Greens, Eggs, and Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Here's an immensely satisfying grilled cheese sandwich with slices of ham, a fried egg, wilted baby spinach, and gruyere cheese on rye.

Greens Eggs Ham Sandwich
Elise Bauer

Trying to think of fun things to make with our Easter ham leftovers, my mind kept playing an ear worm from Dr. Seuss's homage to picky eaters, Green Eggs and Ham.

I do not like them Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham.

You can't blame Sam-I-Am's friend. The forest green ham and eggs in the book don't look entirely appetizing.

But what if we added one letter and a couple commas to the dish? So instead of "green eggs and ham" we have "greens, eggs, and ham"?

This is a combination that anyone could love, especially in a grilled cheese sandwich with Gruyere.

We just layer slices of ham, a fried egg, some Gruyere cheese, and for greens, baby spinach leaves between two slices of rye bread. Grill them up with a little butter, and presto!

Greens, eggs, and ham grilled cheese sandwich.

Say!
I like greens, eggs, and ham!
I do!! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat!
And I would eat them with a goat...
And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good so good you see!

Greens, Eggs, and Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Serving 1 sandwich
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • Butter

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 slices rye bread

  • Enough sliced ham to form a 1/4-inch layer to cover a slice of rye bread

  • Small handful of baby spinach (or sliced young chard)

  • A few slices of gruyere cheese

Method

  1. Fry the egg:

    Heat a couple teaspoons of butter in a small stick-free pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot and the butter foamy, crack the egg into the pan.

    Cook the egg until the whites are cooked and it is still somewhat runny in the yolk (or not runny at all if that's what you prefer), and remove the egg from the pan to a plate and set aside.

  2. Fry one side of buttered slice of bread:

    Heat a cast iron pan or griddle on medium high heat. Spread some butter on one side of one slice of rye bread. Place the slice butter side down on the pan.

  3. Add layers of ham, spinach, egg, cheese:

    Add a layer of ham to the bread. Add a layer of spinach to the ham. Place the egg on the spinach. Top with a layer of cheese and finally the second slice of rye bread.

  4. Butter top slice of bread and flip over:

    Spread some butter over the top of the top slice of bread. When the bottom slice is nicely toasted, use a metal spatula to carefully flip the sandwich over to the other side. You may need to use your hands to help the flip happen without everything spilling out. If the ingredients do spill out a bit, just gently edge them back in.

  5. Cook until bread is toasty and cheese is melty:

    Press down with a spatula to help get the heat to the cheese. Cook until toasted on this second side. Remove from pan, cut in half, and eat!

Links:

Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham - the video

Green Eggs and Ham (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books) - the book

Picky eater in your world? Check out Stephanie Lucianovic's Suffering Succotash: A Picky Eater's Quest to Understand Why We Hate the Foods We Hate

Greens Eggs Ham Sandwich
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
514 Calories
31g Fat
22g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 514
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 299mg 100%
Sodium 1413mg 61%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 364mg 28%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 526mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.