Grilled Cheese with Country Ham, Leeks, and Tomato Jam

Sweet and salty, tangy and gooey, this grilled cheese sandwich with country ham, leeks, and tomato jam hits all the right notes.

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You ever make a large quantity of a condiment, and then not know what to do with it? Yeah, that happened to me, too.  I had so many tomatoes that after putting up crushed tomatoes, seasoned and plain tomato sauce, green tomato bacon jam and salsa . . . whew . . . I decided to try making tomato jam.

I got the idea, and the recipe, from Marisa's first cookbook, Food In Jars (link to her eponymous website--hey, did I use that word correctly? Do I get points?).  Tomato jam sounded like something I ought to try, and since I'd nearly filled up my pantry with other tomato products I gave it a go.  It was easy because Marisa's directions are clear and simple to understand, she anticipates my questions and answers them before I think to say 'but, what about . . .'.  I got her book out of my local library.

In a ham sandwich, this tomato jam just sings.  The sweetness of the jam perfectly balances the saltiness of a slice of ham, and you bet I'll be blowing through a jar eating Easter ham leftovers*. But tomato jam with a chicken sandwich? It's not that terrific. Turkey? Um, no thanks. I needed to get creative.

After I used country ham and leeks on a pizza, with asparagus and egg, I was inspired to try that combination of country ham and leeks in a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato jam.  Bingo!  The combination of salty bits of country ham [I like to bite my sandwich neatly, and not have the entire piece of meat pull out from between the bread, so I diced it] and sweet and tangy tomato jam is excellent. Add leeks, cheddar, and a griddle and you're golden.  Serve it alongside creamy tomato soup and you'll have such a sense of accomplishment, a la The Little Red Hen (and no shortage of folks to help you eat it!)--Amazon affiliate link if you're not familiar with the book.


For more recipes using leeks, please see my Recipes Using Leeks Collection. For more recipes for what to do with a glut of tomatoes, please see my Red and Yellow Tomato Recipes Collection. Yes, there is a Green Tomato Recipes Collection. All of these collections are part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating from the farm share, the farmer's market, the garden, the neighbor's garden, and great deals on ugly produce at the grocery store.



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Grilled Cheese with Country Ham, Leeks, and Tomato Jam 

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon buttery spread, divided
• ¼ cup sliced leeks (these can be frozen/thawed, which is how I put up my farm share leeks)
• ½ slice country ham (when cubed, it equals about ¼ cup cubed ham bits)
• 2 slices bread (I'm using my Multigrain Sourdough)
• 1 Tablespoon tomato jam (from this recipe, or store-bought)
• 1 slice sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat a medium sized skillet over medium heat.  
2. Add a teaspoon of buttery spread (you'll use the rest on the bread) and sauté the leeks for 3-5 minutes until browned and softened. Set leeks aside.  
3. Add the half slice of country ham to the hot skillet and brown both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. 
4. Set aside and chop into bits when cool. 
5. Spread 2 slices of bread with buttery spread and put them--butter side down--in hot skillet.  
6. Top one slice with cheese, leeks, and ham. 
7. Spread the other slice with tomato jam.  
8. Brown the buttered sides of bread in the skillet, about 3 minutes, then layer the slice with tomato jam on top of the ham and leeks--jam side down. 
9. Mash together and serve.  

*While in Chicago last week I had a Pub Waffle for breakfast with tomato jam on the side.  When I get that recipe recreated here, I'll share it.  Over the weekend it was my daughter's birthday, and she wanted "pancakes, bacon, and chocolate" so I made her chocolate chip bacon pancakes for breakfast.  Yum! Then I got a good deal on uncooked corn tortillas and made eggs and beans and sausage and peppers for Sunday's breakfast.  Since we do big breakfasts on the weekends, it will be a little while until I get that recipe up. I need some Easter ham first, as I think ham would be better than the turkey slice served to me on the Pub Waffle.

Want more Grilled Cheese ideas? Click on the image to go to other recipes:

This post is shared with Fresh Foods Wednesday and What's Cookin' Wednesday, From the Farm Blog Hop, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Simple Supper Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Food on Friday, another Food on Friday and featured on MiniVanDreams