ABC Quesadilla

What does the ABC stand for?  Apple, Bacon and Cheddar.  A fun and easy to make snack or sandwich for kids of all ages.  You do not need a quesadilla maker either, I made this in a regular frying pan so maybe it's time to create some more cupboard space and donate mine.  I did use a mandoline for extra thin slices.  I think I could have made 3-4 quesadillas with one good sized apple.

ABC Quesadilla

1 large apple, I used a Gala but any apple will work, cut in thin slices
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 flour tortillas (you can use whole wheat)

Place 1 flour tortilla at the bottom of a heated frying pan.  Sprinkle approximately 1/4 cup of the cheese on top.  Circle apple slices on the cheese completely covering the tortilla.  Sprinkle the bacon bits and remaining cheese on top and cover with the 2nd tortilla.  Cook until lightly browned and cheese hs melted.  Carefully turn over and lightly brown the 2nd side.  Remove from heat and plate.  Cut into 6 pieces.

Grilled Colby Chicken Melt

What better way to begin the weekend either at home or at the lake than with an easy lunch that is sure to please.  You can use leftover chicken from the grill or some ready to go from the grocery store.  An expert sandwich flipper could make these on the grill.  I made them on the stove top.  I added in a special spread for extra flavor

Grilled Colby Chicken Melt
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2 slices of your favorite bread - I used a Whole Grain Wheat
2 slices colby cheese
red pepper spread
butter, softened

Assemble just like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Butter the outside slices of bread and place one piece face down in a frying pan. Spread red pepper spread on top and lay down one slice of colby cheese over it.    Place slices of chicken breast on top of the cheese, top with a second piece of cheese, and then the other slice of bread, butter side on top.  Grill until a nice golden brown, carefully flip and grill the second side.

Italian Hamburger

I love grilling season and Italian food so this burger combines the two in a most tasty way.  I went with the Juicy Lucy idea but with an Italian twist - would this mean it should be called a lucy succosa?  Um, no.  But it did have Fontina cheese oozing out.

Italian Hamburger

1# ground beef

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 slices Fontina cheese

In a medium-sized bowl, crumble the ground beef.  Add the seasonings on top and fold in completely.  Shape into patties.  Make an indent and add cheese in the middle.  Cover the cheese completely and cook on the grill or in a pan.

Grilled Ham & Brie Sandwiches

Need an easy weeknight meal that takes your usual grilled cheese sandwich up a notch?  Try using Brie.  It melts and coats the rest of the inside of your sandwich perfectly.

Grilled Ham & Brie Sandwiches

Sliced bread - I used french bread
Softened butter
Thin sliced ham
Peach preserves
Brie


Assemble just like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Butter the outside slices of bread and place one piece face down in a frying pan. Spread peach preserves on top and lay down ham over it.    Place slices of brie on top of the ham and top with a second piece of bread, butter side on top.  Grill until a nice golden brown, carefully flip and grill the second side.

Grilled Ham & Pear Sandwich

It's Monday.  It's cold out and it's Monday.  That was worth repeating.  It usually also calls for an easy dinner.  This is an easy to make sandwich with lots of fun flavor.

Grilled Ham & Pear Sandwich

2 slices of your favorite bread ~ I used sour dough
Applewood smoked sliced ham
Fontina cheese
Fresh Anjou pear slices

Butter outsides of the slices of bread.  Place one butter side down and top with Fontina slices, ham and slices of pear.  Top with the second slice of bread and place face down on the pear. Grill until a golden brown on both sides. 

Monterey Chicken Wrap

Looking for an easy mid-week meal?  These Monterey Chicken Wraps are easy to make and don't take much time.  

Monterey Chicken Wraps

1# chicken tenders, cooked
4 slices bacon, cooked and drained
Monterey/Cheese shredded cheese
1 tomato, diced
your favorite bbq sauce
4 flour tortillas

Lay down a flour torilla.  Place two warm tenders lengthwise in the center.  Top with bbq sauce (1 tbsp), shredded cheese, a bacon slice and diced tomatoes (optional).  Roll up and serve still warm.  Makes 4.

Grilled Mozzarella & Pepperoni Sandwich

It's Monday and that deserves an easy meal on your first day back at work after a nice weekend.  And this one doesn't get much easier but still gives you a feeling of comfort which Mondays usually have you wanting.  Plus who can resist ooey gooey mozzarella falling down the toasted edges of the bread?  I already had my pizza sauce for dipping made and just had to thaw it and heat it.

Grilled Mozzarella & Pepperoni Sandwich

2 slices of bread, your choice ~ my choice was sourdough
softened butter
sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp oregano
pepperoni slices


Butter outsides of the slices of your bread.  Place one butter side down and top with mozzarella, oregano and pepperoni.  Grill until a golden brown on both sides. Serve with pizza sauce.



