Wich of the Week

During our berry tempting month of blueberries, I was obsessed with the versatility of blueberry sauce. Similarly, with an abundance of blackberries, I simply couldn't resist making a pared-down version of blackberry jam. Never one to pass up a solid salty-sweet combo, I used the ripe flavor of blackberries as a plummy counterpoint to salumi, melted cheese, and mustard. The end result is everything one could want in a sandwich; the portable meal is salty, porky, creamy, toasty, and fruity all at the same time. Click ahead for the recipe.

This year, I haven't been able to resist making savory berry recipes: first strawberry spaghetti, then cherry-stuffed tenderloin and blueberry-glazed ribs. And, in my desire to incorporate blackberries into an entrée, I came up with this recipe for pulled pork sandwiches using a blackberry purée. Not only do the ingredients make this dish perfect for the Summer season, but it won't heat up your kitchen because it's cooked over low heat in a slow cooker. Over the course of eight hours, blackberries, hot sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and garlic meld together to become a sweet and tangy condiment that not only highlights the pork roast's natural flavor, but is less aggressively syrupy than traditional barbecue sauce. If you're interested in the recipe, read more.

While PartySugar was pressing a sandwich with smoked ham and cherry mustard, I was busy placing my own honey-glazed Easter leftovers between slices of bread. I was drawn to this nontraditional ham salad, which is made with chopped ham, cream cheese, and Dijon mustard and mango chutney for tang and sweetness. I used a spinoff of Major Grey's Chutney, a ginger-mango preserve created two centuries ago by a British Army officer. When combined with dense pumpernickel bread and thinly sliced cucumbers, the result is a tea sandwich with a spicy, lemon-tinged twist. The recipe, when you read on.

The other day I was browsing the YumSugar Community and I came across an interesting post titled The Best Ham Sandwich. Ever. I love ham sandwiches and couldn't help but click through to see the story. Turns out Fuzzles was sharing a recipe in the Kitchen Goddess group.

Fuzzles' hysterical and engaging description of the best ham sandwich she has ever eaten (the thing that makes it so scrumptious is a special cherry mustard) made me want to go home and try it immediately. It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally made it, and let me tell you, Fuzzles was right!

This sandwich is absolutely amazing. The cherry mustard is tangy and sweet and the combination of ham with brie is delightfully French. I plan on enjoying it all week with ham leftover from Easter. To check out my recipe that's based on Fuzzles' story, read more

After posting a obscenely easy recipe for corned beef that can be made in the slow cooker, a number of friends and co-workers started asking me about how much the recipe made. "Is it going to be too much meat?" they asked me.

As I reassured them then, I will do the same for you now. Dear readers, one can never have too much corned beef! It tastes great in a number of applications, and one of them is alongside dijon mustard, oozing fontina cheese, and buttered, toasted rye bread in the grilled cheese sandwich of a lifetime. For a festive yet fast recipe, read on.

Fat Tuesday is tomorrow and even if you live far from New Orleans, you can get into the spirit of things by making this seriously scrumptious sandwich. A muffuletta is a thick sandwich with layers of Italian meat, cheese, and olive salad. Traditionally muffulettas are served cold on a round roll. However, this ingenious recipe (sometimes you have to love Rachael Ray — she does sandwiches right!) treats the muffuletta like a grilled cheese.I took it one step further and made it into a panini. The bread becomes toasty and crisp, the cheese melts and oozes, the meat is juicy and delicious, and the giardiniera mixture is hot with a fiery crunch. It's a spicy full-flavored sandwich with lots of attitude. You simply must make this sandwich! Why? Because YumSugar called it the best thing she ate all week. For the recipe, please read more

When PartySugar wrote about heading straight to the store after a Barefoot Contessa episode, I couldn't help but laugh and think of a recent instance when the same thing happened to me. Sometimes, all it takes is a momentary glance at a picture, and I develop a sudden, pressing need for a particular dish.

Said craving occurred most recently when I was flipping through an old magazine, and happened upon a 15-minute recipe for oven-toasted egg, pâté, and gruyère sandwiches. No more than 16 minutes later, it seemed, I was enjoying the crunch of a broiled baguette melded with the earthiness of Marcel et Henri pâté and a runny fried egg. Currently lusting after the same? Then get the recipe when you keep reading.

Like peanut butter and jelly, the pairing of ham and cheese has been around forever. However, it just doesn't get old. When I'm in the mood for a comforting and quick meal, I make this ham and cheese panini. Served with mixed greens or a bowl of soup, it's the perfect dinner for one. Caramelized shallots and fresh thyme give it a touch of elegant sophistication, while grainy mustard ensures that the sandwich isn't too dry. It's nostalgic and homey, but gourmet enough to offer guests at a luncheon or impromptu weeknight dinner. Want the recipe? Read more.

When I was little there was nothing as comforting as a grilled cheese sandwich. Although I enjoyed its crisply toasted exterior and gooey melted-cheese center, what I loved most about a grilled cheese was the name. For the longest time, I thought they were called "girl cheese sandwiches," meaning that the sandwich was something so special and delicious only girls like myself got to enjoy them. Eventually, I learned that boys ate them too, but at that point, I was so smitten by the classic combination of cheese and bread that I didn't care. My latest favorite "girl" cheese sandwich is actually a baked cheese sandwich. With its three cheeses (fontina, provolone, and parmesan), triple decker, and slow roasted tomatoes, it's far more gourmet than anything I devoured as a child. However, it still is everything a classic grilled cheese should be: nostalgic, comforting, and sublimely scrumptious. To savor every bite of this sandwich yourself, get the recipe now.

I'm not much of a Monte Cristo fan. The classic sandwich straddles breakfast and lunch by placing ham, turkey, and cheese between two slices of French toast. The entire thing is topped with powdered sugar and jam resulting in a dish that to me, is messy and too sweet.

However, when I came across this Serrano ham and manchego cheese variation, my love for all things Spanish overcame me, and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, this sandwich is wonderful!

The quince paste isn't as cloying as strawberry preserves and the addition of mustard provides a delightfully savory tang. Although the bread is dipped in egg before being placed in the saute pan, it tastes more like a really crispy grilled ham and cheese than French toast. To check out the recipe, read more