Let it be noted that the quantities given are for two delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, but you can easily amp them up to make more.

I'm a dunker, are you?  Yes, I am pretty common and I like to dunk my sandwich into my soup.  It gives me great pleasure.

I have even been known to cut the sandwich into cubes or croutons and float them on top of my soup.   The heart wants what the heart wants.  Enjoy!

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I just love sandwiches . . . and I'm not alone in that either. The British all love sandwiches! They're a big business over here.  They're sold in all the shops, convenience stores, grocery shops, coffee shops etc.  Of course if you hadn't guessed already . . . Sarnie is another name for sandwich!

 

Makes it sound like something  quite exotic doesn't it?

 

One of my favourite places to buy a ready made sarnie is in M&S.  Their sandwiches are the best.  The bread is always fresh and the filling generous, and spread to the edge . . . not like some of the cheaper places where you get a dollop of filling in the  middle of two slices of dry bread . . . with more bread than filling!  Ugh!  Nasty.



I was quite suprised when I moved over here to the UK at the different varieties of sandwiches that were on offer as well.  Cheese and onion . . . delicious!  Cheese and tomato . . .  likewise!  There's salad sandwiches, sandwiches made with crab, or prawns or tuna.  Tuna and Cucumber seems to be quite popular.  As is Tuna and Sweetcorn.

 

Then there are Egg & Cress, Coronation Chicken, Corned Beef (made with tinned corned Beef, which is actually quite nice),  and a host of others . . . too many to list here I think, but you get the idea, I'm sure!



Anyways, the point of all of this is that I made Todd and myself a couple of very tasty sandwiches for our lunch one day at the weekend.  In  my quest to cut back a bit, I made them open faced sandwiches, so only half the bread.

 

I added some sliced ham, sliced turkey, half fat swiss cheese, lettuce, a delicious homemade dressing . . . kind of tangy and yet at the same time a bit sweet . . . some sliced egg, tomato and  . . . naughty but nice crisply cooked streaky bacon.  (Really nice . . .  dry cured and unsmoked is my choice!)



A gal can't be 100% good all of the time can she??  I thought not!!



 *Dressed Club Salad Sarnie*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

An open faced, knife and forker!  Delicious!  (Easily upped or downed to serve more or less people.)

2 slices sour dough bread
2 slices of baked deli ham
2 slices of Leerdammer cheese (Swiss type of cheese, I use the low fat one)
2 slices of deli turkey
1 cup of shredded cos lettuce (Romaine)
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 slices of streaky bacon, rind removed and cooked crisp

For the dressing:
1 heaped dessert spoon of low fat mayonnaise
1  tsp of tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp of chopped sweet pickle
1/2 tsp of finely grated onion
pinch of salt and black pepper

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Lay one slice of bread onto each of two plates.  Top each with 1 slice of ham.  Top the ham with the cheese.  Top the cheese with the turkey.  Divide the lettuce between the two and drizzle each with half of the dressing.  Top each with half of  the sliced egg, sliced tomato and two slices of bacon criss crossed.  Serve immediately.  Pass the knives and forks!

 

Morrisons, one of the major grocery chains here in the UK,  recently gave me some samples of their new autumnal range of freshly baked bread to try out.  Morrisons boasts more in-store bakers than any other supermarket and produces a whopping 40 millions loaves each year.  That's a LOT of bread!

They recently relaunched their baker range to include more than 70 new and improved products, including delicious artisan breads and pastries.  I am particularly fond of their Swiss Meusli Loaf (containing raisins, dried apple, oats, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and flax seeds)!!



Focaccia - Available in two delicious varieties, Sea Salt & Rosemary and Mixed Olive, these tasty breads are ideal for dipping into extra virgin olive oil and Morrisons own Signature Balsamic Vinegar.  At £1.99 these are a delicious addition to any party table or buffet.




I love to serve them as a bread along with some hearty soups or stews . . . but enjoyed some here today with their suggestions of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.



They both had lovely light textures, but as a real Olive lover . . . the olive one was my absolute favourite.  I can see the Sea Salt & Rosemary one going very well with a hearty lamb or beef stew or soup!



The Tiger Paw - Perfect for children, this tear and share bread has a unique crusty mottled exterior, and with rolls in the shape of a tiger's paw.  It is ideal for picnics.  Fill with some finely sliced ham and all of the family favourite sandwich fillings to create a lovely lunchtime sandwich roll.  70p each or 2 for £1.

