Toasted Turkey and Smoked Mozzarella Subs

I saved my favorite recipe for the last update of the day. I have a unnatural affinity for sandwiches. I feel like Joey from Friends. I think it was the trivia game episode when Joey and Chandler faced off against Rachel and Monica to see who would win the apartment. They had to play a game of who knows whom better with random personal facts, and there was a lightning round. One of the questions was "what is Joey's favorite food?"...the answer: "sandwiches". Trust me, it was HI-larious. (If you don't get that Friends reference, I will be sad because that means I am really old and the 90's were the highlight of my pop culture existence.)

Anyway, I digress...

Where were we? Ah yes...sandwiches! They are yummy. This one was particularly yummy. Like really yummy.

Joey would've approved. ("Heeeeeeyyy, how YOU doin'?")

Try it and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Toasted Turkey and Smoked Mozzarella Subs
From: America's Test Kitchen Simple Recipes cookbook

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
2/3 cup basil pesto (homemade or jarred is fine...just use your favorite kind)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 (6 inch) sub sandwich rolls, slit partially open lengthwise
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced deli turkey
12 ounces smoked mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is dry, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons pesto and season with salat and pepper to taste.

Spread remaining pesto inside each roll, then layer with turkey, tomato mixture, and cheese. Place sandwiches on baking sheet and bake until edges of bread are golden and cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Hot Beef Sandwiches

My MIL took my girls for the day to play with their visiting cousins, so I am home alone! It is a rare treat, but I feel like I'm wasting it with necessary tasks. So far, I've just been catching up on stuff that I've needed to get done but been putting off for the last month. I can think of a hundred things I *could* be doing for alone time and I'm doing chores instead. ::SIGH:: I hate being responsible. Anyway, blog updating is on my list of things to get done, so I'm gonna get my three (short) posts completed and go take a nap. Chores be damned!

I don't remember when we had these sandwiches, but the hubs and I LOVED them. We had to do rock/paper/scissors for the leftovers the next day, because they were highly coveted.

I made a modified version for the kids with just meat and cheese sauce, because I knew they would balk at anything "spicy" like a horseradish sauce. They ate their sammies and did not complain, so I check that off as a 'win'. I opted to go the homemade route with the cheese sauce and did not do cheese slices. Also, I used delectable pastrami instead of roast beef. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Hot Beef Sandwiches
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
8 pretzel slider rolls or regular dinner rolls
1 pound thinly Shaved Roast Beef or Pastrami (I used Pastrami)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Grated Onion (or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes))
1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
1 Tablespoon Spicy/grainy Mustard (mine had a touch of honey in it)
1 Tablespoon prepared Horseradish
Dash Of Worcestershire
homemade cheese sauce (For homemade see below. You could also just use store-bought.) or sliced cheese

Directions:
Slice rolls in half. Mix together mayo, grated onion, poppy seeds, spicy mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire. Taste it and adjust ingredients however you wish.

To assemble, spread dressing on top and bottom buns. Lay on roast beef or pastrami, then one or two slices of cheese (I cut them to fit the small buns.) If you're using cheese sauce, spread a layer on the top bun.

Wrap each sandwich in a foil square, and either keep in the fridge or bake right away. To bake the sandwiches, put them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The buns should be slightly crusty and the cheese should be melted.

Homemade Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:
flour
butter
milk, water, or chicken broth
1-2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
(Sorry, no measurements on this one.)

Add a couple of tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium-high. Add in double amount of flour (4 tablespoons in this case). Whisk and let flour and butter clump and combine. Cook for a minute or so, until flour mixture starts to turn pale tan in color. Add milk (about a cup or so) while whisking continuously. Bring to a simmer while still whisking. Sauce should be thickening. When desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and add in cheese. Whisk to combine, season with remaining ingredients to taste, and serve.

(If the mixture is too thick add some more water, chicken broth, or milk to thin while whisking over medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached again.)

Buffalo Joes

We had this sandwich filling two ways, the first night for dinner on sandwich thins as a modified sloppy joes. Then, the next day for lunch over baked potatoes. I dare say, I liked the filling over the potatoes better than the sandwiches. I think it was because the sandwiches were very saucy; almost too saucy (if that's possible). It made our buns soggy and we ended up eating the sandwiches with fork and knife. The were tasty, but messy. As a baked potato topping, it was perfect. The starchy potato sucked up the extra sauce and it was more balanced. Also, the flavors mingled overnight, so the taste was more developed. Don't get me wrong, both applications were good...we just liked the potatoes better.

