Ham and cheese . . . one of those combinations that are just meant to go together on a sandwich.  Here is a version that comes in with much less calories and fat than a typical grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich.  I used a thick slice of lean ham, and then I used Sargento’s Ultra Thin sliced cheeses.  You can play around with the cheese flavors, but I used my two favorites that I love with ham . . . Swiss and Sharp Cheddar.

I added Dijon mustard to my sandwich because I love the grown-up taste that it offers to the sandwich.  You get a nice tang and I think it compliments the ham beautifully.  That being said, it can totally be optional.  If you’re not a mustard fan, or if you’re making sammies for little kiddos, feel free to leave it off.

I just grilled mine in a nonstick sauté pan with a lid on it (to trap in the heat so that the cheese would melt and the ham would warm through).  There are a couple of other easy ways to grill/toast your sandwich and if I was going to make several sandwiches at once, I would probably use another method.  You can quickly toast both sides of your sandwiches on the stovetop in a nonstick skillet and then put them on a baking tray, throw them in a 350-degree oven and let them warm through in there (about 5 minutes).  Another option would be to use a toaster oven if you have one.  And lastly, you can use a George Foreman grill or a panini grill to get the job done.

Any way you look this, the sandwiches come together in just a few minutes and they taste great, are nice and gooey, and you get the satisfaction of having a classic comfort food without all the extra calories and fat!

Lighter Grilled Ham and Double Cheese
Mimi’s Fit Foods

Ingredients:
2 slices whole-wheat bread (I used Orowheat’s 100% whole-wheat bread/90 calories per slice)
2 ounces lean ham
2 slices Sargento Ultra Thin slices cheese (I used Swiss and Sharp Cheddar)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
butter-flavoried nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Heat a nonstick saute pan over heat.

Meanwhile, assemble your sandwich by starting with laying 2 slices of bread on a work surface. Place 1 slice of cheese on one slice of the bread, lay the ham on top of the cheese, and then place the last cheese slice on top of the ham. Spread the mustard, if using, on the remaining slice of bread. Place that slice of bread, mustard side down, on top of the cheese.

Away from the stove, spray the sauté pan with cooking spray. Spray both sides of the sandwich with cooking spray, and place the sandwich in the pan. Cover with a lid. Brown each side of the sandwich, about 5-8 minutes per side.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information Per Sandwich:
334.6 Calories | 23.3g Protein | 36.7g Carbs | 10.8g Fat (5g = Sat.) | 6g Fiber | 9g Sugars