Homemade sandwiches can be a quick snack or a full-blown meal. When you’re making sandwiches at home, you can get pretty elaborate with a Monte Cristo, or just make something with a couple ingredients between bread and virtually no prep, like a simple ham and cheese. When it comes to the classic ham and cheese, pimento cheese may be the underrated ingredient your ham sandwiches need, plus you can upgrade any lunch meat sandwich by toasting the bread or melting the cheese. But there’s another simple step you can take to upgrade your ham and cheese sandwich: Add a layer of coleslaw.
While a basic ham and cheese is a classic for a reason, it’s pretty one-note in its soft consistency. Coleslaw gives your sandwich some nice crunch, so it’s a bit more exciting on the palate. Coleslaw also has a pretty advanced flavor profile for such a simple condiment; the tangy sweetness helps balance the salt-forward flavor of the ham and cheese. It’s also a pretty healthy add-on (if it’s not too heavy on the sugar and mayo), so pile it high.
How to make a ham, cheese, and coleslaw sandwich
You can pick up some coleslaw at the deli counter, right along with your sliced ham, or make it at home. The most basic coleslaw recipe only requires shredded cabbage and carrots, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and maybe a little lemon juice and sugar, though there are a number of ways to upgrade your coleslaw, such as with pickles, mustard, or added spice. The extra sweetness and vinegar add plenty of flavor and moisture, so you may not need any other condiments. It can be ready to go on your sandwich right away, but builds flavor if left in the fridge for a couple hours. It can be used for at least a few days.
Ham and cheese sandwiches with coleslaw work great with an earthy, aged cheddar or the kick of pepper jack. You can try toasting your sandwich like a panini or have ham and cheese on Hawaiian bread rolls. The soft and sweet Hawaiian rolls make tiny sandwiches, sort of like ham and cheese sliders, that are great for picnics or grab-and-go snacks from the fridge. But there is plenty more experimenting to be done when it comes to sandwiches you should top with coleslaw: The blend of sugar and vinegar (plus maybe a little spice or umami) lends itself well to a number of different flavors, and the added crunch is incredible between slices of bread.
