Reuben Sandwiches

I love me some reuben sandwiches! It is right up there with the list of my all time favorite things to eat, right next to the patty melt! I love everything about this sandwich, the corned beef or pastrami, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing on the delicious rye bread. Who wouldn't love that?! 

Now my husband is not a fan of sauerkraut, but he gobbled this sandwich up, including the drippings of sauerkraut. 

In fact as I write this post to talk about this wonderful sandwich, my husband and I are drooling at the mouth a little because we would like to both eat one right now! 

Do yourself a favor and go get the ingredients and make yourself a reuben tonight! 

I chose a dark rye for my choice of rye bread, but any type of rye bread will do. 

Enjoy!! I know I will be eating this sandwich again soon!

Reuben Sandwiches

2 tablespoons butter
8 slices rye bread
8 slices deli sliced corned beef or pastrami 
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
3/4 cup Thousand Island dressing


Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.
 Lightly butter one side of bread slices. Spread non-buttered sides with Thousand Island dressing. On 4 bread slices, layer 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 slices corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut and second slice of Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.
Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 15 minutes per side. Serve hot.

Grilled Turkey and Swiss

We've been having hot days here in Lubbock, Texas. Hot days equal not wanting to turn on my oven. It also means that it's a good idea for a good sandwich. I really like sandwiches, toasted or grilled sandwiches are my favorite kinds. I am not too picky about what is on my sandwiches either. I like all types of deli meat. I am in love with cheese and will try any variety. I like my sandwiches loaded, with lettuce, pickles, onions, peppers, the works! 

I was very excited when I came across this recipe for grilled turkey and Swiss. I loved the homemade mayo sauce, I didn't have dried thyme so I just used Italian seasoning. It was a wonderful idea, it went well with the flavors.

Grilled Turkey and Swiss Sandwich

1 loaf french bread

soft butter 

1 1/2 - 2 pounds thinly sliced turkey

1 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

2 - 3 tomatoes

Sauce:

1 C mayonnaise

1 1/2 T stone ground mustard

1 1/2 T red onion, chopped fine

1 t dried thyme 

1. Chop up your red onion into tiny pieces. Throw it in a bowl with your mayonnaise and stone ground mustard. 

2. Add your dried thyme and stir the sauce together until all ingredients are well combined. 

3. Slice up your bread and tomatoes, and turn on your griddle. Just to medium high heat now. We don't want to burn anything. 

4. Spread a little bit of butter on one side of each piece of bread. Lay it butter side down on the griddle. 

5. Cover the other side with the sauce, then some cheese and a couple of slices of tomato. Layer on a nice thick stack of the turkey and another slice of cheese. 

6. Spread some of the tasty sauce on another one of your butter bread slices. Lay that baby sauce-side-down onto the sandwich. (The side facing up should be buttered.)

7. Let that griddle to its work. Heat that sandwich through....Flip it over when the bottom is golden brown. Let the sandwich get golden brown on it's other side and leave time for both slices of cheese to melt. 

8. Remove your sandwich from the griddle and cut it on the diagonal.

Recipe From: Jamie Cooks It Up

Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Now I know these cheese steak sandwiches aren't from Philly, but they are just as good! In fact they were so good I ate 2! I even got to use up some of the green peppers that were growing in my little garden. Which by the way my garden is dying, I'll post about that later. I love the mixture of sauteed peppers, onions and meat. And all sandwiches are better with melted cheese on them. I highly recommend adding the hot sauce to the mixture. I used the green Tabasco sauce, it added a nice flavor. 

Cheesesteak Sandwiches

1 lb. steak (you really can use any cut; since you’re going to slice it up and season it heavily, there’s really no need to splurge on a fillet mignon.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
Provolone
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula; optional,)
4-6 Hoagie rolls

All righty then, onto the recipe. Slice bell peppers and onions. Set aside. Slice meat. Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and meat is cooked through. Season with hot sauce to taste. 

Spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty.

Recipe From: Our Best Bites 

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches

Can I just say, that this sandwich was AMAZING!! Especially on the homemade ciabatta bread! 

Now for this sandwich you make your own homemade creamy Caesar dressing as the sandwich spread. Caesar dressing requires anchovies, and in this particular dressing it asked for anchovy paste. Good old Wally World didn't have anchovy paste, at least not where I looked. I did end up finding though at my local supermarket, so you should be able to fins it at your local grocery store. 

The hubby was not excited to see that I was using anchovy paste. He is not a fan of anchovies, I wouldn't know any better cause I have never had an anchovy. He was pleasantly surprised at how well the dressing tasted when he ate his sandwich. Though I would say it is a little on the extra creamy side to use as a salad dressing. 

