Cheddar and Hot Mustard Sandwiches

Traditional English pub fare inspired the robust flavor of these simple sandwiches. Serve with ale or Merlot.

Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 3  cups  (12 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1  (4-ounce) jar hot mustard (we tested with Inglehoffer)
• 1/2  cup  minced onion
• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 12  slices pumpernickel bread, crusts removed (we tested with Pepperidge Farm)
• 12  slices sourdough bread, crusts removed (we tested with Cobblestone Mill)

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Spread about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture onto each pumpernickel bread slice. Top each with a sourdough bread slice. Cut each sandwich into four squares. Arrange sandwiches on a serving platter, some pumpernickel side up and some sourdough side up.

Polka-Dot Sandwiches: To make sandwiches more artistic, cut 4 small circles from each pumpernickel slice and 4 small circles from each sourdough slice using a 3/4" to 1" biscuit cutter. Place the white sourdough circles in holes in pumpernickel. Place the brown pumpernickel circles in the holes n the sourdough slices. Assemble sandwiches as directed.