I am so happy to be spending National Sandwich day with my friends at Daytime for the third year running. Yes – it is that time of year again – November 3 – one of the greatest holidays!! National Sandwich Day.
It is also the birthday of the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu. So how are these two connected? The story goes that John Montagu, The Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was an avid gambler and one night he didn’t want to stop playing to eat but was hungry. He instructed his cook to bring him beef in bread so that he could hold it in one hand and keep gambling the night away. Others soon began asking for “what Sandwich is having” and the rest, as they say, is history.
No matter the source of the name, Americans have truly made sandwiches their own. Sandwiches are every meal, every occasion, casual, elevated and are inspired by every culture and way of life.
To honor the almighty sandwich we have today a full days meals of sandwiches. The amazing thing about sandwiches is there is nothing too elementary or too special to be a sandwich.Breakfast SandwichToasted Croissant with Apricot Jam, Brie and Gruyere Mornay Sauce and Bacon
Salty, sweet, creamy, smoky, crunch – this sandwich has it all and is so easy to make. If you don’t want to take time to make the mornay sauce simply melt brie or gruyere on the sandwich in the oven and you will still have a delicious sandwich that comes together quick and easy.Ingredients for Two Sandwiches
- 2 croissants
- Apricot jam
- 8 slices of bacon
- ½ cup mornay sauce (see recipe below)
Cut croissants in half. Spread apricot jam on bottom half of croissant. Criss cross four pieces of bacon. Spread mornay sauce on top or sprinkle with your favorite grated cheese. Place top half of croissant on. Toast in oven or under broiler until cheese is ooey gooey and croissant is toasted.Brie and Gruyere Mornay Sauce
(this is more than you will need for sandwiches – mix in with pasta or spoon over vegetables to add a pep to these dishes.)
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 cups warm milk
- 3 oz. gruyere shredded
- 3 oz. wedge fresh brie cheese with rind removed and chopped into small pieces
Combine butter and flour in small sauce pan and whisk to combine over medium heat until light brown – about 4-5 minutes. Whisk in mustard, ground clove, and ground nutmeg. Slowly pour in warm milk whisking to combine. Add bay leaves. Simmer on low until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon – about 10 minutes. Be careful not to scorch or boil the mixture. Remove from heat. Off heat whisk in shredded gruyere then chopped up brie. If too thick you can add a little milk. Season with salt and pepper.
TIP: be sure to mix in the cheese off the heat. If the cheese gets to hot the fats can separate leaving you a broken sauce. By taking the mixture off heat and mixing in the gruyere first (it is a more stable cheese) and then the brie once the sauce has cooled further – your sauce will stay a creamy and a beautiful texture.Lunch SandwichAussie Meatloaf Sandwich with Spicy Ketchup and Crispy Onions Assembling Sandwich
2 slices of brioche bread or Texas toast
1 tablespoon softened butter
3 slices of meatloaf (recipe below)
2 tablespoons spicy ketchup
¼ cup crispy onions
Spread softened butter on bread and toast. Heat up meatloaf in grill pan. Fan meatloaf on one slice of bread, spoon on spicy ketchup and top with crispy onions and second piece of bread. Aussie Meatloaf
- 2 cups diced onion
- ¼ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup diced carrot
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pounds Australian Grassfed Beef
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup quick oats
- 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Often meatloaf can be too fatty or greasy as the meat cooks and the internal fat renders. Using a naturally lean beef like Aussie grassfed helps create a delicious meatloaf.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread veggies on sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Puree veggies in food processor or blender with Dijon and Worcestershire sauce.
In a large mixing bowl crumble up ground beef. Add in pureed vegetables, eggs, milk, bread crumbs, oats, and Italian seasoning. Mix all ingredients together (the best tools for this are your hands so get messy!!) Form into loaf and place in either meatloaf pan or on a sheet tray and bake at 350 until cooked thoroughly- 160 degrees internal temperature. If cooking in a loaf pan cooking time will be around 90 minutes. If on a sheet tray cooking time will be closer to an hour.Spicy Ketchup
- 5 vine ripened tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves of garlic peeled
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp. light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter tomatoes and toss in olive oil. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place on sheet tray with garlic cloves and fresh thyme and roast in oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and remove thyme stems. Place in blender with remaining ingredients and puree thoroughly. Pour into small sauce pan and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce by 1/3. Whisk in cold butter. Taste – season with salt and pepper as needed. Dinner SandwichAussie Dip – Roasted Lamb with Melted Cheese on Hoagie Roll with Au Jus
Many people are intimidated by lamb and don’t think they can cook it up properly. Boneless leg of lamb is actually very easy to cook and is beautiful for a fancy dinner for a special holiday meal then sliced thin for this beautiful “Aussie Dip” sandwich – a twist on the classic French dip sandwich. Building the Sandwich
Pile lamb into roll. Top with cheese and toast in the oven. Serve with side of lamb jus. Dip and enjoy.Roasting the Lamb
- Aussie Boneless Leg of Lamb – Tied or In netting preferred
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Olive Oil
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Generously season lamb on all sides with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet until piping hot. Sear lamb on all sides to create a nice crust. Reserve skillet for making lamb jus.
Place lamb on a sheet tray and slowly cook lamb until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 (about 90 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. This will yield a nice medium rare. Slice thick for a beautiful dinner and slice thin for these great Aussie Dip Sandwiches.
Lamb Jus – or Dip
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 beef bouillon
- 1 can beef stock
- 2 cups water
Mix all ingredients in a large pot and allow to simmer. Deglaze skillet you seared lamb in with the liquid. And mix with the drippings from the sheet tray you roasted the leg of lamb in. Reduce the au jus until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Strain to remove veggies and herbs leaving a beautiful rich jus.About the Guest Chef:
Jennifer is the founder of Sandwich America, and an award winning competitive cook, lawyer, restaurant owner (Coastal Grill and Bar in Kissimmee, FL), wine sommelier, award winning food photographer and budding foodie entrepreneur – Jennifer’s life is more than just “A Little Gourmet Every Day” – it’s a full sprint living buffet.
In addition to her multiple TV appearances, include her winning role in FYI’s Original Series World Food Championships, Jennifer competes and wins major competitions regularly. Jennifer is the 2013/2014 World Sandwich Champion, the 2015 Chevron Game Day Chef of the Year, and the 2016 Gnarly Head Grilling Nation Ribs Contest, amongst many wins. For more about Jennifer visit www.sandwichamerica.com and www.alittlegourmeteveryday.com and follow her on Instagram and twitter @sandwichamerica and @alittlegourmet
Next time you are in the Orlando area, visit her at her at Coastal Grill and Bar – www.gocoastalgrill.com, a highly rated restaurant minutes from Disney which features fresh flavors and dishes inspired by beaches around the world. Coastal Grill and Bar is inside Regal Oaks Resort at 5780 Golden Hawk Way, Kissimmee, FL 34746. 407-997-1607.
Let’s Hoagie!! Share your favorite sandwich with us @sandwichamerica.
Special thanks to Chris Eustaquio in the development of the recipes to celebrate National Sandwich Day.
