Smashing Summer Sandwiches

I know, I know the title of this post is a bit of a misnomer – it is still spring and no one is ready for it to be summer yet. But in my defense, it’s been getting quite warm around here. While I don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, this weekend it is going to be downright hot — and some like it hot, myself included.

I’m going to try to go to the beach or go hiking. I thought you might be like me: trying to avoid eating out to save money, but still wanting to get out of the house to take advantage of the great weather. So I thought I’d share a favorite recipe for a sandwich that is equally good on the go or around the house. Try it out!

Recipe: Toasted Brie, Ham & Spinach Bagel Sandwich

What you’ll need:

Four fresh bagels–I prefer poppy seed, onion, or everything; 1 pound Virginia cured ham; 1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced; honey or white wine mustard; two to three handfuls of baby spinach or a small container of fresh sprouts; sliced tomato if you area a tomato person; one wedge of Brie cheese; a little bit of butter, fresh ground pepper, and salt.

This sandwich isn’t exactly the cheapest thing in the world to make – see the Brie cheese and the Virginia cured ham – but it sure is delicious. You can justify the expense (sort of) by telling yourself that this would be WAY more expensive if you bought it in a store. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly toast the bagels in a toaster. Spread a little bit of butter on them, and grind pepper on them to taste. Put the lightly toasted bagels on a cookie sheet. Divide the ham and Brie cheese evenly among the bagels, and then toast the bagels in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Top with the salt, spinach or sprouts, fresh tomato, and mustard. Serve and eat. As I said before, this recipe makes four bagels. If you are taking this sandwich with you on the road, cut the bagel slices in half and tightly wrap them in butchers paper or cellophane wrap. You don’t want the sandwich to fall apart in transport.

I hope you like this recipe. If you want a delicious salad to accompany your sandwich, check out this salad recipe. If you want a smoothie to help yourself cool down from the heat, check out this smoothie recipe. And if you want some ideas on go-time meals, check out this recipe.