Monday's Menu

 At my Bunco Christmas party, one lady served these really awesome sandwiches. What made them awesome was the buttery topping brushed on them. I literally ate three of them and barely restrained myself from getting another.

I happened to be on Facebook some time later and noticed one of those recipes that floats around. It looked a whole lot just like the sandwiches she had served. Hmmm.

I decided to give them a try at our home group meeting (once a month it meets at our house). They, however, didn't quite turn out like hers. Or like the picture with the recipe for that matter. They got quite a bit too brown.

We still all ate them (including my teens). In fact, we had none of the 20 I made left. I had not had room for four of the buns on my cookie sheet so I played around with the instructions the next day and figured out what I had done wrong. I had taken the foil off of them to bake them. I also waited this time to brush on the topping rather than at the beginning.

And while I was at it, I chose the ugliest pan I have to cook them on. That's the best tip, really. The uglier the pan, the better they taste. (ahem. just kidding)

That was a whole lot closer. The texture of the topping was different but the taste was the same.

The topping on the Bunco lady's sandwiches was slightly sticky almost like a honey texture so I am thinking that she heated the sandwiches, brushed on the topping, then put them back in the oven for a few minutes. I plan to try that next time. You could do it this way or try what I think is hers at your own peril.

Either way, get ready to scarf down some sam-miches.

P.S. Might want to bookmark this one for that big football game coming up soon. hint hint



Party Ham Sandwiches

2 (12 count) packages of sweet Hawaiian rolls
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. virginia ham, deli slices (NOT honey ham) -- I only needed 1
12 slices swiss cheese, cut into halves or quarters as desired
1/2 cup butter (use butter not margarine)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Slice the rolls and place the bottoms on pans. Put about 2 slices of ham on each roll. Top with swiss cheese and, then, the tops of the rolls. Cover pan with foil. These can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted. While baking, mix together melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and poppy seeds. Remove foil from sandwiches and brush tops with  butter sauce. If desired, place sandwiches back into oven (cover with foil again) for a couple of minutes to set topping. Serve warm.