Chatelaine recipe redux circa 1976: Peach surprise

The union of sweet and salty pair so well together — chocolate and pretzels, caramel and sea salt, jam and cheese — just to name a few. But what about ham and peaches? We test out this surprising sandwich combination from 1976.

THEN: Peach Surprise, 1976

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 3 English muffins, split, toasted
• Sweet butter
• 6 slices cooked ham or spiced beef
• 10-oz can sliced peaches, drained
• 2/3 cup shredded cheese
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

• SPREAD toasted English muffin halves with butter. Cut meat slices to fit muffin; lay slices on each muffin half. Top with drained peach slices and shredded cheese. Fold mayonnaise and lemon juice into stiffly beaten egg whites. Spoon a large dollop of meringue on top of each sandwich. Place on baking sheet.
• BAKE immediately at 400F for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve hot.

NOW: Peach Surprise, 2013

The verdict from our re-test? We had a mixed consensus on this one. Half of us who tried it thought it was an odd mix of flavours and textures; the other half gave rave reviews. (Our associate food editor, Carolyn, even happily exclaimed how it reminded her of her childhood). It's a sure winner if you like ham, canned peaches, melted cheese and meringue (all in one bite).