Ham Grilled Cheese
September 25, 2026
Serve with chips, tomato soup, or whatever requires the least amount of effort that night.
Saturday supper does not have to be an event. After a week of cooking, a ham grilled cheese is a legitimate answer, and nobody at the table is going to file a complaint.
It is also easy to get almost right. The bread goes dark, the cheese in the middle is still stiff, and the ham is cold from the fridge. Every one of those problems comes down to what the ham is and how warm it is when it goes in, which is where the deli counter comes in.
Shaved Ham Heats Through, Thick Ham Doesn’t
A grilled cheese is a race. The bread is toasting from the outside in, and everything in the middle has to get hot before the bread burns. The ham is the biggest thing in the middle, and its thickness decides who wins.
A single thick slab of ham, cut like a sandwich-shop slice, is a slab of cold meat in the center of the sandwich. It pulls heat away from the cheese on both sides of it. The bread finishes, the cheese touching the ham is still firm, and the ham is lukewarm.
Shaved ham, sliced thin on the deli slicer and folded loosely into the sandwich, is a different animal. The folds trap small pockets of air and the thin layers heat fast, so the cheese melts into and around the ham instead of sitting on top of a cold plate of it. Same pound of ham, a much better sandwich.
When you order at our counter, ask for it shaved, or thin for sandwiches. We set the slicer to whatever you ask for.
Take the Chill Off Everything First
The recipe’s last line, keep the heat low enough to give the cheese time to melt, is the most important instruction in it. You can help it along before the skillet is even on.
Set the ham and cheese on the counter for ten to fifteen minutes before you build. Deli meat and cheese come out of the fridge at around 38°F, and every degree you do not have to add in the skillet is time you do not have to spend toasting the bread. Soften the butter the same way, which the recipe already asks for, so it spreads evenly and browns the bread edge to edge.
If you are in a hurry, lay the ham in the dry skillet for thirty seconds a side before you build. Warm ham in a sandwich means the cheese only has to melt, not melt and heat a cold layer.
Deli ham is fully cooked and ready to eat straight from the package. Warming it is for the sandwich, not for safety. If you do want a number, the USDA safe temperature chart lists 140°F for reheating fully cooked ham packaged in a USDA-inspected plant.
Ham Grilled Cheese
Prep: 5 minutes · Cook: 10 minutes · Serves: 4
You’ll Need
- 1 lb sliced ham
- A loaf of sandwich bread
- Sliced cheddar, American, Swiss, or your favorite cheese
- Softened butter
- Dijon or yellow mustard, optional
Let’s Cook
- Butter one side of each slice of bread.
- Place four slices butter-side down and layer each with cheese, ham, and another slice of cheese. Spread a little mustard on the inside of the remaining bread if you like, then place it on top with the buttered side facing out.
- Cook in a skillet over medium-low heat until the bottom is golden brown.
- Flip and continue cooking until the other side is toasted and the cheese is completely melted.
- Keep the heat low enough to give the cheese time to melt before the bread gets too dark.
Serve with chips, tomato soup, or whatever requires the least amount of effort that night.
From the Deli Counter
Ham is one of several things we slice to order at the deli counter:
- Boiled ham — mild and lean, the classic grilled cheese ham.
- American cheese — the best melter in the case.
- Bologna — fried bologna sandwiches are the other Saturday supper.
- The Deli Special — a pound each of boiled ham, American cheese and bologna for $17.99. That is this recipe’s ham and cheese in one stop, with bologna left over for Monday’s lunches.
Tips from Behind the Counter
American melts best, cheddar tastes sharpest. Deli American has emulsifying salts that keep it smooth and melty. Cheddar has more flavor but can turn greasy. One slice of each gets you both.
Cheese against the bread on both sides. The recipe layers cheese, ham, cheese for a reason. Melted cheese glues the ham to both slices so the sandwich does not slide apart when you cut it.
Butter the bread, not the pan. Butter spread edge to edge browns evenly. Butter melted in the pan browns wherever it happens to pool.
Use a lid for the first side. Covering the skillet for the first two minutes traps heat and melts the cheese faster. Take it off for the second side so the bread stays crisp.
Press lightly, once. A gentle press with a spatula after the flip helps everything make contact. Pressing hard squeezes out the cheese.
Rest it one minute before cutting. The cheese sets just enough to stay put instead of running out onto the board.
Ways to Change It Up
- Add a slice of tomato or a few pickles inside.
- Use Swiss and Dijon on rye for a deli-style melt.
- Swap the ham for fried bologna from the Deli Special.
- Spread mayonnaise on the outside instead of butter for an even, crisp crust.
- Add crisp bacon and make it a ham-and-bacon melt.
One Stop for Saturday Dinner in Hattiesburg
Family owned and operated in Hattiesburg since 1991. Hours: Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed Wednesday and Sunday. Phone: 601-261-2765. Address: 1910 Broadway Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401. Smoked sausage ships nationwide; also on shelves across Mississippi and the Gulf South.
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