FARMHOUSE HAM, CHEESE AND SAUERKRAUT SANDWICHES

Farmhouse Ham, Cheese and Sauerkraut Sandwiches image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 10

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1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained (1/2 of an 8-oz can)
3/4 tablespoon butter, melted
12 slices country bread
18 slices swiss cheese
6 slices ham (thinly sliced)
pickle (optional)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350.
In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, seeds & pepper; stir in kraut; set aside.
On a foil-lined baking sheet, place six slices bread--first brush each with melted butter (save some for the other half of the sammie); top with a slice of cheese, then 1/6th of the kraut mixture,then a slice of ham and two slices of cheese--do this on all six slices of bread.
Brush remaining six slices of bread with melted butter; place on cheese--with butter side up, to make six sandwiches.
Bake for 10 minutes (cheese is melted, bread is lightly browned)--turn once during that time.
Remove from oven; slice diagonally, serve with pickles.
SEPTEMBER HARVEST: Remember Johnny Appleseed by placing a few thin slices of apple between the ham and cheese.
NEBRASKA REUBEN: Salute Omaha's claim to fame and use thinly sliced corned beef instead of the ham.
CRUNCHY BITES: Add a few sunflower kernels to the sauerkraut mixture and honor those hardy souls in North Dakota who raise huge fields of sunflowers!
BOOST YOUR PROTEIN: Stir about a 1/4-cup of cooked edible soybeans (edamame) into the sauerkraut mixture and thank a South Dakota farmer!
My NOTE: This one screams old-timey, German, "down-home," and "comfort food" all at once! Sandwiches can be assembled ahead of time, covered & chilled. At meal-time, bake as directed. Thanks to *Midwest Living* for this awesome recipe and the excellent alternatives featuring midwest-region crops.