Croque Monsieur

When watching movies I am always distracted by the food they eat in the movie! In the movie "It’s Complicated" Meryl Streep’s character makes these incredible looking cheesy, toasty bits of goodness. I actually pulled out my laptop to find out what they were eating. Turns out, it was Croque Monsieur... I had never heard of these French sandwiches before, but I couldn’t get them out of my mind!

It's ironic that we watched the movie "It's Complicated" because my life is so much more simple now that I have my cast off! Woohoo!! Exactly 1 month ago I blogged about my broken arm, but I am happy to report that my 6 weeks are up and I am cast free!
I can cook again!
I can style my hair!
I can fold laundry!
I can latch my bra!
... maybe that's a little too much information!

So, back to the Croque Monsieur! Traditionally they are "sandwiches" with two pieces of bread but I didn't think my boys could bite through two pieces of french bread and besides... in the movie Meryl Streep only used one piece of bread! Basically, it's crusty french bread, Dijon mustard, black forest ham, a cheese sauce (it's called a Béchamel sauce), and shredded cheese to top it off. They were good, and a nice change from the flavors we are used to!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and packed
Crusty French bread loaf, cut into 1 inch thick slices (sandwich size, not skinny baguettes)
8 ounces Black forest ham, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard

Directions
Using a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until melted. Slowly add flour while whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until mixture turns a light blonde color, a couple minutes. Keep color light, do not let brown. Slowly pour in warmed milk, while whisking. Keep a light simmer and continue to whisk until sauce starts to thicken. Add Parmesan and 1/4 cup Swiss cheese a little at a time while stirring. Do not add all at once, or sauce will clump. Once you’ve combined cheese into sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low under sauce.

Lightly toast your bread slices on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven, turn once. Do not let brown.

Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over each toasted slice. Add about 2 slices of ham to each piece. Sprinkle each slice with the Swiss cheese reserving about 1/4 cup. Spoon Béchamel cheese sauce over each slice, then top with remaining Swiss cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes in the 400 degree oven. Rotate pan front to back, then turn broiler on High for 3 minutes. Cheese will be bubbling and lightly browned when ready. Be sure to keep a close watch while broiler is on, they can burn quickly.

Remove from pan, plate up and enjoy! Have an outstanding weekend, indulge a little, and be thankful for your two healthy arms!

Bagel Dogs (or Pretzel Dogs)

I got the recipe for these Bagel Dogs from Real Mom Kitchen so out of respect for her (and her awesome recipe) I called them "Bagel Dogs" but I thought "Pretzel Dogs" was more appropriate because to me it tasted like a soft pretzel wrapped around a hot dog... either way they were a hit! Seriously, I've never had anything like this; it was so good! I set out ketchup and mustard but no one used it, the bagel dogs were delicious on their own (however, Justin wants me to sprinkle chopped jalapenos in the dough next time)! The only negative about this recipe is the time it took me... about 3 hours total but most of that time was letting the dough rise, it's not the kind of recipe you can whip together on a weeknight.

Ingredients
2 cups hot water (110° F)
2 packages, active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
12 quality all-beef hot dogs (Ballpark, Nathan's, Kasper's, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, lightly beaten
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds and/or coarse salt for garnish (I didn't use any garnish)

Directions
Pour the water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and sprinkle with the yeast. Let the mixture stand about five minutes or until foamy, then stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar and the salt. Using the paddle attachment and with the mixer on medium speed, gradually add flour, beating until well-blended and smooth, until you have a stiff dough. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic in texture. Form the dough into a lump and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Turn the dough over to grease the top. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead briefly to eliminate any air bubbles and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12×9 inch rectangle or until it’s about a 1/4-inch thick, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or the board. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 12 1-inch pieces of dough.

Dry the hot dogs thoroughly. Starting at one end of a hot dog, wrap the dough around overlapping slightly as you make your way to the other end. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining hot dogs and strips of dough. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the over to 400°. Fill a deep, heavy pot with water and add the baking soda. Bring to a gentle boil. Working 2 to 3 bagels at a time, carefully drop the bagel dogs into the boiling water, turning frequently with a slotted spoon or spatula, for about a minute. Lift out of the water and gently dry each bagel well on a kitchen towel and arrange about 2-inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining bagel dogs.

