Holiday Ham & Cheese Party Sandwiches Recipe

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.

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Seems like this time of year I always find myself looking for something yummy ((and easy)) to bring to a party.  I secretly love bringing the most delicious treat to the party – but really don’t we all love getting that label?  So a few years ago, I stumbled upon just the thing that accomplishes my goal of yummy & easy :: “Party Sandwiches”.

Party sandwiches can be made in so many different ways! 

• roast beef, cheddar & horseradish sauce
• BBQ chicken & Colby jack
• turkey, swiss & caramelized onions
• Philly cheese steak sandwiches
• Even meatball sub & mozzarella cheese ((although this is quite messy for a party))

But for this recipe, I used ham & sharp white cheddar cheese with a special homemade cranberry mustard blend and a pickle for some flavorful flair.

Here’s what you need to start ::

• deli ham
• sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
• mild country style Dijon mustard
• jellied cranberry sauce
• dill pickle slices
• 1 package of sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls
• salted butter
• fresh thyme 
• fresh chives, finely chopped

Start off by spraying a 9″ x 13″ dish with nonstick spray ((I like Baker’s Joy – the flour in the spray seems to make the bottom of the bread extra crispy. Next, mix the jellied cranberry sauce and the mustard together and combine the herbs & softened butter.

Then, begin the sandwich assembly by slicing the attached dinner rolls in half horizontally. Spread a thin layer of the cranberry mustard on the cut side of the bottom layer of bread. Save the remaining cranberry mustard to use as a condiment for guests if they want their sandwich a little more saucy.

If desired, place a pickle on each roll and then top with ham and cheese.

Place the top side of the buns over the cheese and spread herbed butter liberally over the top.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and place into a preheated 350° oven. Covering tightly with foil is an important part of this process because the steam softens the bread in the most irresistible way. After 20-30 minutes, remove the foil and allow the top of the rolls to crisp. You may want to flip your oven setting over to low broil for just a minute. But that’s only if you can keep a close eye on the sandwiches to make sure they don’t burn.

The cheese is melty, the ham is hot and juicy and that cranberry mustard added the perfect hint of sweet and sour. The pickle does exactly what pickles do best – make everything just a bit better.