Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwiches

The magazine companies are on to me. I subscribed to CookingLight about a year ago. Since then, I've been inundated with other magazine subscription offers - Everyday with Rachael Ray, Food Network Magazine, People, Parents, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens.... they all want me. I feel so popular.

The sad thing about this is that if it's a magazine I'm even somewhat interested in, and the deal is good, I'll probably subscribe. My husband tells me "oh, but honey, you can get those recipes online." Which is true. But looking them up online is nowhere near as fun as getting a fresh new magazine in the mail every month. I like to think I have the self-control to know when it's time to stop (and hey, I turned down Parents magazine, even though it was truly a great deal. That's gotta count for something, right? Nevermind that I have no children or need for such a magazine).

I made these sandwiches when my tomatoes and basil were at their absolute peak - before the fall weather officially arrived and far before I had to start bringing my plants in at night for fear of frost (I'm not a fan of this weather). You should make them and enjoy them while the you still have access to fresh tomatoes and basil.

Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwiches
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
4-6 chicken tenders
Italian dressing, for marinading
2 Roma tomatoes
1-2 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper
6ish leaves fresh basil
Mozzarella cheese slices
baguette

DIRECTIONS
Marinade the chicken tenders in Italian dressing for at least a few hours. Cut the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.

Pre-heat the broiler.

Grill the chicken till cooked through (3-5 min per side or so) and grill the tomatoes till soft.

Meanwhile, cut the baguette in half, length-wise, and put slices of mozzarella. Right before the chicken is done, place the bread under the broiler until the cheese melts and starts to get bubbly.

Cut the basil into little ribbons.

Place the chicken on top of the bread, then top with tomato and fresh basil.

Monte Cristo with Strawberry Habanero Jam

We're now entering year two of home ownership. It's great. When we first moved in, we didn't do much. The previous owners did a lot of work on the place, and we didn't see ourselves wanting to change much.

How naive we were. We (and by "we" I mostly mean my husband) have since learned that home ownership is a continuous string of projects that are assured to take at least twice as long as you think they're going to take. And I have since learned the wonders of stations like HGTV and DIY network and am convinced that the shower/tub area of our master bath needs to be re-done with mosaic tiles. I think my husband would appreciate it if I stopped watching these stations.

Most recently, we installed a ceiling fan in our kitchen. The fixture the previous owners chose for the kitchen used LED lights that burned so hot that it was almost unbearable to be in the kitchen while the light was on for any length of time.

At least it looked cool?

Next up - replacing the two-prong sockets with grounded three-prong sockets. It's bound to be riveting.

We both really liked these Monte Cristo sandwiches. They were a great alternative to the traditional kind that is battered and deep fried (please do not interpret that to mean I'm trying to convey that these sandwiches are healthy - they're not). We weren't the hugest fans of the strawberry habanero jam. Honestly, I think I would've really loved it on a waffle or on ice cream, but for me, it didn't go well with the meat.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches with Strawberry Habanero Jam

Recipe from Jeff Mauro, adapted

Serves 4

Prep Time - 10 min

Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS

Strawberry Habanero Jam

4 cups sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 lbs frozen strawberries

1 habanero pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely minced

Custard

1 cup 2% milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

pinch nutmeg

2 eggs

Sandwich Build

8 slices Sourdough

4 slices Swiss Cheese

4 slices American Cheese

6 oz shaved honey ham

6 oz shaved turkey breast

4 TBSP salted butter

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

Strawberry Habanero Jam

In a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat, add the sugar and orange juice, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat to high and add the strawberries and habanero. Bring to a boil, stirring often. After boiling for about a minute, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Once cooled, you can serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.

Custard

In a baking dish, whisk together the milk, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and eggs. Set aside.

Sandwich Build

Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Top a slice of sourdough with a slice of Swiss, one-quarter of the ham, one-quarter of the turkey, a slice of American cheese, and the second slice of sourdough.

Dip the sandwiches into the custard, letting the excess drip off. Add some butter to the pan and gently fry each sandwich until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan, dust with some powdered sugar, and serve some of the strawberry habanero jam on the side.

