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The Best Ham Sandwich

Monday, 2 June 2025

The Best Ham Sandwich

 

I get regular emails from a blog called Barefeet in the Kitchen. I have been a fan of Mary's Yonkin's recipes for years. I have all of her cookbooks and in fact they were the first ones I replaced after moving back to Canada and having had to leave all my books behind.


The other day she sent a recipe for a delicious sounding Ham Sandwich into my email box. She called it the best ham sandwich you'll ever eat!  That's a tall order I thought, but I was intrigued!  It did sound and look very good, with layers of rocket, ham and sweet cranberry and pepper jam on a goat's cheese slathered fresh and crispy baguette.



The Best Ham Sandwich 




I love LOVE all of those ingredients!  Its true.  The combination sounded like something I would enjoy.  Creamy goat's cheese, salty ham.  What a brilliant combination.  Of course, if you don't like goat's cheese or find its flavor to be too strong you can use a whipped cream cheese in its place.



I am a huge fan of Grandpa Ham by Sikorski. It is wood smoked and delicious and tastes just like the old-fashioned ham that my grandfather used to smoke himself.


We have a cranberry bog just down the road from us where they harvest the best cranberries each year and a local place turns them into jams and sauces.  I knew their cranberry pepper jam would be perfect for this sandwich.


And rocket/arugula . . .  one of my favorite greens. I love its peppery bite.


What could go wrong with this sandwich?  Nothing!  This was one very tasty sandwich. Yes, I did downsize it to make only two sandwiches.  It can easily be doubled or tripled and cut into smaller bite sized sandwiches to use as appetizers.  Just a suggestion.



The Best Ham Sandwich 





WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THE BEST HAM SANDWICH


Just a few simple ingredients.  Most are not all that out of the ordinary, except for maybe the goats cheese.


  • two fresh (6-inch) French Baguettes
  • 3 ounces (85g) creamy soft goats cheese
  • 2 - 3 TBS spicy cranberry and pepper jam
  • a couple handfuls of fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces/227g) shaved Deli Ham


The Best Ham Sandwich 




You could use one 12-inch baguette in the place of two smaller ones. In either case I always lop off the ends to make my sandwiches easier to eat.  Choose nice fresh ones, preferably baked on the day.


If you are not a fan of goats cheese you can use whipped cream cheese in its place. I think you could also use a Boursin cheese. Just don't go too wild with the flavor as you don't want it to jar with the other flavors in the sandwich. Keep it simple.


I used a good deli baked ham, shaved into thin slices.  Crumple them up when you put them onto the sandwich. This adds interest!



I used a cranberry and pepper jam that is made here locally. It was delicious!


Don't overdo the baby arugula/rocket.  You want it to make a statement, but you don't want it to take over the sandwich. Make sure you pat it really dry after washing it.  You don't want a soggy sandwich!



The Best Ham Sandwich 




HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HAM SANDWICH 

It's a doddle really.



Slice your baguettes in half horizontally creating two flat halves for each sandwich. Divide the goat's cheese between each slice, spreading it out evenly. (Both sides of each baguette should be covered.)


Layer the baby arugula (rocket) on the bottom halves of the baguettes, on top of the goat's cheese. You want to make sure you use ample rocket, but don't go too far over the top. You also don't want the rocket to take over the sandwich.


Layer the ham over top of the arugula, dividing it equally between the two baguettes. I like to crumple it up a bit to add extra texture and interest.




The Best Ham Sandwich 




Spoon the cranberry pepper jam over top of the goat's cheese on the top halves of the sandwiches. Don't too overzealous with this. A little goes a long way!


 Place jam side down on top of the ham, pressing everything together lightly. Cut in half on the diagonal to serve. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you are not fond of goat's cheese, feel free to use whipped cream cheese in its place.

The Cranberry Pepper jam has the nicest flavor and goes very well with the other flavors in this sandwich.






The Best Ham Sandwich 





MY HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING A BETTER SANDWICH


If you follow my hints and tips you will never be faced with a boring, dry or tasteless sandwich again!  I promise!


1. Use the best and the freshest ingredients.  Use a fresh, quality bread.  Fresh fillings, meat, spreads, veggies.

2. Spread any butter or creamed cheese right to the edges of the bread. This helps to keep the bread fresh and, aside from adding flavor, forms a barrier between the filling and the bread which helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy.

3. Season your veggies. Add just a pinch of salt before you put them into your sandwich. You don't need a lot, and it will make all the difference in the world.

4. If all you have to use is stale bread, don't give up. You can revive it by toasting your bread in a toaster or by making a grilled sandwich in a skillet.

5. Balance out the flavors and textures of your sandwich. Create a perfect balance of crunchy, creamy, fresh, fatty, sweet, etc.  Make sure they all play well together, however.




