Big Sloppy Sandwiches: A Good Thing

Recipes for Croque Monsieur, Russian Dressing Extravaganza, and more....

When I was dating a guy at Harvard, when I was young and in college in Boston, he used to take me to this hole-in-the-wall for a take-out sandwich so big we would share it, sloppily. Because, you see, it was loaded with a luscious pink Russian dressing, chopped-not-sliced Swiss cheese, ham, turkey, crisp thick bacon, shredded lettuce and even a sliced ripe tomato was slipped in there somewhere.

I wonder if he still thinks of me when he thinks of that sandwich. Because he must sometimes think of that sandwich, especially when presented with not so great ones.

Anyway, I try to make it once in a while. Here is the basic recipe but feel free to add-in or improvise. I call it my Russian Dressing Extravaganza. And as Martha says, it is a good thing. Oh, I forgot! It also had coleslaw!!!

Russian Dressing Extravaganza

Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, squeezed dry

1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (or more, to taste, can go up to 1 tablespoon)

2 slices very good white or sourdough bread, thickly cut

butter to spread bread

3 very thin slices best Swiss cheese

1/4 cup coleslaw

3 very thin slices best ham

3 very thin slices turkey

3 thick slices of bacon, crisp

Directions:

Make the Russian dressing: whisk the mayonnaise, paprika, relish, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and horseradish together in a mixing bowl. Reserve.

Lightly toast the bread, then butter it. Then spread one slice with Russian dressing. Add all of the Swiss cheese, then the coleslaw, then the ham, then more dressing, then the turkey, then the bacon, then the rest of the Russian dressing. Top with the other toasted slice of bread, cut the sandwich in half, if you can, and enjoy. Napkins required.

My second favorite sandwich in the world is also a sloppy one, however it is traditionally eaten with a fork and knife so all is good. I rate local cafes in France by how well they make this sandwich. I love it hot and beautifully melted, sided with a frisee salad and a glass of wine for lunch.

It’s name? Croque Monsieur. It can take a long time to make, but I try to speed it up a bit in my recipe that follows. I think you will like this one! P.S. I flavor it to taste a bit like fondu, so if you make it for a late date night snack you might add a splash of cognac or brandy to the béchamel as well.

Croque Monsieur

Makes 2 sandwiches

For the béchamel:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or more to taste

2 ounces freshly grated Gruyere cheese

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 slices best white or sourdough bread

4 very thin slices best ham

3 ounces freshly grated Gruyere cheese, divided

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat then whisk in the flour and whisk while cooking for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, while whisking, and cook until smooth and thick. Add the mustard, nutmeg and grated cheese and stir until smooth and melted again. It should be thick enough to not run when on the bread. Reserve.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay out the slices of bread on the parchment paper. Spread half the béchamel sauce on two slices of bread. Layer 2 slices of ham on top of those slices, then pile half the grated Gruyere on top of the ham on both slices.

Top with the other two pieces of bread, spread the remaining béchamel sauce on top of the bread and top with the remaining Gruyere cheese and then the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Turn on the broiler and broil them for about 1-2 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Serve.

So, dear friends, I hope you are having a great week, not just a good one.

I am barreling down the road to meet the deadline to hand in the manuscript in two weeks for my next cookbook, so I promise by the next two or three newsletters I will include more commentary and definitely some cookbook reviews…for now, I hope these sandwiches fill you up!

See you next week!

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