Ham d’lites

To my horror, I found out yesterday that my oldest daughter has never eaten a ham d’lite. What kind of southern mother was I during the 10 years or so she lived in North Carolina? So, now, guess what we’re having for Easter dinner.

I can live with her never going to Cotillion but no ham d’lites, those piquant little ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches dripping with butter and flavored with poppy seeds, Worcestershire and dried onion? The child was deprived, no doubt about it.

The first time I ate a ham d’lite Marilyn H. brought them to a potluck at Bethany Presbyterian. I probably ate an entire platterful. Yesterday and today, while making them for a wedding this weekend, I’ve held myself to just one (about 208 calories, 16 g fat) and given up other food to have them. It’s so worth it.

They’re going to Virginia as appetizers before the rehearsal dinner and also as a breakfast choice one morning. For appetizers, I cut them in half. I use King’s Hawaiian small dinner rolls because there is no sense making a half-assed ham d’lite. The extra sweetness from the rolls is the cherry on the sundae that is a ham d’lite.

I think I used reduced fat Swiss cheese, too, but that was because that’s what was here. Anyway, there’s enough butter to keep my mind off the skinny cheese.

Ham d’lites

3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) melted butter

1-1/2 tablespoons (4-1/2 teaspoons) Dijon mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

24 mini sandwich rolls

1 pound thinly sliced cooked deli ham

1 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-x13-inch baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and dried onion. Separate the tops from bottoms of the rolls, and place the bottom pieces into the prepared baking dish. Layer about half the ham onto the rolls. Arrange the Swiss cheese over the ham, and top with remaining ham slices in a layer. Place the tops of the rolls onto the sandwiches. Brush the mustard mixture evenly over the rolls.

Bake in the preheated oven until the rolls are lightly browned and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Slice into individual rolls (or halves) through the ham and cheese layers to serve.