Hot Ham and Cheese Butter Dijon Skillet Sandwiches

A few months ago I posted a recipe for Ham and Cheese Sliders, and how I loved it. Well several weeks ago I came across another version of those sandwiches, but it is cooked in a cast iron skillet. I actually like this recipe better, it is easier and I think it is a bit tastier. Another great meal for summer!

Hot Ham and Cheese Butter Dijon Skillet Sandwiches
from Picky Palate

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 soft dinner size rolls, split
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 slices cheddar cheese, cut in half
3 slices sliced ham, cut in half
3 slices sliced turkey, cut in half
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and drizzle 9 inch cast iron skillet with olive oil.
2. Brush bottom 6 rolls generously with half of the melted butter and place buttered side up in skillet. They’ll fit snugly.
3. Top each roll with a half piece of cheddar cheese, ham and turkey slice. Butter top 6 rolls and close sandwiches.
4. Brush tops of rolls with Dijon Mustard and top with shredded Mozzarella Cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and turning golden. Remove and enjoy! Makes 6 small sandwiches

Grill in Foil: Garlic Shrimp and Gnocchi

A couple months ago the Food Network Magazine and a little booklet insert with 50 recipes for grilling in foil. I thought these would make awesome summer friendly recipes, so I decided to try the two most delicious sounding recipes: Garlic Shrimp and Gnocchi. Both turned out amazing, and instead of grilling them on the grill, we actually just did them in the oven! It was so much fun to make it this way, and the kids loved it too! Here is a "how to" on making the perfect foil packet:

How to make a foil packet:
1. Lay a large sheet of heavy-duty foil or a double layer of regular foil on a flat surface. (Use nonstick foil where noted.)
2. Put the ingredients in the center of the foil. Bring the short ends of the foil together and fold twice to seal; fold in the sides to seal, leaving room for steam. Grill as directed. (Each recipe serves 2 to 4.)

Garlic Shrimp

Mix 1/2 stick softened butter, 1 cup chopped parsley, 2 chopped garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. Toss with the juice of 1 lemon, 1 pound unpeeled large shrimp and a big pinch of red pepper flakes. Divide between 2 foil packets. Grill over high heat, 8 minutes.

Gnocchi 

Spread a 17-ounce package gnocchi in one layer on a sheet of foil. Top with 1 cup tomato sauce and some basil. Form a packet. Grill over high heat, 12 minutes.

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

My sister in law came over a few weeks ago for lunch. She sent me a recipe she wanted to try, so between the two of us we collected the ingredients and made it together. I was very hesitant in it cause it sounds gross, and I do not like mushrooms usually. But, I am all into expanding my horizons and trying new things. Good thing cause these are awesome! The tasted like delicious little pizzas. The best part is they can be made to be super healthy, and they would make great appetizers for a party!

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

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
4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced

 

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.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

  I love when I link a recipe on my monthly menu, and then a reader tries it before I do and tells me it is amazing! This happened with the recipe. I had not got around to making it, but a friend of min did, and told me they were divine, so I knew I had to make them right away. And she was so right! These sandwiches are super easy to assemble and can make a lot, great for if you are having some people over for dinner. I even made these for my parents with Gluten free rolls!

 

 

 

Ham and Cheese Sliders

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip (I used mayo)

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

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. You do not have to use all of the sauce! 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.

** sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

Not much to say about this, other then it is simple and it taste good. Great meal for those lazy summer days when you want to cook (or grill) something quick! Oh, and of course it comes form my favorite Food Network Magazine.

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds good-quality kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce

Soak 8 to 10 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium and brush with the oil. Thread the sausage on the skewers, leaving space between each piece. Grill until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Mix the ketchup, mustard and hot sauce in a bowl. Serve with the sausage for dipping.

Panko-Crusted Tilapia

I found my new favorite tilapia recipe. It was very easy, took me about 5 minutes from start to finish. Even better, I bought enough tilapia to feed my family for $2.50. Although it was cheap, this recipe is restaurant quality.

Tilapia is a white fish found at most supermarket seafood counters. It does not have that "fishy" taste, so a lot of people like it.

Panko bread crumbs are a Japanese style bread crumb. It is lighter and flakier then other styles of bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs can either be found next to the regular bread crumbs, or sometimes in the Asian food section

Panko-Crusted Tilapia  
adapted from February 09 Family Circle

4   U.S. farm-raised tilapia fillets, about 5 ounces each

1/2 cup  Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs (I did not have Italian seasoned bread crumbs, so I just mixed in some Italian seasoning into my bread crumbs)

1/2 teaspoon  salt

1/4 teaspoon  black pepper

  Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a broiler-safe baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place tilapia fillets in pan, skin-side down, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Season fish with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons panko crumbs over each fillet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Turn up oven to broil. Run fillets under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, until browned and crisp.

Mustard Beef

This is a really random recipe, but it was given to my by our babysitter. It is a great quick meal you can throw together, especially if you need to feed a lot of people. I think this would be great with rice too, or with mashed potatoes, using the sauce as a gravy base. The secret to this is to not cook it too long because the beef can get dry out really fast!