Ham & Cheese Sliders

I'm currently planning a vacation. If all goes to plan, dinners at Bottega and Fleur de Lys are in my future.Have you ever gone somewhere, not really enjoyed it, and then later got home, and someone else you know went there and it seems the two of you took completely different trips? Did it leave you wondering why you didn't learn about these wonderful places they went?

For me, this place is Barcelona.

When I was studying abroad in London, I decided it would be fun to take a trip to Barcelona. I'd heard great things, I spoke Spanish (yes, I knew they speak Catalan but for some unknown reason, I assumed people would regularly speak both), and flights were cheap. So, I bought my RyanAir ticket, raced down to W.H. Smith and bought a  Rick Steve's guide, and booked a hostel. Even today, I don't like going somewhere without knowing where I'm going to sleep that night.

However, what I failed to do, was actually research the city. Or read much of the Rick Steve's book. In the name of spontaneity, I decided I would figure out what to do when I got there.

Big mistake. Aside from going to the beach and the Sagrada Familia, I had absolutely no idea what I should be doing (God forbid I consult the book while I'm there). And, on top of that, Barcelona was having some unprecedented heat wave that made it uncomfortable to do anything but lay on the beach, in the shade.

I did end up doing some great shopping, but overall, was thoroughly unimpressed with Barcelona. And the worst part is that while I know it's my own fault, I'm hesitant to want to go back there because of how unimpressed I was.

Needless to say, that story has nothing to do with these sandwiches. Which are delicious, by the way.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

From: The Girl Who Ate Everything, who adapted it slightly from the Recipe Club

INGREDIENTS

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip
Poppy seed sauce 
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds*
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. 

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Note: Sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

*As you can see from the picture, I omitted these because my grocery store was out.

Pot Roast Hoagies

I spent my childhood consuming a lot of gravy. Specifically, hunks of meat with lots of gravy and either mashed potatoes or egg noodles. I think that's what you get when you're Scandinavian and live in the upper midwest. Most of my friends with similar upbringings share my love for gravy. Maybe you don't even have to be Scandinavian. Maybe you just have to have grown up in the upper midwest. Or maybe you just have to have grown up in the United States in the 1980s. Who knows. This staple of my childhood has stayed with me into adulthood, though I now prefer my gravy-drenched hunks of meat in sandwich form. Pot roast in brown gravy on a hoagie bun? Yes, please.

This is another pre-move clean-out-the-pantry dish. The recipe I based it off of called for brisket, but the stores around here only stock that sporadically, and the only briskets I could find were organic, free range, grass fed, Kosher briskets for somewhere around $20-30/lb. So, I used a regular rump roast instead. I'm sure it would be great with brisket, but considering I'm not Jewish and made this recipe to get rid of some pantry items, spending the money on the hippie Kosher brisket wasn't worth it to me. 

I loved this sandwich. My husband thought it was decent. But he's not a big pot roast fan so take his opinion with a grain of salt.

Please excuse the bad picture

Pot Roast Hoagies

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Prep Time - 15 min

Cook Time - 8 hrs on low, 4 hrs on high

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 2-3 lb roast

salt & pepper

3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 packet slow-cooker pot roast seasoning

2 cups beef stock

2 cups red wine (I used a Pinot Noir)

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 cup cold water

1 packet low-sodium brown gravy mix

Hoagie buns

DIRECTIONS

Put the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on and put the lid on to let it get a bit warm before you add the meat. 

Heat a pan on the stove to medium-high heat and put a bit of olive oil in the bottom. Season the meat liberally with salt & pepper on all sides. Add to the pan and sear for a couple minutes per side. Put it in the slow cooker. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the beef stock, wine, tomato paste, and pot roast seasoning. Pour the mixture into your crock pot. Add a bay leaf. 

Cook on low for 8-10 hrs.

Once the roast is done, take it out of the crockpot and let it sit for a few minutes while you make the gravy.

Pour the liquid through a strainer and add to a large pan or a pot on your stove. Turn the meat to medium. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the gravy mix with cold water. Whisk this into your sauce on the stove. Let heat for a few minutes, until gravy thickens. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. 

