread makes for a tasty twist on the classic ham and havarti sandwich.

Prep Time5 minsCook Time15 minsTotal Time20 mins

Ingredients

FOR THE APPLE-MUSTARD CHUTNEY
 1 Granny Smith apple, finely chopped
 ½ cup wheat beer (we used Blue Moon)
 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
FOR THE SANDWICH
 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
 4 slices sourdough bread
 4 tablespoons apple mustard chutney
 6 ounces Black Forest ham
 4 slices Havarti cheese

Instructions

FOR THE APPLE-MUSTARD CHUTNEY
1

Combine the chopped apple, wheat beer, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, whole grain mustard and yellow mustard in a medium saucepan.

Bring the apple chutney mixture to a boil over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

FOR SKILLET OR GRILL
2

Place buttered sourdough slices (butter-side down) on your skillet or grill on medium heat with a slice of Havarti each and cook for 4-5 minutes until the bread becomes crispy and golden brown and the cheese is melted.

3

As the bread is grilling, heat the ham — folded and bunched for the best texture — and the apple mustard chutney mixture until they are completely heated through. Place on a slice of sourdough and top with the remaining slices of bread, cut in half and serve.

FOR PANINI GRILL
4

If you’re using a Panini grill, place two sourdough slices butter-side down on the grill with 1 slice of Havarti on each. Layer on 3 ounces of ham and the apple mustard chutney and cover with the remaining cheese slices. Top the sandwiches with the last two pieces of sourdough butter-side up, lower the press and grill for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through. Cut in half and serve.


Notes

In the United States and Canada, especially in supermarkets, “Black Forest” ham is more of a marketing term than the actual, regulated Schwarzwälder Schinken found in Germany, as only ham from the Black Forest region of Germany can truly be labeled as such. And while some ham sold in the U.S. may use a similar preparation and are quite good, many are not.

Ingredients

FOR THE APPLE-MUSTARD CHUTNEY
 1 Granny Smith apple, finely chopped
 ½ cup wheat beer (we used Blue Moon)
 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
FOR THE SANDWICH
 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
 4 slices sourdough bread
 4 tablespoons apple mustard chutney
 6 ounces Black Forest ham
 4 slices Havarti cheese

Directions

FOR THE APPLE-MUSTARD CHUTNEY
1

Combine the chopped apple, wheat beer, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, whole grain mustard and yellow mustard in a medium saucepan.

Bring the apple chutney mixture to a boil over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

FOR SKILLET OR GRILL
2

Place buttered sourdough slices (butter-side down) on your skillet or grill on medium heat with a slice of Havarti each and cook for 4-5 minutes until the bread becomes crispy and golden brown and the cheese is melted.

3

As the bread is grilling, heat the ham — folded and bunched for the best texture — and the apple mustard chutney mixture until they are completely heated through. Place on a slice of sourdough and top with the remaining slices of bread, cut in half and serve.

FOR PANINI GRILL
4

If you’re using a Panini grill, place two sourdough slices butter-side down on the grill with 1 slice of Havarti on each. Layer on 3 ounces of ham and the apple mustard chutney and cover with the remaining cheese slices. Top the sandwiches with the last two pieces of sourdough butter-side up, lower the press and grill for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through. Cut in half and serve.

Ham and havarti sandwich


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