So if you are going to make the ciabatta bread, you should definitely use one loaf for this sandwich! And the other one to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches

2 chicken breasts (whole or boneless, skinless)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1-1½ tsp. anchovy paste
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1½ tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup mayonnaise
1 long loaf ciabatta bread, or 4 ciabatta sandwich rolls
Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried (or baby spinach or arugula)
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Sliced bacon, cooked until partly crisp

 Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Lightly rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through.  Let rest 10 minutes, then slice thickly.  Set aside. To make the Caesar dressing, combine the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until finely minced, scraping down the sides as needed.  Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice and mayonnaise.  Process until smooth and well blended.  Adjust seasonings to taste if necessary.  Refrigerate the dressing if not using right away. Slice the bread in half horizontally.   Toast if desired.  Spread both cut sides of the bread lightly with the Caesar dressing.  Layer the bottom half of the bread with the romaine leaves, then top with shaved Parmesan, cooked bacon slices, and sliced chicken.  Top with additional romaine if desired. Place the top half of the bread on top, enclosing the sandwich fillings.  If using a loaf of ciabatta, slice the assembled sandwich into individual servings.  

Serve immediately

Recipe taken from: Annie Eats

Cube Steak Sandwich (Marlboro Man Sandwich)

I have been meaning to make this sandwich for months! Sorry you weren't to here to this Mom and Dad, it was delicious!! Marlboro Man from The Pioneer Woman knows what makes a good sandwich. My mouth is drooling for one right now as I look at this picture and think of how it tasted. YUM! I had leftovers and made it for lunch the next day too with pieces of Swiss cheese on top and then broiled it. That was even better then the first day we ate them! And pouring that little bit of extra juice over the meat on the bun gives it so much more flavor. 

Cube Steak Sandwich (Marlboro Man Sandwich)

1 whole large (or 2 small) onions

2 sticks butter 

2 pounds(to 3 pounds) cube steak (tenderized round steak that's been extra tenderized)

Lawry's Seasoned Salt 

1/2 cups (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce

Tabasco Sauce, to taste (I didn't have any, so I left it out)

4 whole French/Deli Rolls (I used French)

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry's

Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.

Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on a plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

I got 6 sandwiches out of 3 pounds of cube steak.

Chicken Bacon Sandwich

This sandwich is one of my favorites! I love lemon pepper on chicken, and you can't go wrong with bacon and cheese! Not to mention my homemade buns! They were perfect for this sandwich. The chicken comes out so moist and the perfect amount of flavor. My mouth is drooling for one right now!

Chicken Bacon Sandwich

chicken breast

peppered bacon

lemon pepper

cheese slices (cheddar, pepper jack, colby, swiss, whatever suits your fancy)

sandwich buns 

Place chicken breast under wax paper one at a time (I put mine in a plastic ziploc bag), pound with smooth side of mallet (or use a rolling pin) to make in uniform thickness so it will cook evenly. Cut bacon in half, cook in skillet. Pour out grease from pan, pit back on heat (medium to medium low) Add 1 Tbsp. bacon fat back to the skillet. Season chicken with lemon pepper on both sides. In nice and hot pan add chicken breast, cook one side for about 4 minutes until edges are no longer pink. Flip chicken and begin arranging the cooked bacon on cooked side of breast. Add however much bacon you desire (I usually do 4 to 5 pieces). Lay slices of cheese of cheese on top of the bacon. Now cover with lid to let chicken finish cooking and to allow cheese to melt. Melt cheese thoroughly. Don't over do, everything will dry out. Place on a bun, add desired condiments (I only added Dijon mustard, YUM!)

Mushroom and Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

For those of you who love mushroom and swiss burgers these are a must try!!! They were amazing! And they were even more delicious on my homemade hamburger buns, I just made them mini size. I came across this recipe from The Pioneer Woman (I find a lot of recipes from her and so far I have liked everyone I have made.) Now her recipe calls for 2 pounds of meat to make 8 patties, I used just a little more then a pound and I got 8 patties. The spicy fry sauce was spicy to me, but Dave said he had no idea it even had red pepper in it. My mouth is sensitive to heat, but it was just the right amount of spice. The drippings of sauted onion and mushroom that were left in the pan were delicious also! You must try these little burgers, you won't regret it!

Mushroom and Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

1/3 c. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. Ketchup

1 tsp. Cayenne Red Pepper (less if you're sensitive to spice)

4 Tbsp. butter

1/2 whole medium onion, finely diced

8 ounces white mushrooms, chopped finely 

1/2 c. White or Red Wine (optional) (I didn't use wine)

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds ground beef (I only used a pound)

4 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream (I used regular whipping cream)

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into four squares

8 whole dinner (or slider)rolls, split (or homemade buns)

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, ketchup and cayenne. Stir together until totally combined. Set aside. (This is the spicy fry sauce.)

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and toss around, then add wine (if using), Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes over medium heat, or until all liquid has evaporated. Transfer mushroom mixture to a separate bowl, scraping all contents from the skillet. Mix ground beef, heavy cream, Worcestershire, salt and pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients. Form 1/4 to 1/3 cup (I used a 1/3 cup) of the meat mixture into patties, making an indentation with your thumb to keep the patties from plumping too much when they cook. In the same skillet as the one used to cook the mushrooms, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium to medium high heat. Add four patties at a time, indented side face up. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip. Spoon a generous portion of mushroom mixture on each patty, then top with one or two squares of Swiss, depending on your preference. Place lid on skillet and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until burgers are cooker through and cheese is melted. Remove to a place and keep warm while you repeat with the rest of the meat mixture. Toast halved buns under the oven broiler. Spread generously with spicy fry sauce. Place patties between buns and serve immediately. 

