Once A Lunchbox Staple, This Processed Meat Quietly Disappeared Right Under Our Noses

One might be forgiven for assuming that we are living in the golden age of foodstuff mash-ups. Social media has given us party-ready combinations like vodka butter; corporations have developed quite a few, too, from the brilliant to the truly unhinged, and home cooks have seldom been more empowered to create their own wacky crossovers. But newcomers to these unexpected marriages might be surprised to learn that the world has been jamming edibles together for quite some time. And ham and cheese loaf, which joins those two ingredients in one catchall cold cut and is still sold today, is one such proto-protein.

Ham and cheese loaf seems, anecdotally, to have enjoyed its peak popularity a little bit after what nostalgists consider the stylish midcentury years, which means it would have overlapped at least a little with other throwbacks like cocktail meatballs. Their use cases, of course, would have been quite a bit different; the former packed into brown-bag sandwiches, the latter served at swinging parties alongside classically composed martinis and secondhand smoke. A major 2022 recall could have a little something to do with ham and cheese loaf's virtual disappearance from the mainstream. Or its time might have just come and gone. But ham and cheese loaf can still have a place in the American diet, today.

All it would take is one influencer to send ham and cheese loaf sales careening into triple digits, so you might as well stay ahead of the potential trend. While you can eat ham and cheese loaf straight from the package, slices of processed pork with the cheese already embedded inside will adhere to the other ingredients in an upgraded grilled cheese better than plain old ham. Fitted between two slices of something mild and gooey like American, the loaf's interspersed dairy will melt while remaining one with the meat, helping everything stick together just a little bit better.

The ham and cheese amalgamation could also save you a minute when slicing proteins for something like a chef's salad, which often calls for the two ingredients separately. The same goes for those busy mornings when there might not be time to fry up bacon or sausage for your breakfast sandwiches. Or, you could always give it a try in its most classic application, fixed between slices of good, old white bread for an easy lunch. For that matter, you might do the same as some fans of the luncheon meat and fortify your sandwich loaf slices with an extra-cheesy, crunchy snack like Doritos or Cheetos for added texture. Who knows? Maybe the real influencer is you.