Cut the meat and put it on hoagie buns and slather with gravy. 

Chicken Tender Melts

Like most people, I have fund memories of late nights/early mornings spent at the local Perkins restaurant. If you're one of the unlucky ones to live in a state without Perkins, you have my sympathies. When I was younger, it was either Saturday morning breakfast with grandma and grandpa, or Sunday morning family breakfast/lunch with friends from church. In high school, it was where we'd gather with groups of friends to hang out (especially when Dairyland wasn't open, either because it was closed for the season, or it was too late at night). In college, it was where we'd gather with groups of friends to hang out or study (often into the wee hours), or satisfy that odd craving for a slice of their amazing French Silk pie and a plate of onion rings (a combination I ordered way more times than I like to admit). 

When I was younger, one of the things they were known for is serving things (noteably, salads) in bread bowls roughly the size of the average human head . I was so intrigued by the concept of the breadbowl that I found myself ordering various breadbowl salads frequently, despite the fact that I didn't start liking salads until I was about 17. Much to my parents probable chagrin, I ended up eating the breadbowl and the rest of the salad accoutrement, but none of the lettuce.

Then, I discovered their chicken tender melt. Crisp chicken tenders, bacon, and melted pepperjack cheese inside grilled sour dough with a ranch dipping sauce. Delicious! Of course, like a large portion of my favorite chain restaurant items, it's since been taken off the menu. So I tried re-creating it at home. And it was a success.

Chicken Tender Melts

Inspired by Perkins Restaurant

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

6-8 chicken tenders (we made our own)

4-6 slices pepperjack cheese

4 slices sourdough bread

4 strips bacon

DIRECTIONS

Cook the chicken tenders until cooked through. I think frying the chicken tenders would produce the best results (and more true to the original), but I think baking them or even using grilled chicken breast strips would  also be really good.

Cook off a few strips of bacon. Drain and set aside until you start making the sandwich.

Assemble the sandwich like you would a grilled cheese: butter the outsides of two slices of sourdough. Place on top of it 1-2 slices of pepperjack, then 3-4 chicken tenders, then 2 strips of bacon, then another 1-2 slices of pepperjack. Top with the remaining slice of buttered bread.

Grill over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides, probably about 4 minutes each.

Chicken Juicy Lucy

I have a confession. It's considered a somewhat shameful one for a Minnesotan. When I tell people, I usually get looked at like I have 3 heads. Well, here it is. I don't like Juicy Lucys. For those of you who aren't from Minnesota and don't know what those are, it's a cheeseburger that is stuffed with cheese instead of melted on the top. They're sort of a Minnesota institution. I love the concept, but I have tried many, and the execution is always poor. What should be a delicious, juicy, molten-hot cheese filled burger usually ends up being a dried out, over-cooked molten-hot cheese filled burger. I've even asked if they could please not cook the crap out of my burger, but I always get the same result. So I've given up ordering them in restaurants.

Now, lest I get a bunch of angry comments from people saying I've blasphemed their favorite places, let me make one thing clear. I love the 5-8 Club. I think they have, hands down, the best burgers in the twin cities area. Matt's Bar is great and I also enjoy the Blue Door Pub (I'm purposely leaving The Nook off this list. I understand it's a St. Paul institution. I do not understand why). I just do not like Juicy Lucys.

I remained convinced that a Juicy Lucy doesn't have to be dry. So I tried making one at home with ground chicken. I'm happy to report that my Juicy Lucy remained juicy and delicious. I'm anxious to try making one with ground beef now.

Chicken Juicy Lucy
Serves 2
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 10ish minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb ground chicken
10-12 slices pepperoni, chopped into little pieces
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP finely chopped onion
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
shredded cheese
toasted buns
garlic mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple of TBSP of olive oil to the pan.

Mix together the ground chicken, pepperoni, salt & pepper, garlic, onion, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. If it's really wet, add more bread crumbs. Divide into two equal parts. Take off about 1/3 of each one and put to the side. Form the large part into a patty and make it a little thinner in the middle than the edges. Put a mound of shredded cheese (probably 1-2 TBSP) on top of the patty and then take the small part (the 1/3 you took off) and put that on top and completely enclose the cheese. Basically, at this point, it should look like a regular burger patty.

