An all-time classic made even better on an open fire or grill- this is a great recipe for your first time cooking over an open fire or if you’re an experienced outdoor chef.
Four slices of your favorite bread sliced thin, sandwich-style or four slices of loaf bread
Four slices of quality smoked ham
Four slices of cheddar, grated or sliced
One apple, sliced
Three or four tablespoons of unsalted butter
One of the many things I like about this recipe is that you can prep the whole sandwich ahead of time at the house. You can assemble the ham, cheese and bread, and then add any condiments or extras as you are cooking or when it’s done.
At camp, start by building a nice hot fire and let it burn down until you have coals before you start to cook. I like to lay a grate or grill over a couple of larger logs with coals in the middle and add wood to the bed of coals if necessary. When you have a good bed of coals, set the cast iron pan on the grate. Add the prepped sandwiches, or place one slice of bread for each sandwich in the pan, then add the ham and cheese. Top with the other slices of bread. Let cook for another minute or two. Very carefully, using tongs or a spatula, flip the sandwich over and cook another 1-2 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and the cheese has started to melt.
If you want to fancy it up a little and really impress the family, sautéed apples make for a nice and tasty addition and are easy to prepare. Remove the grilled sandwiches from the pan and set aside. In the same pan melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter until bubbling. Add the sliced apples and cook until they start to soften. Once done, remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Remove the top slice from the grilled sandwiches and place the apples on top of the ham and cheese. Place the top slice back on, cut the sandwiches in half, serve and enjoy.
Makes two big “sandwiches.”
See how Jimmy Kennedy makes these at camp.