Brush the bagels with the egg glaze and sprinkle on your garnish of choice. Bake for about 35 minutes or until nicely browned and crusty, turning the pan about halfway through (I didn’t turn my pan and I had to bake 3 dogs on another pan. they all wouldn’t fit on one sheet). Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 Bagel Dogs

Meatball Sub

We got 3 snow days this week, woohoo!! It's been great, I just made brownie batter and called it "dessert"! I served it in little bowls with miniature spatulas.... because batter ALWAYS tastes better on a spatula than it does from a spoon! You can't scoop it into your mouth either, you have to lick the spatula! Can you tell I'm still thinking about our yummy dessert? Dinner was good too, promise! Justin LOVES meatball subs, and I love how easy this dinner is! It's really not a recipe, but it's an easy meal idea for a weeknight dinner! Ingredients
A bag of your favorite crusty rolls
A bottle of your favorite Marinara sauce or make your own
Mozzarella Cheese
Frozen Italian Meatballs (sometimes I cut them in half-- less likely to "pop out" of the sandwich for the boys)

Directions
Pour the sauce over as many meatballs as you like. Heat the meatballs in the oven or stove according to the directions on the package.
Split the rolls, sprinkle on the Mozzarella cheese, and toast under the broiler.
Assemble and serve with some fresh fruit and carrot sticks... at least that's what I do!

Hot Dog Mummies

Abbott has been excited for Halloween for months! Abbott really is a strange kid, he was obsessed with James Bond and would play the theme song for himself every day as I drove him to preschool. When he was 3 he beat all the James Bond video games... no exaggeration! Now he's moved on to scary movies, he even had a spooky themed birthday party in September. So I made this creep-tacular lunch for him, the hot dog mummies were really good (and SUPER easy)! ...I get so tired of normal hot dogs, I am going to make these more often!

Ingredients
1 can (11 ounce) Pillsbury refrigerated breadsticks (12 breadsticks)
12 beef hot dogs
Cooking Spray
Mustard or ketchup, if desired

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough; separate at perforations into 12 breadsticks. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each breadstick lengthwise and crosswise into 4 pieces, making a total of 48 pieces of dough.
Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog to look like "bandages", stretch dough to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face". Place wrapped hot dogs on greased cookie sheet; spray dough lightly with cooking spray.
Bake at 375 degrees for 13-17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw "eyes".

I also made Monster Apple Mouths as a fun side to the hot dog mummies.... the boys thought they were really creepy! Ingredients
1 large Apple of choice
Peanut Butter
Marshmallows cut in 1/2

Directions
Cut out a small wedge on the skin side of the apple. Blot inside with a paper towel then spread lightly with creamy peanut butter. Cut marshmallows in half and place over peanut butter to make the teeth.

Reuben Sandwich

My father and uncle both suffer from Polycystic Kidney Disease, eventually their kidney function gets so low that they need a transplant. My uncle had a successful kidney transplant last week (woohoo), he got a kidney from my aunt. My mom also gave a kidney to my dad and later my cousin did too! Well, this spurred an interesting conversion between Justin and I. We seem to have identical brains, no kidding it's like we're the same person! I just know our organs wouldn't be compatible though, our bodies are so different! If I get a cold in my throat he will get it in his stomach. I think something tastes spicy and he thinks it tastes sweet. I just have this feeling that our organs would be exact opposite!
Another way our bodies are different is that Justin can eat the same thing day after day. He's had a waffle for breakfast and a lunch meat sandwich for lunch every day for 4 years! If I eat the same thing 2 days in a row I am bored, especially with lunch meat sandwiches! That's why I like Reubens! I can eat a cold corned beef sandwich for lunch and come home and eat a Reuben for dinner, it doesn't feel like I'm eating the same thing... not to mention they're delicious!