Add the patties to the pan and let cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite condiments. We used garlic mayonnaise, which was really delicious.

Gizmos

This year, I was clued in to a sandwich at the MN state fair called the Gizmo. It's basically a sloppy joe type sandwich with Italian sausage and ground beef, topped with melted cheese. Local chef and Travel Channel TV host Andrew Zimmern claims it's the best thing at the fair. While I really enjoyed it, I'm not completely sure I agree. I'm really more of a roasted corn and pronto pup type of girl. But, I liked it enough to try to re-create an even better version at home.

Surprisingly, I found several recipes online, which I tweaked to my tastes, and ended up with one very delicious sandwich.


Gizmo Sandwich
From the MN State Fair
Serves 4
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP or so Olive Oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
2-ish cups marinara sauce
hoagie buns
Italian cheese (I used mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium heat in a big saute pan. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. When the meat is about 1/2 done, make a little well in the middle and add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the veggies are soft. This should be about 10 minutes or so.

Drain any excess fat and bring back to the pan and add the marinara sauce. I'd do about 2 cups, but feel free to add more or less depending on how saucy you want it.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. If yours has a high and a low setting, set it to low.

Split your hoagie buns in half, but not all the way through, so that the buns stand up on their sides. Fill with the meat/sauce filling and top with cheese.

Put under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Murray's Steak Sandwiches (a la Target Field)

At Target Field, they have a really great sandwich - The Murray's Steak Sandwich. It's steak with melted provolone cheese and caramelized onions on ciabatta bread. Granted, the steak is always a little more done than I would like, but still, it's delicious.

So, the last time we were at a Twins game, I decided I had to try making the sandwiches at home. And they were amazing. I could've eaten them even without the steak and been perfectly happy.




Murray's Steak Sandwich
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
2 steaks (6 oz or so)
2 ciabatta rolls (big enough to fit the steak)
provolone cheese
caramelized onions (about 1 1/2 medium onions worth for 2 people)
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
Start caramelizing the onions about 45 minutes to one hour before you actually want to eat. Do this by melting about 1 TBSP butter in a big pan with about 1 1/2 tsp olive oil. Let that melt over low heat while you slice your onions. Put them in the pan and sprinkle with just a little bit of sugar (like 1/4 tsp). Stir just a little and let cook for about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle with just a little salt. Stir. Continue this process for about 45-60 minutes total, stirring about every 10 minutes until the onions get a nice brown color.

After you put salt on the onions, season the steaks with salt & pepper on each side. About 25 minutes before you want to be eating, start heating up a pan on medium high heat. Add about 1 TBSP butter and about 1 TBSP olive oil. Let it heat up for about 5 minutes. Add the steaks and cook 1 minute and then reduce the heat to medium and cook another 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. Increase the cooking time by about a minute or two per side if you want it more medium.

Let rest for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler (mine has a high and a low setting - if yours does too, put it on low) about 5 minutes before the steaks are done. While the steak is cooking, put cut your ciabatta rolls in half and put cheese on each side of the rolls.

Once you take your steaks out to rest, put the rolls under the broiler for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Mine took about 3 minutes.

Once the rolls come out of the oven, put caramelized onions on the bottom of each roll and put the steak on top of the onions. Top with the top half of the ciabatta and enjoy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

A while ago, I made Chicken Parmesan burgers and they were fantastic. So, when I saw this recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu burgers, I had high hopes. They did not disappoint. In fact, I think I may have liked them better.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

Recipe by Rachael Ray, adapted

Serves 4

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp olive oil

4 slices deli ham or Canadian bacon

1.25 lb ground chicken breast

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp grill seasoning (or salt & pepper)

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 slices deli cheese (I used Muenster)

4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

garlic mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

Preheat a large skillet to medium high heat and place the oil in the pan.

Combine the chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, shallot, and garlic. Form the meat into 4 patties.

Put the patties into the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top the patties with the ham and the cheese.

Put under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes or until the cheese gets bubbly.

Put the mayo on the buns and then top the burger with any other desired condiments.