Pizza Sauce

1 - 6 oz tomato paste
6 oz water
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Mix together tomato paste and water in a medium sized pan.  Add in honey, garlic and spices and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Brie Hamburgers

The temperatures are finally starting to climb and the snowbanks are melting.  It's grilling season.  This recipe makes 3 - 1/3# hamburgers.  I had a very uncooperative model - the bun kept falling off as I was trying to take the picture.  Models can be so temperamental.

Brie Hamburgers

1 # extra lean ground beef
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 oz Brie, rind removed for each hamburger

In a medium sized bowl, mix together hamburger and spices.  Divide into 6 even balls.  Flatten one out into a patty and place the brie into the center.  Flatten a second patty out and place one top of the brie.  Pinch the sides together to seal the edges.  I cooked mine to medium which was on a hot grill and 3-4 minutes on each side.  Serve with your favorite condiments.

French Dip Sandwiches

Cross another recipe off my recipe bucket list.  And what could be easier than putting a roast in the crock pot with liquids and spices to make it.  My special variation is to toast the inside of my bun and adding pepperjack cheese on top.  

French Dip Sandwich with au jus


1 - 3# roast - I chose a sirloin tip 
2 cups water
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put roast in the crock pot and add in water and Worcestershire sauce.  Sprinkle spices on top of roast.  Cover and cook on low-medium for 4 hours.  Turn roast over and cook for another 4 hours.  Take meat out and shred or cut into small pieces.  Serve on a bun with the juice in a separate cup for dipping.

Turkey & Brie Grilled Sandwich

It's garbage day.  So after a long work day, hauling garbage and recycling to the curb and trying to embed the containers in a snowbank that slightly resembles Mount Everest, it's time for an easy dinner.  Digging into my pantry and refrigerator resulted in this tasty sandwich.

Turkey & Brie Grilled Sandwich

2 slices of your favorite bread (in my case my favorite is the one on hand)
sliced turkey
2 oz brie, sliced to fit the bread
1 tbsp cranberry orange jam (recipe below)

Butter outsides of the slices of bread.  Place one butter side down and top with brie, turkey slices.  Place cranberry orange jam on the inside of the second slice of bread and place face down on turkey.  Butter the outside while in the pan.  Grill until a golden brown on both sides.  




Cranberry Orange Jam

2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup strawberries
3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 pouch liquid fruit pectin

Place cranberries in a food processor to break down into small bits.  Combine in medium saucepan with orange juice, strawberries, sugar, zest and liquid pectin and cook over medium heat until thickened.  Pour into clean canning jars and seal in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Taco Grilled Cheese Sandwich

One pound of lean ground beef and my taco seasoning mix...this is a start of what I making using them together.  And since we're easing into the week...we'll start off with the easiest but tasty sandwich.

Taco Grilled Cheese

2 slices of your favorite bread, I chose a Buttermilk White Bread
softened butter
1/4 cup taco meat
Colby cheese, sliced


Assemble just like a regular grilled cheese sandwich.  Butter the outside slices of bread and place one piece face down in a frying pan.  Place a layer of cheese slices over the bread.  Top with the taco meat and place another layer of cheese.  Top with your second piece of bread, buttered side up.   Grill until a nice golden brown, carefully flip and grill the second side. 

Chicken Parmesan Sub

Such an easy meal and has lots of flavor.  I took a lazy route and bought sub buns which is a good thing since every available bit of counter/table space is overflowing at the moment.  It seems that getting organized sometimes means making a mess.

Chicken Parmesan Sub

Sub buns, cut in half, buttered and toasted to a golden brown

Chicken strips ~

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper


Soak chicken breast strips in buttermilk for 15 minutes.  Combine all the bread  crumbs and spices in a bowl.  Dip chicken in crumbs and place on a greased baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes at 325°.  

For each sandwich ~

2 tbsp marinara sauce
2-3 slices fresh mozzarella

Place chicken strips on toasted buns.  Place marinara sauce on top of strips and top with mozzarella slices.  Bake for a 5 minutes until mozzarella melts.

Serve with extra marinara sauce.


To make buttermilk if you don't have on hand ~

Place 1 tbsp lemon juice in a glass measuring cup
Fill with milk to 1 cup measurement
Allow to sit for 5 minutes

Grilled Ham with Cranberry & Chipotle Cheese

This sandwich has many layers of flavor.  It is sweet, salty and has a bite...perfect comfort food.