Buffalo Joes
From: Clean Eating magazine website, February 2012

Ingredients:
½ lb lean ground bison (or very lean ground beef)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
3 cups baby spinach
1 cup BPA-free canned unsalted navy beans, drained and rinsed (TRY: Eden Organic Navy Beans)
1 cup jarred or boxed diced tomatoes (TRY: Pomi Chopped Tomatoes)
2 tsp grainy mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure maple syrup
¼ cup chopped green onions
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted (TRY: Alvarado St Bakery Sprouted Wheat Burger Buns)(We used Sandwich Thins)

Directions:
Heat a large sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid on medium-high. Gradually add bison a bit at a time and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic, carrot and spinach to pan and stir until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Stir in beans, tomatoes, mustard, vinegar and maple syrup. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still moist and saucy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add green onions and stir to combine. Spoon into buns, dividing evenly.

Turkey Pesto Panini

We had my son's Winter Concert at his school on Tuesday night and we needed a dinner that would get us fed and then where we needed to be...FAST. This recipe calls for leftover roasted Thanksgiving turkey, but I just used a container of good quality turkey lunch meat. As promised, these sandwiches were fast, easy, and delish!

Turkey Pesto Panini
Adapted From: Chung Ah of Damn Delicious via Naturebox website


Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil, plus additional for brushing on bread
1 loaf of French bread, cut into 3-4 equal pieces
1/2 cup pesto, homemade or store-bought
4-8 ounces mozzarella, sliced
2 cups sliced turkey
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of bread lightly with more olive oil.

Spread 2 TBSP pesto over 1 side of French bread and top with mozzarella, turkey, tomatoes, avocado and top half of bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper; repeat with remaining slices of bread.

Add sandwich to pan and grill until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Use something weighted on top of the sandwich while cooking or use a panini press to get a thinner, more evenly grilled sandwich.)

Chicken Swiss Bundles

Life has gotten crazy, so I haven't been doing any creative cooking lately. I've been sticking to quick and easy; such as breakfast for dinner, bean burritos, and ordering take-out. I think this is the only new recipe I've tried within the past couple of weeks, and luckily, it was really tasty and pretty easy to put together. I didn't take a photo, but the website that originally posted this meal has detailed photos already (just click on the link if you're curious on how it looks). I think we had salad with these bundles, and I seem to remember everyone in my family really gobbling up our dinner.

Chicken Swiss Bundles
From: Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed
1/2 cup sweet roasted red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. honey mustard salad dressing
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (I used sliced cheese, in pieces)
12 frozen bread dough dinner rolls, thawed
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:
Thaw rolls and press each roll into a 5 inch circle on a greased baking sheet. In a large skillet, saute onion & mushrooms in 1 1/2 tsp. of butter until tender. Then toss in the garlic and saute for a minute longer. Add chicken, peppers, mustard, and dry seasonings. Stir to mix well and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Place the chicken mix in the center of the dough circles. (No exact measurement for this, but not TOO much. Make sure you leave room around the edges!!!) Take the remaining dough circles, place on top of the chicken mix, and press the edges with a fork to seal. Then brush the tops of each bundle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Sausages with Eggplant Caponata (AND a Pizza Idea)

(Here is the finished product. I put our chicken sausages on whole wheat buns with a serving of the caponata. I didn't serve a side dish, as my sausage links were pretty big and I figured the caponata was a full serving of veggies.)

(My caponata after I chopped it all up. Mmmmmm....grilled veggie goodness!)

(The cooked chicken sausages hot off the grill and resting for a few minutes. This was a delicious summer all-in-one, meal-on-a-bun!)

So far, my foray into clean eating has been pretty successful. We've had really tasty, yet healthy meals and I've lost 4 pounds! Pretty fantastic, eh? I love it when weight comes off, and I don't feel like I've really made any sacrifices food-wise. I'm eating 3 solid meals and 2 snacks a day, so I'm never hungry and I've found some great recipes that are so satisfying in the flavor department. To be fair, it does take a bit more planning to eat this way; but I'm motivated to keep going! I already notice a positive difference in how I feel, too. All around, I'm loving the changes.

