Give Ham And Cheese Sandwiches 11-Out-Of-10 Flavor With A Dollop Of This Sweet Spread

If your usual ham sandwiches are starting to feel a bit blah, perhaps they just need a fresh, fruity, sweet pick-me-up. We already know pork and fruit are a delicious pairing – think plums with pork tenderloin or apple cider-glazed ham, especially popular during the holidays. We can also credit Germany with putting ham and pineapple on toast as a predecessor to Hawaiian pizza. Sweet, tart fruit and salty, smoky ham bring out the best in each other, creating a beautiful contrast of flavors that make your sandwiches taste artisanal — as long as you have the right secret ingredient: jam.

Jam belongs on your savory sandwiches not only because it's easily accessible (many of us have some in our fridges right now), but also because it's perfect for the task. Whole fruit requires slicing or chopping and macerating, but you can simply spread a layer of jarred jam on your sandwich bread and enjoy. Jams also work beautifully with many cheeses frequently eaten alongside ham, including cheddar, Swiss, and provolone.

After all, combining fruit and cheese successfully is a nuanced culinary art; you can start with established pairings like apricot and fig, or go with something tangier, like raspberry jam. A swipe of good butter under the jam makes the combination taste more luxe, even on simple white bread. Of course, the beauty of a ham and cheese sandwich is just how much you can make it your own.

While the ham, fruit, and cheese pairings you choose for your sandwich are largely up to personal taste, a few pointers can help if you're new to putting these nuanced flavors together. For instance, while you'll get a more sophisticated flavor from a simple jam made from honey and strawberries, it's perfectly okay to use the jarred stuff, especially since it's fairly easy to elevate it with other condiments hanging out on your fridge door. Try mixing some balsamic vinegar into strawberry jam, or blending Dijon mustard into blueberry preserves to accentuate the fruit's tartness with the spice's zippy, sharp bite.

The jam you choose will also affect the ham. For instance, subtler jams and fruit butters like apple, peach, and pear offer a softer flavor that will enhance the ham's savoriness and make it taste meatier, while stronger flavors like cherry or tomato are likely to take center stage and stand up to the deli meat's robustness.

In terms of cheese, milder varieties typically go well with milder fruits, while stronger cheese will expectedly stand up to bolder choices. For example, smoked provolone is a fabulous choice for pineapple jam, while ordinary mild provolone would be better suited to apricot preserves. Swiss's funky flavor is delicious with fig jams, but may clash with mild pear butter, which is best paired with soft brie or mild cheddar. As long as you mix and match your ingredients to suit your palate, you'll never have a boring ham and cheese sandwich ever again.