Turkey Bacon Parmesan Panini

We are sharing the recipe for this killer panini over on the Rhodes Out of the Oven Blog today.  It's a favorite and one we never tire of.  

http://www.rhodesbread.com/blog/blog/turkey-bacon-parmesan-panini-with-avocado-and-apple

It is  made extra delicious with homemade taste of  Rhodes Bake and Serve bread.  Filled with turkey, bacon, avocado, parmesan, and apple slices this sandwich is sure to satisfy!

Cran-Turkey Avocado Panini

Panini's are a favorite for both our families.  Have you ever had one?  It's basically a toasted sandwich. You can buy panini presses online or in stores, or if you don't have one, keep scrolling. I've come up with my very own homemade version and it works like a charm.  We enjoy panini's for lunch or dinner at our house. They are fun to serve if you have friends for lunch or simply for familiy dinner.

What do you think of my homemade press?  I think it's pretty awesome! And I don't have another kitchen appliance that I need to make space for.  Perfect! :)

Panini's are really adaptable to whatever you like and you can use what you've got on hand.  Today's panini is one of my favorite combos yet.  I always start with a good crusty artisan bread (sourdough is great too) or ciabatta rolls.  Butter the outside - and fill with tastyness - this has: a cranberry spread, avocado, asigao cheese, spinach, turkey, thinly sliced apples, and bacon. Can I get a YUM????   Seriously delish. It has the perfect combo of sweet mixed with savory - something I never tire of.   Enjoy!

Cran-Turkey Avocado Panini

Yield: 1 panini

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

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Ciabatta bread or 2 slices artisan bread

Butter

Garlic salt (optional)

Cooked cranberry sauce

1-2 slices Asiago cheese (or other cheese of preference)

Deli turkey or leftover baked turkey

1 small handful baby spinach

½-1 avocado, sliced

6-7 apple slices, sliced as thin as possible

2-3 slices bacon (optional)

Directions:

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Butter the outside of two pieces of bread, sprinkle the buttered side lightly with garlic salt if desired.  On the inside of the sandwich, spread one or both sides with cranberry sauce.  Top with cheese, turkey, baby spinach, avocado, apple slices and bacon (if desired).  Press in a panini press (or use a homemade version (pictured in post) - using a skillet, top the panini with a metal pan lid and something heavy (like a heavy bowl or two) so it will press the sandwich flat and help it get nice and grilled and melty).

Slice in half and enjoy!

Recipe Source:

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A Leesh & Lu Original, by Lu. Originally shared on Landeelu.com
 

Avocado Sandwich

Any other avocado lovers out there? I loooove avocados! I think I hated them til I was about 23 or 24 and then I discovered what real guacamole tasted like (not the fake stuff you buy in a tub with preservatives and garbage) and I have never been able to turn back.  I try to keep them on hand for this yummy avocado sandwich I'm sharing with you today and also for guacamole, bean dip (which FYI is not required to be made to look like a spiderweb), etc.

A few weeks ago our local Sprouts had avocados 3/$1, which was a steal, so I bought 9. And don't you worry, we put them to good use and ate them all up before they could go bad. I had this sandwich multiple times that week. 

My friend Becky, introduced me to this sandwich one day when we met them at their pool.  It's so simple to make. It's good for you and tastes delicious.  I love that!  You simply toast some bread, butter it, top it with whatever cheese you want, some sliced avocado, salt/pepper, lime juice, and your choice of spinach, lettuce or sunflower sprouts (which add an incredible nutty flavor).  You can make it in 2 minutes or so and it just hits the spot for me any afternoon.

I hope you'll love it as much as I do. 

-Lu

Avocado Sandwich

Printable Version {Click Here}  

Yield: 1 Sandwich

Ingredients:

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2 slices bread, toasted & buttered

1-2 slices cheese (any kind, I usually use Colby, Monterey Jack or Provolone)

1 small avocado, sliced

sea salt & pepper, sprinkled to taste

½ lime, juiced

Spinach, lettuce or sunflower sprouts

Directions:

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Toast two peice of sandwich bread and butter the sides that will be inside the sandwich. Top one of the buttered sides with cheese, and sliced avocado (I use ½-1 avocado), sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and drizzle with lime juice.  Top with spinach, lettuce or sunflower sprouts (I love the nutty flavor from the sunflower sprouts) and the remaining piece of toasted bread.  

