A few summers back, while renting a house on the south shore of Massachusetts, my husband and I were visiting a country-style general store when I spotted an unusual sign in the café area. It was hard to miss the catchy print on a cream-colored tin plate with a line drawing of a pig encircled with the words, “Pig and Fig Sandwiches!”  When I asked about the sandwiches, I learned that they were made with fresh bread, spread with fig preserves, topped with shaved ham and sliced Brie, and served warm. I made a mental note to try a version of this tempting creation, but the thought slipped my mind. Fast forward a couple of years.

It didn’t take me long to realize that for any recipe which calls for only four items, those ingredients need to be of very high quality. For bread I brought some mini-baguettes and found some delicious fig preserves at Atkins, a local store in Amherst, Massachusetts, where I live. At another grocery in my small New England town, I bought a classic baguette and cut it into 6-inch lengths, and that worked well too. In place of Brie, I opted for St André and loved the results. 

What makes these sandwich irresistible is the combination of good crusty bread, whether individual or cut from a long baguette, and the filling with sweet (fig preserves) and salty (ham and cheese) notes. Toasting the bread and then warming the sandwiches quickly in the oven adds to their appeal. Feel free to change the cheese if you like. Camembert, Brie and even Vermont or English sharp white cheddar would all pair beautifully with the ham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Print This Recipe

Pig and Fig Sandwiches (Baguettes with Ham, St André Cheese and Fig Preserves)

One baguette at least 24 inches long or 4 mini-baguettes, each about 8 inches long
1 jar fig preserves (See cooking tip)
8 oz good quality ham very thinly sliced or shaved (See cooking tip.)
A 6-to 8-oz wedge of St André cheese (See cooking tip.)

1.Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a baking sheet.

2.If using a traditional baguette, remove an end and save for another use. Then cut the remaining portion of the baguette into four 6-inch pieces. Halve each one horizontally. If using mini-baguettes, halve them horizontally.

3.In a toaster lightly toast the baguette slices. Then spread a light coating of fig preserves on each cut side of the slices. Divide the ham equally and mound on top of four bottom slices. With a sharp knife, cut thin slices from the St André cheese and place atop the ham.

4.Transfer these bottom slices and the tops (with cut sides up) to the baking sheet. Bake until cheese has melted and ham is warmed, 5 to 7 minutes or longer. Remove from the oven and place tops on sandwiches. If using mini-baguettes, slice in half. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Cooking tips: In Amherst, Ma, my New England town, I found delicious fig preserves at a local market called Atkins. Dalmatia Imported Original Fig Spread is a good brand that is available at Stop and Shop in my area and in many stores throughout the country.

Use a high-quality ham for these sandwiches. My favorite is Nieman Ranch.

Although St André cheese pairs beautifully with the ham and fig preserves, you could try Brie, Camembert, or shaved slices from a block of Vermont or English sharp white cheddar.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2025

 

 

 

 

 

Pig and Fig Sandwiches (Baguettes with Ham, St André Cheese and Fig Preserves)

One baguette at least 24 inches long or 4 mini-baguettes, each about 8 inches long
1 jar fig preserves (See cooking tip)
8 oz good quality ham very thinly sliced or shaved (See cooking tip.)
A 6-to 8-oz wedge of St André cheese (See cooking tip.)

1.Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a baking sheet.

2. If using a traditional baguette, remove an end and save for another use. Then cut the remaining portion of the baguette into four 6-inch pieces. Halve each one horizontally. If using mini-baguettes, halve them horizontally.
3. In a toaster lightly toast the baguette slices. Then spread a light coating of fig preserves on each cut side of the slices. Divide the ham equally and mound on top of four bottom slices. With a sharp knife, cut thin slices from the St André cheese and place atop the ham.
4. Transfer these bottom slices and the tops (with cut sides up) to the baking sheet. Bake until cheese has melted and ham is warmed, 5 to 7 minutes or longer. Remove from the oven and place tops on sandwiches. If using mini-baguettes, slice in half. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Cooking tips: In Amherst, Ma, my New England town, I found delicious fig preserves at a local market called Atkins. Dalmatia Imported Original Fig Spread is a good brand that is available at Stop and Shop in my area and in many stores throughout the country.

Use a high-quality ham for these sandwiches. My favorite is Nieman Ranch.

