Turn a Switzerland traditional dish into a sandwich with my Raclette Sandwich recipe. Layer savory, melted Raclette cheese over thinly sliced ham on grilled bread. Garnish with sweet gherkins and arugula to create a truly unforgettable sandwich. Impress your guests at your next gathering or enjoy on a cozy weeknight. Serve with my family's traditional Canadian Split Pea Soup for great lunch pairing.
Try making my Chimichurri Steak Sandwich, my Crispy Cajun Chicken Sandwich or my Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich, for more fun and delicious sandwich ideas.
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What is Raclette?
Raclette is a traditional dish from Switzerland, with the origins of its name coming from the french verb "racler" which means "to scrape". This describes how the cheese is traditionally melted under a flame or very high heat, and then poured over potatoes, gherkins, onion, and even meats. Raclette is different then fondue, as it is melted cheese, versus fondue, which is more of a cheese sauce.
The raclette cheese itself, although originating in the Swiss Alps, has been produced in Switzerland, France, and Germany, for hundreds of years. The dish itself has also evolved greatly during that that, and is now popular at dinner parties through Europe and Eastern Canada.
Ingredients for Raclette Sandwich
Find below the ingredients I used to make my Raclette Sandwich recipe.
- Sourdough Bread
- Butter
- Dijon Mustard
- Cornichon or Sweet Gherkins
- Thinly sliced Ham
- Arugula
- Raclette Cheese (see substitutes for other options)
See recipe card for quantities.
Make a Raclette Sandwich
Start by buttering the exterior of all bread slices.
Place the buttered slices for the tops of the sandwiches in a hot pan until golden brown. Remove from the pan and reserve.
Spread Dijon mustard on the bottom slices of the sandwiches.
Place the sliced ham on top of the Dijon.
Lay 2 slices of the Raclette cheese on top of the ham.
Place the two prepared bottom of raclette sandwiches into an oven-safe frying pan, on medium-high heat. Once the bread starts to become golden, take the pan off the heat and place under the broiler to melt the cheese.
Remove the bottom parts of the Raclette Sandwiches from the pan and garnish them with sliced cornichons.
Place a small handful of baby arugula on top of the sandwiches.
Take the slices of bread which were grilled first, and place them on top of the raclette sandwich.
Traditional raclette usually has a potato component to it, so I like to serve these sandwiches with chips or french fries.
Substitutions
- Cheese - Replace the Raclette cheese with Gruyere, Fontina, or even a nice smoked gouda, since raclette cheese can sometimes be hard to find in grocery stores.
- Deli Meat - Since a Raclette sandwich is mostly about the cheese, most deli meats can be used, like turkey or ham, or even cured meats like salami and prosciutto.
- Cornichon vs. Sweet Gherkins - Use a traditional cornichon if you want more of a dill flavor, but i also enjoy using a sweet gherkin in this sandwich for more flavor contrasts.
- Bread - Replace the sourdough bread with any other type of bread like a pumpernickel , marble rye, or even a ciabatta bun.
Make in advance
Make the sandwiches as per the recipe if consumed right away. Assemble raclette sandwich in advanced without buttering or grilling, or melting the cheese. Wrap them up tightly in plastic wrap so that they do not dry. Butter the outside of the sandwich when ready to heat up. Grill in a hot pan or in a panini grill.
Recipe
Raclette Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 slices Sourdough Bread
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 200 grams Deli Ham sliced thin or shaved
- 4 slices Raclette Cheese see notes for substitutes
- 6 small Cornichon or gherkins
- 1½ cup Arugula
Instructions
- Start by buttering the exterior of all bread slices.
- Place the buttered slices for the tops of the sandwiches in a hot pan until golden brown. Remove from the pan and reserve.
- Spread Dijon mustard on the bottom slices of the sandwiches and then layer the ham on top of the mustard, followed by 2 slices of the Raclette cheese on top of each sandwich.
- Place the two prepared bottom of sandwiches into an oven-safe frying pan, on medium-high heat. Once the bread starts to become golden, take the pan off the heat and place under the broiler to melt the cheese.
- Remove the bottom parts of the Raclette Sandwiches from the pan. Cut the cornichon (or gherkins) in half and place them on top of the melted cheese.
- Divide the arugula between the two sandwiches, placing it on top of the pickles.
- Take the slices of bread which were grilled first, and place them on top of the sandwiches.
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