Ham and Cheese Melts

I have eaten some sort of variation on these ham & cheese melts at multiple potlucks over the years. They come in a multitude of styles. Some are little bite sized appetizers while others are full sized sandwiches meant for a meal. Some are served hot with melted cheese; others are served at room temperature or even cold. I was so excited when I realized I could make these and keep them in the freezer. This made them perfect to take camping (or on a hike, or on a picnic, or on the lake).

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We love freezer friendly food! After we make these sandwiches, we wrap them up individually in aluminum foil and store them in the freezer for a later date. Another hint is that we typically make them in two sizes: regular buns and slider style. When we want a light snack, or we are feeding the kid, we use the slider ones. If we are hungry for a full meal, we pull out the regular sized ones.

This sandwich is a great option for camping because it can be eaten cold from the ice chest, room temperature after hiking to a perfect picnic spot, or hot after being cooked over the campfire. We have heated them on a grate over a campfire or tucked inside our Dutch oven when we have to use charcoal.

What we love about Hot Ham & Cheese Melts:

• Freezer friendly make ahead sandwiches
• Can be plain or sauced up
• Tasty at any temperature

The Ingredients for Hot Ham & Cheese Melts:

• Deli ham (thinly sliced)
• Swiss cheese (sliced)
• Butter (for the sauce)
• Prepared mustard (add some spice)
• Poppy seeds (add some flavor)
• Worcestershire sauce (add some umami)
• Hamburger and/or Slider Buns (for multiple sizes)

The Process Part One:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Then stir in mustard, poppy seeds, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Assemble sandwiches by placing ham and cheese on one side of bun and sauce on other side. For a hamburger bun I recommend 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese with roughly 1 T. of sauce. For a slider bun I recommend 1 slice of ham, ½ slice of cheese, and roughly 1 t. of sauce.
3. Wrap sandwiches in foil, place in a freezer bag, and freeze.

The Process Part Two:

1. Start your campfire or heat up your grill so that your heat source is ready. If using wood or charcoal, let the flames die out prior to cooking your food.
2. Place your foil wrapped sandwiches on a grate over the heat for 15-20 minutes, flipping about halfway through, or until the cheese is melted and sandwiches are warm.
3. Carefully pull the packets off and let them cool for a minute or two.
4. Eat and enjoy!

Equipment needed:        

• Aluminum Foil: We use heavy duty aluminum foil for all our foil packet recipes. It only takes one time for your foil to fall apart during the process of cooking to realize the importance of quality foil.
• Parchment Paper: Some people don’t like to cook over high heat with aluminum. Parchment paper is the way to go here. Line the inside of the foil with the paper and everything cooks the same, just without touching the foil. Bonus-the foil stays clean and can be recycled.
• Heat resistant gloves: If you are going to be working around a fire, at some point you will probably get burned. These gloves can help prevent that.

More Freezer Friendly Recipes to Enjoy:

• Breakfast Burritos
• Camp Cooker Chicken Chimichangas
• Sausage, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes Foil Packets

Tag us on Instagram @campinganswer and show us a photo of your favorite make-ahead camping meal!