Although St André cheese pairs beautifully with the ham and fig preserves, you could try Brie , Camembert, or shaved slices from a block of Vermont or English sharp white cheddar.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pig and Fig Sandwiches from the South Shore of Massachusetts

A few summers back, while renting a house on the south shore of Massachusetts, my husband and I were visiting a country-style general store when I spotted an unusual sign in the café area. It was hard to miss the catchy print on a cream-colored tin plate with a line drawing of a pig encircled with the words, “Pig and Fig Sandwiches!”  When I asked about the sandwiches, I learned that they were made with fresh bread, spread with fig preserves, topped with shaved ham and sliced Brie, and served warm. I made a mental note to try a version of this tempting creation, but the thought slipped my mind. Fast forward a couple of years.

It didn’t take me long to realize that for any recipe which calls for only four items, those ingredients need to be of very high quality. For bread I brought some mini-baguettes and found some delicious fig preserves at Atkins, a local store in Amherst, Massachusetts, where I live. In place of Brie, I used St André and loved the results.  At another grocery in my small New England town, I bought a classic baguette and cut it into 6-inch lengths, and that worked well too.

What makes this sandwiche irresistible is the combination of good crusty bread, whether individual or cut from a long baguette, and its filling with its sweet (fig preserves) and salty (ham and cheese) notes. Toasting the bread and then warming the sandwiches quickly in the oven adds to their appeal. Feel free to change the cheese if you like. Camembert, Brie and even Vermont or English sharp white cheddar would all pair beautifully with the ham.

 

Pig and Fig Sandwiches (Baguettes with Ham, St André Cheese and Fig Preserves)

One baguette at least 24 inches long or 4 mini-baguettes, each about 8 inches long
1 jar fig preserves (See cooking tip)
8 oz good quality ham very thinly sliced or shaved (See cooking tip.)
A 6-to 8-oz wedge of St André cheese (See cooking tip.)

1.Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a baking sheet.

2. If using a traditional baguette, remove an end and save for another use. Then cut the remaining portion of the baguette into four 6-inch pieces. Halve each one horizontally. If using mini-baguettes, halve them horizontally.
3. In a toaster lightly toast the baguette slices. Then spread a light coating of fig preserves on each cut side of the slices. Divide the ham equally and mound on top of four bottom slices. With a sharp knife, cut thin slices from the St André cheese and place atop the ham.
4. Transfer these bottom slices and the tops (with cut sides up) to the baking sheet. Bake until cheese has melted and ham is warmed, 5 to 7 minutes or longer. Remove from the oven and place tops on sandwiches. If using mini-baguettes, slice in half. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Cooking tips: In Amherst, Ma, my New England town, I found delicious fig preserves at a local market called Atkins. Dalmatia Imported Original Fig Spread is a good brand that is available at Stop and Shop in my area and in many stores throughout the country.

Use a high-quality ham for these sandwiches. My favorite is Nieman Ranch.

Although St André cheese pairs beautifully with the ham and fig preserves, you could try Brie , Camembert, or shaved slices from a block of Vermont or English sharp white cheddar.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2020

 

 

Pig and Fig Sandwiches (Baguettes with Ham, St André Cheese and Fig Preserves)

One baguette at least 24 inches long or 4 mini-baguettes, each about 8 inches long
1 jar fig preserves (See cooking tip)
8 oz good quality ham very thinly sliced or shaved (See cooking tip.)
A 6-to 8-oz wedge of St André cheese (See cooking tip.)

1.Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a baking sheet.

2. If using a traditional baguette, remove an end and save for another use. Then cut the remaining portion of the baguette into four 6-inch pieces. Halve each one horizontally. If using mini-baguettes, halve them horizontally.
3. In a toaster lightly toast the baguette slices. Then spread a light coating of fig preserves on each cut side of the slices. Divide the ham equally and mound on top of four bottom slices. With a sharp knife, cut thin slices from the St André cheese and place atop the ham.
4. Transfer these bottom slices and the tops (with cut sides up) to the baking sheet. Bake until cheese has melted and ham is warmed, 5 to 7 minutes or longer. Remove from the oven and place tops on sandwiches. If using mini-baguettes, slice in half. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Cooking tips: In Amherst, Ma, my New England town, I found delicious fig preserves at a local market called Atkins. Dalmatia Imported Original Fig Spread is a good brand that is available at Stop and Shop in my area and in many stores throughout the country.

Use a high-quality ham for these sandwiches. My favorite is Nieman Ranch.

Although St André cheese pairs beautifully with the ham and fig preserves, you could try Brie , Camembert, or shaved slices from a block of Vermont or English sharp white cheddar.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2020