I’m preparing a column for the Arizona Republic about a really cool party sandwich and I wanted to give you a quick pictorial step by step because this sandwich is a winner! It’s going to be just perfect for your New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day parties, and it’s also a fantastic picnic sandwich because you don’t have to worry about the crust drying out. (I remember packing sandwiches for a fly-fishing trip up at Lee’s Ferry a few years back. It took about 5 seconds for the bread to dry out and taste nasty in the heat and wind of the day. This sandwich would’ve come in handy while I was waiting for the “big one” to bite. Still waiting….)

Anyway, I got this recipe from a fun cookbook that was put together back in 1999 by the nurses in the Labor and Delivery Unit at Maricopa Medical Center.  It’s called Cravings Beyond Pickles and Ice Cream. These great gals filled the cookbook with all of their family favorite dishes and then used the proceeds from the cookbook to buy bottled water for their unit. But they only printed 300 copies or I would have begged for one!

I got to borrow it though, and have used tons of their recipes (including that killer recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars that’s on my website!)

So this sandwich was created by Charlotte Lopez and it’s called the Dijon Ham and Swiss Meal. Super easy to make, or make ahead and freeze! You can probably use the ready-made bread or pizza dough available in most stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods or AJ’s.

Also, if you’re not a fan of ham, you can use turkey or any other fixings for the filling! Let me know how you like it!

And Happy New Year! Here’s to an over-the-moon-hit-it-outta-the-park 2012!

Dijon Ham and Swiss Party Sandwich

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 packages rapid rise yeast
1 cup water
¼ cup Dijon or specialty mustard
2 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cup cooked ham, chopped
1 ½ cup Swiss Cheese, shredded or chopped
½ cup dill pickles, chopped
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Set aside 1 cup of flour. In a medium bowl, combine remaining flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In a small saucepan, heat water, mustard and butter to about 125 degrees. Stir liquid mixture into flour mixture. Add enough flour to combine ingredients and knead to make dough. On a large greased baking sheet, roll dough to 14 x 12 inches. Spread ham, cheese and pickles in the center of the roll, leaving 2-3 inch borders all the way around the filling.  With kitchen scissors or sharp knife, make 1-inch strips along side the filling. Bring strips from opposite sides of filling together, twist and place ends at an angle across filling. Let dough sit and rise for about 15 minutes. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 325 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.