These Ham and Cheese Game Day Sandwiches are crazy flavorful, highly addictive and easy sandwiches for a crowd.
The Super Bowl is the second biggest food holiday behind Thanksgiving and these football sandwiches are great for a tailgate party, leftover ham idea, or even a weeknight dinner.
These ham and cheese sandwiches kick classic football fare up a notch with French rolls, smoked cheese, garlic bread, and a bit of jalapeño for an added kick. You can make these vegetarian and vegan-friendly if you don't mind swapping out an ingredient or two. Prep time for these game day sandwiches? 10 minutes--the majority of the time spent on this recipe is just waiting for them to bake!
How To Make Game Day Sandwiches
To get started making these football Sandwiches, first slice off the top of your buns and hollow out the middle. This will help the fillings stay in the sandwich. Pressed for time? Don't want to fiddle with all those individual buns? You can opt to make one giant sandwich instead, serving slices of it as needed.
Making the individual sandwiches does have an advantage--you can keep them warm in the oven and serve them on your own time. One giant sandwich might sit out for a bit, but if you have enough guests over for your football party, that might not even be an issue as these sandwiches can go FAST.
Once you have your bread ready, complete your sandwiches with thinly sliced red onion, sliced jalapeños and a slice of smoked gouda. Then top it all off with a generous amount of off-the-bone deli ham.
Depending on how you like your sandwich, eating "meat side up" or "meat side down" are choices, but if you want the fillings to be more evenly spread through the sandwich, you can layer all ingredients instead.
Mix together melted butter, grated parmesan, minced garlic and chopped parsley.
Place the sandwiches on pieces of foil, then brush them liberally with garlic-butter mixture. Wrap them up and bake!
Best Ham For Sandwiches
There are many types of ham and each type has its own distinct flavor. For ham sandwiches the best type is a flavorful, high quality ham such as a smoked ham or Black Forest ham. Black Forest is a bit of a redundant suggestion since it is a type of smoked ham that is cry-cured with salt and spices.
Honey, peppered, maple and other types of ham will change the flavor a bit but if you're using quality ham you can't go wrong with these sandwiches. These sandwiches are also perfect to make with leftover ham from the holidays or any other occasion.
Vegetarian And Vegan Alternatives
Game day shouldn't exclude the vegetarians and vegans among us, which is why you could consider this recipe swapping out vegan butter and replacing the ham with portobello mushrooms. A thinly sliced portobello mushroom marinated in balsamic vinaigrette makes a tasty replacement for ham, but don't expect the ham flavor. This is an ingredient swap rather than an attempt to mimic the flavor and texture of off-the-bone deli meat.
If you use portobello mushrooms to replace the ham, try to slice the mushrooms to match the shape and thickness of the ham you're using in the non-vegan version; consistency in size means consistency in cooking.
Ham & Cheese Game Day Sandwiches
Ham, smoked gouda, red onion and jalapeños are tucked inside buns then baked with butter, garlic and parmesan! Game day just got AWESOME with these game day party sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 6 French rolls
- ½ pound thinly sliced deli ham
- 6 slices smoked Gouda cheese
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the rolls: Slice the tops off the French rolls and set them aside. Carefully hollow out the centers, leaving enough bread around the sides and bottom to hold the fillings without tearing.
- Add the fillings: Divide the deli ham evenly among the rolls. Top with sliced red onion, jalapeño (if using), and smoked Gouda cheese.
- Replace the tops: Place the reserved bread tops back onto the filled rolls.
- Slice the rolls: Make several crosswise cuts through the tops and fillings, leaving the bottoms intact so each roll stays together.
- Prepare for baking: Place each roll on a separate sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it completely.
- Make the garlic butter: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and chopped parsley. Stir until well mixed.
- Add the garlic butter: Spoon the mixture evenly over the rolls, allowing some to seep between the cuts. Wrap each roll tightly in foil.
- Bake: Place the wrapped rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the sandwiches are heated through, the cheese is melted, and the centers reach 165°F.
- Serve: Carefully unwrap the rolls, allowing the hot steam to escape. Serve warm.
Notes
- Bread: Choose sturdy French rolls that can be hollowed out without tearing. Leave enough bread around the edges and bottom to support the fillings.
- Cheese: Smoked Gouda adds a rich, smoky flavor, but regular Gouda, Swiss, or provolone also work well.
- Spice level: Jalapeños are optional. Remove the seeds and membranes for less heat, or omit them entirely.
- Garlic butter: Spoon some of the butter mixture between the cuts so the flavor reaches the inside of each sandwich.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 643Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 24gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 1833mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 25g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Don't miss these delicious grilled cheese burritos for game day, too!
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