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Prosperity Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "One-Hour Comfort" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"This open-faced sandwich tops thick, rustic slices of broiled bread with ham and turkey and sometimes features sliced tomato and sautéed mushrooms as well. It's then blanketed with a cheesy sauce, sprinkled with cheese, and broiled until golden brown—and it's definitely a knife and fork affair. What's in the name? An insult, apparently. During the Great Depression, St. Louis's Mayfair Hotel chef Edward Voegeli came up with this humble dish as a dig at then-president Herbert Hoover and his (failed) promises that prosperity was just around the corner. Insults aside, this version is truly satisfying. Sauté mushrooms and shallot in butter, and then make the cheese sauce in the same pan by sautéing butter and flour, whisking in milk, and adding shredded cheddar. Flavor it with a generous hand using Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Assemble the sandwiches, sprinkle lots more cheese on top, and after a few minutes under the broiler, your sandwiches will emerge crispy, golden, and bubbly-cheesy. You'll feel rich indeed."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
â—¦ 8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
â—¦ 1 shallot, minced
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups whole milk
â—¦ 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ ½ teaspoon pepper
â—¦ 4 (¾-inch-thick) slices rustic white bread
â—¦ 8 ounces thinly sliced roast turkey
â—¦ 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
â—¦ 8 thin tomato slices (2 tomatoes), patted dry


Recipe

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallot, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup cheddar, mustard, Worcestershire, and pepper; set aside.

Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Arrange bread slices on prepared baking sheet and broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Divide mushroom mixture among toasted bread slices. Arrange 2 ounces turkey, 2 ounces ham, and 2 slices tomato over mushrooms on each slice of toast. Spoon ½ cup cheese evenly over each sandwich and sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ cups cheddar. Broil until cheddar is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Serve.

Serves 4