Open – Faced Ham and Brie Sandwiches with Arugula Salad all recipe

Open – Faced Ham and Brie Sandwiches with Arugula Salad

Why this recipe works: open faced sandwiches are the de facto lunch of choice in Nordic countries, and for good reason: they’re tasty and easy to make, and the flavor combination are virtually limitless. We turned this European noontime staple into an all American weeknight supper with a little help from other parts of the world. Our neighbors to the north provide the protein. Canadian bacon, straight out of the package, precooked, and already sliced, I a convenient way to get big pork flavor. France chips in with the bread and the cheese, plus a little Dijon mustard for added zing. For a finishing touch, a little honey goes a long way. Here, we use the versatile nectar to balance the flavors in both our sandwich and our accompanying salad. In the sandwich, a quick drizzle of honey cuts through the saltiness of the Canadian bacon and the richness of the brie. In the salad, the honey tames the sharpness of the mustard in the vinaigrette as well as the peppery bite of the arugula. Using honey in both components also serves to unite the flavor profile of the dish as a whole.

Ingredients: serve 4

3 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 (24 – inch) loaf French bread, halved lengthwise and each half cut into 4 even pieces

1 pound Canadian bacon

8 ounces brie cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick

6 cups baby arugula salt and pepper

Procedures:

1. Adjust oven rank to upper – middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Whisk 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, lemon juice, and oil in large bowl.
2. Arrange bread, cut side up, on aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Spread remaining mustard evenly over bread. Top with bacon and brie and bake until brie is melted and edges of bread are golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to platter and drizzle with remaining honey.
3. Add arugula to bowl with mustard mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Served with sandwiches.

Easy Open – Faced sandwich

Arrange eight slices of French bread cut side up on a aluminum foil – lined baking sheet. Spread Dijon mustard over the bread, then top with the Canadian bacon and brie. Bake in a preheated 475 – degree oven until the brie is melted and the edges of the bread are golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.