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(a variation of the recipe from the Cooking Light cookbook)
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1 loaf of French bread
low fat thin-sliced deli ham
honey mustard
5 reduced-fat Swiss cheese slices
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup skim milk
salt and pepper
cooking spray
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
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Cut the French loaf into 5 sections.
Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into eat section, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Spread honey mustard in each pocket and stuff with ham and a slice of cheese.
Whisk together milk and egg whites with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium/medium-high heat. (The cookbook says medium-high, but it was too hot for my stove top, I blackened my first side!)
One at a time (or two if you're crafty like me), dip each sandwich in the milk/egg mixture being careful to coat all solid bread sides and immediately place in skillet. ( I suppose you could coat the meat-filled side, but what about the raw egg mixture getting inside the sandwich pocket and creating a salmonella gooey mess?! That's how my brain works! LOL)
Cook each side until well toasted. I even flipped it over to toast the meat-filled side and get the cheese nice and melty.
Place finished sandwiches on a baking sheet in oven to keep warm while you prepare the remaining sandwiches.
I served this alongside a cup of (store-bought) tomato soup, which I don't usually care for but this one was very tasty. The brand was Pacific Natural Foods and it was Organic Creamy Tomato Sou; it's in a carton rather than a can. I'm weird about acidic things in cans. V8 is all I can handle and that's not very often! Anyhow, I topped the soup with some fresh-chopped oregano and basil and a pinch of reduced-fat mozzarella. It was delicious! Not quite La Madeleine, but I'm sure it was half the calories!
