Ham and Asparagus Melts with Mustard Cheese Sauce
Want something more exciting to do with your Easter leftovers than boring ham sandwiches? Try these easy ham and asparagus melts with a dijon mustard and sharp cheddar cheese sauce you will swoon over! These melts can be a quick weeknight meal, or even a delicious brunch.
You will want to make the cheese sauce first to give it time to thicken before toping your sandwiches. The rest of the meal prep is a cinch! Simply quickly fry your ham to heat it and give it a bit more flavor, steam your asparagus and assemble! Top sourdough toast with the ham, asparagus, and spoon cheese over top. Broil until cheese sauce is just toasted and melty. Enjoy open-faced with a fork and knife! This meal is delicious paired with a spring salad to take advantage of the years earliest vegetables.
Kitchen Tip!
This recipe was inspired by a recipe my grandma always made for my dad growing up. It has since been a regular springtime meal in my childhood home as well. One kitchen tip my grandma taught me was to always break off the woody end of asparagus stems using your hands. This ensures they break at just the right spot, so you aren’t left with any of the tough portion in your asparagus dishes. Bonus- it’s actually quite fun and satisfying to snap the end off of each asparagus. We all could use a little therapeutic veggie prep in the kitchen!
Nutrition Tip!
Did you know asparagus is an excellent food source of naturally occurring folate? This B vitamin occurs naturally in many foods, and is fortified as folic acid in others. One of its primary functions in our bodies is cell growth. Therefore women aiming to get pregnant should pay special attention to this nutrient, as deficiencies may result in birth defects. As you may guess, this is a cause for concern from a public health standpoint, therefore grains are enriched with the vitamin in the United States and many other countries.[1] This is a pretty neat example of why certain foods in our food system are fortified with specific nutrients! So aim to eat a variety of foods with naturally occurring folate such as asparagus, with a good mix of enriched grains as well.
Ham and Asparagus Melts with Mustard Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 3/4 cup low-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 teaspoon oil (canola or avocado)
- 1 lb ham, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 4 slices sourdough bread
Instructions
- Make the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour until smooth. Once butter and flour are well incorporated and simmering, slowly pour in milk while whisking constantly, ensuring no clumps remain.
- Using whisk, mix in dried mustard, Dijon Mustard, and black pepper. Once mixture starts to simmer, turn off heat and stir in shredded cheese until completely melted and sauce is creamy and smooth. Set aside.
- Heat skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp oil, spreading evenly to coat bottom of pan. Add sliced ham and cook a few minutes on each side, or until just starting to turn golden in some spots. Flip and repeat on the other side of the ham. You may have to do this in multiple batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Prep the asparagus by first washing and breaking the bottom, woody section of the stems off and discarding. If the asparagus has long stems, cut in half so they will fit on the toast. Steam asparagus for 4-5 minutes, or until bright green and just cooked.
- Lightly toast sliced sourdough bread either in your toaster, or under your broiler ensuring you flip and toast both sides.
- Assemble melts by placing toasted bread on a sheet pan. Lay ham evenly on the top of each slice of bread. Then add asparagus, stacking as much as you can on each roll. Spoon cheese sauce over asparagus. If it has thickened too much, slightly heat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 20 seconds. Lastly sprinkle each with some paprika for added color.
- Broil on low for 4 minutes, or until cheese sauce looks melty and is starting to get some toasted spots on top.
- Enjoy warm!
Resources
Office of Dietary Supplements - Folate. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
