When you’re in the mood for something healthy, air-fried ham and cheese sandwiches are there to your rescue!
In a matter of minutes, you can prepare the crispy sandwiches by adding slices of ham and your preferred cheese. These are great for lunch as well as for dinner!
To make this amazing sandwich, you just need to grab ham, cheese, and a pair of toast!
Before assembling the ham and cheese, preheat your air fryer first! Set the air fryer to 370°F (188°C) and allow the sandwich to cook for 8 minutes.
All in all, everyone in your family will adore these grilled ham and cheese!
The cheese on the ham melts quickly due to the hot air circulation of the air fryer. It also gives a great crunchy exterior to the sandwiches.
Let’s move toward the recipe!
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients for this recipe:
- 6 ham slices
- 6 cheese slices
- 4 bread slices
- 1 Tbps Butter
How To Cook Grilled Air Fried Ham & Cheese Sandwiches?
- Step 1: Preheat your air fryer for 3 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, make a layer of one bread slice: cheese, ham, and cheese slice on top of the ham. The cheese on both sides keeps the ham slices in place.
- Step 2: You can fold thinly sliced ham to get greater height for the sandwiches. Finally, add another slice of bread on top and secure everything with a toothpick. Apply butter on the outer sides of both bread slices carefully.
- Step 3: Place the sandwiches in the basket of your air fryer. Add the basket inside your air fryer. If you have a convection air fryer, use racks for cooking the sandwiches.
- Step 4: Cook the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit, then flip them or when the fryer indicates “Turn Food.”
- Step 5: Next, increase the temperature to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and let the sandwiches cook for another 5 minutes.
Take out the sandwiches once they’re golden and crispy. Finally, slice them, and serve them right away.
Tips
- Do not forget to preheat your air fryer! Preheating will help you get the crispy texture for sandwiches.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket with the urge to cook all food at once. It’ll be a mess! The air fryers need space to circulate air around to toast the sandwiches.
- You can use plain sliced bread, wheat bread, croissant, or a piece of crusty loaf. You can also use brioche bread for a soft crumb!
- To keep the sandwich together, use toothpicks. The toothpick will keep them secure from flying in the air fryer.
- There are variations in the cooking times of different air fryers. Keep a close eye on the cooking cycle of your food, as it depends on the model of the air fryers. Your sandwiches may cook rapidly or take an extra minute or two to cook.
- Mist the outside of the bread lightly with olive oil spray or add softened butter for a crispy texture.
Nutritional Information
Grill ham and cheese contain almost 455 calories in total. These are further divided into the following nutrients:
| Nutrients | Amount (g/mg) |
| Carbohydrates | 22g |
| Protein | 21g |
| Fat | 7g |
| Cholesterol | 79mg |
| Iron | 2mg |
| Calcium | 378mg |
| Sugar | 3g |
These are some of the major nutrients, while other nutrients are present in trace amounts.
What Should You Serve with Ham Sandwiches?
There is a variety of serving suggestions.
- Soups: Sandwiches and soup are a classic pairing. Potato soup gives an authentic taste, while tomato soup is richer in nutrients.
- New England clam chowder: This chowder, made with delicious ingredients like potatoes, clams, bacon, milk, and butter, is comfort food at its best. It makes the ideal side dish and sandwiches in the winter.
- Salad: You can serve coleslaw inside and with grilled sandwiches. They are delicious and incredibly light. Cabbage and carrots enhance the crunch of the sandwich too.
- Potato chips with parmesan: Chips and cheese provide a fun depth to your grilled ham and cheese.
Check out the video below for detailed instructions on how to cook air-fried grilled ham and cheese:
FAQs
Can we toast a sandwich in an air fryer?
Air fryers can also make freshly grilled sandwiches and toast frozen ones.
Try toasting a sandwich with cheese and possibly some ham in the air fryer. Make sure that the exterior of the sandwiches turns golden brown when ready!
Can cheese be melted in an air fryer?
Most cheese has low melting points, so it melts quickly in the air fryer. Cooking it at high temperatures or adding lots of cheese can create a mess in the air fryer.
Therefore, you only need to select the correct temperature to avoid mess and create a delicious cheese-filled dish in your air fryer.
How To reheat grilled ham and cheese sandwich in the air fryer?
Air fryers are the best choice for reheating sandwiches. Do not overlap the sandwiches; leave a tiny space between them.
Set the air fryer to 350°F for frying. After 2 minutes of reheating, carefully flip the sandwiches using tongs. Reheat for additional 2 minutes after flipping on the other side.
Is grilling the same as air frying?
They serve different purposes and create distinct tastes in the same food. Air-fried foods have a healthier yet crispy texture, while grilling gives you more of a juicy flavor.
An electric grill could call for the use of some oil, while air fryers cook food without the use of oil. However, some foods can prepare on the grill without the use of oil.
What kind of ham is good in this recipe?
Lean, nitrate-free, and uncured is the best suitable for this sandwich.
Ham is preserved with a blend of celery juice and sea salt, naturally containing nitrites and lessening its toxicity.
How much sodium is in a ham sandwich?
Air fried ham sandwich is the healthiest meal option, but eating ham may boost your risk for colon and lung cancer.
According to PLOS Medicine, ham contains a high amount of salt. An average-sized ham sandwich contains almost 980 mg of sodium, which may lead to severe medical conditions for hypertensive patients.
Does ham include any vitamins?
Some vitamins, including B1, B12, and niacin, are present in ham. Other elements crucial to our daily diets, like phosphorus, zinc, potassium, iron, and magnesium, are also abundant in ham.
Therefore, it offers some health benefits by providing these essential nutrients to your diet.
Has ham been processed?
Any meat that has been preserved is referred to as “processed meat.”
Processed meat is achieved by different techniques such as; smoking, curing, salting, canning, or adding preservatives. Ham, bacon, salami, and sausages all fall under processed meat.
It also contains processed white meats such as sliced lunch meats and chicken nuggets.
What Kind of Sandwich Is Best for This Dish?
The beauty of this sandwich is that you can customize it by using different types of cheese slices.
My favorites are basic meals with cheddar or American cheese. One of my relatives fancies himself a cheese specialist and enjoys this sandwich made with various types of cheese. He particularly likes pepper jack, Colby jack, and Swiss cheese.
If you want to get creative with the flavor, try adding blue cheese crumbles or goat cheese to the sandwich for a sharper, more defined flavor. The combination of cheeses is entirely dependent on the type of cheese you prefer.
A Few Tricks
These sandwiches can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until ready to cook in the air fryer. This will make lunchtime even easier on those hectic days.
Reheat any leftovers in the air fryer. Heat the grilled sandwich in the air fryer for 4 minutes, or until heated through. Remember to secure the sandwich with a toothpick.
Also, rotate halfway through the cooking time to ensure that both sides of the sandwich are toasted to a nice golden brown.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, I’d like to say that;
- Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches in air fryers give you the crunch you’re craving. It is easy to make, with a cooking time of 8 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ham offers nutritional benefits yet is not considered the healthiest meat in town. You can serve coleslaw, potato chips, tomato soup, and deviled eggs alongside your grilled cheese sandwich.
- To avoid mess, secure the sandwiches with toothpicks and air fry them. Take out the toothpick before serving to avoid pricking your mouth.
- Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches are best when made with excellent whole-grain sandwich bread. The main asset is the golden brown crispy texture.