Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Ham & Cheese with Black Forest Ham, Swiss and Mozzarella cheese.

The Best Ham & Cheese

I bet you didn’t think a Ham & Cheese sandwich couldn’t get any better but, I’m telling you, it can and it’s the little things that make all the difference. Really it’s all about personal preference but if you choose the right kind of bread, the right kind of ham and cheese, you can really make something special with just a few other trade secrets that I’m going to show you in this simple little recipe.

Black Forest Ham, thinly sliced from my local deli.

Black Forest Ham & Cheese

When you make a Ham & Cheese sandwich, do you get all serious about what you put in it or do you just quickly throw something together so you can eat? Personally, I’m not a big fan of ham, which is funny considering how much I love, just about anything, pork. I chose Black Forest Ham for this recipe but I think it would be just as good with about anything you decided to use as long as it wasn’t watered down and packed with unnatural alternative preservatives other than curing salt. Just kidding. I could probably make this sandwich with spam and be completely happy with it so, it’s up to you.

Mixed Mozzarella and Swiss Cheese.

Cheese in your Ham & Cheese

There are so many different kinds of Cheese in this world that they have to write books to describe them all. I know that some people like a sharp Ham & Cheese and there are some that like a Swiss. In this recipe I chose to go with Mozzarella, to make it more cheesey, and Swiss cheese for more flavor. I really think the two balance each other out.

Another thing I like to do is season the buttered bread. You can choose white, wheat, rye or even sour dough bread, if you prefer but I highly recommend using an all purpose seasoning, to season the sliced buttered bread, before grilling. All purpose seasonings usually have garlic and onion powders in them and a few earthy herbs as well so, they’re perfect to add more flavor. Technically, it’s now a garlic toast Grilled Ham & Cheese but I’m not too sure that anyone would think to google the name of that sandwich.

Other sandwich recipes to check out:

Reubon, Steak and Cheese, Philly Cheese Steak, Sloppy Joe’s, Double Grilled Cheese, Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese and my Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwich.

Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich video tutorial.
Grilled Ham & Cheese Ingredients:

2 Slices of Bread
3 Slices of Ham
2 oz Mozzarella Cheese, grated
2 oz Swiss Cheese, grated
1 tbsp Butter, softened
All purpose seasoning to taste

Sauce
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Ketchup
1/2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Follow the directions in the Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make it with these ingredients.

Quesadilla with Grilled Chicken and Jack Cheese

The Best Chicken Quesadilla

This Chicken Jack Quesadilla makes all the difference between what you’d get served at your favorite fast food joint or a dine in restaurant.  Whether you choose to use an extra large burrito sized flour tortilla, like I do, or a small to medium, these quesadilla’s are packed with flavor.  I use marinated grilled chicken, Monterrey and Colby Jack Cheese and, of course, my secret sauce; made from the Fire Roasted Salsa that I showed you how to make, last post.  I’m talking about a thick creamy quesadilla that any good restaurant would dream of having on the menu.


Quesadilla Grilled Chicken

It’s very important to make the chicken as tender and as flavorful as possible, when making a restaurant style quesadilla.  You can make it lean, if you want to, by using breast meat, if you prefer, but I highly recommend using chicken thighs, instead.  In my experience, it makes tastier quesadilla’s.  Just chicken thighs isn’t going to be enough, however.  Adding a spicy marinade will take it to the next level, infuse the meat with flavor and insure tenderness.  30 minutes of soaking is all it’s going to take before you take it to the grill.  Then an additional 20 minutes of cooking will add the smokey taste everyone loves from great barbecue.  Just be sure the meat is cooked all of the way through and hits a core temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quesadilla Secret Sauce

The difference between a fast food quesadilla and a restaurant style quesadilla is huge.  Fast food quesadillas just consist of cheese, meat (if you’re lucky),possibly some onions and/or green chili’s.  There usually isn’t much bulk and generally made thin and small.  A good restaurant, however, will serve up a large to extra large sized tortilla, packed with more ingredients than it can usually hold; grilled marinated chicken, 2 cheese’s and a secret sauce that makes it extra creamy when the cheese melts into it.  My secret sauce consists of 3 ingredients: Sour Cream, Mayonnaise and my Fire Roasted Salsa.