The Best Ham Sandwich 



I am always a little bit dubious when someone dares to call something "the best."  Taste is subjective and what is someone else's best might not be my own.  This was really delicious however and I will admit to being suitably impressed.



The tang of the goat's cheese was nice against the saltiness of the ham and the sweetness of the cranberry and pepper jam. The rocket added a nice touch of peppery earthy freshness and of course, the crisp, yet chewy bread added in another delicious factor.



In short, this was one pretty tasty sandwich!






The Best Ham Sandwich



I am like my late Aunt Freda. I love LOVE LOVE sandwiches.  The world would be an empty place without them.  Here are a few other quick and delicious favorites of mine that I think you might also enjoy!



Croissant Turkey Club Sandwich

 


CROISSANT TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH - Everything you love about a typical club sandwich, except tucked into a buttery flaky croissant.  With sliced tomato, bacon, plenty of turkey, shredded lettuce and a good quality mayonnaise. You could also add a slice of cheese if you wish.



Classic Tomato Sandwich





THE CLASSIC TOMATO SANDWICH - Everyone has their own idea about what constitutes a great tomato sandwich. It's such a simple thing and yet can be very divisive with everyone weighing in with their own opinions.  In my books a tomato sandwich doesn't get much better than this. My way of doing it is quite delicious.  You could add rashers of crisp smoky bacon to it, but then it becomes a BLT. Not quite the same thing I don't think!




Yield: 2 servings
Author: Marie Rayner
The Best Ham Sandwich

The Best Ham Sandwich

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Creamy goats cheese; peppery arugula (rocket), smoky ham and a sweet and spicy jam tucked into a fresh baguette. It doesn't get much better than this!

Ingredients

  • two fresh (6-inch) French Baguettes
  • 3 ounces (85g) creamy soft goats cheese
  • 2 - 3 TBS spicy cranberry and pepper jam
  • a couple handfuls of fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces/227g) shaved Deli Ham

Instructions

  1. Slice your baguettes in half horizontally creating two flat halves for each sandwich. Divide the goat's cheese between each slice, spreading it out evenly. (Both sides of each baguette should be covered.)
  2. Layer the baby arugula (rocket) on the bottom halves of the baguettes, on top of the goat's cheese.
  3. Layer the ham over top of the arugula, dividing it equally between the two baguettes.
  4. Spoon the cranberry pepper jam over top of the goat's cheese on the top halves of the sandwiches. Place jam side down on top of the ham, pressing everything together lightly.
  5. Cut in half on the diagonal to serve. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you are not fond of goat's cheese, feel free to use whipped cream cheese in its place.


The Cranberry Pepper jam has the nicest flavor and goes very well with the other flavors in this sandwich.

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The Best Ham Sandwich






This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.  

  

Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 


 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.
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Meals of the Week, May 25th to May 31st, 2025

Sunday, 1 June 2025

 

Meals of the Week, May 25th to May 31st, 2025



Hi everyone!  Happy Sunday!  We all know what that means here in The English Kitchen. It is the day that I take the opportunity to share with you my sweet readers my Meals of the Week!  All of the deliciousness that I have enjoyed as my main meals over the past seven days. As I like to say, that is a whole lot of tasty!


I really like sharing these recipes and menu suggestions with you. It is something which I enjoy doing every week and it also helps to keep me accountable for what I am eating!  I don't want to be that person who subsists on ready-meals, frozen dinners or takeaways!  


Just because you live on your own that doesn't mean that you cannot cook delicious meals for yourself. They can be nutritious, simple and yet still exciting. They also don't have to cost the moon!


As a Senior, living on a fixed income, keeping things within budget is very important to me. A lot of what I cook these days is downsized to make only a few servings, but there are also other things like Bolognese sauce that I cook as a whole recipe and then freeze in single sized servings.  I always use them up!


Most weeks I do have dinner at my sister's home on Sundays with the family. I always include a similar recipe to what we have had in my meals list.  Occasionally I will eat out and I will give a similar recipe to what I have enjoyed there as well.


These are only my main meals of the day.  It does not include my breakfast or supper. Generally speaking, I will eat my main meal around mid-afternoon, unless I am eating with other people. That is what works best for me. My breakfasts usually consist of a protein shake that I make myself, or sometimes plain yogurt, granola and fruit.


In the evenings I will usually have something light as I don't want to go to bed on a full stomach and my older digestive system works best when I have only eaten something light later in the day like cereal or toast, a salad, or some fruit, perhaps a sandwich, and that always before 7 P.M.  (Isn't getting older grand!)


I remember a day when my ex-husband and I would make a pizza after the kids went to bed and eat that, or a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese with no problem! Those days are only distant memories now. I just can't do that type of thing any longer.


