Affiliate Disclosure As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. For more details, refer to my Disclaimer page.
I tried this Cheddar cheese and onion Ploughman's sandwich when we didn't have much in the house apart from some left over Branston Pickle and a bit of cheese. It was enough to inspire me to make a tasty work from home lunchtime snack.
This is a recipe for a quick lunchtime sandwich idea to make a Cheddar cheese and onion ploughman's lunch. The recipe uses a premade pickle but home made pickle recipes work just as well.
Contents
Introduction to tasty sandwiches
Normally when I make a cheese and onion sandwich I like to chop the onion really fine and grate some cheese into it, mixing it together with some mayonnaise. However, with there not being any mayo in the house I spotted some Branston Pickle and used that instead. While I've never made it this way before, I am certainly going to be doing so going forward.
Added crunch in a butty
With a little salad and a few crisps, I must say this made for a really delightful lunch. I'm going to be making this again with some beautiful home made sourdough bread which is going to take it to the next level.
Ingredients for a Ploughman's sandwich
The basic ploughman's lunch consists of a pickle and a selection of cheese. Quite often this is also accompanied by a pork pie and maybe a hard boiled egg but this is entirely up to you.
A good thick crusty bread works really well with this sandwich and I recommend taking a look at a sourdough white bread or a multigrain wholemeal best of both to really fill you up.
Branston Pickle is a popular condiment in the United Kingdom for which we best know it for its sweet and tangy flavour. It is usually made up of vegetables and ingredients that are pickled in a malt vinegar syrup. While the exact recipe may vary slightly among manufacturers, the main ingredients in Branston Pickle typically include:
Vegetables: Branston Pickle usually contains a combination of diced or chopped vegetables, such as carrots, swede (rutabaga), onions, cauliflower, and gherkins. These vegetables provide texture and flavour to the pickle.
Vinegar: Malt vinegar is commonly used to pickle the vegetables. It gives the pickle its characteristic tangy taste.
Sugar: To balance the acidity of the vinegar, sugar is added to sweeten the pickle.
Molasses: Molasses or treacle is often included to enhance the sweetness and provide a rich, dark colour to the pickle.
Salt: Salt is used for seasoning and preservation.
Spices: A blend of spices, including mustard seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, and cinnamon, is added to give Branston Pickle its distinctive flavour profile.
Apple: Some recipes include apples, which contribute to the sweetness and fruitiness of the pickle.
Modified Maize Starch: This ingredient is sometimes used as a thickening agent to achieve the desired consistency.
These staple ingredients are cooked together to create the pickle's unique taste and texture. Branston Pickle is commonly enjoyed as a condiment with cheese and cold meats, in sandwiches such as this one, or as an accompaniment to various savoury dishes. Its sweet and savoury combination makes it a beloved addition to British cuisine.
Ploughman's ingredients
Other must have ingredients for a ploughman's lunch include:
A hard boiled egg - A simple egg can be made in advance using an egg poacher/boiler all in one or even cooking the egg in the instant pot) or air fryer).
Cheese selection - while other cheeses are available I find a good mature Cheddar cheese is the best for a ploughman's lunch. The maturity of the cheese will add additional depth and flavour to the taste on the palate. I am a big fan of supporting independent cheese makers for all ranges of cheese. These places allow you to learn about the cheese making process and it also supports local businesses too.
Pork pie - I don't feel a ploughman's lunch is complete without a pork pie on the side. Whether this be a slice of a large pork pie or an individual Melton Mowbray pork pie, either work well and add some extra taste to the plate.
Instructions to make a ploughman's sandwich
The process to put together this dish is really simple and takes only a few minutes.
- Step 1: Grate the cheese finely using a cheese grater.
- Step 2: Dice the onion finely. For more hints on safely dicing an onion check out my instructional post on how to chop onions.
- Step 3: Mix the grated cheese and the diced onion in a bowl along with the Branston pickle.
- Step 4: Slice two pieces of bread from your chosen loaf. Butter the bread and then add the filling. Close up the sandwich and serve with salad and a slice of pork pie.
Top Tip
You can make this sandwich up without grating the cheese and dicing the onion. It works just as well with slices of cheese and slices of onions. Spread that on the bread and then add the pickle.
Useful equipment for making sandwiches
There are some must have pieces of kit when it comes to making a sandwich. Having some or all of these will make for an easier but also safer life.
A sharp knife - A good sharp knife is important when doing any kind of slicing and chopping. A sharp knife is much safer than a blunt one. Consider investing in both a quality knife to start with and also a sharpening set. This could be a whetstone kit or one of the newer on the market rolling knife sharpeners.
A sturdy chopping board - Having a safe space to do any cutting will avoid knife slips and accidents. A thick butchers block chopping board will give you a steady surface to prepare food on.
Serving suggestions
The humble sandwich can be served on its own with nothing else on a plate or you can be as extravagant as you wish.
If you are making this dish to go as part of a buffet then I'd suggest slicing the sandwiches into triangular shapes and stacking them on the long end, leaning into one another (like a deck of cards fanned out). This will present the sandwiches in an appealing way.
Accompany the sandwich with some pickled onions and maybe a little bit of red cabbage or lettuce. Contrasting colours will give your buffet a more appealing and inviting look. Finish off with a few hard boiled eggs sliced in half and sprinkled with a little paprika for colour.
I want to see your sandwiches!
I'd love to see the sandwiches that you have made. Make sure to share them with me over on Instagram or Facebook.
The Recipe
Cheddar and Onion Ploughman's Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Branston pickle
- ¼ Red onion
- 30 g Cheddar cheese
- 2 slices Bread
Instructions
- Grate the cheese finely.
- Dice the onion finely.
- Mix the cheese and the onion in a bowl with the Branston pickle.
- Butter the bread and then add the filling. Serve with salad.
Notes
Nutrition
More posts like this
One response to “Cheddar Cheese and Onion Ploughman's Lunch Sandwich”
-
I found this really easy to make.
Leave a Reply