Ham sandwiches great for cold day

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Ham sandwiches great for cold day

Thursday, November 16, 2000

Tested by Rebecca Sodergren

Joanne Sujansky must be a great cook. Either that, or her husband really knows how to score points. When they go to a restaurant, he often tastes the entree he's ordered and says, "You know, this isn't as good as yours."

William Sujansky, who owned an insurance adjusting company before his retirement, has enjoyed 45 years of great cooking -- that's how long the couple has been married.

Joanne's recipe for Delicious Hot Ham Sandwiches has been in her files for nearly that long.

Daughter Heather, now married and living in Georgia, specifically requested the sandwiches for a party she had while living at home.

The Sujanskys live in Baldwin. Besides cooking, Joanne enjoys bowling, singing with her husband in the choir at Zion Lutheran Church in Brentwood-Whitehall, and lavishing affection on their yellow Labrador retriever, Misty.

We tried her sandwiches -- minus the hard-cooked egg because making one would have driven us over Countdown's half-hour time limit. We served them with split pea soup for a hearty cold-weather meal.

For submitting a recipe that was chosen for this column, Joanne wins a cookbook from the PG Food shelves. You could, too -- just see the directions below the recipe.

Delicious Hot Ham Sandwiches

11/2 pounds low-fat, low-salt chipped ham 1/4 pound Velveeta cheese, diced 11/2 cups Hellmann's mayonnaise 3/4 cups chili sauce 2 tablespoons finely grated onion 2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped (optional)

Mix all together and stuff mixture into sandwich buns. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Do you have an entree, salad or vegetable side dish recipe (no desserts, please!) that can be made in 30 minutes or less from six ingredients or fewer (not counting water, salt and pepper)? Share it with Countdown to Dinner.

The PG tests all recipes, and if we select your recipe for publication, you'll receive a free selection from our cookbook grab bag of current releases.

Send your recipe to Countdown to Dinner, Post-Gazette Food, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or fax to 412-263-1313. Please include your name, neighborhood and daytime phone number. Or e-mail to: nanderson@post-gazette.com. Questions? Call 412-263-1760.