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.

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

Summer is over, but I still have some summer friendly recipes to share. This is a really great salad that makes a lot, and between the beans, tomato and avocado, you can feel good about what you are eating! I made a batch of this at the beginning of the week, and then had it for lunch everyday. And even then I had leftovers to share with a friend!

And maybe on a cold snowy day, you can makes this and imagine that it is hot outside.

 Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing
from Simply Gourmade

1 cup uncooked orzo
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and drained
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 green onions, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons light sour cream
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise ( I have a confession...I used real mayo)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley



Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse; drain well. Place orzo, corn, and next 3 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl; toss.


Combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture; toss. Top with avocado; garnish with remaining cilantro and parsley.

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys with Grilled Romaine

 This is a great recipe from the Food Network Magazine. It is great to have a recipe source that I know ALL the recipes will be good. This particular recipe comes from Guy Fieri, and if Guy Fieri told me dirt tasted good I would probably believe him. This recipe does not taste like dirt however, it is delicious and easy to assemble. It reminds of a beef rueben sandwich, and I love reubens. This is also a great recipe because my husband is in charge of the grill, so it is a great way to "trick" him into making dinner. 


We also threw out some grilled romaine to add to this meal. Cut the romaine hearts into halves or fourths. After you grill your meat add on romaine hearts with cut side down and grilled until the leaves are just charred. Top with crispy bacon, blue cheese and ranch dressing!

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys

2 tablespoons seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 pounds top round, cut in 2-equal pieces*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup horseradish
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 slices Rye bread, lightly toasted

Combine seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, onion and garlic powder, oregano, paprika and chili powder in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Mix thoroughly and then add 1 piece of meat, shake it around in the bag, remove it and repeat with the second piece of meat. When both pieces are done, return them to the bag, and let marinate for 24 to 48 hours in refrigerator. Remove meat from refrigerator at least 20 minutes, prior to grilling.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish, garlic and sea salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Set grill or large grilling pan to high heat. Cook meat for 20 minutes or until desired temperature. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Best served medium-rare.
Slice cooked and rested steaks paper thin using either a knife or counter-top deli-slicer. Place 4-ounces of meat on a slice of toasted rye and spread on sour cream horseradish.

This made more than enough or my family of 5, so after I dredged the meat in the seasonings I wrapped one up and threw it in the freezer for next time!

*remember, you can ask the guy behind with meat counter at the grocery store to split your top round in half for you. 

Surimi Rolls

The cooking bug is finally back! After my baby was born at the beginning of May I have not been in the mood to cook, think about cooking, or blogging about cooking. However, it's baaaaack! I have made so many fun recipes these past few weeks so get ready for some delicious posts.

One night I was going through some of my old recipes I had torn out of magazines when I found this recipe for Surumi Rolls. It is from the August 2009 Family Circle recipe, titled as a no-cook supper which definitely caught my eye! This is a great recipe for summer, and it is great for those days where you don't feel like cooking, but want something delicious to eat.

Now what the heck is surimi? Surimi is basically imitation crab. It is usually made with pollack and then is flavored with crab, shrimp and lobster, then pre-cooked. You can find it in the freezer section of the grocery store, and is usually labeled "imitation crab"

Surimi Rolls

1 lb imitation crab meat (surimi), chopped or shredded
3/4 cup chopped celery
4 tsp chopped tarragon
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs olive oil
8 hot dog buns (please do not use your run of the mill hot dog buns, get the fresh bakery kind that you have to slice open)

In a large bowl, mix together the imitation crab, the mayo, celery, tarragon, mustard and olive oil until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To serve spoon a generous half cup of the crab mixture into each bun. We found that slathering your bun with yellow mustard, topping the crab mixture with black pepper and adding some green leafy lettuce makes it even more excellent!

Asparagus Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad. I also have been intimidated by it... who knows why because most recipes are super easy! In a recent issue of Food Network magazine, they featured several different pasta salad recipes with ingredients were listed, but not the amounts of each ingredient. I like this idea because it allows you to put in a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The ingredients for the pasta salad I chose where: Fusilli, Asparagus, Corn, Sun dried Tomatoes, and Creamy Parmesan Dressing. I will try to guesstimate the amounts I used, but take some time and have fun at making it your own!

Asparagus Pasta Salad

16 oz package of Fussili or other corkscrew pasta
1/2 lb of asparagus (fresh or frozen)
6 oz of corn
8 oz container drained and chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 bottle of creamy Parmesan dressing (which I could not find so I just used a creamy cheese dressing)

Cook pasta in salted water, drain and cool. Meanwhile, broil asparagus brushed with olive oil for 7-10 minutes until crisp. Let asparagus cool, and cut into 1 inch pieces. After pasta has cooled add all ingredients together and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat! I also added some grilled chicken to mine to make it more of a meal than a side dish.