Ingredients
Butter
Sliced rye bread
Deli sliced corned beef (around 4 slices per sandwich)
Sliced Swiss cheese
Sauerkraut, drained (around a tablespoon per sandwich)
Thousand Island dressing (around a teaspoon per sandwich)

Directions
Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Lightly butter one side of rye bread. Spread the non-buttered side with Thousand Island dressing. Now add on the sauerkraut, corned beef, and Swiss cheese. Top with a bread slice, buttered sides out. Grill the sandwich until the bread is golden brown, and then flip and grill the other side until golden brown. It will take around 15 minutes, make sure you serve hot (put it in the microwave for 20 seconds if you need to warm it up again).

Egg Salad Sandwich

I love egg salad sandwiches! There is just something about an egg salad sandwich for lunch on a sunny day, it makes me want to start a new book! That's right... most women want the beach and a margarita but I'll take a book and an egg salad sandwich any day (Justin says I am a 60-year-old woman trapped in a 28-year-old's body)!
There is a wonderful documentary I saw a couple years ago called "The Teachings of Jon". I've never seen it on TV since so I finally broke down and bought a copy. It's about Jon, a man with down syndrome who LOVES egg sandwiches. Ok... the documentary isn't just about egg sandwiches, here's the trailer. It's a wonderful documentary, I can learn a lot from Jon... not to mention he has great taste in sandwiches ;-)

Ingredients
6 eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon relish
pepper (to taste, optional)
lettuce (optional)
6 slices whole wheat bread

Directions
To hard boil eggs – Gently place eggs into a single layer in a sauce pan. Add just enough water to cover the eggs completely. Put on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Just as the water reaches a rapid boil remove from heat and tightly cover with a lid. Let the pan site for 17 minutes. Transfer eggs into a bowl with cold water. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes and peel.
Finely chop hard boiled eggs. Place chopped eggs in a medium bowl. Mix in mayo, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix in mustard, relish and pepper. Put egg salad onto bread slices, top with lettuce. (Makes 3 Sandwiches)

Toasted Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Sandwich

School started last week, here's this year's "first day of school" picture (we weren't able to get a picture of both the boys genuinely smiling)...
The boys were hilarious, getting up at 6am wasn't something they were prepared to handle. They had school 2 days last week but crashed all 3 nights by 7pm. So Justin and I had a couple dinners on our own! We were starving when we made these sandwiches and they were SO good! Justin said he loved how fresh they tasted! We inhaled them while standing over the sink...I laugh because when the boys are gone I think we will abandon our table to eat all our meals over the sink (it's weird how we like to hover there).
** Update- a friend told me this is actually a "Caprese Sandwich", shows you how much I know ;-)

Ingredients
1 loaf French or Italian bread
1 carton of cherry tomatoes
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil

Directions
Slice the tomatoes in half and place them cut-side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. The tomatoes will be soft and a little shriveled when they are done. Slice the loaf of bread into two equal portions. Then, slice each portion in half lengthwise and rub the bread with olive oil. Spoon the tomatoes onto one side of the bread and sprinkle with basil and garlic. Lay on the mozzarella slices! Place sandwiches, open faced, into a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until bread is crispy and cheese is melted. When they come out of the oven, fold the top over and press down - the olive oil will soak into the bread and form a natural “dressing” for the sandwich. Serve warm.

The Justin Loves Grilled Cheese

The blog title is a play on the movie “The Devil Wears Prada”, where Anne Hathaway has a fashion internship with Meryl Streep. Adrian Grenier (the boyfriend and chef) makes Anne late night grilled cheese sandwiches. He uses Jarlsberg cheese and in the last line of the movie he even mentions that he’s sure the city they're moving to has Jarlsberg. It’s a great movie and his grilled cheese looks so good (I always notice the food in movies, does that make me weird?!) I hadn’t ever had Jarlsberg cheese so when Justin and I came across it at the supermarket we had to try it! Holy cow! It’s like Swiss, Provolone, and Parmesan all got together and had a love child named Jarlsberg! I pulled out the skillet, garlic, butter, french bread, and the love affair began. Justin loves grilled cheese, but not just any grilled cheese, he is in love with Jarlsberg garlic grilled cheese! We had it for lunch and then he asked if I could make it again for dessert that night! This sandwich is fantastic the kind of sandwich that deserves a ray of sunlight and chimes from the heavens as it is placed in front of you!

