The Lunch Meat You Should Be Pairing With Apple Butter

When autumn rolls in, seasonal-centric foodies start looking for ways to put their annual jar of farmstand apple butter to good use (and a slice of toast only gets you so far). Luckily, apple butter happens to go well with ham — especially hot ham sandwiches with cheese. This elevated, meaty take on a classic grilled cheese pairs tender pork with robust, sweet-spiced apple butter for a sandwich that's well-balanced, playful, and unexpected. The gooey melted cheese melds with the warm apple butter for sweet-savory interplay that hits all the right notes. Plus, apple butter performs a utilitarian role as the sandwich's necessary moisture component (way more fun than mayonnaise).

To assemble, simply pile your ham, cheese slices, and any other desired fillings between two slices of apple-butter-smeared-bread. Then, butter the outer sides of the bread (a pastry brush and a dish of melted butter can be helpful here) and pan-fry the assembled sando over medium heat, carefully flipping until golden brown. Alternatively, these sammies could also be cooked in a panini press, or oven-baked on a sheet pan for roughly 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping midway through. The oven-baking route can prove particularly efficient when preparing multiple sandwiches at once. 

This apple butter dinner (or breakfast) delight makes a great excuse for patronizing your local farmers market. Have a few soft apples that need using up? Thrifty home cooks might even try making their own apple butter.

The key is selecting a cheese that complements the deep, sweet, spiced flavor profile of the apple butter. Nutty Gruyere or Fontina would pair fabulously, or white cheddar would lend a hit of sharpness. For a funkier take on this sweet-savory sammy, melted Swiss cheese, apple butter, ham, and sauteed onions could be stacked between two thick slices of sourdough. Or, to lean into the apple butter's sweetness, replace those sauteed onions with warm, softened pear slices sauteed in coconut oil, and trade the Swiss for Brie. Sandwich fillings from baby spinach to a fried egg would make hearty, nourishing additions to a hot ham and cheese with apple butter.

Smoked, thin-sliced deli ham makes a flavorful, convenient fit for this avant-garde sando. Swing by your local bodega, butcher shop, or grocery store deli counter to pick up the star ingredient. Pro tip: Wet-cured city hams tend to feature a more spiced tasting profile than dry-cured country hams, which lean saltier and smokier. Either works here, depending on your taste preference. Brown sugar-glazed deli ham pairs well with the apple butter, too. 

Feel free to customize that bread, as well. Plush white bread or potato bread let the fillings speak for themselves. Or, this homemade no-knead Asiago bread would create a more savory sammy, while toothy pumpernickel would steer the profile more sweet, and rye bread's caraway seeds would lend subtly herbaceous contrast.