I adapted this recipe from Clean Eating magazine and it was fantastic. I love grilled food, so this was right up my alley. The husband worked late on Friday night, so it was the kiddos and me for dinner (don't worry...I saved him a plate). My kids were pretty indifferent about this one, but they ate it well enough. However, my husband and I both gave it a thumbs up.

Chicken Sausages with Eggplant Caponata
Adapted From: Clean Eating magazine; By: Nancy S. Hughes, June 1, 2012

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken sausages (I used an Italian-flavored sausage with Parm and basil)
4 whole-wheat hot dog buns
1/2 jar of sun dried tomatoes, chopped and drained of oil
2 fresh Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 (8 oz) container pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus additional for garnish (I used dried basil)
2 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
2 tsp apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (I forgot the vinegar; but I think balsamic would work, too)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat an indoor grill pan to medium-high and lightly coat grill with cooking spray.

Lightly spray both sides of eggplant,fresh tomatoes,and onion with oil, then place on prepared grill. Also, place whole, peeled garlic cloves on the grill.

Cook vegetables until brown and tender, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place sausages on the grill pan. Cook according to package directions, or until sausage is cooked thoroughly. Gently open buns, but do not split in half. Grill buns briefly on each side while sausages cook for final 2 minutes.

Roughly chop the grilled eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and onion and place in a medium bowl with olives, basil, sun dried tomatoes and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place 1 sausage in each bun and spoon equal amounts of vegetable mixture over top of each. Sprinkle with additional basil, if desired.

UPDATE:
I had a lot of leftover caponata, so I decided to mix it with a half of a container of store bought pesto and turn it into a pizza topping. I bought some whole wheat pizza dough, layered a thin amount of store bought marinara over the crust, topped that with the caponata/pesto mixture, and then added my shredded mozzarella cheese. My son loves pepperoni, so we added those on top of the cheese and baked it (450 degrees for 15 minutes). It was delicious!!!! I love it when my recipes can multi-task. Definitely a good use for leftover pesto and caponata!

Ham Melts

I am notoriously anti-ham. So much so that it's turned into a running joke among our family and friends. It's strange because other pork products are fine; it's just something about ham that I really dislike. I really can't explain my aversion, other than it's a taste/texture/color thing. So why am I posting a recipe for Ham Melts then??? Good question, readers! I really can't explain it, other than something happened with this recipe that *might* have changed my opinion ever-so-slightly.

I saw these sandwiches on Pinterest a few months ago and immediately thought "EWWW!". No way, no how. Then, every once in a while the photo popped up in my Pinterest feed, taunting me. They did look kinda good...I mean besides the ham factor. I'm sure my family would like them and melty cheese can cover a lot of sins, I thought to myself. I could substitute prosciutto (which I l-o-v-e) and make them less "hammy", I rationalized. Hmmmm...I'll try it, I decided. Well, once I started buying ingredients I wondered if the ham added something to the recipe that prosciutto couldn't. I decided to throw caution to the wind and do a ham/prosciutto combo. (I'm very daring sometimes.)

Oh man, I'm glad I did. These. were. fantastic. Ham and all!!!! I was shocked. Regular ham has not touched my lips since childhood. This was the first time in years that I was able to eat and enjoy my sworn porcine enemy. Seriously, these were the best sandwiches we've tried in awhile and I learned something about myself in the process; namely to 'keep an open mind'. Don't get me wrong, I won't be running out and joining any "I heart ham" fan clubs anytime soon (well, unless it's a fan club for handsome, sexy, heartthrob, actor Jon Hamm), but I will be a teeny tiny less vocal about my disgust for ham and may even consider having it again in the right context (like these sandwiches).

(See?!?!!! Jon Hamm is delicious, too.)

