Turn the days after a big Christmas feast into makeshift lunches and easy dinners with these clever sandwich ideas!
Hot chook
Makes 4
Whether you’re a store-bought roast chicken buyer, oven baker or braai master, leftover chicken never needs to go to waste!
Ingredients
8 slices brioche or oumabrood
Butter, for spreading
1 sachet (28g) store-bought kimchi
Leftover roast chicken, shredded
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese Salt and milled black pepper
Method
- Butter bread on both sides.
- Spread kimchi over four slices.
- Top with chicken and mozzarella. Season and sandwich closed.
- Braai or toast until crispy and charred, and cheese is melted. Serve with extra kimchi on the side.
The veg with vooma
Makes 4
We used some baby marrows and brinjal to create a vegetable sandwich worth remembering! You can also use up any leftover roast vegetables to make this sarmie.
Ingredients
5 baby marrows
1 small brinjal
1 jar (260g) peppadews, drained and chopped
½ punnet (5g) fresh basil leaves, sliced
½ lemon, zested and juiced
Salt and milled black pepper
8 slices seedbread
Butter, for spreading
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Method
- Slice 4 baby marrows into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Thinly slice remaining baby marrow and the brinjal into discs.
- Grill or braai the veg until charred and cooked through, about 5–10 minutes.
- Toss together grilled veg, peppadews, basil and lemon juice and zest. Season.
- Butter bread on both sides.
- Layer four slices with veg mixture and top with cheese. Sandwich closed.
- Toast until crispy and cheese is melted.
Game-on gammon bagels
Serves 4
These toasted bagels hit the spot for a delicious Day of Goodwill brunch. Lay everything out on the table and let guests build their own bagels.
Ingredients
Leftover roast gammon
3 Tbsp honey, warmed
8 bagels
Butter, for spreading
½ cup mayonnaise
2 packets (80g) rocket
Piccalilli relish
8 slices emmental cheese
Method
- Brush gammon with honey.
- Reheat in a 180°C oven for 5–10 minutes, then slice.
- Slice bagels horizontally, spread with butter and toast.
- Layer bagels with mayo, warmed gammon, rocket, pickle and cheese.
Raise the steaks
Makes 4
Add rocket leaves to the sandwich for a fresh, peppery pop of flavour. Use cheddar or gouda instead of emmental.
Ingredients
8 slices sourdough bread
Butter, for spreading
Onion marmalade
Leftover steak, thinly sliced
8 slices emmental cheese
Salt and milled black pepper
Method
- Butter sourdough slices on both sides.
- Spread half the slices with onion marmalade and top each with 3–4 slices steak and 2 slices of cheese. Season.
- Sandwich closed and braai or toast until crispy and charred, and cheese is melted.
The easy brie-zy
Makes 4
The delicious tamarind and date chutney takes 30 minutes to make but is so worth the effort!
Ingredients
8 slices farm-style bread
Butter, for spreading
8 shaved slices leftover ham
125g brie cheese, sliced
Date chutney
Method
- Butter bread on both sides.
- Divide ham and cheese between four of the slices.
- Spread remaining slices with date chutney and season. Sandwich closed and braai or toast until crispy and charred, and cheese is melted.
- Serve with extra chutney on the side.
The classic braaibroodjie
Makes 4
For some extra flavour, add a sprinkle of curry powder on the cheese before sandwiching closed.
Ingredients
8 slices white bread Butter, for spreading
12 slices cheddar cheese
1 tomato, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Method
- Butter bread on both sides.
- Layer three slices of cheese on four of the bread slices, and top with tomato and onion (if using). Sandwich closed.
- Braai until crispy and charred, and cheese is melted.
- Serve with chutney, mayo or tomato sauce.
Quick tamarind date chutney
Makes 2 cups
Add a kick of heat by frying a chopped red chilli with the garlic.
Ingredients
250g pitted dates, finely chopped
1 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp oil
1 red onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp mustard seeds
¼ cup treacle sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tamarind paste
Ingredients
- Soak dates in hot water in a bowl for 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat and fry onion until caramelised and soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and mustard seeds, and fry for 30 seconds.
- Stir through treacle sugar, vinegar and tamarind paste until combined.
- Pour in dates and date soaking liquid, stir and simmer over medium heat for 10–15 minutes until thick and jammy.
- Allow to cool before decanting into a jar.
- Serve with braaibroodjies or add to a cheese board.
By: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photos: Fresh Living Magazine
Also read: 4 braai sides giving main dish energy