Grilled Ham with Cranberry & Chipotle Cheese

2 slices of your favorite bread ~ I used 12 grain wheat
1 tbsp peach preserves
ham thinly sliced
Cranberry & Chipotle cheese (or pepperjack)
Softened butter

Assemble just like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Butter the outside slices of bread and place one piece face down in a frying pan.  Spread a layer of peach preserves and top with your ham slices.  Place slices of Cranberry & Chipotle cheese on top of the ham and top with a second piece of bread, butter side on top.  Grill until a nice golden brown, carefully flip and grill the second side.

Monte Cristo Rolls

Sunny day with the temperature hovering around 0 and not wanting to warm up.  I needed a side for soup and a quick inventory of the refrigerator and freezer early this morning brought these rolls together.  

Monte Cristo rolls

Thaw a loaf of frozen bread dough (white or wheat) in a plastic wrapped and greased bread pan.  Allow to rise until 1" above the pan.

Spread out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's 12" long and 6" wide.  

Place good quality sliced deli ham and turkey on top and sprinkle 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese on top (or swiss for a true Monte Cristo flavor).  Roll up with your fingertips and seal the edge with your fingers.  Cut into 16 equal pieces and place in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Allow dough to double in size and then bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve with strawberry jam.  I used my Strawberry Lemon Preserves ~ http://micheleswomancave.blogspot.com/2012/08/strawberry-lemon-preserves.html

Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich

Gameday!  Time for a quick sandwich to make before the game begins ~

Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich ~

Italian Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg slightly beaten
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian seasonings
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together until completely blended.  I chose to bake them because of the large quantity but you can also fry them.  I made them on the small side for sandwiches.

Makes 26 meatballs.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Heat your favorite red pasta sauce for the sandwich and extra for dipping.  Toast the inside of your submarine buns so they don't get soggy from the sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.  Serve warm.

The games have begun ~ enjoy!

Grilled Apple & Brie Sandwich

I've been thinking about this sandwich for over a week now and I'm happy that I finally got around to making it.  It can be a fun breakfast or snack.  I even tried it with a caramel dipping sauce and it tastes great that way too.

Grilled Apple & Brie Sandwich

Sliced bread - I used french bread
Softened butter
1 Granny Smith apple, cored & sliced
Dash cinnamon
Brie

Caramel sauce (optional)

Assemble just like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Butter the outside slices of bread and place one piece face down in a frying pan.  Add apple slices on top of the bread along with a dash of cinnamon.  Place slices of brie on top of the apple and top with a second piece of bread, butter side on top.  Grill until a nice golden brown, carefully flip and grill the second side.

Monte Cristo Buns

A couple months ago a co-worker presented me with a challenge.  She brought in a sandwich that had meat baked on the inside.  One of my favorite sandwiches is a Monte Cristo so I decided that was the sandwich I wanted to create as a stuffed bun.

Monte Cristo Buns

3 1/2 cups  bread flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp bread machine active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ham, cubed
1/2 cup turkey breast, cut thin strips
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1/8 cup strawberry jam

Melt butter and add milk, heat until warm.  Combine all dry ingredients in a bread machine.  Slowly pour in milk/butter mixture.  Set to dough setting.

When dough cycle is complete, roll out on floured surface until 1/8" thick.  Cut out in 4" circles.  I used a Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal to cut the dough with.

Fill the center of each circle with a few ham pieces, turkey slices, a pinch of cheese and 1/4 tsp. strawberry jam.

Pinch together dough and place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheets.  Let rise for a half hour before baking.

Serve warm.

Servings: 26

Bake for 20 minutes at 325°F

Caramel Peach Sweet Potatoes & Grilled Ham and Brie Sandwich

I needed a simple meal tonight after another Saturday of canning, freezing and cleaning.  This is what I came up with -

Grilled Ham & Brie

2 slices of your favorite bread
ham slices
brie thinly sliced as possible
peach preserves
butter (on outside of the slices of bread)

Grill until a golden brown on both sides.


Caramel Peach Sauce for Sweet Potatoes

1 large peach, fresh or frozen, peeled and diced
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cook all the ingredients together in a small saucepan until it thickens.  Put on top of cooked sweet potatoes.

Servings: 2

My favorite summertime sandwich

I created this sandwich a few years ago.  It's my version of a blt with just the b and the t.  I'm allergic to mayo so I shy away from foods at potlucks that are possibly hiding this sauce so my throat doesn't start itching on the inside. 

I use a pumpernickel bread that I lightly toast.  This is not a good bread for grilled cheese sandwiches.  It does taste good but you can't tell when it's toasted so I've burned one or two. 

For my "sauce" I use cream cheese.  Nice crisp bacon and fresh tomato slices complete the sandwich.

Have a fantastic weekend ~