I have so many fond food memories of Chicago. We lived there for 2 years while Dustin completed his pediatric dental residency and have been back a couple times since we moved away almost 6 years ago. One of my favorite lunches in Chicago was from a bakery in Uptown, just down the street from our second apartment, that no longer exists but had the most amazing bread and sandwiches. The best of all their sandwiches was the turkey and smoked gouda with raspberry chipotle jam layered on their fresh baked ciabatta. I still crave it to this day. And so I’ve figured out how to make my own!

The secret to this sandwich is using the best bread you can find. A good ciabatta is thick and chewy yet fluffy with nooks and crannies to soak up the mayo on one side and spicy jam on the other. Arugula adds a fresh peppery bite. Smoked gouda is a must. It’s got so much flavor you can’t skip it. I’ve looked and never found a raspberry chipotle jam in a store, but it’s so easy to make your own. Take some good raspberry preserves and mix in some minced up chipotle pepper in adobo (the kind that come in a can- they are just smoked jalapeno peppers in a sauce). I haven’t included any amounts for this recipe (except a suggestion on the chipotle pepper to jam ratio) because I don’t measure when I make a sandwich. I just layer it all on like I like it! I promise this sandwich will make you a fan.

Turkey, Smoked Gouda, and Raspberry Chipotle Jam Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

ciabatta, sliced in half
raspberry jam (Bonne Mamam is the best store bought brand)
chipotle pepper in adobo (from a can), minced
oven roasted or smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced
smoked gouda, sliced
mayonnaise
arugula
tomato, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the raspberry chipotle jam, in a small bowl stir to combine the raspberry jam and chipotle pepper. (I use 1 Tbsp. minced chipotle in adobo per 1/4 cup raspberry jam for a mild/medium kick. It will taste less spicy on the bread so you can add more chipotle if you like a lot of heat!)
2. Spread the prepared jam on the top half of the ciabatta and mayonnaise on the bottom half. Layer the bottom half with turkey, smoked gouda, tomato and arugula, and top with the top slice of bread. (The sandwich can be served cold or warmed in the oven until the cheese is melty and the outside of the bread crisp.)

Inspired by a sandwich at the former Baker and Nosh in Chicago.