Croque Monsieur

When I was in France about 10 years ago, I was first introduced to the Croque Monsieur and couldn't get enough. It's a simple enough sandwich - basically a grilled ham & cheese. I've had several different ones throughout the years at French restaurants in my area, and while good, nothing really compared to the sandwiches I had in France. So, when I found this Ina Garten recipe, I had a hunch it would be good. And Ina didn't let me down. It was everything I remembered the sandwich being.

Croque Monsieur

Recipe from Ina Garten, adapted

Serves 2

Prep Time - 5-10 min

Cook Time - 25 min

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP butter

3 TBSP flour

2 cups hot milk (not skim)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch nutmeg

6 oz grated Gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

4 slices white bread (thicker is generally better)

mustard (we used regular but Dijon is traditional

4-6 slices deli ham

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat and add the flour and stir till combined. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of Gruyere, and the Parmesan. Whisk until combined and set aside.

Toast the bread by placing it on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn over each slice and bake for another 2 minutes.

Lightly brush two of the slices with mustard. Add about 2 slices of ham to each (maybe 3 if your bread is thick. Put a couple tablespoons of the cheese sauce on top of the ham and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere (about 1/4 of the total remaining on each). Top with another piece of toasted bread.

Slather the tops of the bread with the cheese sauce and then put the remaining Gruyere at the top (NOTE - You will have cheese sauce left over. I used my leftovers to make a really delicious mac & cheese). Bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and bake for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Cuban Sandwiches

I have to confess. I'm in love with a sandwich. Specifically, the Cuban sandwich. I don't know how I survived my nearly 30 years without them. If you've never tried one, you must. This was honestly one of the best things I've eaten in a while, and certainly the best sandwich I've had in a long time.

The Cuban sandwich is traditionally a pressed sandwich made with roasted, shredded pork, ham, cheese, mustard, and pickles. I tried a bit of my sandwich with pickles and some without and I very much preferred it without. But, I generally dislike pickles on sandwiches, so it was pretty much expected. However, I also generally dislike mustard, but I really liked mustard on this sandwich, so if you're like me, don't immediately write off the mustard.

Cubano Sandwich

Recipe by Tyler Florence, adapted

Makes 4 sandwiches

Prep Time - 10 min

Inactive Cook Time - 6 hrs

Active Cook Time - 10-15 min

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless pork roast (I used country ribs)

salt & pepper

cumin

dried oregano

2 TBSP olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

4 Cuban rolls (baguettes would be good too)

Yellow mustard

12 slices Muenster cheese

8-12 slices deli ham

salt & pepper

pickle chips

canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Spray the ceramic of your crock pot with cooking spray. Slice the onion and place at the bottom of your ceramic. Smash the garlic, peel off the skin, and add those, too.

Heat the oil and chili flakes in a skillet over medium heat. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Sear the meat for just a couple minutes per side. Place in the ceramic of your crock pot. Add the orange juice, chicken broth, lime juice, and bay leaves. Cook on low for about 6 hrs, or until the meat is tender enough to shred.

To prepare the sandwiches, cut the rolls in half. Put mustard on the bottom of the roll and put about 1 1/2 slices of cheese on top. Add a layer of pickle chips. Next add the pork. Season the pork with salt & pepper and drizzle a little bit of the cooking liquid over the top. Then 2-3 slices of ham, and then another 1 1/2 slices of cheese.

To cook, heat a large grill pan or cast iron skillet. Lightly coat with oil and place the sandwich(es) in the pan. Firmly press down with something heavy. Keep pressing and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich

I really love Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwiches. In fact, I'm not sure I know a single person that doesn't love them. I do not, however, like the seemingly ever-increasing price tag that comes with them. I'd been toying with the idea of making them at home for a while, but I was a little afraid I'd end up disappointed. However, one day I brought up the idea of making them to my husband, and he was game. So, we tried them.

