Top to Bottom Ham and Cheese Bread
Today I’m excited to bring you a guest post by the guy who I’m pretty sure is my long lost twin. Except for the fact that we look nothing alike, have never lived in the same town, have about ten years or so between us age wise (I’m not saying who is the oldest) and we don’t even have the same blood type (hey, I’m thorough), if you were around us, you’d swear we were twins too.
Stacey has been part of the Southern Plate Family for quite some time but I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife back in October on my book tour when they showed up with a basket of cookies so divine that I’m not going to tell you what they are called because I’m going to make him do another guest post on them soon (oh yeah, Stacey, I meant to tell you that). I then got to hang out with Stacey again at Food Blog South, where we were both speakers.
We got along like peas and carrots the whole weekend. My friend Jyl said he’s the first person she’s met who talks as much as I do (he really does, I was impressed! I think we speak the same number of Words Per Minute, too!).
The funny thing about Stacey is that we seem to think the same thoughts, but he actually voices them. The last night of Food Blog South, we were at a fancy dinner and the chef was describing in great detail how he prepared each dish, then he got to the part about describing the polenta. I was thinking “ok, got it, fancy grits” but I just about shot ice water out my nose when Stacey leaned in at that exact moment and whispered with a playful smile “Okay, now that would be grits…“
When I saw this recipe on his food blog, Southern Bite, I knew I had to bring it to you. Better yet, I knew I had to make Stacey bring it to you (I just love it when a man does the work, don’t you?) and so I asked and he graciously agreed. I know you’ll enjoy getting to know Stacey as much as I did. Who knows, maybe he’s your twin, too?
Hello to my Southern Plate family! First let me just say how honored and overwhelmed that I am able to share this simple, but yummy recipe with y’all. When Christy asked me to do a guest post, I was happier than a hog in slop to share one of my recipes with SP, but being able to share this particular recipe makes it even better, because it’s my Mama’s.
You know, I was thinking the other night about what profound things I could share with you all and thinking about this recipe and it just kinda hit me. Just being able to share my food and the food of generations of my family with others is exactly why I do a food blog. All this “thinking” surrounded what would have been my great-grandmother’s birthday; she would have been 98 years old on the 2nd. And (yes, I just started a sentence with “and” – I’m a rebel like that) I guess it was all this that made me realize why I take the time out of my day to work up recipes or reinvent old ones to share. I don’t often get an opportunity to share with folks what amazing people my ancestors were, but here in this format, I can share a part of them with others in the food they prepared and shared with their family. My sweet Bigmama passed away without anyone getting her recipes and I guess in some way as a food blogger I am able to capture and share my family’s food for generations to come.
This recipe is a special one for me to be able to share because it involves several very special people in my life. For years my Mom had always served this gooey deliciousness any time she made potato soup. We never really had a name for it. It was just that ham-bread-stuff. Not long after my wife (Heather) and I began dating in high school, she got the chance to taste this ham-bread-stuff. It quickly became her favorite thing for Mom to make and she requested it frequently. And (oops there I go again with that “and”) by frequently I mean all the time. She even dreamed about it. But Heather wasn’t satisfied with it not having a name. One night during a dream about it she called it Top to Bottom Ham and Cheese Bread and shared the crazy title with us the next day. The name stuck and we’ve been calling it that ever since.
To my Southern Plate Family: Y’all enjoy!
To my sweet, sweet friend Christy: Thanks for all you have done for me and all you have done and continue to do for families and for Southern food!
To get started, you’ll need: two loaves of crusty french bread, 2 cups of finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup of mayo, about 9 ounces of thinly sliced smoked ham, and about half on a medium sized onion thinly sliced.
Slice the two loaves and bread in half.
Next, combine the mayo and cheese.
Now spread the cheese/mayo mixture on both sides of both loaves of bread.
Place the ham and onion on top.
Not everyone in my family is a big fan of onions, so you can leave them off if you want.
Wrap the sandwiches in aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are heated through.
Ingredients
- 2 loaves crusty french bread
- 2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mayo
- 9 oz (roughly) thinly sliced smoked ham
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cut the loaves of bread in half lengthwise as if you’re going to make a sandwich.
- Combine the 1 cup mayo and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl and spread on both sides of both loaves of bread.
- Place thinly sliced onion and ham in each sandwich to your liking.
- Wrap sandwiches in aluminum foil and and bake in 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until until cheese is melted and the sandwiches are heated through.
Not all who wander are lost.
-JRR Tolkien
Submitted by Kristin. Submit your quote by clicking here. (I’m always looking for new quotes and don’t worry about whether or not it’s a quote I already have, that just means I need it again
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Feb 4 2011. Filed under Breads, Main Course, Quick&Easy.
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Oh my lands, this looks delicious! And with a steamy bowl of baked potato soup? Yes, please!
Meeting the two of you at Food Blog South was the hilight of my weekend! Thanks y’all!
Want your recipe for baked potato soup!
