It’s a throw back from the 1930’s, and it’s just as crazy and delicious… and admittedly, just as hard to eat today as it was back then. But boy, is it fun to build! I’m talking about The Dagwood Sandwich, an insanely layered ginormous sandwich of deli meats, cheeses, pickles and tomatoes named after that silly, bumbling Dagwood Bumstead from the comic strip Blondie, created by American cartoonist Chic Young nearly a century ago. Dagwood was the original foodie, I think; a chow-hound who would raid the refrigerator and devour everything in sight. As the comic strip evolved, so did Dagwood’s sandwiches. They just got bigger and more ridiculous, stacking crazy combinations like sardines, baked beans, onions and horseradish. Blondie became the widest read comic strip of its time, and now I’m wondering if part of the popularity was just to see what Dagwood was dishin’ up this time! While there is no real “official” Dagwood Sandwich, here’s a version that Blondie’s food-crazed hubby would love. I’m certain of it!
swiss cheese
Dijon Ham and Swiss Party Sandwich
I got this recipe from a fun cookbook that was put together back in 1999 by the nurses in the Labor and Delivery Unit at Maricopa Medical Center. It’s called Cravings Beyond Pickles and Ice Cream. These great gals filled the cookbook with all of their family favorite dishes and then used the proceeds from the cookbook to buy bottled water for their unit. But they only printed 300 copies or I would have begged for one!
I got to borrow it though, and have used tons of their recipes.
So this sandwich was created by Charlotte Lopez and it’s called the Dijon Ham and Swiss Meal. Super easy to make, or make ahead and freeze! You can probably use the ready-made bread or pizza dough available in most stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods or AJ’s.
Also, if you’re not a fan of ham, you can use turkey or any other fixings for the filling! Let me know how you like it!
Caramelized Ham and Swiss Baked Buns
The Story
The Big Game comes with big appetites. Rooting for your favorite team, yelling at the officials, fist bumping after great play – it all makes a football fan downright hungry. So let me help by sharing a recipe that has always been a crowd pleaser, especially for a day as big as Super Bowl Sunday. Caramelized Ham and Swiss Baked Buns tends to resurface every few years, with new, updated variations on the theme. Basically what you have here is a casserole of hot sandwiches filled with ham and cheese and a sauce poured over the top. No, no. That’s not quite accurate. What you really have here is a slightly sweet billowy bun with a little slather of horseradish sauce, onto which black forest ham and swiss cheese is layered, and then a sweet and savory butter sauce does its magic in the oven. The tops of the sandwiches get caramelized and glazed, the cheese inside melts and melds with the horseradish sauce, and you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t pass one up. Yep, that’s a much better description. Now, as I’ve said, there are many versions of this recipe including potato or dinner rolls, but the classic version is the Hawaiian sweet rolls. The original recipe also calls for ham and swiss cheese for the filling, but substitutions have included turkey or pastrami. Also, horseradish sauce is often substituted for butter or mayonnaise. But I say, why mess with a good thing? Folks love this dish, and when you make it for this weekend’s big game, you’ll see why.
