How to Make a Ham Sandwich

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References Tested

There are a ton of different ways to put a ham sandwich together. Generally speaking, ham works well with mayonnaise and mustard, which complement the saltiness of ham quite nicely. Tomatoes, onions, and pickles are the classic choices when it comes to veggies. Swiss is the most popular option for cheese, but a basic cheddar or gourmet soft cheese like Pavé d'Affinois can work as well. There are a lot of options when it comes to ham sandwiches and most of the sandwich-making process comes down to personal preference, so feel free to experiment until you find a recipe you love!

Ingredients

Classic Ham and Cheese Sandwich

2 slices of sourdough bread
1 tablespoon (15 g) of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (15 g) of mustard
1 tablespoon (21 g) of honey (optional)
3 slices of Swiss cheese
3 slices of ham
4 slices of dill pickle (optional)

Yields 1 serving

Loaded Gourmet Ham Sandwich on Ciabatta

1 soft ciabatta roll
0.25 tablespoons (3.5 g) of unsalted butter
0.5 teaspoons (2.5 g) of whole grain mustard
0.5 teaspoons (7.5 g) Dijon mustard
1 tomato
1 small red onion
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
0.15 pounds (68 g) of Pavé d'Affinois cheese
0.25 pounds (110 g) of glazed smoked ham

Yields 1 serving

Cuban Sandwich

2 slices of Cuban bread
1 ounce (30 g) of yellow mustard
4 dill pickles
5 slices of ham
2 slices of roast pork
1 slice of Swiss cheese
1 ounce (25 g) of butter

Yields 1 serving

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Classic Ham and Cheese Sandwich

1
Spread mayonnaise across a slice of bread. Set 2 slices of sourdough bread out on a cutting board or plate. Use a kitchen knife or butter knife to spread 1 tablespoon (15 g) of mayonnaise across 1 slice of bread. Spread your mayonnaise out so that there aren’t any thick globs sitting on your bread.^{[1]
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- You can use white, wheat, or potato bread instead of sourdough if you prefer. There are a ton of options when it comes to the ingredients that go inside a basic ham sandwich.
2
Mix your Dijon mustard and honey and spread it on the bread. In a small bowl, pour 1 tablespoon (15 g) of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey. Use a spoon or whisk to mix the ingredients together for 30-45 seconds. Use your kitchen or butter knife to scoop out your honey and mustard mixture. Apply it to the slice of bread that doesn’t have any mayonnaise on it. Spread your mustard out evenly.^{[2]
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- You can skip the honey if you aren’t a fan of it.
- You can use honey mustard or brown mustard instead of Dijon if you prefer. The Dijon will provide a nice, even kick without dominating the mayonnaise, though.
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3
Add 3 slices of ham on top of the bread. You can put the ham slices on either slice of bread. Place them on top of one another so that they aren’t sticking out past the sides of the bread.^{[3]
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- You can use honey-baked, glazed, black forest, smoked, or uncured ham on your sandwiches.
- You can add an extra slice of ham or cheese if you’re a particular fan of one of these ingredients.
4
Layer 2-3 slices of Swiss cheese on top of the ham. Layer the cheese slices on top of one another so that no ham or cheese is sticking out past the sides of your bread.^{[4]
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- Ham and Swiss is a classic combination, but you can use cheddar, American, or provolone cheese if you prefer.
5
Top your sandwich with pickles or other condiments. If you want a little bit of a crunch, top your sandwich with 4 small pickle chips. You can use pickle relish if you want the flavor of pickles without the texture. Add any additional condiments or ingredients that you’d like.^{[5]
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- Feel free to skip the pickles if you aren’t a big fan of their flavor. They aren’t mandatory when it comes to a classic ham and cheese sandwich.
6
Place your second slice of bread on top of your ingredients. Be sure to line the second slice of bread up with the first one so that it's directly above it. If you like, you can press down lightly on the final slice of bread so that it conforms to the tower of ingredients below it.
7
Grill your sandwich if you’d like to eat it warm. If you want a warm sandwich, heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook your sandwich for 3 minutes on each side until the bread is golden and the cheese is gooey.^{[6]
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- If you prefer your sandwiches cold, you can simply eat it without heating it on the skillet.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Creating a Loaded Gourmet Ham Sandwich on Ciabatta

