When I first dreamed up this sandwich, I wanted the maple butter to go on the bread before it went into the waffle iron, but that turned out to be a recipe for disaster: The sugars in the maple syrup burned quickly, much more quickly than the cheese melted. There would have to be another way. And there is! After a few modifications, I hit on the right balance of pre- and post-buttering.
There’s still room for pre-buttering, just hold the maple syrup on that step. Buttering the bread before you waffle it ensures a crispy, golden brown exterior. Adding the maple butter right as the sandwich comes out of the waffle iron means the sweet, rich mixture soaks into the still-warm bread.
Recipe information
Total Time
10 minutes
Yield
1 serving
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the waffle iron on low.
Step 2
Spread a thin, even layer of butter on one side of each piece of bread.
Step 3
Pile the cheese and ham on the unbuttered side of one slice of bread, and put the open-face sandwich in the waffle iron as far away from the hinge as possible. (This allows the lid to press down on the sandwich more evenly.) Place the second slice of bread on top, with the buttered side up, and close the waffle iron.
Step 4
Check the sandwich after 3 minutes. About halfway through, you may need to rotate the sandwich 180 degrees to ensure even pressure and cooking. If you’d like, you can press down on the lid of the waffle iron a bit to compact the sandwich, but do so carefully—the lid could be very hot. Remove the sandwich from the waffle iron when the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Step 5
Spread the Maple Butter on the outside of the sandwich. Slice in half diagonally and serve.
Recipe notes
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