Hey Tina! The recipe for the soup can be found here:
http://southernbite.com/?p=533
Thanks, Christina! It was GREAT to meet you too! P.S. -the link for the soup is below… ~grins~
http://southernbite.com/?p=533
that looks delicious!
That looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it without the onions
Looks great! Ain’t it fun being a guest blogger for The Christinator? Thats one of my pet names for her.
Thanks for the recipe. I will get to it as soon as it decides to quit snowing and icing up. This is Texas.. snow and ice ain’t natural…
You’re surely right about that, Bill. Our grocery stores were jam packed with shoppers stocking up as if a hurricane were about to hit. Folks honking in the parking lot at slow movers and those who do three corner turns to get the parking place on the other side. I’d have this today, but NO more trips to the store until the lines clear out. Might have to try this with beef and bbq sauce until then.
I hear ya, buddy! This kinda stuff isn’t supposed to happen way down here. I do love the Christinator! And being a guest blogger is the bees knees.
Be extra good with a 1015 on it. Love my unions.
Johnny
Sonnnnn…. That’s a mighty fine lookin’ sandwich!!!!
OMG….and with a day like we are having here at the beach….pouring down rain and quite dreary as I look out over the Inlet here in Murrells Inlet, SC….now if only the kitchen fairy would just suddenly appear and say “bibbity bobbity boo” and these delicious, sounding sammies along with a big, ol’ pot of potato soup would just magically appear……just sayin’…YUM!
Nothing better this time of year than soup and a hot sandwich (we’re digging out from the 20 inches of snow we got in IL). Great recipe, Stacey! Christy, I made your baked sandwich recipe (grnd. beef and cream of mush. soup) about a month ago. Instead of using the bread dough, I took a short cut because I got a loaf of French bread on sale. I had half a loaf leftover so I froze it. Now the big question is what would be the best way to reheat it? It’s wrapped in foil. Should I thaw it overnight and then bake it in the oven (in the foil) at about 350 for 15-20 minutes or can I place the frozen loaf (again, in foil) into the 350 oven and bake it for about 30-40 minutes? I don’t want to dry out the bread and still have a cold filling. And I probably should unwrap it for the last 7 minutes to crisp up the bread…agree?
OMG! I think I’m willing to ignore the calories & fat grams for this one! Looks divine! Hmmmmm . . . . may have to make a couple up and slice up into small “slider” type sandwiches for the Super Bowl this Sunday!
Thanks so much Stacey, can’t wait to try it the next time I make potato soup!
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This looks wonderful – I’m going to try it soon!
Question for you!! Can you substitute the mayo with something else? I really want to try this, but the mayo is tripping me up. Sour cream? Miracle Whip? Ummm, ranch dressing?
Thanks!
I think you could probably substitute any of those, but I think the ranch would work best. Depending on the thickness of the ranch, you may want to use a little less. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Yum! I love ooey gooey hot sandwiches like this! I might be a rebel and change up the kind of cheese and use turkey.
Absolutely! It’s incredibly versatile. Smoked turkey and gouda, ham and provolone, you can even add a few tablespoons of mustard to the mayo/cheese mix to spice it up.
Guess what’s for dinner tonight lol….yes, this sandwich!! And to spice it up a bit I will add some Boar’s Head Savory Remoulade Cajun Style Mayonnaise. Yummy!! Thanks so much for this recipe and hope to see more from you Stacey.
Sounds great, Laurie! Great idea. I hope you will see more from me! -hint, hint, Christy!
Any suggestions on what to use instead of mayo?? I don’t care for it at all (as in if mayo has even touched my food I refuse to eat it – I’m weird like that)!
Thanks!
oh my…yum! Thank you Stacey for guest posting!!
It is my pleasure!
This sounds so good and just in time for the Super Bowl party. I already have all but the French bread. Luckily it mostly only rains here in Washington, so I can go get it today. And of course the ingredients for the soup too. Thanks Stacy and also to your twin for having you as a guest. Looking forward to your post for those cookies as well.
This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for sharing your memories with us as well Stacey. I could find recipes all day long all over the internet, but it’s the stories of love and family traditions that make the food just taste that little bit extra special to me.
Oh my that looks good! Michelle I bet it would be good with a pickled olive mix like a muffalata instead of mayo.
Thanks Stacey for sharing this yummy looking sammy. It looks great as it is…but my mind is wanting to add a little diced pimento in with that mayo and cheese. I’m sure it can’t hurt.
Hurt?? Are you kidding? That sounds delish! It’s a ham and pimento cheese sandwich! YUMMM!
Thank you Christy for introducing me to Stacey. His blog is now on my daily “check it out” list right beside yours. My Mom made a similar sandwich, but used a roll, ham, swiss cheese, butter and mustard mix. She always served them at her card parties. I always make them with my potato soup, and just sometimes because we want a good-tasting hot sandwich. Will be trying this soon. Thanks to both of you.
Wow that sure does look yummy!!!! I took a peek at his website and decided right then and there I had to sign up for his page too. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes.