 

Honey & Sunflower Star -  This honey enriched bread blends the flavors of nutty sunflowers with the sweetness of honey to create a wonderful tear and share bread that is great with soups or pates.  A small version is also available in the Pick and Mix selection for 30p or five for £1.  This large loaf goes for £1.59, and I have to say upfront . . . this has always been one of my favorites in their bread range.  It has a beautiful flavor and texture and I love the nuttiness of the sunflower seeds, mixed with the sweetness of the honey.  I am particularly fond of it spread with softened butter and more honey, and then topped with a slice of cheddar . . . but then I am a bit crazy that way!



Chocolate Twist - Baked fresh in the store these chocolatey delights made with French butter are the perfect breakfast pastry and would be best served up with a nice cup of tea or an ice cold glass of milk.  They sell at 2 in a pack for £1.  I really enjoyed mine this morning with a nice cup of hot chocolate.  Tres magnifique!!



Sourdough Boule - This great all rounder is perfect for sandwiches, as a meal accompaniment or simply with lashings of Morrisons own Jersey Butter.  To take your sourdough to a new level why not spread on some of their soft Boilie Cheese with Sundried Tomato Pesto, along with your favourite fillings.

 

I really enjoyed this fine rustic loaf of bread.  It's sturdy and has a nice crumb and flavor, only slightly sour, in a most pleasant way . . . in short, this is the perfect loaf of bread in my opinion.  Today I used some of this to make us some delicious BLT sandwiches for our lunch, but of course . . .  knowing me as you do, you can just imagine that these were not your ordinary everyday BLT's!

And of course . . . you would be RIGHT!  (You know me so well . . . )

 

This is the way I have been making my BLT's for years.  Sometimes I stuff this delicious filling into hollowed out baguettes, perfect for taking on picnics.  I have never had anyone turn their noses up at them.

 

Today I simply presented them on lightly toasted slices of this fantastic Sourdough Boule!  It held up wonderfully with the flavors of this particularly tasty filling, and held things together in the best of ways.  A less sturdy loaf might not be able to withstand it all . . . but this was perfection.



Imagine . . . a sturdy well flavored loaf, topped with a scrummy Pesto mayonnaise . . . topped with crisp slices of fried streaky bacon and  thickly sliced fresh tomatoes . . . but that is not all . . .

 

Drizzle the tomatoes with a fabulous balsamic house dressing, prepared by your own two hands . . . tangy and sweet, perfect to enhance the flavors of those lovely ripe tomatoes . . . topped with shredded lettuce and another pesto mayo spread slice of that beautiful toasted Sourdough Boule!



Now THAT'S what I call a gooooood sandwich!!



*The World's Best BLT Sandwich*
Serves  4, depending on how hungry you are
Printable Recipe

This is a recipe I had previously posted on Food.com.  It truly is the world's best BLT.  What makes it the best?  Well maybe it's the Pesto Mayo . . . or it could be that lovely Balsamic House Dressing that you drizzle over the tomatoes.  Whatever it is, it IS the world's best, hands down.  (The version on Food.com is a stuffed Baguette.  I have adapted it here today to be made as a normal sandwich.)

4 thick slices of sour dough bread
5 TBS of good quality mayonnaise (I like Hellman's)
3 TBS good quality basil pesto (make your own or use a good
one from the chiller section of your local grocery store)
10 slices of streaky bacon, cooked until  crisp
2 large ripe fresh tomatoes, thickly sliced (I always store my tomatoes on the countertop,
it makes them tastier.  Never put them in the fridge.)
1 head of red leaf lettuce, washed, dried and shredded

For the house dressing:
(Use any leftovers in salads over the next couple of days)
60ml of balsamic vinegar, best quality (1/4 cup)
3 TBS caster sugar
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp soy sauce
125ml of extra virgin olive oil

First make the house dressing.  Place all of the ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil into your blender.  With the motor on low, very slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending until it is thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

Preheat the grill or broiler.  Toast your slices of bread, very lightly on both sides.  Remove from the grill, and keep warm.

Whisk together the mayonnaise and pesto.  Spread some of this mixture onto one side of each slice of toasted bread.  Top half of the slices with the cooked bacon and top with the sliced tomatoes.  Drizzle with some of the house dressing. Place the shredded lettuce onto the other toasted and pesto covered bread slices, dividing it equally.  Press the sandwiches together with all of the fillings on the inside and serve.  Cut in half on the diagonal to serve.

  

The Toddster and I both enjoyed these very much.

Many thanks to Katie Hoy of 3MONKEYS communications and Morrisons for affording me this delicious opportunity.  All of these fabulous breads are available now at Morrisons throughout the United Kingdom.