Ham, Brie and Fig Toasties

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a blur of leftovers, late nights and even later mornings (hello house full of teenagers), lots of movies, pajamas all day and lets just be very honest, a whole lot of slothful behavior. And you know what? I don’t mind at all. In fact, I kind of love it. Its a built in opportunity to slow down and rest and I welcome it as the gift it is.

This is the week for easy meals that match these slow in-between days. I love store bought Hawaiian rolls. I buy them year-round for all kinds of sandwiches that I dress up or down depending on the season and what I’m making sandwiches for. I’m sure there’s a recipe out there for homemade Hawaiian rolls, and maybe someday I’ll try my hand, but until that day comes, the store-bought ones are perfectly lovely.

A tasty crowd-pleaser; these toasted sandwiches are the perfect thing to make this week. Ham (maybe leftover from your holiday meal?) or cold cuts from the deli and melty creamy brie cheese make for grown-up style grilled cheese while still being approachable for the entire family. I love to mix a little mayo and dijon mustard together slathering it on one side of the Hawaiian roll and then adding a bit of sweetness to offset the savory and salty meat and cheese. My personal favorite is fig jam, but just about any meat, cheese and jam combo you come up with will be terrific.

Turkey, sharp white cheddar and pepper jelly is an all-star combination as is deli roasted chicken, hot honey, sliced pear and creamy goat cheese. Whatever you combine in between a Hawaiian roll, inevitably turns out great. There’s some sort of magic to it, I swear.

This recipe calls for toasting the sandwiches in the oven so the cheese melts and the edges of the rolls get crispy and golden brown, but you could certainly skip that part and serve the sandwiches cold. If you do, skip the melted butter and bagel seasoning and instead bulk up the sandwich with a bit of arugula or green lead lettuce.

Wishing you a very happy new year ahead with many great meals shared with the people you love in 2025. Cheers!

Ham, Brie and Fig Toasties

• 1 12-pack Kings Hawaiian Original rolls

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 3 tablespoons fig jam

• 1/2 pound thin sliced ham (deli lunch meat is great too)

• 8 ounces Brie cheese

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a serrated knife, slice the rolls crosswise, leaving the rolls connected, to make one top and one bottom. Work slowly to ensure the bread is sliced as evenly as possible.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and mustard. Use a fork to whisk until combined. Spread on the bottom half of the bun. Spread the fig jam over the top bun.

Layer the ham over the bottom rolls and slice the brie (it can be sticky, just do the best you can) and layer that over the ham. Close the sandwich up with the top bun.

Brush the melted butter over the top of the rolls and shake the everything bagel seasoning over the top. Gently lift the giant sandwich onto the prepared pan and bake, lightly tented with tin foil for about 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional two to five minutes until the cheese is melty and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool for about five minutes before slicing into individual mini sandwiches and serving immediately.