Remember I told you there was going to be lots of leftover ham from the gorgeous Carlton Farms Bone-In, Whole Holiday Ham we made yesterday? Well, I was right. And luckily the possibilities are endless when it comes to using using up leftover ham.
If I were you, I would start with making these Ham and Havarti Sliders on Parmesan-Butter Topped Pretzel Buns. There are NO words to describe how good these turned out. Do you see that cheese? It's epic.
You see, I have a new vice lately. It happens to be THIS exact cheese. I have been getting my stash at Costco. Every time I shop, I come home with more and more packages to get me through until the next Costco trip. The cheese has a decent shelf life but it's not even an issue since we are eating it faster than we can replace it. If you have never had Havarti, it is the creamiest, butteriest, most superior melty cheese you could imagine. The fact that I can now get it in deli slices has turned me into a Havarti fanatic. It is by far the ultimate grilled cheese-cheese. Does that make sense?
I knew this leftover ham and Havarti cheese were going to marry and bring peace and love into my kitchen. I was right. These little sliders were incredible. I have pure love for this cheese and I hope you can find some soon.
Another exceptional part of this sandwich were these pretzel buns. They were in my freezer, which explains their wrinkly outer appearance. But, have you seen these at your store? They have been popping up everywhere. They are a little sweet with a great texture, kind of like one of those mall pretzels, but better. These buns were the perfect choice for this combination of meat and cheese.
I kind of just tore the cheese in strips and laid it across the bottom half of the buns, added ham and then more cheese. Super easy!
I topped the rolls with a mixture of butter and Parmesan. Use the Parmesan from the can if you want to incorporate it with your butter. Melting shredded Parmesan with your butter just turns it into oil. You could drizzle butter on top and then sprinkle the buns with shredded Parmesan. It will melt in the oven but it could also get too brown. Your call.
Ham and Havarti Sliders on Parmesan-Butter Topped Pretzel Buns
Recipe from: Created by Noble Pig | Serves: As many as you want to make
Ingredients:
- Pretzel Buns
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Havarti Cheese Slices
- Butter, melted
- Parmesan cheese, from the can
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice buns in half and place on a rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment.
- Mix two tablespoons mayonnaise to one tablespoon mustard in a small bowl. Use enough to coincide with how many sliders you are making. Spread mixture on both sides of pretzel buns.
- Place bottom half of buns closely together on baking tray. Top buns with Havarti cheese slices, ham and more Havarti cheese. Cover with tops of buns.
- In a small pan melt several tablespoons of butter and several tablespoons of Parmesan together. Drizzle this mixture over the tops of the sliders.
- Place in oven and bake about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and ham is warmed through.
- ~For fun I added some crushed pineapple to my sliders and it was the perfect little addition. I did this after they came out of the oven.
Cathy owns a vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.