Amanda Wilbanks
Southern Baked Pie
Braided Ham and Swiss Pastry
“This dish is inspired by my mom’s ham, Swiss, and Dijon petite sandwiches. Every time my mom hosted a shower, which was often in the South, as we shower everything, she would make the sandwiches. It was all I could do to refrain from eating almost all of them. This is my version of a classic favorite with a beautiful new twist. It looks every bit as elegant and sophisticated at a baby or wedding shower as it does at Mother’s Day brunch. Yet, it’s so beautiful no one will realize it only took a few minutes to assemble.”
Braided Ham and Swiss Pastry
Braided Ham & Swiss Pastry
Author: Amanda Wilbanks
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 pound grated Swiss cheese
- Pie dough
- 1/2 pound baked ham, shredded
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack inside a half sheet pan.
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, onion, mustard, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, Worcestershire
- sauce, and Swiss cheese in a bowl.
- Roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper cut to the same size as the sheet pan. Leaving a 4-inch-wide space down the center of the dough for the filling, cut even
- strips on both sides, from the center out. Arrange the ham in the center of the dough and spoon
- cheese mixture on top of ham. Crisscross the strips over the filling.
- Brush the top of the pastry with
- cream and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slide parchment with pastry onto the wire rack.
- Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice and serve immediately.
