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Ploughman’s Sandwich with Ham, Cheese and Pickles

A ploughman’s lunch sandwich featuring roast ham, mature cheddar cheese, pickled onions, gherkins and Branston pickle on a crusty baguette.

This recipe needs no cooking making it a perfect summer lunch or light dinner and will come together in around 15 minutes.

Ploughman's lunch sandwich with ham cheese and pickles on a crusty baguette.

Ham, Cheese and Pickle Sandwich

I love me a good sarnie, and for some reason, I managed to go almost 10 years without a sandwich on my website.

However in recent weeks, I have been rectifying that, this magical sandwich joins a fish finger sandwich, sausage sandwich, spam and egg breakfast sandwich, chicken banh mi, cheese and onion sandwich, egg and cress sandwich and a fab tinned corned beef sandwich.

You could be forgiven for believing that the ploughman’s lunch is an ancient British institution that dates back donkeys years.

I did, and I was wrong, sure there are references to it for about 150 years, but with no real substance beyond cheese, bread and ale.

What we now know as a ploughman’s is the result of a marketing campaign after the ending of rationing in the mid 1950’s.

Despite that, it is argued about left right and centre in the good old ship “internet”. So my take on a ploughman’s sandwich will annoy some I am sure, but I’m fine with that.

As far as I am concerned there are a few things that must be part of a ploughman’s.

  • Cheese, there can be many but one must be a really well matured crumbly cheddar cheese.
  • Ham, none of that “wafer” thin stuff, good thick-cut roast ham is key.
  • Pickles, you can choose from many but if there are no pickled onions then it is just not right. I also love gherkins so they always get a look in on our table.
  • Finally a chutney, I’ve used Branston pickle here for its ubiquity. But there are loads of small local producers that make great stuff.

Then I layer all of that lovely stuff up in a well-buttered crusty baguette or baton, and it’s pure magic!

Overhead ploughman's lunch sandwich with ham cheese and pickles on a crusty baguette.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of bread?

Yes, knock yourself out, as far as I am concerned it needs the crust needs to be crisp, but you should have it as you like it.

Some chunky doorstep crusty loaf would be awesome and a sourdough adds a lovely flavour. You could even rock a malted bread if you want something with a little more body.

What sort of cheese should I use?

A well matured crumbly cheddar cheese is a must for me in a ploughman’s, but you can add other types of cheese if you like.

A buttery Lancashire cheese or something chalky like a Caerphilly both work particularly well.

I would avoid blue cheeses because the flavour will dominate. You will lose both the flavour of the cheddar and ham.

Do I have to use Branston pickle?

No, there are loads of independent producers of pickles and chutneys out there that make wonderful small-batch chutneys.

You can even make your own, this homemade fruit chutney would be awesome and a tomato chutney or apple chutney works exceptionally well with this sandwich.

I would avoid piccalilli because it’s far too bold with mustard.

Can I use different pickles?

Yes, although as far as I am concerned pickled onions are a must on a ploughman’s, as a result, they need to be there.

I add gherkins because I love them and they add a beautiful freshness to the sandwich. But you could throw anything else on there that you like.

Close-up ploughman's lunch sandwich with ham cheese and pickles on a crusty baguette.

Serving Suggestions

This ploughman’s sandwich is a hearty old affair and I usually add a bowl of crisps on the side and some of my favourite gherkins.

If you are feeling particularly up for it, you can have a crack at making your own kettle chips.

In keeping with some of the oldest references to the dish, I’m also rather fond of serving this with a good ale… although you could say that about a lot of what I cook, I like beer!

If you are feeling particularly hungry then a side of chips or fries would be the ideal addition. I would probably cook my air fryer chips, but you can also cook frozen French fries in an air fryer.

Overhead close-up ploughman's lunch sandwich with ham cheese and pickles on a crusty baguette.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Chopping board.
  • Bread knife.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Butter knife.
  • Weighing scales. These are not essential at all, make up the sizes as you go, I give weights so that I have some form of indicative calorific data below the recipe and give you an idea of how much I use of each ingredient.
Ploughman's lunch sandwich with ham, cheese, pickled onions and Branston Pickle.
Yield: 2 Servings

Ploughman's Sandwich Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

The ploughman's lunch is a modern classic British pub dish that gets converting to a sandwich in this simple recipe that combines ham and cheese with pickles and Branston pickle.

Ingredients

  • 1 Crusty Short Baguette or Baton (200g approx)
  • Butter for Spreading (50g approx)
  • Small Chunk Branston Pickle (50g approx)
  • 2 Thick Cut Slices Roast Ham (150g approx)
  • 100g (5-6) Sweet Pickled Onions
  • 100g (3-4) Gherkins
  • 100g (4oz) approx Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

  1. Slice the baguette without cutting it all of the way through and add a generous slathering of good butter.
  2. Slice the pickled onions into 3-4 slices.
  3. Cut the gherkins into 4-5 strips.
  4. Slice the cheddar cheese.
  5. Spread most of the Branston pickle on the bottom of the baguette, and keep a little back to add to the top of the sandwich.
  6. Add the ham followed by the gherkins.
  7. Pop the cheese on top of the gherkins, then add the pickled onions, and the remaining Branson pickle, close the sandwich and cut it in half.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 786Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 3141mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 40g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

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