Ham Melts
Adapted From: beyerbeware.blogspot.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 package of 12 Hawaiian sweet bread rolls
1 onion, minced finely or grated
1 stick of butter
3 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1/3 pound of shaved ham
1/4 pound of prosciutto
8 slices of Swiss cheese


Directions:
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and add onion. Combine Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds in melted butter. Simmer for a several minutes to infuse the butter mixture with flavor. Slice rolls as a group and place bottoms on a 9 x 13 foil-lined pan. Spread 3/4 of the onion/butter mixture on the roll bottoms. Add the ham and prosciutto in an even layer. Top with Swiss cheese slices and bun tops. Spread the remaining onion/butter mixture over the tops of the sandwiches. (At this point you can cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake, if needed.) Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Turkle Burgles

I have a bunch of blog updating to do, but I can't really remember what all we've had for our dinners. I think I just start with last night's meal and work backwards. Hopefully, the photos on my camera will jog my memory.

I found this recipe on my BFF, Claire's blog. This is a family recipe of theirs that is very kid-friendly and easy to put together. The family and I went to Disney On Ice yesterday, then ran some errands after the show. By the time we got home, the kiddos were wiped out and hungry. I put these sandwiches on the table with some roasted asparagus in less than a half an hour. Everyone happily munched down their Turkle Burgles (I LOVE that name!) and some people--ahem--even had seconds. These were pretty darn tasty!

Turkle Burgles

Ingredients:
4 hamburger buns or sandwich rolls (I use Oroweat Sandwich Thins)
8 slices cooked bacon
8 slices turkey (or enough for four sandwiches)
4 slices cheese (I used a combo of Swiss and provolone cheese)
Thousand Island salad dressing

Directions:
Heat broiler. Toast hamburger buns. Place bottom half of buns on a cookie sheet. Top with 2 slices of turkey, 2 strips of bacon (I tore mine in half to get more bacon coverage), and slice of cheese. Place under broiler until cheese begins to melt. Spread dressing on top half of bun and top sandwich.

Slow Cooker Three-Envelope Pot Roast Sliders

I have a couple of blog updates, but sadly, no photos. I know, I know...the camera and I don't always make it to the same place at the same time. I feel mildly guilty about no pics, but at least the recipe(s) I've been meaning to update will get posted. Phew! That made me feel a little better...

Anyway, this was a really great recipe for doing something a little different with pot roast. My family loved these sandwiches and everything came together easily (thanks to the slow cooker). The sauce in the original recipe is called a "chipotle" sauce, but that totally bothers me! There are not any actual chipotle flavors and/or peppers in the sauce, so I needed to rename it. It just makes more sense to me to call it something else. (Okay, so I'm a little anal that way.) Other than the name change on the sauce, I followed this recipe to the letter and these sammies turned out fabulously. I think we just had a side salad to go with them and that was it. Filling and delicious...we gobbled 'em up!

Slow Cooker Three-Envelope Pot Roast Sliders
Adapted From: Six Sisters' Stuff blog

Ingredients:

Roast:
1 3-4 lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

Sliders:
Three Envelope Pot Roast recipe (above), shredded
1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Rolls or plain dinner rolls
Sliced Swiss cheese (1 slice per slider)
Creamy-Spicy Horseradish Sauce (recipe below)

Creamy-Spicy Horseradish Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chili sauce
2 tsp creamy horseradish sauce

Directions:

For Roast:
Whisk together water, salsa and seasoning packets. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixture over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

For Sliders:
Cut each roll in half and place on a baking sheet. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Place baking sheet in oven with broiler on low. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until edges of the rolls are golden and cheese has melted (be sure to watch them closely so they don't burn!). Remove baking sheet from oven.

Place a spoonful of shredded beef on top of each roll with Swiss cheese on it. Spread Creamy-Spicy Horseradish Sauce on the top half of each roll. Assemble each slider by placing the top half of the roll on top of the bottom.

Philly Cheesesteak

I'm not feeling very verbose today, so I'm gonna make this post short and sweet. Really, I want to go take a nap...so less computer time = longer nap time for me. I forgot to take a photo of our dinner last night, so I snapped a pic of my sandwich right before I ate lunch today. (Yes, that is a plastic kids plate.) :)

I found this recipe in the March 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine, and it did not disappoint. I followed the recipe almost exactly--just a few minor substitutions--and it turned out perfectly delicious. Quite a tasty version of an at-home Philly-style Cheesesteak. Yum! I heart Cooking Light!!!

