Tag Archives: sandwich

Sep6

Spicy Italian Beef Sandwiches

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In honor of the first night of football, I had to make a large piece of meat! I made The Pioneer Woman’s Hot & Spicy Italian Drip Beef. Her other sandwiches (portobello mushroom and steak) have not let me down.

I used the slow-cooker to braise my roast, because although it has cooled down a bit, it is not nearly cool enough to be football season!  I browned the meat in a pan first, but if I were to make this again, I would try skipping this step.

I served these with quick pickled cucumbers, which acted as both a vegetable and a topping.  Cole slaw or macaroni salad would be great too!

Spicy Italian Beef Sandwiches
(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

2 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
kosher salt
pepper
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c beef stock
1 16 oz jar of peppers (I used a jar of green and red sweet peppers, which were still quite spicy)
1/2 jar pimientos

For the sandwiches:
provolone cheese
rolls
butter

Rinse the chuck roast and pat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the roast on both sides.

Place the garlic, tomatoes, stock, peppers, pimientos, and seared beef into a slow-cooker.  Cook on the high setting for 4-5 hours (or low for 8-10 hours).

When the meat is tender, remove it from the sauce.

Pull the meat apart with forks or tongs, then place it back into the liquid.

Toast the rolls and butter lightly.  Top with meat and provolone cheese. Melt the cheese under the broiler.

Optional: You can top these with pepperoncinis (I used fresh ones so that they would be tart) and serve them with some of the liquid on the side for dipping.

Jul27

Slow-Cooker Turkey Meatballs

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This is more of a method than a recipe. It would work for any of your favorite meatballs recipes, and it’s perfect for when you want a delicious pot of meatballs simmering when you get home from the office or when you don’t want to heat up the house with the oven and stove.

I usually bake my meatballs before simmering them, but in order to avoid turning on the oven, I put the meatballs into the sauce while raw.  The resulting texture was very light and tender. We ate these on meatballs subs and over pasta.

Slow-Cooker Turkey Meatballs

For the sauce:
28 oz can of plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 T butter
kosher salt
black pepper
8 leaves of basil

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey meat
2 eggs
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/3 c grated parmesan
kosher salt
black pepper

Crush the tomatoes with your hands in the slow-cooker. Add the other sauce ingredients (except for the basil) plus 2 c of water to the slow-cooker. Cook on the high setting for 2 hours. Taste and season if necessary.

Combine the meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl, and roll into balls. Gently place the meatballs in the sauce. After they have been cooking for an hour or so, you can carefully stir the pot to redistribute the meatballs. Cook on the high setting for 2 hours.

Add the basil to the sauce a few minutes before serving. Serve with melted mozzarella on a roll or baguette, or over pasta with grated parmesan.

Jul1

Lobster Rolls

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This is a really easy and delicious way to eat lobster! The tarragon adds a wonderful fragrance to the lobster salad.

Lobster Rolls
(Adapted from Jeff Mauro)

2-3 lobster tails (9 oz total), steamed or boiled
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 tsp tarragon, minced
3 t mayo
1/2 lemon, juiced
kosher salt
black pepper
chives
2 soft rolls
softened butter

Remove the cooked lobster meat from the shell and cut it into large chunks.

Combine the lobster meat, celery, lemon juice, mayo, and tarragon in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the rolls in half lengthwise (like a hot dog bun), then butter generously. Grill the rolls, buttered side down, in a skillet. Serve the lobster salad in the rolls and garnish with chives.

Jun5

Indian-Style Sloppy Joes

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I found this recipe in Every Day with Rachael Ray, and I immediately wanted to try it! I like the idea of sloppy joes, although I never really eat/make them, and this spicy Indian version seemed like the perfect opportunity. I modified the recipe to give it more of a kick, and I used ground sirloin instead of ground lamb because I wanted a leaner cut of meat.

I served them with crispy oven fries, and the filling was great the next day over brown rice, too!

Indian-Style Sloppy Joes
(Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray)

1 lb ground sirloin
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3/4-inch piece of ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt
black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 T honey
butter, room temperature (for buns)
4 burger buns or kaiser rolls, split
fresh cilantro for garnish
sliced red onion for garnish

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned, then add the onion, ginger, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and red pepper flakes, then stir to combine. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.

Add the tomato sauce and honey. Fill the empty tomato sauce can halfway with water, then pour the tomato-water into the pan as well. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Serve on toasted, buttered buns, and garnish with cilantro and red onion.

May3

Chicken salad melts

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Desperation chicken became chicken salad melts for lunch! Although I love chicken salad, I haven’t had it in melt-form for years.

Chicken Salad Melts
(Makes 2 sandwiches)

1 c chicken breast, diced
2 ribs celery, diced into small pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
kosher salt
black pepper
lemon pepper
2 T mayonnaise
4 slices of bread
2-4 strips of bacon, cooked
cheese of your choice
butter, room temperature

To make the chicken salad, combine the chicken, celery, bell pepper, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, and lemon pepper in a medium-sized bowl, then taste it to make sure that the seasoning is correct. I cut my ingredients into smaller pieces than I usually would, so that they wouldn’t fall out as I grilled the sandwich.

To assemble the sandwiches, butter one side of each slice of bread. Place two pieces buttered-side-down, then add chicken salad, cheese, and bacon. Place the other piece of bread on top, buttered-side-up.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches to the skillet, allowing the first side to brown. Flip carefully, and brown the second side. When the sandwich is ready, the cheese should be melted. (You can cover the skillet with a lid for a few seconds to help melt the cheese if it doesn’t melt on its own.)

Serve with pickles slices on the side!  I am obsessed with pickles lately.