Mission: Accomplished.
On my return home, I found the house to be thoroughly cleaned and organized and with a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a cherry coffee cake sitting proudly on the kitchen counter. The jury’s still out, but mom was either A) bored and lonesome without my companionship, or B) so overjoyed at her newfound freedom that she felt compelled to twirl about the kitchen, singing and baking while birds chirped and woodland critters scampered at her feet. She claims boredom..
Also in the fridge was a leftover bone-in ham. When I saw this, I knew the jury was no longer deliberating, this woman was deliriously happy that I skipped town for the weekend.
That said, I find the most delicious way to enjoy leftover ham short of simply gnawing on the bone like a stray dog is the Croque Monsieur; the French make a mean ham and cheese. This particular ham and cheese happens to be drenched in a saucy, Swissy goodness with just the right amount of heat from the cracked black pepper and warmth from the nutmeg. My only regret is that I didn’t have more Parmesan to sprinkle over top. Yes, I know it’s blasphemous to cook Parmesan – thank you Mario Batali. Yes, I realize I’m putting an Italian cheese on a decidedly French entrée. But I don’t care…it’s glorious, and I will not apologize. J
Anyway, the sandwich is also quite easy to make. Toasted bread, Dijon mustard, leftover (or deli-fresh) ham, Gruyere (Swiss) cheese, and a cheese sauce from a simple béchamel (white sauce) base. Broil until brownish and bubbly on top and drool all over yourself. A nice side bonus is that this sandwich actually reheats well – so, make it the night before and have it for lunch the next day at work. Granted, it’s not as crisply company-ready, but it’s absolutely delicious as the cheese sauce soaks deeper into the bread and oozes out the sides of the sandwich as you eat it.
And, now I’m hungry again..
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