Philly Cheesesteak
From: March 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) flank steak, trimmed (I used skirt steak)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (5-inch) portobello mushroom caps (I used sliced button mushrooms)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green bell pepper (I used red bell pepper)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 ounce provolone cheese, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 (3-ounce) hoagie rolls, toasted (I used whole wheat hot dog buns)

Directions:
1. Place beef in freezer for 15 minutes. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems; discard. Thinly slice mushroom caps; cut slices in half crosswise.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until beef loses its pink color, stirring constantly. Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Return beef to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce; keep warm.

3. Place flour in a small saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and mustard, stirring until smooth. Keep warm (mixture will thicken as it cools).

4. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Divide the beef mixture evenly among bottom halves of hoagies. Drizzle sauce evenly over beef mixture; replace top halves.

Italian Club Sandwiches

I loosely based this recipe off of a Rachel Ray appetizer that I spied in the Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats cookbook. Normally, I'm not RR's biggest fan, but I wanted something unique for dinner that we hadn't tried before. I must say, she came through with this one! These sandwiches jumped off the page and caught my attention. I modified it to accommodate my family's tastes and a hearty dinner-sized portion. Big, stacked sandwich for dinner??? Yes, please!

Italian Club Sandwiches
Adapted From: Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners cookbook

Ingredients:
whole wheat sandwich bread
garlic-herbed spreadable cheese (I used Allouette brand)
sliced tomatoes
sliced avocado (splashed with a little lemon juice and sprinkled with salt)
salad greens (I used a baby spinach/arugula blend) OR fresh basil leaves
sliced radishes
deli turkey meat
prosciutto
cooked, crispy bacon strips
sliced low-fat provolone cheese

Directions:
Use three pieces of bread per sandwich. Smear spreadable cheese on one side of the top and bottom slices. Smear spreadable cheese on both sides of the middle bread piece. On the bottom slice, stack greens, tomatoes, and prosciutto. Top with sliced radishes and put middle bread piece over it (i.e. bread with cheese on spread on both sides). On the top of the middle piece of bread, stack avocado slices, turkey deli meat, bacon slices, and more salad greens. Top with remaining bread top, cheese side down. Cut the sandwich in half and serve. Repeat the process for however many sandwiches you need.



The Result:
I'm not really sure why she dubbed this as an Italian club??? It does have some Italian ingredients, but I wouldn't consider it to be "Italian" food or even "Italian" style. All issues with naming this sandwich aside, this came together quickly and easily. Oh, and did I mention we loved it??? Yeah, we loved it!

By the way, here is a wacky reference for you...

Do you remember the Thanksgiving episode of the TV show Friends? The one where Ross had the leftover Thanksgiving sandwich and he called the middle bread piece dipped in gravy "The Moist Maker"???? That totally just popped into my head and made me giggle! Maybe because this sandwich has a middle piece of bread, too. Anyway, there is no "Moist Maker" here, but this is still one good sammie.

Gruyere & Caramelized Onions Panini

I've been wracking my brain for a few days now on what I was going to write about this sandwich. The beginning of the holiday season has already gotten me into a tailspin. Busy, busy, busy! I can't think of anything super-creative or any special circumstances surrounding our meal on this particular night, so I think I'll just give you the facts. This was a really delicious version of a ramped-up grilled cheese. The onions were a bit labor-intensive, but totally worth the time and effort. The combination of flavors hit the mark, especially for the adults at my house. We served our paninis with a green side salad and our meal was pretty darn satisfying. Hmmmm...I think that's about it, except to say that this grilled sandwich did not disappoint!

Gruyere & Caramelized Onions Panini
Adapted From: ‘wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich cookbook via the Panini Happy website

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium yellow onions, halved and cut lengthwise into 1/8″ slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried Sicilian oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
8 slices rye bread

Directions:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions and stir vigorously to avoid scorching. Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the onions have a deep brown color. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the onions are soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside.*

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375°F).

For each sandwich: Place 1/4 of the cheese on a slice of bread. Follow with a generous amount of onions. Close the sandwich and place on the panini grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is toasted with golden grill marks. Serve immediately and enjoy!

