Ham + pandesal + quezo de bola = a classic Filipino Christmas. To make this tradition more exciting, we have a few tips to jazz up your ham pandesal:
- Add caramelized pineapple. Smoky, salty ham and sweet pineapple go hand in hand. Sear pineapple rings in a pan to caramelize its sugars and intensify its flavors.
- Mix quezo de bola and mozzarella cheese. Quezo de bola doesn’t melt too well on its own, but adding mozzarella cheese helps. Shred and mix the two cheeses together, then pile it on inside your pandesal. They’ll melt into a salty, gooey layer when toasted.
- Toast your pandesal with garlic butter. Before toasting, brush the tops of your pandesal with a nice coat of garlic butter. It adds extra flavor and richness to your sandwiches.
And most importantly: Use quality ham, like CDO Holiday Ham! Get it whole if you like control over the thickness of your slices, or go pre-sliced for less fuss.
CDO Holiday Ham and other CDO Christmas hams are available in supermarkets near you! You can also order online via CDO Home Delivery on Facebook, official Shopee and Lazada stores.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ½ kg (500g) CDO Holiday Ham, sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
- 1 small pineapple, cored and sliced into ½–inch rings
- 6 large pandesal, sliced in half
- ½ cup grated quezo de bola
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Prepare for toasting: Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350°F or 176°C.
Sear ham and pineapple: Heat nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sear CDO Holiday Ham slices until nicely browned and caramelized on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and repeat with pineapple rings, searing them until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Assemble pandesal: Combine grated quezo de bola and mozzarella cheese in a mixing bowl. Place a slice of cooked CDO Holiday Ham over a bottom half of pandesal. Place a pineapple ring over the ham. Top the pineapple ring with a good heap of grated cheese. Close up the sandwich with the top half of pandesal. Transfer finished pandesal to a baking tray. Repeat with remaining bread, ham, pineapple, and cheese.
Make garlic butter: Combine melted butter and minced garlic in a small mixing bowl. Using a silicone brush, coat the tops of each pandesal with the garlic butter.
Toast: Toast pandesal, working in batches if necessary, in the preheated oven or toaster oven until cheese has melted, 5–8 minutes. Serve hot.