1
Split a ciabatta roll with a chef’s knife and spread it open. Place a ciabatta roll on top of a clean cutting board. Take a serrated knife and cut horizontally though your ciabatta roll. You can either cut all the way through the roll to create 2 separate slices, or leave 1 in (2.5 cm) of the bread uncut and spread the roll open.^{[7]
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- Get a high quality ciabatta roll from a bakery. If you’re going to make a fancy sandwich, you might as well go all the way with it!
2
Butter your roll and spread your mustards on it. Take 0.25 tablespoons (3.5 g) of unsalted butter and spread it across both sides of your roll with a butter knife or kitchen knife. Then, spread 0.5 teaspoons (2.5 g) of whole grain mustard and 0.5 teaspoons (7.5 g) Dijon mustard across both sides of your bread. Spread your ingredients out evenly across both sides of the roll.^{[8]
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- Use spreadable butter to make the spreading process easier. You can also heat your butter for 2-3 seconds in the microwave to soften it up.
3
Slice half of a tomato into thin slices and put them on your bread. Wash a medium-sized tomato under a stream of cool water to wash it. Set it out on your cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut your tomato in half. Take half of your tomato and cut it into 3-6 slices with a thickness of 0.5–1 in (1.3–2.5 cm). Lay your tomato slices out on top of your mustard on both sides of the bread.^{[9]
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4
Cut a red onion into slices and add them on top of the tomatoes. Set out a small red onion on top of your cutting board. Cut it in half and peel the outer 2-3 layers of the onion off of one half and discard them. Then, use a chef’s knife to cut the peeled half into thin slices. Add them on top of your tomatoes on both sides of your roll.^{[10]
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- It’s okay if your onion slices fall apart into a sequence of stringy lengths.
- You can use a quarter of an onion instead if you don’t love onion on your sandwiches.
5
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to your tomato and onion. To season your veggies, top them with salt and pepper to taste. If you aren’t sure how much you want to add, stick with 0.125 teaspoons (0.7 g) of each seasoning. Sprinkle it on top of your vegetables to give them a more dynamic flavor.^{[11]
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- You can also add some oregano or basil if you’d like.
6
Cut your glazed smoked-ham into 3-4 slices and add it to your sandwich. If you have an uncut piece of ham, use a chef’s knife to cut 0.25 pounds (110 g) of ham into 2-5 slices. If you like thick cuts of ham, make each slice 0.75–1 in (1.9–2.5 cm). If you want thinner slices, you can cut them to be thinner than 0.5 in (1.3 cm). Layer your slices of ham on top of one another on your roll.^{[12]
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- A smoked ham with a honey glaze is perfect for a gourmet sandwich like this. You can use pre-cut deli slices if you’d like though.
7
Slice your cheese into 3-4 slices and layer it on top of your ham. Grab a high-quality block of Pavé d'Affinois cheese and set it out on your cutting board. Cut 0.15 lb (68 g) of your cheese into 3-4 slices and layer them on top of your ham.^{[13]
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- If you really love cheese, feel free to use an equal amount of ham and cheese. It’s really up to you!
8
Close your sandwich and cut it in half before serving it. Take your 2 slices of bread and stack them together to complete your sandwich. If you didn’t cut your roll all the way through, simply fold the 2 halves on top of one another. Cut your sandwich in half with a chef’s knife before serving it.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Cuban Sandwich

1
Create a classic Cuban sandwich with your ham. Take 2 slices of Cuban bread and spread 1 ounce (30 g) of yellow mustard across both sides of the bread. Add 4 dill pickle slices and 1 slice of Swiss cheese. Add 4-5 slices of ham and 2 slices of pork over your pickles. Then, butter both sides of your bread with 1 ounce (25 g) of butter. Heat your sandwich on a panini press, grill, or skillet over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side until the sandwich is crispy, brown, and your cheese is melted.^{[15]
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- For the traditional presentation, slice your sandwich diagonally across the center.
- Press your sandwich together to compress the ingredients if you’re using a skillet or grill to heat it.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Adding Unique Twists

1
Use French toast, a biscuit or a croissant instead of bread. For a unique breakfast-inspired version of your ham sandwich, try swapping out your bread for French toast, a split biscuit, or a halved croissant. Add a few layers of ham, some Swiss or cheddar cheese, and top your breakfast sandwich with an egg. This is a hearty way to start the day without putting too much effort into your morning meal.^{[16]
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- You can add some mayonnaise or mustard if you’d like, but it’s not mandatory for a breakfast sandwich.
- Butter both sides of your toast, biscuit, or croissant before adding your ingredients.
2
Add some ham to your standard grilled cheese to make a melt. For a standard variation on the grilled cheese, add 2-3 layers of sliced ham to your ingredients. Stack your ham in between 2-3 slices of American, cheddar, or gruyere cheese. Add butter to a nonstick skillet and melt it over medium heat. Put your sandwich on top of the melted butter and cook the sandwich for 4-6 minutes on each side to create a beautiful melt.^{[17]
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- The higher the quality of your ham, the better your ham and cheese melt will be. Cheap pre-packaged deli slices have a lot of water in them, and won’t heat as well with your cheese.

Community Q&A
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Question

what kind of bread is best to use on a ham sandwich?

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Sourdough, potato, wheat, white, and ciabatta are all excellent choices! There are no hard rules though when it comes to ham sandwiches though, so feel free to use whatever bread seems appealing!
Question

Do i need to cook the ham before using it?

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If your ham is uncooked, absolutely. Cook your ham for 25 minutes per pound at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking ham can be really tough since the thickness can change the amount of time it takes to cook, so use a meat thermometer to check it periodically as it cooks. As long as the internal temperature is at least 145 Fahrenheit, you're good to go. However, most commercial hams are precooked and you simply need to heat them up.
Question

Can I use a spear pickle for this kind of sandwich?

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Absolutely! You can cut a spear into several smaller pieces and layer them on top of the sandwich, or cut them lengthwise and spread them out on top.