Uncrustables-Inspired Grilled Ham And Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Uncrustables, a kid-friendly brand of frozen sandwiches, are available in three different flavors of peanut butter and jelly as well as peanut butter and honey and even chocolate-hazelnut spread. In the past, though, Uncrustables have offered a wider variety of savory flavors. While some, like a strange taco-flavored sandwich, weren't too popular, others, like the grilled cheese, are sorely missed by fans including developer Tess Le Moing. When her favorite cheesy frozen sandwiches were discontinued, she came up with a DIY version with a twist. As she tells us, "I added ham to this grilled cheese for a bit more protein and some red pepper jelly to make it more adult."

Le Moing does say, though, that you can customize the filling as you see fit. While she calls ham and cheese "a match made in heaven," the same could be said about bacon or turkey. As for the type of cheese, she likes to balance out the sharpness of cheddar with mild Monterey jack, but pepper jack would make for a spicier filling, or you could use just about any other type of cheese for your grilled sandwiches.

Other ingredient swaps you could make include replacing the butter with mayonnaise and omitting the jelly in place of a different condiment like pesto or pickled peppers. Whatever you do, though, don't mess with the bread. Only store-bought sandwich-sliced bread is sufficiently squishy to form a good seal, so save the artisanal seven-grain loaf for something else.

You only need six ingredients to make this sandwich. The filling includes ham, cheddar, Monterey jack, and pepper jelly, while the "uncrusts" are made from soft white sandwich bread and butter.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and place a baking sheet on it. Set to 450 F.

Mince the ham.

Combine both cheeses and the minced ham in a bowl.

Spread 1 teaspoon of red pepper jelly in the middle of 8 slices of bread, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

Mound 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese-ham mixture on top of the jelly.

Using your finger, brush some water around the edges of the bread.

Cover each slice of bread with the remaining bread slices and press down gently.

Using a glass cup or mug that measures about 4-inches in diameter, press down and twist the cup to cut out and remove a circle from the center of each sandwich

Use a fork to crimp and seal each sandwich.

Brush the tops and bottoms of each sandwich with melted butter.

Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and arrange sandwiches, flat side down, on the sheet.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until sandwiches are golden, about 7 to 10 minutes

Remove from the oven and serve.

We're all about reducing food waste here at Mashed, so we'd never suggest you toss away the bread crusts that will remain after you cut the sandwiches. Leftover bread is often used to make croutons, but depending on how generously you've spread the jelly, there could still be a bit clinging to the edges of these crusts. Sweet and savory mashups are trendy, though, so jelly-flavored croutons could still work, or you could dry out the crusts and grind them up to make homemade (and possibly slightly sweet) bread crumbs. You could put even the pre-cut bread shapes to good use by using them for eggs in a frame.

Other uses for the leftover bread include bread pudding, breakfast casserole, and french toast sticks. You can also chop the crusts up and mix them with butter and cinnamon sugar, then bake them to make bite-sized bits of cinnamon toast. You needn't use the bread right away, though, since you can stick it in a ziploc bag and keep it in the freezer until you decide what to make with it.

One issue you might face when making DIY Uncrustables is having the filling ooze out around the edges as the sandwiches cook. That's one reason why it's important to use soft, squishy bread. If the bread is too firm or thick or dry, you won't be able to shape and seal it and it might crack or break if you try. You should also avoid over-filling the sandwiches since any excess filling (over a heaping tablespoon) will be forced out towards the edges, making it more liable to leak out.

To make sure you get a tight seal on your sandwiches, first pinch them shut — don't forget to wet the edges as the directions dictate — and then crimp the bread with a fork. Of course, if you plan to make homemade Uncrustables on a regular basis, you might want to invest in a sandwich-cutting and crimping gadget. For extra-cute sandwiches, Amazon sells a set of three in heart, mouse, and star shapes.