Quesadilla Cheese

The cheese you choose will completely change the flavor of your Quesadilla and there are several winners.  Cheddar, medium or sharp, and Jack Cheese are generally among my favorites.  Queso asadero is the original cheese used to make Quesadillas but these are great alternatives.  In this recipe, I like to use Monterey and Colby Jack Cheese together because it’s very crowd pleasing and not to spicy for my kids.  If I’m making them for my wife and I, I’ll change out the Monterey and use Pepper Jack, instead, for a little kick.  Some folks even spread cream cheese inside the tortilla but you use what you like.

Chicken Jack Quesadilla Ingredients:

6 Boneless Chicken Thighs
1 pkg Extra Large Tortilla’s
1 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1 lbs Colby Jack Cheese, grated
1 Cube Butter, salted

Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup Water
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Tumeric
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Secret Sauce
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Fire Roasted Salsa

Follow the instructions in the video recipe to make this Chicken Jack Quesadilla.

Fire Roasted Salsa

Grilled, Broiled or Fire Roasted Salsa

I can honestly say that this Fire Roasted Salsa is amazing and it is, quite possibly, the best salsa I’ve ever tried.  It starts with fresh Hot House Tomatoes, Yellow Onions, Green Bell, Anaheim and Jalapeno Peppers, cilantro, lime and a few other key ingredients.  Although you can find recipes, similar to this one, all over the web, I seriously considered keeping this one all to my self.  But I get too excited when I discover the secrets to authentic recipes.  It makes me want to share it with everyone.  So that’s what I’m going to do today.

Fire Roasted Salsa Preperation

To get the best results, and be sure that your Fire Roasted Salsa tastes amazing, there’s only one thing you need to do before you take the vegetables to the grill.  Cut your onions in half.  It isn’t going to matter if you peel them before or after they roast but it is important that those onion layers get exposed to the grill. Salsa gets a lot of great flavor from onions and they have memory, so adding that smoked flavor to the rings will insure that your salsa tastes amazing when you blend them, together, with the other ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa Grilling Technique

Whether you choose to grill, broil or roast your vegetables over an open pit, to make this Fire Roasted Salsa, the timing and flipping is simple.  I average 25 to 30 minutes of roasting time, over medium heat(350 Fahrenheit), and I rotate and flip everything about every 5 minutes.  Look for some good color on the under side and flip.  It’s that easy.  I tend to check the peppers first because they burn quicker than the tomatoes and onions.  The onions I worry about the least.  The tomatoes just need to be pulled off the grill before they pop and loose their juice to the grill.  You should pay attention to where the hot spots are and rotate everything accordingly.  Then remove them from the heat and let them rest for a half an hour or so, until they are cool enough to touch and handle with your hands.  Remove the stems, peel the onions and add the other ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa Formula

I have a basic formula that you might find useful when you’re making Fire Roasted Salsa.  For every large Tomato, I add 1 medium sized Onion, 1 Bell Pepper, 1 Anaheim Pepper, 1 Jalapeno and a few cloves of Garlic.  It’s pointless making salsa on that small of a scale and that’s why I double that amount in the ingredients below.  If you want it spicier, add more peppers, different kinds or use less tomato.  It’s really not that difficult to trick up.  But that should give you a better understanding of how to approach your own homemade salsa in the future.

How to Spice Up Fire Roasted Salsa

If the Peppers aren’t providing enough heat and flavor for your tastes, there are a few other ingredients you can add to your Fire Roasted Salsa and I’ve included them in this recipe.  Cumin, Smoked Paprika and Mexican Oregano are definitely among my favorites.  You can even add some Cayenne if you’re feeling froggy.  Just be sure that you stay true to your tastes and be considerate of the pallets and less tolerant individuals, like children you may be serving, if they can’t handle spice.

Fire Roasted Salsa Ingredients:

2 Hot House Tomatoes, large
2 Onions,
1 Bell Pepper
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 Jalapeno
5 Garlic Cloves
1 lime, squeezed
1 bunch Cilantro
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Chicken Bouilion, Caldo con Sabor de Pollo(Knorr)
Salt and Pepper to taste