Mustard Beef

1/3 C soy sauce
2 TBS mustard
1 tsp ginger
1 TBS molasses

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cut up chunks of beef (whichever cut is your favorite) and put in a foil lined casserole dish. Poor sauce over top and place under the broiler on the top rack. broil for 10-15 min, stirring occasionally. If you want, when it is done cooking drain the sauce into a sauce pan and make a gravy* out of it!

*To make a quick gravy just add some water to the sauce, and some flour or cornstarch. Stir continually over med, high heat until desired consistency. taste often and adjust with water and cornstarch or flour!

Taco Wantons

This is a great summer recipe. It requires few ingredients, and minimal cooking! This recipe is originally an appetizer recipe, but at our house we eat appetizers for meals sometimes, that's just how we roll.
This time around I made the wantons with ground beef, but you can also use chicken.

This is a great one for the kids to help with! 

Taco Wantons

12 wanton wrappers
1/2 package taco seasoning
10 oz of ground beef or 10 oz of chicken ( I used 8 chicken breast tenders)
ranch dressing
cheese
salsa
sour cream

Spray non-stick cooking spray in a 12 count cupcake pan. Place one wanton wrapper in each cup.

Beef method: Cook ground beef with taco seasoning. Remove from heat and mix in the ranch dressing to taste (you want it to be moist, but not runny).

Chicken method: Boil chicken in a sauce pan until cooked. Place chicken in a mixing bowl and shred. Add taco seasoning and ranch dressing to the chicken. Add dressing until mixture is creamy, but not runny.

For both: Place a spoonful of meat mixture into each wanton. Top with cheese and stick in a 350 degree oven until cheese is thoroughly melted (put the wantons on the lowest rack, so the bottoms have a chance get firm. If you don't cook it long enough, the bottom of the wantons can get soggy). Top with salsa and sour cream.

Salmon Salad

For all my faithful blog readers (all two of you) I apologize for my lack of posts! No excuses here, just pure laziness. I have been good about taking pictures of my meals though, so my goal is to write a bunch of posts to make up for it all!

We love salmon  in all it's forms. We tend to just fry it up and eat it, but every once and a while we like to mix it up. I like to buy fresh salmon at Costco, and either freeze it, or use it right away. This time around I decided to cook it all at once, then use it for two different meals.To cook it, we covered it in blackening seasoning and then fried it in some oil. We have found the best way to cook salmon inside is to heat the oil over medium high heat on the stove. Add the salmon to the pan, and turn the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and then cover and cook for 5 more minutes. It comes out perfect!

This is a fun salmon salad recipe. Using the pre-cooked salmon (or canned as it says in the recipe) it makes for a quick and easy meal! To make it even better, serve it on top of crusty french bread.

Salmon Salad

2 (7 ounce) cans salmon, drained (or 14 oz of your pre-cooked salmon)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt

1 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons capers

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 leaves lettuce

 

	Crumble the salmon into a 1 quart bowl, removing any bones or skin.
	In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, celery, capers and pepper. Mix well and then add to salmon and toss. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

 

Chili Rice Dish

This meal has very fond memories for me. My husband invented this when we were poor college students, and we literally could only afford rice, beans and pasta for dinner. Now that we have a little more money to spend on food, I like to throw this meal in to remember where we were not too long ago. My husband on the other hand is no longer a fan of this dinner, but I love it and so do my kids, so he can suffer through it once and a while. I love this meal because it is good, healthy, filling, cheap, so easy to make and it makes a lot with the few ingredients it uses!

Chili Rice Dish

1 can of chili
2 servings of white rice, cooked (1 cup uncooked, two cups cooked)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 c water
shredded cheese, tortillas, and sour cream

Cook rice per package directions. In a large skillet over medium heat add rice, can of chili, tomato paste, and water. Let heat up and cook until liquid has cooked out. This will serve at least 6 people.

My husband and I eat it this way: Place a pile of shredded cheddar, a pile of sour cream, and a pile of chili rice on your plate. Tear up pices of tortilla and scoop a little bit of each into your tortilla like shown below.

My kids like to eat it burrito style and pile everything in their tortilla and roll it up! Either way, it taste delicious!

Bacon, Cheese and Tomato Crescents

I really try and avoid refrigerated crescent rolls, especially Pillsbury. I feel like Pillsbury dough has this specific flavor and all their dough taste like that. I do not like it. So, if I am buying crescent rolls or the regular dinner rolls, I tend to grab the generic brand.

This is one of those really easy recipes that is good to make on a night where you don't feel like cooking. These go really well with soup or chili too.

Bacon, Cheese and Tomato Crescents

1 8 oz. can refrigerated crescent rolls
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Separate dough into 8 triangles; spread with softened cream cheese. Top evenly with remaining ingredients. Roll up, starting on the wide end of the triangle and place with point sides down on a baking sheet. Back 12-15 min until golden brown. Serve warm.