Prosperity Sandwiches

I am happy to say that the Meal Plan I set out for myself at the beginning of the week worked exceptionally well, so I plan to continue this. One of the things I found curious was the number of you who asked me about the Prosperity Sandwich. I suppose when you grow up with something it never occurs to you that that something may be a regional dish that no one else has heard of. So, growing up with pork steaks, toasted ravioli, and gooey butter cake, it never once occurred to me that these were all St. Louis things, as is the Prosperity Sandwich. It dates back to the 1920s with origins at the Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis. The recipe was published years ago in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and has long been enjoyed by people in the area.

I remember my mother making this a lot in the 70s. It is a wonderfully satisfying hot sandwich, perfect for serving to a group of ladies at a luncheon because everything can be made ahead. The sauce can be made the day before and reheated, the bread can be toasted ahead of time, the tomatoes sliced, the meats sorted, and bacon (my mother’s addition) can be made a day ahead and then placed on top of each serving prior to sliding it under the broiler. Rustic bread works the best, but in a pinch it can be served over sandwich bread toast points. This knife and fork sandwich is also a hearty meal, so you won’t need to serve anything else with it.

Prosperity Sandwiches

 As appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Serves 4

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 oz. white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
1 Melissa’s shallot, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup flour
2 cups whole milk
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon pepper
4 (3/4-inch-thick) slices rustic white bread
8 ounces thinly sliced roast turkey
8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
2 tomatoes, cored, cut into 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices, and patted dry

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 1/2-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.

Place bread slices into individual au gratin dishes. 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 1/2-cup cheese sauce evenly over each sandwich and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar. Broil until cheddar is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

PRINT RECIPE

Another crowd-pleasing hot ham sandwich is this Open Faced Ham Sandwich.

This post contains affiliate links.