So, anyways, without wattling on any longer, here are my meals of the week for the past seven days! I hope you will be inspired to want to cook some of them for yourselves!  Enjoy!




Roast Chicken with a Lemon & Herb Stuffing


SUNDAY, May 25th - Family Dinner at my sister's


On Sunday we had a lovely family dinner at my sisters. She cooked a roast chicken with all of the trimmings, and we had some ice cream for dessert. It was just so nice to all be together.


In its place I am sharing my recipe for Roast Chicken with Lemon & Herb Stuffing.  This is my all time favorite roast chicken recipe. The chicken always comes out juicy and tender and you have a delicious homemade stuffing to enjoy with it, not to mention some pretty fabulous juices to make a gravy with. 


You just cannot beat a roast chicken for a delicious Sunday or family dinner!



Swedish Meatballs


MONDAY, May 26th - Swedish Meatballs


Dinner at mine on Monday with Swedish Meatballs. Everyone always loves these delicious meatballs and their lush cream gravy. These taste way better than even Ikea's.  Trust me on this.  They are quite simply fabulous. 


We enjoyed these along with some steamed rice (in my new rice cooker), carrots, an assortment of relishes and some Honey Cornbread Muffins.  My sister brought over a Coconut Cream Pie for dessert. Everyone was more than satisfied with our supper!


Chicken Pot Pie


TUESDAY, May 27th - Chicken Pot Pie


On Tuesday I cooked several large pies of the one you see here (an individual one.)  Chicken Pot Pie. Who doesn't love it.  We enjoyed this along with Crispy Fried Potatoes, buttered green beans and again an assortment of relishes. I also had some corn muffins left over from Monday to gobble up. 


We have been enjoying this Bean Salad that we got from Costco. Paisley Farm Four Bean Salad.  This is excellent. I would say it is as good as any bean salad you could make from scratch. Seriously.  For me it makes sense as it is in a much more manageable amount.


Chicken Biryani


WEDNESDAY, May 28th -Indian Meal Out


Wednesday was my brother's last night with us and so we went out to a new Indian Restaurant that just opened up near to where we live. Called Chrismaria Family Restaurant.  We had an EXCELLENT meal! The food was exceptional and the service was excellent. It was our first time there.


We ate family style, starting off with some veggie samosas.  Then we had some curries and basmati rice.  We had a Chicken Biryani, which we loved. See my recipe at the link. A Butter Chicken dish and a luscious Lamb curry. We also had a delicious bread called Parotta Bread. It was all really tasty.  I am going to try to replicate the Parotta bread here at home.


We all enjoyed our meal very much and had some leftovers to take home.


Bolognese Sauce


THURSDAY, May 20th - Spaghetti Bolognese


My brother left to go back to Ottawa on Thursday. I don't mind saying I was quite exhausted from it all.  I am not used to being on the go as much as we were. I had some Bolognese sauce in the freezer in single portions, so I just thawed that out, heated one up and enjoyed it with some spaghetti and a salad on the side.


That was more than enough. If you wanted to you could enjoy some garlic bread and a tossed salad on the side of this.


Fish Fingers, Chips & Beans


FRIDAY, May 30th - Fish Fingers, Chips & Beans


Another lazy day for me on Friday. I had to go shopping. I had not gone since before my brother arrived on the 22nd. When I got home, I was really tired, so it was fish fingers for me, along with some chips and baked beans. I do like to doctor my baked beans up a bit so do check the recipe out.  They are really tasty. 


Just frozen chips and fish fingers done in the air fryer.  Hot outside so I was not wanting to heat up the house too much.



Sausage Casserole for Two


SATURDAY, May 31st - Sausage Casserole for Two (air fryer)


I spent a good part of the day out shopping with my sister. I was really hungry by the time supper rolled around (midafternoon for me on this day) and so I made myself a delicious Sausage Casserole. This recipe is sized for two and cooks in the air fryer.  You have tender and juicy sausage with crisp golden-brown skins and a lush pepper and onion sauce.  


Perfect to enjoy with a fluffy pile of mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side!


And there you have it, my meals of the week for the past seven days!  That's a whole lot of tasty!  I hope you will be impressed to cook a few of them for yourself. You won't be sorry! Budget, time and family friendly!


This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.  

  

Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 


 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.



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Canadian lover of all things British. I cook every day and like to share it with you!
A third of my life was spent living in the UK. I learned to love the people, the country and the cuisine. I have always been an Anglophile. You will find plenty of traditional British recipes here in my English Kitchen. There are lots of North American recipes also, but then again, I am a Canadian by birth. I like to think of my page as a happy mix of both. If you are looking for something and cannot find it, don't be afraid to ask! I am always happy to help and point you in the right direction, even if it exists on another page, or in one of my many cookbooks.

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