Ingredients
French or Italian bread, sliced
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons butter
Sprinkling of salt (very important don’t forget it)
Jarlsberg cheese

Directions
Over medium heat saute the butter, garlic, and salt. Just stir it around the pan for a minute or two until it is hot and bubbly. Place the slices of bread on the garlic butter. Cook the bread for a couple minutes until it is toasted. Flip it and toast the other side. I leave room in my pan so I have extra garlic butter I can flip the bread into, but you may need to add more butter, garlic, and salt. Lay the Jarlsberg cheese over the bread to melt while the bread cooks. If the cheese doesn’t melt before the bread is toasted then you will need to stick it in the microwave for 20-40 seconds to melt the rest of the cheese. If you leave the bread like this you have excellent cheesy garlic bread, but that’s not a meal! You need to pick up two pieces of bread and marry them together to create a sandwich... now that’s a meal!

White Castle Sliders

I grew up on White Castle sliders, they are the best! Well, our local White Castle closed many years ago so we have been without until I saw this recipe. I was skeptical at first but these were legendary good! Soooo delicious!! But beware they are greasy (just like White Castle) and you do pay the piper in the end (every bathroom in our house had a queue line). However, I still can't wait to make them again! I swiped this recipe from Donna-FFW (Fire Fighter Wife) blog. Donna's risque humor is hilarious! She entertains me while posting yummy recipes, I love her blog!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
Sara Lee Classic Dinner Rolls (they're in the bread isle at my supermarket), sliced in half
Optional- Cheese slices

Directions
In a large bowl mix (with your hands or a spoon) the hamburger, Lipton onion soup mix, peanut butter, and milk. Spread the meat mixture on a cookie sheet with a lip. Abbott was my helper, he loved spreading the meat out on the pan!

Use a cup or rolling pin to roll over the meat to smooth it out.

Put it in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The meat will skrink... Take it out of the oven and put the diced onions all around the edges to flavor the meat. Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes. The onions added more onion flavor than Justin and the boys would have liked so next time I am only putting onions around 1/2 the meat (for my non-onion eaters). Take it out of the oven. If you want onions on your sliders then spoon them onto the meat from the sides. Add your cheese slices... And add the tops of your rolls (the bottom part of the rolls will just sit on the counter). Put it back in the oven for... you guessed it, another 10 minutes! Take it out of the oven, they're done! Slice the meat with a pizza cutter and pick up the slider/top bun with a spatula and set it on the bottom bun.

Fluffernutter

I hadn’t heard of a Fluffernutter before I met Justin. It’s one of his favorite snacks but I wouldn’t ever try it and I have to say, it never sounded appetizing to me! However, on our 10 year anniversary we went to one of our favorite hangouts in Kansas City, The Brick. They serve a grilled Fluffernutter that sounded delicious. It was funny because the chef brought it out himself because he had to meet the customer that ordered it. He said he hadn’t had anyone ever order it before, lol! Well, I have been hooked on Fluffernutter ever since! I can’t believe I’ve been missing out all these years!

Ingredients
Bread
Butter
Peanut butter
Marshmallow fluff

Directions
Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and marshmallow fluff on the other slice of bread. In a hot skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter and lay each piece of bread in the skillet (bread side down with the fluff and peanut butter facing up like an open face sandwich). When the bread is toasted remove the slices from the skillet and put them together creating the Fluffernutter sandwich! Let the sandwich cool-down for a couple of minutes before eating or all of the peanut butter and marshmallow will squish out. Enjoy!!

Loose Meat Sandwiches

A couple days ago I discovered that Justin hadn’t ever had a loose meat sandwich, I was shocked! I’ve always known it as a loose meat sandwich but they also go by Nu-way or Maid-Rite sandwiches (named after the Midwest restaurants that sell them). There’s no cheese or ketchup here, just crumbly seasoned beef, mustard, and pickles! Man-o-man they are delicious and unhealthy!