(***Either use the onions immediately to make the panini or refrigerate them for up to 1 week.***)



The Result:
These were really good. I liked the melding of flavors with the rye bread, gooey cheese, and syrupy onions...it was pretty spectacular. I ended up using my surplus onions (I think I had about a cup leftover) in my Thanksgiving green bean casserole (recipe to come). Yum! They were a welcome addition to both this sandwich and our holiday veggie side dish.

Hummus Melts

I've been on a vegetarian kick lately; making some new recipes and revisiting some old favorites. I would like to pretend that my renewed obsession with vegetarian meals is due to the fact that I'm being super-health conscious, but that's not it. Really, it boils down to time. It seems that we have had a lot going on in the evenings, and most vegetarian meals are just faster to prepare and get on the table. I don't have to mess around with thawing out a protein, so that saves me some prep time and most dinners can be put together in under a half an hour. Also, I've found a bevy of new vegetarian recipes lately that I've been itching to try out.

This recipe is one of the new ones that I found on Pinterest . We had a family night at my son's school and a "Mom's Night Out" event for my group of mommy friends, so we needed to get out the door in a hurry last night. A lengthy dinner just wasn't an option for us, so I thought these open-faced sandwiches would be a good choice. I was right...this recipe was super-easy and fast to put together. I had dinner on the table in about 20 minutes from start to finish. Not to mention, it was really, really healthy and tasty...we all gobbled it up. Thanks Pinterest for another simple and efficient vegetarian winner!

Hummus Melts
Adapted From: the (Never home)maker blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
4-6 whole wheat English muffins
a large container of your favorite store-bought (or homemade) hummus
1 bag of washed baby spinach (I used a bag of an arugula/spinach salad blend)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat broiler on high. Place halved English muffins on large baking sheet, cut side up and toast under the broiler for a few minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Saute onions in the oil, with a pinch of salt, until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic and saute for another minute, or until the garlic is fragrant. Add entire bag of washed baby spinach. Using a pair of tongs, toss spinach in onion mixture until wilted. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss again to combine and remove from the heat.

Place a large spoonful of hummus on each toasted English muffin half. Then, using your tongs, evenly place a small pile of the spinach mixture on top of each half, over the hummus. Sprinkle each muffin half with a handful of shredded cheese. Place back under the broiler and cook until cheese is melted, starting to brown, and bubble. Remove from oven and serve immediately.



The Result:
So good! Our serving size was 2 halves per adult, and 1 half per kid at our table. I think I made a total of 5 English muffins, so there were 10 halves all together. There were plenty for us for dinner and we still had some leftover. These little sandwiches were so filling and satisfying...everyone loved them! Also, I had another one for lunch today and they reheat nicely. Another thought just occurred to me about this recipe...it is really economical! I fed our entire family of 5 (more or less; not including some of the other ingredients that I had on hand) with 1 bag of spinach, 1 container of hummus, 1 bar of cheese, and a package of English muffins. It breaks down to less than $2.00 per person for dinner; less if you factor in the leftovers. I love that!

Portobello, Broccoli,and Red-Pepper Melts

This is another Martha Stewart recipe that I found while exploring her website the other day. Truly, this was a fantastic open-faced sandwich...one of the best that we've tried. Martha sure knows her food, that's for sure! If you dig a hearty, vegetarian sandwich this dish is for you.

In other news...

You'll be happy to know that the husband found the camera battery charger and plugged it in. Hooray! The good news doesn't stop there...I also remembered to take a photo of our dinner last night with my iphone. Eureka! Why didn't I think of that before??? I don't know. Thankfully, my normal camera should be up and running the next time I have to take a blog pic. In the meantime, try this recipe and enjoy my shaky iphone photography skills.

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts
From: Everyday Food, March 2008

Ingredients:
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (stalk discarded)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
4 thick slices country bread (or 1 loaf of French bread, cut horizontally)
4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced (or Gruyere, if you like)

Directions:
Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing once or twice, until broccoli begins to char, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a work surface. Dividing evenly, spread with mayonnaise mixture, and top with vegetables, then cheese. Place on baking sheet, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.





The Result:
These were fantastic! Delicious and satisfying. I goofed and used Gruyere instead of Gouda cheese. Duh. Next time I should read the ingredients list a bit more carefully. Honestly, it didn't really matter; it was still an amazing veggie sandwich.

