Chopped Ploughman's Sandwich

 

One thing I have been seeing a lot of lately are Italian Chopped Sandwiches.   They can be as simple as the one linked here, which contains only ham, mortadella, lettuce, provolone and pepperoncini in a lush mayo and Italian seasoning dressing.

Or the filling can be even more complicated adding more chopped meats, vegetables and cheese.  They all look good. They all look incredibly tasty. They all look very easy and quick to make. I actually think the trend started on TikTok, but I can't say for sure, not having watched it.

 

I was perusing the refrigerator looking for something to have for my lunch today. I fancied a sandwich of some sort, but I didn't have a whole lot of anything that appealed.

Part of a French Baguette, some ham, pickle, lettuce, an apple, cucumber, cheese.  And not a lot of any one thing.  I put my thinking cap on.

 

What I had here was all of the elements of a Traditional Ploughman's Lunch.   But I didn't fancy a plate like that. I wanted a sandwich.

I thought to myself . . . what if I took all of the elements of a Ploughman's Lunch and turned it into a chopped sandwich?  What indeed!

 

The more I thought about it, the more delicious it sounded.  All of those tasty ingredients chopped together and simply dressed and then piled into a baguette!

It sounded like something I would really enjoy and that you might enjoy as well, and so I got to work at putting it together.

 

Whenever I am busy chopping things I always think of watching my mother put together things in our family kitchen. I was always watching her when she cooked. I especially loved to watch her making her coleslaw.

She did not grate anything, except perhaps the carrot.  Everything was very methodically chopped. Even the cabbage.  She always looked so serene when she was chopping them.  

I now do mine the same way and I can say, with authority, there is a special comfort that comes when you are hand chopping things in the kitchen. Mom knew what she was doing.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHOPPED PLOUGHMAN'S SANDWICH

Just a few simple ingredients.  That's all. It looks like a rather long and lengthy list, but I promise you, these are all quite ordinary things.

• 1 (1/2 inch thick) slice of a crisp head of iceberg lettuce chopped
• 6 slices of good deli-ham, chopped
• 2 pickled onions, chopped
• 2 ounces (56g) cheese, chopped (I used a mix of strong white cheddar and Leicester)
• 1/2 small apple, seeded and chopped
• 1-inch piece of unpeeled cucumber, chopped
• 2 TBS good chutney or pickle
• 2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 2 six inch pieces of a French baguette, split
• soft butter for spreading

 

I had Deli-ham, but I actually think this would be even better with some thick deli ham, or even leftover baked ham.  Cut into 1/4 inch pieces/chunks.

I struggled to measure the lettuce. I had about a cup of chopped lettuce, but how to put that into grams. I just couldn't figure it out, and so I gave a rough approximation measurement.

I used two kinds of cheese, a white farmhouse cheddar, strong and an orange Leicester that I happened to have in the refrigerator.  Again, chopped into 1/4 inch dice.

I used a beetroot and onion chutney. You could use a mango chutney, or Branston's pickle. What this does is add an element of sweetness, as well as a bit of heat and spice.    The pickled onion add a touch of sharpness.

The lettuce of course adds crunch as does the apple and the cucumber. You can leave out any of those if you wish. It will still taste good.

I added creaminess and a bit of heat by using a good mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Hellman's and Grey Poupon. 

I had half of a one day old baguette which I cut into two six inch slices and then split and buttered with softened butter.  A fresh one would certainly be even better.

 

HOW TO MAKE A CHOPPED PLOUGHMAN'S SANDWICH

It is quite an easy thing to make. Do be aware that these must be eaten as soon as possible after putting them together. If you are going to have to wait, you can put together the filling (with the exception of the lettuce) ahead of time and simply mix in the lettuce and fill the baguettes just prior to serving.

Butter both cut sides of the baguette with softened butter. (Note, I did not cut the baguette all the way through, but more like an open book.)

Make sure all of your fresh ingredients are chopped about the same size. I used a 1/4 inch chop. Place the chopped lettuce, cheese, ham, cucumber, pickled onion and cucumber into a bowl.

Fold in the chutney, mayonnaise and mustard, combining everything well together. Stuff the buttered baguettes with the ham filling and serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to take this on a picnic. Assemble the filling with the exception of the lettuce ahead of time and place into a covered container. Carry the lettuce separately as well as the buttered pieces of baguette. Fold the lettuce into the filling and assemble at the picnic site.

 

This was actually a really simple and delicious idea.  I quite enjoyed it.  The only thing that could have made it any better would have been having someone to share it with!

Make sure all of the ingredients you use are top quality and you can be assured of having a very tasty sandwich indeed!

Here are some other tasty sandwich offerings I have made and enjoyed in The English Kitchen. I think they are all delicious and I think you will agree! 

THE CROISSANT TURKEY CLUB -  How can you make a turkey club sandwich taste even better?  By stuffing it into a fresh and flaky, buttery croissant!  That's how!  Delicious, and filled with all of the things one might expect in a club sandwich!

THE WORLD'S BEST BLT - What makes this the world's best?  Thick slices of fresh ripe garden tomatoes, freshly cooked crisp smoky bacon, crisp rocket leaves,  dressed with a house vinaigrette and served on a crisp fresh ciabatta loaf spread with a tasty basil and garlic mayonnaise.  This sandwich is a party in the mouth!

Chopped Ploughman's Sandwich

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

A tasty sandwich riff on the traditional British Ploughman's Lunch. Its delicious, but must be eaten immediately or the lettuce will go soggy.

Ingredients

• 1 (1/2 inch thick) slice of a crisp head of iceberg lettuce chopped
• 6 slices of good deli-ham, chopped
• 2 pickled onions, chopped
• 2 ounces (56g) cheese, chopped (I used a mix of strong white cheddar and Leicester)
• 1/2 small apple, seeded and chopped
• 1 inch piece of unpeeled cucumber, chopped
• 2 TBS good chutney or pickle
• 2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 2 six inch pieces of a French baguette, split
• soft butter for spreading
• salt and black pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Butter both cut sides of the baguette with softened butter. (Note, I did not cut the baguette all the way through, but more like an open book.)
2. Make sure all of your fresh ingredients are chopped about the same size. I used a 1/4 inch chop. Place the chopped lettuce, cheese, ham, cucumber, pickled onion and cucumber into a bowl.
3. Fold in the chutney, mayonnaise and mustard, combining everything well together.
4. Stuff the buttered baguettes with the ham filling and serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to take this on a picnic. Assemble the filling with the exception of the lettuce ahead of time and place into a covered container. Carry the lettuce separately as well as the buttered pieces of baguette. Fold the lettuce into the filling and assemble at the picnic site.

Did you make this recipe?

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