Ham Egg and Cheese Sandwich
This ham egg and cheese sandwich nails the New York-area classic recipe. Here's how to make this specialty of delis, street carts, and bodegas just right at home.
Ingredients
- 1 kaiser roll
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, softened, divided
- 2 slices deli ham
- 2 large eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1//8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 slices American cheese
- Ketchup and/or hot sauce optional, for serving
Instructions
- Set a 10-inch skillet or dark nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
- Split the roll in half across the beltline and spread each cut face with about 1/2 tablespoon of the butter. Place roll cut-sides down onto the skillet and cook until lightly toasted. Set aside.
- Melt half the remaining butter in the skillet. Add ham and cook, flipping once or twice, until warmed through and lightly browned on both sides. Place ham onto bottom half of prepared roll.
- Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl and add the salt and pepper. Beat with a fork until homogenous.
- Melt remaining butter in skillet. Pour in the scrambled eggs. Cook, dragging the edges to the center from time to time and swirling the pan once in a while to encourage the uncooked top parts to wend their way to the bottom.
- When egg is just about cooked, place the cheese slices on top to cover the surface and let them melt a bit.
- Place the cheese-covered eggs on top of the ham and top with the other half of the roll.
- For an authentic experience, you'll want the sandwich to steam a bit before serving. Wrap it in deli paper (or parchment or wax paper if that's what you've got) before cutting in half. Then wrap the whole thing in foil. Let it rest for five minutes before serving (with ketchup and hot sauce, if you like).
Notes
- A kaiser roll is also called a hard roll or bulky roll. It's straightforward, griddles well, and yields nicely to the bite.
- You can use any kind of deli ham you like. Here I've pictured black forest ham from Applegate Farms. If you've never pan-fried ham in a little bit of butter before, you'll be delighted by how delicious it becomes.
- Even in a sandwich like this, I'm going to advocate for a really good-quality butter, because it just makes everything taste so much better. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn't have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price.
- I don’t recommend making this recipe in advance. This ephemeral delight peaks five minutes after coming off the pan, and the cooking process is a carefully calibrated dance. Plus, the whole thing only takes a few minutes from start to finish. Make it, enjoy it, remember it. You can always do it again tomorrow.
- Sandwich leftovers are tricky and really depend on your tolerance for bread that's no longer performing at peak levels. If you want to go for it, I recommend wrapping the leftovers in foil and reheating in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 479mg | Sodium: 2032mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g