Ham and Cheese, Please! 15 Ham Sandwiches to Make for Any Meal of the Day
Savor a classic Cubano, Monte Cristo, Croque Monsieur, and more.
Whichever way you slice it, ham is a terrific choice to layer onto sandwiches of all types, hot or cold. Ham's natural affinity for cheese makes it an especially great addition to America's most popular sandwich, the grilled cheese. Its salty flavor profile provides a wonderful counterpoint for sweet ingredients such as jam or fruit, like in our Peaches and Cream Sandwich. And paired with eggs — fried, scrambled, or in the custardy coating for French toast — ham is a key element in a number of delightful breakfast sandwiches. If you have ham on hand, you can't go wrong with any of these tasty sandwiches.
Monte Cristo
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee
A hybrid of a ham and cheese sandwich and French toast, this breakfast and brunch sandwich is both sweet and savory, with raspberry jam and spicy mustard.
Cubano Sandwiches
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Roast pork, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard come together for these melty griddled sandwiches. They get an extra kick of flavor from a classic Cuban mojo used as both a marinade and a sauce. Like most Cuban mojos, this one by food writer Anya von Bremzen starts with orange juice; cumin, garlic, oregano, cilantro, and red onions add complexity.
The Oriole "Ham Sandoval"
Nutty raclette cheese melted on toasted baguette gets piled high with rich country ham and silky mortadella studded with cinnamon and black pepper in this exquisite ham sandwich from 2017 F&W Best New Chef Noah Sandoval of Oriole in Chicago. Tangy walnut mustard aïoli, peppery arugula, and poppy-citrus dressing cut through the richness and add fresh flavor to every bite.
Croque Monsieur
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
Croque Monsieur (which translates to “Mister Crunchy Bite”) is one of the most iconic French bistro dishes, often served at lunch or as a snack at the bar. Thin slices of ham are topped with grated Gruyère and a rich, creamy Mornay sauce. The sauce and gooey cheese make this a knife-and-fork sandwich.
Croque Madame
The French croque madame sandwich is a lesson in extravagance, made with white bread, butter, cheese, ham, Mornay sauce, and a fried egg. It's a luxurious, deeply comforting dish. Serve the sandwiches with cornichons and a green salad tossed with a bright vinaigrette to complement the richness of the sandwiches.
Peaches and Cream Sandwich
Tangy chevre cheese, sweet peach preserves, salty shaved ham, and fresh arugula unite in this satisfying, summery sandwich from Daisies restaurant in Chicago. Toasting the sourdough slices in bacon fat adds an extra-rich touch and gets them crisp and deliciously browned. The ham also takes a quick trip to the griddle to bathe in the fat until it's just warm and beginning to brown slightly — be careful not to dry it out.
Ham-Jam Sandwiches
No summer picnic is complete without these effortless sandwiches from 2007 F&W Best New Chef Gabriel Rucker, the genius behind Portland knockouts Le Pigeon, Canard, and Little Bird Bistro. Best-quality baguettes get a thick slather of butter and goat cheese, dollops of blueberry jam, and ribbons of salty prosciutto.
Inside-Out Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
The best way to improve on a great grilled cheese is to sprinkle some Parmesan on the outside of the bread. It creates a super-crisp, cheesy crust.
Smoked Burrata Hoagie
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This hearty sandwich is filled with creamy, smoke-infused cheese, salty prosciutto, and a piquant hoagie spread. The burrata may be smoked up to three days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tomato, Prosciutto, and Gruyère Sandwiches
Chef Daniel Humm's broiled open-face cheese sandwiches make a terrific snack or a decadent lunch. They evoke classic Swiss fondue because they combine bubbling hot Gruyère with white wine and kirsch, a cherry-flavored spirit.
Beaten Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich with Tomato Jam
Chef Marcus Samuelsson makes incredible biscuits, adding a little bit of nutty brown butter to amp up the flavor. He serves them warm, spread with tangy-sweet tomato jam, fried ham, and perfectly scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese.
Grilled Ham and Cheese with Strawberry-Red Wine Jam
The secret to burger chef Chris Kronner's delectable sandwiches is his Pinot Noir-spiked jam. Kronner got the idea when he was helping Tartine's Elisabeth Prueitt test jam recipes while they drank wine.
Open-Face Egg and Griddled Ham Breakfast Sandwiches
Former F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple poaches a dozen eggs at once in a muffin pan in the oven, making his cute and tasty breakfast sliders extraordinarily easy to prepare for entertaining.
Piadina with Ricotta, Prosciutto, and Arugula
Throughout the towns of Emilia-Romagna are little food stands, where piadina (flatbread) is grilled to order and sandwiched around a variety of fillings, like cheese and prosciutto. Chef Paul Bartolotta's version is hearty and irresistible, especially when layered with milky, fresh ricotta cheese, salty prosciutto, and a vibrant arugula salad.
Ham and Deviled Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
© Christina Holmes
This irresistible breakfast is a hybrid of an egg salad sandwich and an Egg McMuffin. It combines spicy, pickle-laced egg salad on a toasted English muffin with warm, smoky ham and crispy frisée.
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