Walnut, Goat Cheese, and Honey Sandwich

This makes a good lunch with a side of fruit of strawberries and blueberries.  The sweetness from the fruit brings out the flavor in the goat cheese.

Ingredients:
*1 multi-grain sandwich thin, sliced in half
*2 Tablespoons goat cheese
*5-6 fresh basil leaves
*1/8-1/4 cup chopped walnuts
*honey

Directions:
1.  Preaheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread the walnuts onto a baking dish in one single layer.  Toast the walnuts in the oven for just a few minutes until fragrant.

2.  Lightly toast the sandwich thins in a toaster.

3.  Spread half of the goat cheese on one sandwich thin and the other half on the other sandwich thin.  Set one half aside.

4.  On one sandwich thin half, spread the basil and then the walnuts.  Drizzle with honey.  Top with the other half of the sandwich thin.

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches on Wheat Buns

 Follow my recipe for BBQ chicken.  Use two forks to shred the chicken.  Place on wheat buns.  Enjoy!

Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches

Need an easy and quick dinner or an easy but kicked-up a notch lunch for company?  This is it. 

Makes 12 sandwiches (how ever many rolls are in the package)

Ingredients:
*1 package Hawaiian bread rolls (usually near the deli counter)
*assorted deli lunch meats (ham, turkey, roast beef)
*assorted sliced cheeses (Swiss, cheddar, Colby jack, jalapeno jack, and provolone)
*Various sandwich fixings for people to add at the end (sliced Roma tomatoes, Romaine lettuce leaves, avacado slices, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spit rolls.  Place split rolls on a baking sheet.  Put the various meats on the bottoms.  Put the various cheeses on the other sides of the rolls.  We like the following combos:  ham with Swiss or pepperjack, turkey with cheddar or colby jack, or roast beef with provolone.  Place in the oven open-faced.  Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and sandwiches are hot.  Watch closely so they don't burn.  Place tops on sandwiches.  Let people add their sandwich fixings after the sandwiches come out of the oven.

My personal favorite is ham, pepper jack cheese, Roma tomato, avacado, salt, black pepper, and a dollop of HEB tomatillo salsa.

Parisan Tuna Sandwiches

I love tuna, but I hate mayonnaise and Miracle Whip.  Most tuna recipes call for one or the other.  I love this recipe because the base is red wine vinegar instead.  This recipe is from the Food Network.  I adapted it some.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
*2 eggs
*3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
*1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
*dash table salt
*black pepper
*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
*4 fresh multi-grain rolls, each split in two (I buy these from the bakery at the grocery store)
*2 cups fresh spinach and arugula mix
*1 Roma tomato
*1/4 of a small red onion
*1 cup jarred marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
*12 oz. canned tuna packed in water, drained*
*1 radish, sliced

Directions:
Boil the eggs--Place the eggs in a saucepan covered with water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 8 - 10 minutes.  Drain.  Fill sauce pan with cool water, covering the eggs.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Put the rolls cut-side up on a work surface and drizzle with a quarter of the dressing. Place the arugula/spinach on the roll bottoms. Top with the sliced tomato, red onion and artichoke hearts. Season with table salt and drizzle with another quarter of the dressing.

Drain the tuna well. Toss the tuna in the remaining dressing, and then divide among the sandwiches. Peel and thinly slice the hard-boiled eggs and layer the slices over the tuna. Top with radishes. Cover with the roll tops, pressing gently but firmly. Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and place a skillet on top to weigh them down for at least 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the flavors.

*The Food Network recipe calls for tuna packed in oil, but the sandwiches were way too oily.  I prefer the tuna packed in water--less oily, less messy, and healthier.  The original recipe also calls for anchovies and kalamata olives.

Special Turkey Sandwiches

This recipe is from Taste of Home's Light & Tasty Magazine October/November 2006 issue.

Ingredients:

*4 oz. fat-free cream cheese
*1/2 cup finely chopped spinach leaves
*1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
*1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
*1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
*1/2 large red onion
*2 Tablespoons red cooking wine or red wine
*8 slices wheat bread
*3/4 lb. thinly sliced deli turkey
*8 slices tomato
*8 lettuce leaves (Romaine)

Directions:
In a small skillet, cook onion in wine until tender.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, spinach, basil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese until well blended. 

Place the bread on a metal pan.  Top four slices with turkey.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on the remaining four slices of bread.  Broil 3 minutes. 

To assemble sandwiches, layer red onion, tomato, and lettuce over the turkey.  Top with the cream cheese slices.

Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe is from Rachel Ray. We will add Monterrey Jack cheese to ours next time and toast the bread.  We serve this with Rachel Ray's five vegetable slaw (but we use only 4 of the veggies, so we call it "four vegetable slaw").  That recipe is directly under her sandwich recipe on the link above labled "five vegetable slaw", or you can see my recipe here.

Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
*1 lime, juiced (equal to 2 Tablespoons lime juice)
*2 Tablespoons honey
*1 rounded teaspoon cumin
*2 Tablespoons olive oil
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1 teaspoon blended coarse salt and black pepper
*cooking spray
*1 cup tomatillo salsa (I buy jarred HEB tomatillo salsa)
*lettuce leaves (like Romaine)
*Roma tomatoes, sliced
*2 avocados, sliced
*4 crusty rolls (I used 4 wheat kaiser rolls)
*4 slices Monterrey jack cheese

Directions:
Combine the first five ingredients in a bowl.  Sprinkle chicken with the salt and pepper blend.  Place chicken in the bowl with the marinade.  Make sure all sides are coated and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Pan fry chicken, 6 - 7 minutes per side, until no longer pink.  Slice chicken at an angle into thin slices. 

Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to broil.  Place sandwich bottoms and tops on a metal pan.   Place cheese on the bread bottoms.  Broil until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is melted.  Remove from oven.

Pile chicken on top of the sandwich bottoms.  Top with tomato slices, and avocado, and then lettuce.  Spread tomatillo salsa on the sandwich tops.  Place tops on top of the sandwiches.

Meatball Sandwiches

This recipe is from Taste of Home's Diet Cookbook.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup egg substitute like Egg Beaters
*1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
*1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*1/2 teaspoon onion powder
*1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/2 teaspoon dried basil
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
*4 cups pasta sauce
*4 wheat hoagie buns
*4 slices low-fat mozzarella cheese
*shredded Parmesan cheese
*cooking spray

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine egg substitute, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, onion powder, oregano, basil, pepper, and salt.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into about 20 meatballs.

In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown meatballs.  Drain.

Place meatballs in a sauce pan.  Add pasta sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Split hoagies.  Put cheese on one side of the bread.  Broil in the oven until cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted.

Spoon meatballs and sauce onto hoagie rolls.  Sprinkle with Parmesan.

BBQ Sausage Links

I grew up eating this.  This is my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:
*1 pkg. skinless smoked sausage links (turkey or beef)
*1 bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce (this is a sweet, dark BBQ sauce)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Slice links lengthwise and then into about 3-inch chunks.  Pour some BBQ sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.  Spread with a spoon.  Place links in the baking dish.  Pour remaining BBQ sauce on top.  Spread with a spoon.

Cover with foil.  Bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil.  Baste sausages.  Bake 10 more minutes uncovered.

Let sit for 5 minutes before serving so sauce will thicken.

*Note:  Toast wheat bread, spray slices with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray, and place links with BBQ sauce on the toasted bread to make a BBQ sausage sandwich.

*Note:  My mom slices the sausage links after they are done baking, but I slice them before.  You can do it either way.

Grilled Ranch Chicken and Veggie Sandwiches

If you ever want a sandwich that is chalk full of veggies and chicken that's bursting with flavor, then you'll like this recipe.  I have never had carrots on a sandwich and wasn't sure how this would taste, but all my husband and I could say when we ate these was, "Mmmmmmmm...."  They were surprisingly delicious.  I am always on the lookout for great hot sandwiches.  I try to prepare one sandwich or wrap meal per week for dinner.  This is a version of a recipe I found in The Pampered Chef Casual Cooking cookbook.

The chicken itself can be served as a main dish if you do not want to make these sandwiches or if you just want the left-over chicken for leftovers.  I call it Ranch Chicken.  My husband and I cooked all the chicken, but only assembled 2 sandwiches for us.  I had the remaining chicken breast for lunches later in the week, while my husband made another sandwich for a lunch later in the week.

Ingredients:
*4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
*1 Tablespoon fat-free milk
*1 packet (1 oz.) dry ranch dressing mix, divided
*1 garlic clove, pressed
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*8 slices sourdough bread (I buy the packaged kind)
*cooking spray
*2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
*2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
*1 carrot, shave
*1 cup alfalfa sprouts
*1 firm, ripe avocado, sliced

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, milk, 2 teaspoons of the Ranch dressing mix, and garlic.  Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Prepare vegetables, and put in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the sandwiches.  

Place each chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper and flatten the chicken using a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to 3/4-inch thick.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat until very hot.  Lightly spray one side of each bread piece with cooking spray.  Place the oiled sides down in the grill pan.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until toasted.  (You could also broil the bread on a cookie sheet until lightly toasted.)

Combine remaining Ranch dressing mix and flour in a small bowl.  Mix well with a pastry blender or fork.  Dip chicken pieces in the flour mixture on both sides, coating well.  Shake off the excess.  Lightly spray chicken pieces with cooking spray on both sides.

Place chicken in hot grill pan, and cook about 7 minutes per side until chicken is not longer pink in the middle.  Remove from pan.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the cream cheese mixture onto the untoasted side of each bread slice.  On 4 of the slices, evenly layer tomato, chicken, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, and then avocado.  Top with the remaining bread slices and press firmly.  Slice sandwiches in half diagonally if desired.  Serve immediately.

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

This is my best friend Stef's recipe.  I have tried many different recipes for this, and I always come back to this one.  It's the best.  Her recipes are usually the best versions of the things out there.  Even my two and a half year old son cannot get enough of this dish.  I normally do not care for pepperocinis, but once cooked down into this dish, they add an interesting zippy flavor.

Makes 8 sandwiches



Ingredients:
*3 1/2 lb. boneless beef chuck roast (chuck roast shreds really easily)
*1 cup pepperocini pepper juice from a jar of pepperocinis
*1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix (She uses Good Seasonings brand, but I recently tried an HEB store brand, and it tasted the same.)
*1 pkg. dry brown gravy mix
*jarred sliced pepperocinis to taste
*garlic powder
*wheat hoagie rolls
*8 slices low-fat mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese

Directions:
Place roast in a crock pot.  Sprinkle liberally with garlic powder and rub all over.  Turn it over, and repeat.

In a small bowl whisk pepperocini juice with the Italian dressing mix.  Pour over the beef.  Add sliced pepperocini peppers to taste.  Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Preheat oven to broil.

Just before serving, uncover the crock pot, and shred the meat with two forks inside the crock pot.  Mix in gravy mix, cover, and cook for about 5-10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, split hoagie rolls with a knife lengthwise down the middle.  Place hoagie rolls on a cookie sheet.  Place a slice of cheese on one side of each of the hoagie rolls.  Broil hoagie rolls just until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly toasted.  Watch carefully because this will happen quickly.

Spoon Italian beef mixture on one side of the hoagie roll to eat.