Patty Melts, Potato Chips with Dip and Lost Thumb Prints

Hello everyone!! I am excited to say that Dave and I have finally made a real meal! I have been dying to eat more then Mac and Cheese! 

First up:

Patty Melts

Can I just tell you that I LOVE patty melts!! I remember the first time i had one, oh it makes my mouth water! I have been craving one since "Reed's Drive In" in Spanish Fork, Utah. Now that place has a great patty melt!


So here is what you need:
1/2 small onion, sliced
mushrooms (I sliced about 6 to 7)
2 hamburger patties
4 slices of rye bread (I found some Jewish Rye Bread)
 2 Swiss cheese slices


Saute the onions and mushrooms in butter. Remove from pan. Place hamburger patties in pan and cook until your liking. Take one slice of rye bread in pan, place a piece of Swiss cheese on top of bread, layer with patty, top with onions and mushrooms, add the other slice of bread to the top. Flip the sandwich so the top slice of bread gets toasted a little. I left mine in the pan a little longer to get the cheese to melt too. 


I would say for making a patty melt for the first time these turned out pretty darn good! Need maybe a little work on seasoning the meat or the onions and mushrooms, but over all the flavor of just the basic ingredients were great!


Next:
Black Pepper Chips

Ingredients

Peanut oil, for frying

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed

Kosher salt and

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat peanut oil in a deep fryer to 300 degrees F with peanut oil.

Slice the potatoes into very thin 1/8-inch slices using a mandolin with a straight blade attachment or a V slicer. Keep the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and blot dry with paper towels; you don’t want to put wet potatoes into hot oil.

Fry the potatoes in batches, only a handful at a time, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Once they reach a golden brown color, remove the chips from the fryer and drain on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Season the chips with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Cook's Note: The biggest secret in making crispy chips is to soak the potato chips in cold water to wash away the excess starch. If you don’t have the time, then place all the potato slices in a big bowl of water and gently toss.

This recipe and the dip that follows I came across while watching the Food Network show "Down Home With The Neely's". We didn't use peanut oil, we used vegetable. And we turned the heat up to about 350 on our little fryer. These chips were so good! 

Finally:
Parmesan Sour Cream Dip

Ingredients

1(16-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Serve with black pepper potato chips.

Cook's Note: Season lightly with the salt since we are using Parmesan and it'’s a salty cheese.

These dip was perfect for those black pepper chips! It was super easy to make as well.

While Dave and I were getting dinner ready, I put him on potato duty. Barely into the first potato, he grunted, dropped the potato and quickly turned the water on. He had cut his thumb on this:

I even found the little chunk of skin under the blade! Don't worry I sanitized it! So while he was trying to get his thumb to stop bleeding, I took over cutting the potatoes. I found the protective handle but the potato wasn't cutting well so on the last potato I took off the protective handle. And what do you know....I sliced my thumb too! The exact same hand!

Dave holding his thumb above his head

Me with my sad thumb

Our bandaged up thumbs, they wouldn't stop bleeding! My actually still is bleeding as we speak. We went through a few bandages until we put flour on the wounds, it really helped stop the bleeding for Dave, and a little bit for me.

Ha ha I think it is hilarious we both cut the same thumb cutting potatoes. It took us FOREVER to make dinner. I am so grateful I have a thumb! Cause it was difficult without one.

One last picture of our fantastic dinner

Yummy!!

The BEST Burger Ever!

I have eaten a lot of burgers and I am not lying when I say this is the BEST burger ever!

The patties are very easy to make, it's one of those recipes where you just add as much as you want of the spices and sauce to your liking.

The BEST Hamburger Patties

Ground beef

McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste

Lawry's Seasoning Salt, to taste

Worchestershire Sauce, to taste (a little goes a long one so go a little easy on this one)

Olive oil

Mix ground beef with steak seasoning, lawry's, and Worchestershire sauce. Form into patties. I have a plastic hamburger patty maker that lets me pick between a 1/4 lb. to 1/2 lb. sized patty. Make sure grill is nice and hot before putting patties on. Cook about a minute. Sprinkle more of the seasoning salts onto the patties on the grill. Drizzle with olive oil, flip patties. Add more seasoning salts and drizzle with olive oil. I will flip them a couple more times during the grilling process. Cook until desired doneness. 

I like to add pepper jack cheese on top of my burger a couple of minutes before I take them off them grill. In this picture I also had sauteed mushrooms, pickles, lettuce, and a tomato.

This is seriously the best way to make a hamburger patty. They are nice and juicy and full of flavor. Makes my mouth water every time I look at the picture above. Delicious!!