I remember eating loose meat sandwiches a lot in the 80’s, I think they were popular because on the TV show Roseanne she had a loose meat sandwich restaurant. I have always loved the TV show Roseanne and I think the TV mom I am most similar to would be Roseanne (hey… I didn’t say I aspire to be Roseanne, I just admit that I am more like her than June Cleaver). My all time favorite Roseanne quote is “excuse the mess but we live here.” Isn’t that just the truth? Sure I cook dinner for my family every night but my house is always a mess! Yeah, my car is a mess too; we have a McDonald’s graveyard in the back seat… being a mom is rough!

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
Hamburger buns
1 can chicken broth
Lawry's seasoning salt
Pepper
Mustard
Dill pickles slices, room temperature

Directions
In large skillet on high heat brown the ground beef, stirring while it cooks to break up any clumps. When the meat is cooked to a dark brown, drain off all the fat and return to the burner. Sprinkle some Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper, and a few squirts of mustard (add the seasoning to your taste but I would guess I use a teaspoon of each). Cover the beef mixture with chicken broth and let the mixture cook on low until the broth has been completely absorbed into the beef. Get your hamburger buns (I like to toast my hamburger buns in a separate skillet. I melt a little butter on high heat to coat the buns and I cook the buns in the skillet for a minute on each side) and use an ice cream scooper or spoon to put a few spoonfuls of meat on the bottom of the bun and immediately top with pickle slices and mustard.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

So this is my favorite chicken sandwich! The sweetness of the pineapple and spiciness of the BBQ sauce is irresistible! I don’t put any cheese on mine but you could add a slice of cheese if you want. Speaking of spicy, I have a funny story! We took the boys to get ice cream at ColdStone, their favorite ice cream shop! When we parked I told Justin I would just wait in the car, I wasn’t going to get any ice cream. Justin leans over to kiss me bye and Abbott (our 7-year-old) says “So, are you guys going to make out or are we going to go get ice cream?”. Abbott is one spicy guy, he cracks us up!

Ingredients
Buns (we prefer Sara Lee White Bakery Buns found in the hamburger bun aisle at our supermarket)
Skinless boneless chicken breast
Olive or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
BBQ sauce
Pineapple slices

Directions
Follow the same cooking directions as the Cajun Chicken Sandwich. Flatten the chicken breast and salt and pepper both sides. Put a tablespoon of oil in a skillet on high heat. When the skillet is hot add the chicken and let it cook 2-4 minutes on each side. When the chicken is done take it out and smother it with BBQ sauce. I put the pineapple slices in the hot skillet to warm them. Put the BBQ chicken and pineapple slices on toasted buns and serve!

Cajun Chicken Sandwich

We love eating chicken sandwiches! Over the next week I am going to post our favorites. Cajun Chicken Sandwich is Justin and Andrew’s favorite (I have to admit that I love it too)! I am sure you have gone to a grill and bar and ordered a chicken sandwich for $5-$10, it’s crazy! You can make the same sandwich at home in 10 minutes for much cheaper, and if you follow these directions it will taste just as good, promise!!

Ingredients
Buns (we prefer Sara Lee White Bakery Buns found in the hamburger bun aisle at our supermarket)
Skinless boneless chicken breast
Cajun Seasoning
Salt (most important ingredient, don’t forget it!)
Butter spread
Olive or vegetable oil
Sliced cheese (we prefer provolone slices)

Directions
Loosely wrap the chicken breast in plastic wrap and beat it flat with a rolling pin (Carrie’s preference) or skillet (Justin’s preference). I have no sense of measurement but you want the chicken about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Put a tablespoon of oil in your skillet and set your stove on high heat, you want the pan really hot before you put the chicken in so it will give it a nice sear. Unwrap the beaten chicken and sprinkle Cajun seasoning and salt on both sides. When you see steam/smoke rising off the oil in the skillet it’s hot enough to add the chicken.

Put the seasoned chicken in the skillet. Leave it alone while it cooks, letting it cook for 2-4 minutes on each side.

While the chicken is cooking smear the butter spread on the inside of your buns and place them butter side up on a cookie sheet. Now you need to toast them in the oven. I set the oven to broil and they toast up in 1-2 minutes. I then add a slice of cheese to one side of the buns and stick it back in for 30 seconds to let it melt.

