Smorrebrod with Prosciutto and Strawberries

Brush the bread with oil. Four minutes per side on a hot grill. That’s when it stops being bread and becomes something else—crispy enough to hold up, soft enough to actually bite through without fighting it.

Why You’ll Love This Smorrebrod

Pulls together in 25 minutes flat. Most of that’s just waiting for bread to toast. Looks like you spent an hour on it.

Strawberry and pork. Doesn’t sound like it works. It does. The sweet, the salty, the tang from balsamic—it all lands.

Appetizer that doesn’t feel like an appetizer. Feels like actual food. Guests eat three. Then ask for more.

No oven required. Grill does everything. Cleaner setup than you’d think.

Tastes better cold, honestly. Make them early. They sit fine.

What You Need for Open Faced Sandwiches

Sourdough. Crusty outside, actual structure inside. Not regular sandwich bread. That falls apart.

Cream cheese—softened. Cold cream cheese won’t spread without ripping the toast. Leave it out maybe 10 minutes first. Or just use your hands to warm it up.

Peppercorns. Crushed. Not ground. You want the bite, not the dust.

Fresh strawberries. Not three days old. Slice them thin. They’ve got juice in them.

Prosciutto. Four slices total. The good kind if you can—salty, thin, doesn’t need to be cooked.

Balsamic glaze. The thick syrup stuff. Not regular vinegar. There’s a difference.

Basil, maple syrup, olive oil. That’s it. Salt for the bread before grilling.

How to Make Open Sandwich Bread

Get the grill hot. Medium heat. Not screaming hot. You want toast, not charcoal.

Oil both sides of each slice. Use your fingers if you don’t have a brush. Works fine either way.

Salt the oiled bread. Doesn’t take much. Just enough to taste it.

Put it on the grill. Four minutes. You’ll hear it crackling. That’s the good part. Flip it. Four more minutes. When it comes off, it should have these darker lines from the grill marks. Golden underneath.

Set the bread aside on a plate. Let it cool maybe two minutes. Still warm is better. Too hot and everything melts weird.

How to Make the Pork and Strawberry Topping

Cream cheese and pepper go into a bowl. Mix them until it’s even. Takes 30 seconds.

Spread it on the bread while it’s still warm. Not thick. Just enough to see the texture of the bread underneath.

Lay the prosciutto on top. One slice per toast usually. Maybe overlap slightly if you want more. It’s salty enough that a little goes a long way.

Strawberries next. Thin slices. They’re sweet but the bread is toasty and the pesto is peppery so the sweetness actually balances instead of clashing. Basil leaves on top of that. Just a few. They’re strong.

Balsamic glaze in a thin drizzle. Then maple syrup. A smaller drizzle. The two together—that’s the trick nobody expects.

Open Sandwich Recipe Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t oversoak the bread with oil. It just pools on the grill and burns. A light brush. That’s enough.

The strawberries release water. It happens fast. Make these close to when you’re eating them if they’re sitting longer than 15 minutes. The toast gets soggy. You could eat them that way, but—

Prosciutto gets kind of chewy when it sits around. It’s still fine but it’s different. Hot is better for it.

If your grill’s acting up, a skillet works. Medium heat, 3 minutes per side. Less charred, same result.

The cream cheese spread holds everything. If you skip it, things slide off. Not worth the risk.

Smorrebrod with Prosciutto and Strawberries

By Emma Kitchen

Prep:

10 min

Cook:

15 min

Total:

25 min

Servings:

4

Ingredients

• For the topping
• 120g cream cheese, softened
• 3ml (1/2 tsp) crushed black peppercorns
• 80g fresh strawberries, sliced
• 12ml balsamic glaze
• 6 slices of sourdough bread
• 15ml olive oil
• 4 slices of prosciutto
• Basil leaves, to taste
• Maple syrup, to drizzle

Method

1. For grilling the bread
2. 1 Preheat the grill to medium heat. Brush the slices of sourdough with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt.
3. 2 Grill the bread for about 4 minutes on each side until toasted and golden. Remove from grill and set aside.
4. For the cream cheese spread
5. 3 In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and peppercorns until well combined. Set aside.
6. For assembly
7. 4 Spread the cream cheese mixture over each slice of grilled bread. Top with slices of prosciutto and strawberries. Add basil leaves for freshness. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a touch of maple syrup.

Nutritional information

Calories

250

Protein

10g

Carbs

20g

Fat

15g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Open Faced Sandwiches

Can I make these ahead? Not really. Toast them fresh, do all the steps, then eat them. They’re best warm. Cold ones work but the bread gets tough.

What if I don’t have a grill? Skillet. Cast iron ideally. Same heat, 3 minutes per side. Won’t get the grill marks but it toasts the same.

Can I use regular bread? Probably not. Regular sandwich bread’s too soft. Falls apart when you load it up. Sourdough’s thicker, holds weight.

Are the strawberries cooked? No. Raw. Chilled is even better. The heat from the toast and the contrast with cold fruit—that’s half the appeal.

Can I swap the pork for something else? Sure. Smoked salmon works. Turkey. Chicken. Even just more basil if you want it vegetarian. Prosciutto’s salty though—whatever you use needs some salt to it.

How long does the balsamic glaze last? Forever. It’s thick, it’s shelf-stable. Keep it in the pantry.

Is the maple syrup necessary? No. But it ties the sweet strawberry and bitter balsamic together. Without it tastes flatter. Try it once with it, then decide.