I’m a little obsessed with sandwiches, and I’m sure you’ve picked that up by now because I have an abnormal amount of sandwich recipes on the blog. Even more than doughnuts, which is weird for me because doughnuts are my life. They range from breakfast sandwiches to lunch sandwiches to hearty dinner sandwiches to dessert sandwiches; there’s something for everyone. I’m now adding another lunch/hearty dinner sandwich to the mix and I’m not looking back because it’s a whopper of a recipe that we all need our life at the moment. I spend a lot of time each week looking through other blogs, cookbooks, and magazine sites, literally skimming through so many recipes looking for inspiration. Posting two recipes a week takes a toll on my brain. So sometimes I like to recreate recipes from other sources. I came across this asparagus and ham sandwich on the Better Homes and Gardens site and it looked so good that I knew I had to recreate it on the blog. Crunchy asparagus meets salty prosciutto and creamy and vibrant lemon garlic aioli, all wrapped up in a hearty roll. You can’t ask for anything more because I have nothing else to give. This sandwich is everything. It took it all. It’s gone. P.S. This new green board is everything I’ve ever wanted in my life and then some. I’m obsessed.
Let’s talk about this crunchy asparagus. We’re not deep frying it, but it’ll still get crispy and crunchy and amazing. I promise. In order to achieve such a feat, you want to dip the asparagus into the egg, then into cornstarch, then back into egg and then finally into the breadcrumbs.
**Note: You want to use panko bread crumbs for this, instead of Italian bread crumbs, because that’ll ensure the optimal crispy crunchy perfection.**
Warm a baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil, in a preheated 425 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Just by itself. Place the dredged asparagus, onto the preheated baking sheet and drizzle with more olive oil on top. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes, turning over halfway to ensure even browning.
**Tip: Preheating the baking sheet before placing the asparagus on ensures for optimal crunchiness. It’ll be just as crispy as if you fried the asparagus, but so much healthier.**
While the asparagus cooks, let’s make the lemon garlic aioli sauce that’ll go into the sandwich. In a small bowl, stir the mayo, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chives until evenly combined.
**Tip: You can make this aioli about 3 days in advance. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container, and place in the fridge until ready to use.**
To assemble the sandwiches, split the rolls in half (not cutting all the way through), and place on a baking sheet. Toast the rolls under the broiler for a few seconds. Make sure to keep a close eye on them so that they don’t burn. It’ll happen really quickly. Spread with the aioli and then lay two slices of prosciutto for each sandwich.
**Tip: If you don’t want to use prosciutto, feel free to swap it out with either ham or smoked turkey or even salami! You can really swap it out with whatever you have on hand or prefer.**
Then divide the crunchy asparagus among each of the sandwiches. Finish things off with fresh mint, micro greens and chives. Serve them with sliced lemon and the extra aioli for dipping.
These sandwiches are best when eaten right away because you really want the asparagus to be crispy and crunchy. So keep that in mind when you go to make them. The good news is that it doesn’t take that long to make. You can whip it up in no time.
If asparagus isn’t in season or you’re not a fan of it, you can use the same method for zucchini or even green beans would be great. It’s a versatile sandwich, what can I say?
I want to emphasize that you really should give this sandwich a try soon. It’s the perfect “light” meal to make during the week, when you’re at a loss of what to whip up after a long day of work. It’s filling and full of flavor. This might just be your new favorite sandwich, but don’t take my word for it. Make it for yourself and then you let me know.
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 4 hoagie rolls, split
- 8 slices prosciutto
- ½ cup micro-greens
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil, set aside.
- In a shallow dish, toss together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, steak seasoning, garlic powder, and chili flakes until evenly combined. Pour the cornstarch in a separate shallow dish, and whisk the eggs in a third shallow dish. To coat the asparagus, dip each one into the eggs, then into cornstarch, back into eggs and finally toss in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Place on a platter and continue coating until all the asparagus are done.
- Place the prepared baking sheet into the hot oven for 15 minutes. Remove the pan and transfer the coated asparagus onto the hot baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and return pan to oven and cook until the asparagus is golden brown and crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes, turning over halfway through baking.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper until evenly incorporated.
- Toast the split rolls in the oven on a baking sheet under the broiler. Spread liberally with the aioli, place two slices of prosciutto, divide the crunchy asparagus among each roll and top with fresh mint, micro greens, and chives. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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