I was inspired! I had the bread and mayo but not the other ingredients so I tried horseradish in the mayo with swiss cheese and then added roast beast and topped with banana peppers. Thank you Stacey for your inspiration! Now I just wish I had some soup…
That sounds delicious! So awesome to see all the creativity coming from the SP family!
Yum. Looks really good! Might have to make this this weekend.
Looks yummilicious!
Ooooh that looks divine! I cannot wait to try it!!!
This sounds so easy and delicious, I went out and bought the items to make it tonight. Thought I would throw it together real fast before heading out to my daughter’s game. Evidentally our french bread in Florida is longer than yours in Alabama, wait is that where Stacy is from too? oh well, anyway I had to mix another batch of mayo and cheese and ended up not having enough cheese. I think the ones shown above must have been about the size of hoagie rolls maybe? I even measured my french bread and one was 16″ and one was almost 18″. Should have 2 cups of mayo and 3-4 cups of cheese. Just thought I’d share that with yal if you’re feeding a mess of kids like me (4).. teenagers at that.
Thanks for the easy recipe Stacy, can’t wait for them to get out of the oven.
Oh no, Robin! Yep, I’m in Alabama too. Maybe y’all’s is longer. I’ve never had a problem with that. I normally use Pepperidge Hearth Baked French Bread, it comes two in a pack. Thanks for pointing that out though!
http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=759&prdID=11776
OMG! I am getting my coat on to run to the store for some french or italian bread. Have to have this now! TY TY TY
New blog to check out everyday – Southern Bite! This sandwich looks sooo good! Thanks Stacey!
Thanks, Andrea! I’d love to have you!!
I live in the central area of Florida and we have a old established Cuban community here called Ybor City ( pronounced eebore). This sandwich looks just like you are using our official Cuban bread. The contents are a little different but yours still looks great. I’ll have to make one of these. Thanks!
I’m a BIG fan of Ybor City. Love the Columbia!
That looks Yuummmmmy!!! I know what we are having for lunch Sunday!!!
Hello Stacey,
Thank you for your post – I am going to make it for my boys when they watch the Superbowl. We live in England so this is quite unusual and as it is shown overnight they’ll need to be fed well.
AT LAST!!! Now I know what grits are. I’ve been wondering for years….lol!
Hello from across the pond! I hope you all enjoy to the sandwiches and the Super Bowl! So glad we were able to help with those grits!!
Oooh Stacey that looks so good. So so good!!! It makes me sad because I’m not supposed to eat certain foods regularly and all I see are great recipes that include foods I am supposed to avoid. I can be quite stubborn about it though and I’ll say that I’ll eat what I want and deal with the fallout but that’s not really the smartest thing for me to do. I already can think of one way to change it up to make this as I have a special cheese I can eat. But really I could eat this all the time and would if I could!
Bless your heart! I know how you feel. I have a condition that limits some foods and it can very frustrating because I LIVE food and LOVE most all of it. I hope you can find a way to enjoy this! Best of luck!
Robin, I had the same problem with not having enough of the spread. I had barely enough for one standard size french bread loaf, so I just made one. It is in the oven now, we are about to eat. I am sure it will be wonderful. Maybe french loaves come in varying sizes? Thanks for this recipe. I bet it will become a family favorite.
Hi folks! Here’s a quick clarification: There are apparently some serious differences in what is called French bread in the supermarket. Sp here’s what I use: http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=759&prdID=11776
It seems some places are calling Italian Bread French Bread when it’s really not. If you end up with more bread than spread, just mix ya up so more.
I used a big old loaf from Wally world and had plenty using just your recipe. Maybe it multiplied on my bread! Lol
Did y’all enjoy it?
It was WONDERFUL!!!
WOW, this sounds and looks wonderful, but will have to make it with mozerella cheese. My bunch will not eat any kind of yellow cheese, I love it but they don’t.
Totally loved this recipe!!! So easy to make, and yummy! And I signed up for Southern Bite too.
[...] awesome new twin sister) and the Southern Plate Family. Christy was super sweet to let me do a guest post on her ultra-fabulous blog and the response has been nothing short or completely overwhelming. [...]
I found your site and may still be here in the morning when you wake up. I’m from Okla. and love reading all the posts and seeing how you lay out the recipes.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. BTW going to the store for bananas and nilla wafers.
Welcome to the Southern Plate family!! So glad you found me and can’t wait to get to know you!
This is fabulous. I used a loaf of french bread from Wally World and it was just enough for one loaf. My super bowl guests loved it! It was so good that I’m making it again for a meeting that we all take a snack for afterward.
[...] Top to Bottom Ham and Cheese Bread [...]
This is amazing! There’s no other way to describe it. Sometimes, simple is best, and I am all about paying hommage to southern food because it’s economical. I abbhor the things that restaurants are trying to do to our beloved Southern staples. They’ve taken our pimento cheese and our shrimp and grits and have bastardized them unrecognizable into “delicacy” fare…. SHAME! All hail the never fussy, never fancy hot ham and cheese.