They were excellent. I wouldn't say they taste exactly like Wendy's, but they're really close. And, since you make them, you have the added bonus of knowing exactly what you put in them.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from various websites

Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce

2/3 cup water

1 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp salt (I thought this was a bit much so I would probably do 1 1/2 tsp instead)

4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 boneless chicken breasts

oil, for frying

4 buns

Mayonnaise

Lettuce

Tomato slices

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Mix together water & hot sauce in one bowl or shallow dish. Mix together the flour, cayenne, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in another bowl or shallow dish.

Pound the chicken just a little bit and dredgein the flour mixture, then dip in the hot sauce mixture, and then back into the flour.

Drop into the hot oil and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F.

Serve on buns and garnish with the tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

Italian-Style Drip Beef

Yep. This is another sandwich. You'll love it, I swear. As you may recall, I recently blogged about Pioneer Woman's basic Drip Beef and was only so-so on it. I figured we would like this one better, and I was right. It was fabulous. It's basically everything you would want in a sandwich.


Italian Style Drip Beef
Recipe from Pioneer Woman, adapted

INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
2-3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup sherry
¼ cups Water
1 packet Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
3 TBSP whole peppercorns
3-4 sprigs rosemary
½ jars (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice (I omitted, but would use next time)
cheese slices (I like Muenster)
Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

DIRECTIONS
Spray ceramic of crock pot with cooking spray and add onions and garlic. Season roast with salt & pepper and place on top of the bed of onions. Add liquids, Italian seasoning, peppercorns, salt, rosemary, and pepperoncini. Cook on low for 8 hrs.

Take the meat out of the crock pot after about 8 hrs and shred with forks. Season the meat with pepper.

Place meat and onions (if desired) on top of buns and then top each sandwich with cheese. Put in the oven or under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Croissant Panini

Another day, another sandwich. I swear, I do eat more things than sandwiches lately. I hope you like this one. It's really rich and great if you need something comforting at the end of a long day.

Croissant Panini
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 croissants
4 ounces Gouda, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
8 teaspoons grated Parmesan
16 slices Genoa salami
8 slices ham

DIRECTIONS
Heat a panini grill. Place about 1/3 cup gouda on each croissant. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese. Top each side with about 3-4 slices salami and 1-2 slices of ham. Put the top of the croissant on each sandwich and grill the panini until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. (I don't have a panini press so I used my grill pan and placed a heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches. I grilled for about 3 minutes per side).

Venetian Panino

There isn't a whole lot to say about this sandwich except that it's really simple, but one of the best sandwiches I've eaten in a while. So I'll keep this post simple and tell you that you have to make one. In fact, make one as a snack right now.


Venetian Panino
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted
Makes 6 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces Gruyere, shredded
4 TBSP butter, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, chopped
12 ounces sliced turkey (I think proscuitto would be great, too)
12 slices sourdough bread
6 TBSP olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Mix together the butter, cheese, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is thick, but spreadable.

Spread the cheese mixture over 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 2 slices of turkey on top of 6 of the slices of bread. Top sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, cheese mixture side down, pressing gently to adhere.

Heat oil (about 3 TBSP) in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Cook half of the sandwiches until golden brown and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and sandwiches. Cut in half or thirds and serve immediately.

Bagel Sandwiches

I almost feel silly posting this because it's so simple. However, I decided to go for it because I think these sandwiches are great and because, as I've said before, I firmly believe everyone needs basic, quick recipes for those nights where you just don't have the time or energy to cook.

This is one of my favorite sandwiches. It's incredibly satisfying and it can be put together in a matter of minutes. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Turkey Bagel Sandwiches

Cook & Prep Time - 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Everything bagels

sliced deli turkey (any lunch meat would be great - turkey is my favorite)

sliced onions

sliced tomato

sliced cheese

DIRECTIONS

Lightly toast the bagels.

Assemble the sandwiches by placing the lunch meat on the bottom of a bagel. Top with sliced onions and any other veggies you want, like tomato. Top with your favorite sliced cheese.

Bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese begins to melt.

Pioneer Woman's Drip Beef

I love sandwiches. I really don't think there's much in the world that is more satisfying. Luckily, my husband agrees and is usually in at the mention of a sandwich.