There were a lot of filling, so I decided to cut my French bread loaf in half horizontally, and hollow out (and discard) some of the bread in the middle. This allowed more room for the yummy, roasted veggies. I thought this would be more efficient than just doing the slices, and this method was reminiscent of the Eggplant Mozzarella Melts recipe that we LOVE. Then, when the cook time was over, I removed the long, loaf halves to a cutting board and just cut the portion sizes we needed (smaller pieces for the kids, etc.). It worked out perfectly, and now we have a new favorite Martha Stewart open-faced "melt" sandwich to make for dinner.

Favorite Turkey Burger

So, still no photos. My camera battery STILL needs to be charged...and now I can't find the charger. Yeesh. Moving has really screwed up my sense of organization! On the up side, we haven't had any new recipes (aside from this one). You see, you're really not missing anything exciting.

I needed a fast, easy, and yummy turkey burger recipe so I turned to the Martha Stewart website for inspiration. As expected, Martha came through for me and we had these totally delicious burgers for dinner one night last week.

Favorite Turkey Burger
From: marthastewart.com, Everyday Food May/June 2003

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93 percent lean)
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Oil (for grill grates or grill pan)

Directions:
Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine ground turkey with Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.

Lightly oil grill (or grill pan). Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

The Result:
Easy and delicious. A great twist on a classic!

Jen's Tuna Melts

Okay, this is not much of a recipe...but I feel that it's noteworthy because I often forget about it. I love a tuna melt sandwich! It's such an easy, cheap dinner that you can probably pull out of your hat with stuff that you already have on hand. This was one of the first meals that I made in the new house and everyone in my family loved it. A side of frozen, steamed mixed veggies made our dinner low-stress and complete.

Jen's Tuna Melts
bread of your choice (I used sliced wheat)
butter (1 stick, softened)
tuna salad of your choice
shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Butter all bread slices on one side. Place one piece butter-side down in a hot, non-stick skillet. Place a scoop of tuna salad onto bread in skillet and top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese. Top with another slice of bread, making sure butter-side is up (not facing the inside of the sandwich). Cook as you would a grilled cheese. Flip when bottom bread is toasted and golden brown. Remove from pan when other side is cooked, toasted and golden browned. Repeat with additional sandwiches as needed.

The Result:
I use about 6 cans of tuna in water for my family. Be sure to drain the tuna first. I like to add Dijon mustard, low-fat mayo, salt & pepper, lemon juice, diced onion, and diced celery to my tuna salad. However, use whatever recipe you like best.

This is almost a non-recipe, but these sandwiches are sooooo good! You could put a fresh slice of tomato on them to jazz it up even more, but I think they are great as-is.

Bacon Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This. was. awesome. Seriously, you should try this sandwich immediately; if not sooner. Thank you. Over and out. Ten-four, good buddy.

Bacon Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Adapted From: Three Many Cooks website

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter, softened (use more or less if needed, depending on the number of sandwiches)
sour dough bread slices
ripe tomatoes, sliced (I used heirlooms)
8-10 pieces of crispy, cooked bacon (use more or less, if needed)
jarred pesto
fresh mozzarella, sliced

Directions:
Cook bacon and set aside. On inside of bread, spread pesto on both halves. Top with cheese slices, tomato slices, and a few slices of bacon. Put top piece of bread on sandwich. Slather butter on outside of both ends of the bread. Cook in a dry skillet over medium high heat until cheese is melted and bread is crisp and golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove sandwich to a cutting board, cut in half, and serve immediately. Repeat with additional sandwiches.



The Result:
Nom, nom, nom. (Insert lip-smacking noises here.)

Hominy-Pinto Burgers with Roasted Green Chiles

I have a lot of blog recipes to catch up on, so I think I will just get down to the "nitty gritty" by posting meals that we recently tried and liked. These vegetarian burgers were a hit with the adults, but not so much for the kids in my family. All in all, we liked them...the kids will just have to deal with it!

Hominy-Pinto Burgers with Roasted Green Chiles
From: Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light August 2006

Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles (I used my roasted Hatch chiles)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup masa harina, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons low-sodium salsa
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 3 inches from heat 8 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a heavy-duty plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut each chile lengthwise into 4 strips; discard seeds.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Place onion mixture, salt, beans, and hominy in a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Combine bean mixture and 1/2 cup masa in a medium bowl. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place remaining 1/4 cup masa in a shallow dish; dredge patties in masa.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add patties to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn patties over. Top each patty with 3 tablespoons cheese; cook 4 minutes.

Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture on top half of each bun. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each serving with 2 pepper strips. Cover with tops of buns.



The Result:
Easy and good. I used some roasted hatch green chiles, so ours were spicy. (I omitted the chiles for my little rugrats.) Baked sweet potato fries were a quick and yummy side dish that went well with these burgers. This was a solid recipe for vegetarian bean burgers with an interesting twist.

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I love when I find a phenomenal grilled cheese recipe! As the title promises, this sandwich had all the yummy goodness of jalapeno poppers, plus a little extra. This was soooo tasty; and because I removed the seeds, stem, and ribs from the peppers, it was not that spicy either. My 5 year old declared it was the best grilled cheese ever!

The original website that this recipe was published on had shaky directions. So, I'm just going to adapt the recipe from that and tell you what I did below. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Adapted From: closetcooking.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
8 slices of sour dough bread
1 stick of butter, softened
8-10 large jalapenos, seeds, stems, and ribs removed; cut in halves
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 (8oz) bar sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place jalapeno halves on a baking sheet, cut side down. Place baking sheet on the top rack of the oven, close to the heating element. Broil peppers for 8-14 minutes, or until skin turns black and charred. Place peppers in a gallon zip top bag and seal. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or until peppers are cool enough to be handled. Peel peppers, discard the plastic-like skin. Set aside peppers.

Spread cream cheese on both inside halves of the bread. Top both sides with crushed tortilla chips. On one side, place cheddar cheese slices over the chips and cream cheese. On the other side, place 4-5 pepper strips on top of the chips/cream cheese. Assemble the sandwich. Butter the top slice of bread. Warm a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place sandwich, butter side down into skillet. While sandwich is cooking, butter the other side of the sandwich bread (the naked slice should be facing up in the skillet). Flip once bottom slice is golden browned and cheese is melted. Remove from skillet once other side is golden browned. Assemble and repeat cooking with additional sandwiches. Cut in half and serve immediately.

NOTE: Recipe should yield 4 grilled cheese sandwiches.



The Result:
Fantastic and pretty easy to put together. Hooray for yummy grilled cheese sandwiches!

World's Greatest Sandwich (aka The "Spanglish" Sandwich)

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? I'm addicted; it's fantastic! It is so addicting, I literally need to limit my time on it, and use perusing it as a reward system for myself so I can get other chores done. For instance, if I clean the kitchen I get 15 minutes on Pinterest, if I do a load of laundry I get a half hour on Pinterest. You get the idea. Anyway, among the cornucopia of stuff on Pinterest, they have recipes. As a matter of fact, I found the link to this recipe on Pinterest. The recipe is entitled World's Greatest Sandwich, developed by chef Thomas Keller for the movie "Spanglish". That is a bold claim, but I must confess...this sandwich was pretty darn close to perfection.

World's Greatest Sandwich (aka The "Spanglish" Sandwich)
From: Thomas Keller, via thekitchn.com

NOTE: Ingredients yield 1 sandwich. Adjust quantities as needed, for additional sandwiches.

Ingredients:
3-4 slices of bacon
2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
2 slices of toasted rustic country loaf (pain de campagne)
1 tbsp of mayo
4 tomato slices
2 leaves of butter lettuce (yes, it's called butter lettuce)
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg

Directions:
1. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels,

2. Place slices of cheese on one side of toasted bread. Place in toaster oven or under broiler to melt.

3. Spread mayo on other slice of bread top with bacon, sliced tomato, and lettuce
4. On non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Fry egg, turning over briefly when the bottom is set (keep yolk runny).

5. Slide finished egg on top of lettuce, top with other slice of bread (cheese-side down).

6. Place sandwich on plate and slice in half, letting yolk run down sandwich.



The Result:
This sandwich rocked!!! I used heirloom tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, and ciabiatta bread; which really put this beauty over the top.

The website I found this recipe on adjusted the sandwich to include avocado. I agree that would have been a delicious addition, but I didn't have any on hand. Maybe next time...yum.