Since the chicken is so thin it will be done in 5-10 minutes, it will be very juicy with a beautifully colored sear. As soon as the chicken and buns are ready assemble your sandwich and eat immediately. The sandwich is very good just like this but you can also add a condiment. Justin mixes mustard, spicy brown mustard, and honey creating a spicy honey mustard, he likes on his Cajun Chicken Sandwich. I like my Cajun Chicken Sandwich with some lettuce and tomato. Andrew likes his plain. It’s all personal preference at this point!

Now… what do you do with your leftover buns? We make more chicken sandwiches of course! Check back on Saturday, I will make my favorite chicken sandwich ;-)

Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

Wow, it’s a good thing I got dinner started in the crockpot when I woke up because I spent most of the day reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. It’s a young adult book (takes only a couple hours to read) and I suggest that everyone call up their library and get it immediately. It was a very interesting semi-autobiographical book about a teenage boy living on a reservation. I loved it! So I spent the day reading, taking breaks to giggle at my boys playing Guitar Hero, but by dinner I finished my book; we ate and played a game of SpongeBob Life. Everyone thought these sandwiches were a perfect ending to our delightful day!

Ingredients

1 pot roast (anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds)
1 McCormick pulled pork crock-pot packet (found in the gravy mix aisle)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

Optional- 1 medium onion, sliced

Provolone cheese slices

Rolls /buns

Directions

In crockpot, mix the McCormick packet, ketchup, cider vinegar, and brown sugar then add the roast (my roast was still partly frozen). Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours (I cooked mine about 6 hours on low before adding the peppers for another hour). One hour before you plan to eat, shred the beef then slice the peppers and onions and add to crockpot. When it is finished, remove meat and veggies with a slotted spoon. Place cheese slices on buns and put under low broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Fill the rolls with the meat and veggies and enjoy!

Banana Dog

There’s really no recipe to this one, but it’s a fun snack/meal idea (especially for kids). Whenever we eat hot dogs we always have leftover buns so this is a convenient way to use them up, not to mention delicious! I love banana, peanut butter, and jelly sandwiches, yum yum!

Ingredients
Banana
Hot Dog Bun
Peanut Butter
Strawberry Jam

Directions
Spread peanut butter on the inside of the hot dog bun. Put the banana in the bun and top with jam.

Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich

This recipe is taken from one of my favorite blog’s The Pioneer Woman written by Ree who is a wonderful cook and photographer who lives on a beautiful ranch and calls her husband “The Marlboro Man” and her four kids “The Punks”. I love it!

This sandwich is really very good and we add provolone cheese and call it a cheese steak (that sounds much better than “ The Computer Nerd’s Favorite Sandwich”.

Ingredients
1 cube steak for every sandwich you need to make (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized)
Sliced onions and peppers
Butter
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire sauce
Provolone Cheese

Since I am using Pioneer Woman’s recipe I thought it would be fun to do picture directions like she uses, here goes…
I used Olive Oil but Ree used butter, whichever you choose melt a couple tablespoons in a pan and add the onions and peppers. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.

While the onions and peppers cook, slice and season the meat. You want to slice the strips against the tenderized directional grain. Season with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.

When the onions and peppers are done scoop them onto a plate and set aside. Melt 2-3 tablespoons butter in the pan and turn to high. You want the pan hot!

Once the butter is melted and brown place the meat in the pan in a single layer. You don’t want to stir the meat though. Let it cook for a couple minutes and then flip it to brown the other side.

Once the meat is brown, generously add Worcestershire sauce. Start with about 1/2 cup. Here Ree added some Tabasco sauce to hers (Justin and Andrew probably would have loved) but I don’t like spicy so I omitted it.

In a separate pan melt another couple tablespoons of butter on high heat. When the butter is sizzling lay your rolls face down in the pan. When they’re lightly browned, flip them over for just a few seconds, to warm them through and through.

Once the bread is toasted lay provolone cheese on each side of the bread and place a layer of meat in middle. Spoon over some of the pan juice (Ree adds extra butter right before serving).

If you’re cool like Carrie you add peppers and onions to your sandwich as well (picture is at the beginning of the post), but if you boring like Justin then you forgo the veggies for extra pan juice. And here you go…