I also love using my crockpot, especially when I use it in ways most Minnesotans don't. This drip beef sandwich recipe is a great example of this. I loved how I started this in the morning and it was all ready to go when I got home from work. My house smelled so good when I walked in the door and the meat could not have been more tender. Our one complaint is that the soy sauce flavor was a bit strong, so if I were to make this recipe again, I would probably cut the amount of soy sauce by about half.

Drip Beef

Recipe from Pioneer Woman, adapted

Serves about 6

INGREDIENTS

1 whole 3-4 lb chuck roast

1 large onion, sliced thick

3 cloves garlic, crushed & peeled

1/2 cup soy sauce (try to get low sodium)

1 cup Sherry (cooking Sherry is fine)

2 cups beef broth

1-2 cups water

3-4 sprigs Rosemary

1-2 TBSP whole peppercorns

deli rolls

sliced cheese (we used Muenster)

DIRECTIONS

Spray the ceramic part of the crock pot with cooking spray. Put onions and garlic on the bottom. Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour the soy sauce, Sherry, beef broth, and water in the crock pot. Add rosemary and peppercorns.

Cook on low for about 8 hrs.

At the end of the cooking time, take the roast out of the crockpot and pull with two forks.

Put the meat on the deli rolls, pour a bit of the liquid from the crockpot on top, and place cheese on top. Put in the oven to melt the cheese for about 5 minutes, if desired.

Serve with a bowl of the liquid for dipping.

Meatball Subs

Over the past month and a half, my cooking has taken a bit of a different turn. I've been working later hours, so I've had to concentrate on preparing things that can be made in about 25 minutes or less. On weekends, I still try to spend some quality time in the kitchen.

I made these meatball subs on a weekend, and could easily be made ahead of time and then re-heated before you actually plan on eating them. And, they're delicious. You'll love them.

Meatball Subs

Serves 4

Prep Time - 15 minutes

Cook Time - 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp oregano

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 jar marinara sauce

hoagie rolls

Muenster cheese

DIRECTIONS

Mix together all meatball ingredients until combined. Roll into medium-sized meatballs (about 1" in diameter) and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until browned. Take the meatballs out of the oven, but keep the oven on.

After you take them out of the oven, put them in a pot with the marinara sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Place meatballs and a bit of sauce on the bottom of each roll and cover with cheese (3 meatballs and 2 slices of cheese worked great on the size roll we used). Place in the oven and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until cheese melts. Serve with extra marinara sauce on the side, if desired.

Italian Beef

A while back, my husband and I were watching Man v. Food. In the episode we were watching, Adam went to an Italian Beef place in Chicago. Shortly after the episode was over, my husband suggested we try making them at home some day. So, we did. They were delicious. I can't say if they're authentic (though I would guess they're not), but they tasted great.

Italian Beef

Recipe from CDKitchen.com

Serves 2

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 cup water

3 TBSP tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lb thinly sliced roast beef

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 small onion, sliced

2 Italian rolls, sliced in half

DIRECTIONS

Mix together the beef broth, water, tomato paste, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the peppers, onions, and beef. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Build the sandwiches by adding the meat, peppers, and onions to the bun. Dip the buns into the jus and serve.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

I'd seen this recipe pop up on several blogs I read, and I was intrigued. I love chicken parmesan, but wasn't sure how it would trnslate into a burger. However, I've been trying to stock my arsenal with quick, easy dishes lately, so I I decided to give it a try.

We both really liked these. They definitely tasted like chicken parmesan, and the toasted buns were a nice touch. I'm sure ground turkey or ground beef would be delicious, too.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

From Elly Says Opa!, adapted

Serves 2

Cook & Prep Time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb ground chicken (1/2 of my 1.25 lb package)

1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced fine

1/8 cup parsley, chopped

salt & pepper

marinara sauce

Shredded Italian cheese

2 toasted buns

DIRECTIONS

Combine meat with Parmesan, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic, shallot, parsley, and salt & pepper. Form into two patties.

Meanwhile, heat a about 1 TBSP of butter with some olive oil in a skillet. Also heat up marinara sauce in a small saucepan.

Cook the burgers about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top with marinara sauce and Italian cheese and bake at 450 for about 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese gets bubbly. Serve on toasted buns.