Enjoy!

Recipe Source:

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From my good friend, Becky Nelson.

Chicken Caesar Sammies

It is really starting to warm up here in Utah, which always puts me on the hunt for yummy slow cooker meals that won't heat my whole house up.  This one was a definite hit with my family.  It was a breeze to throw together without sacrificing any flavor.  And if you want to, you could even skip the slow cooker and use a rotisserie chicken and it would be equally easy and yummy! 

I've also served it at a few baby showers on little slider buns and had great reviews.  My kids won't always eat sandwiches--usually they deconstruct them and eat all the components separately, but this was a sandwich they actually ate in sandwich form.  I love simple "set it and forget it" meals.  It would also make a great take-in meal for a new mom or someone in need.  

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

Printable Version

Ingredients:

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2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

12 slider buns or 6 regular sized buns or rolls (I served them on these rolls)

Directions:

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Place chicken in slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Remove chicken from cooker and drain any excess juices/water. Using two forks, shred chicken, discarding any fat.

Return shredded chicken to the crock pot and add dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until combined. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until hot.

Toast buns, if desired.  Spoon mixture onto buns and top with additional Parmesan cheese and shredded romaine.  

Notes:

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Lu and I both really like Brianna’s Asiago Caesar dressing.

Recipe Source:

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Sweet Treats and More via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Grilled Pepperoni & Cheese Sandwiches {with a simple how-to}

This simple recipe takes your ordinary grilled cheese to a whole new level. A level that will make your taste buds more than just ecstatic. These simple, tasty, pepperoni and cheese sandwiches become so exciting with a few sprinkles of oregano, Parmesan, and garlic salt. Who knew a few spices, cheese, and pepperoni could complete my world? And finally to make them complete, they are grilled until golden and the cheese is perfectly melted. These tasty guys are devoured at our house. This is one of our favorites for lunch or a simple quick dinner.

I also decided to include a tutorial on how to make a pepperoni and grilled cheese sandwich. It's not any more complicated that a traditional grilled cheese sandwich but my mom did it in this order, and I think it's genius. Does anyone else already do it exactly like this? I just wondered how peculiar I am (wink).

So, it all starts with a few basic ingredients:
mozzarella cheese, bread, oregano, Parmesan, garlic salt, pepperoni, and butter

You'll butter four pieces (if you are making 2 sandwiches that is....2 pieces of bread per sandwich) of bread on one side, then you stack each sandwich with the butter sides touching. Like so...

Then you'll top with cheese....grated or sliced works just the same.

Sprinkle the cheese with Parmesan, oregano and garlic salt (light on the salt).

Then you'll take the top slice of bread that is covered with cheese and seasonings and place it on the griddle which is preheated to just below medium heat (you don't want a burned sandwich), you'll be left with one piece of bread, butter side up. You'll spread 8-9 pepperoni's on top of the cheese and then top it with your last slice of bread, butter side on the outside. Isn't that slick? Then the butter never touches the cutting board. I know, it's genius....my mom is a genius.

I also like the cheese side on the bottom first so it gets the initial heat of the griddle to give the cheese a good melting start.

When the first side is grilled til golden flip over, and golden up the other side.

I like to stick a big lid over the sandwiches so that it creates a little extra heat pocket to finish melting the cheese. I really just hate a grilled cheese when the cheese is partially melted. It's so not satisfying that way. And when I don't put the lid on then I crispify the outside of the sandwich while trying to melt the cheese all the way....the lid is really the way to go.

So when side two is grilled and golden and the cheese is all melty and nice, it's ready to be devoured. Enjoy, enjoy!

Grilled Pepperoni & Cheese Sandwiches
Printable Version
Yield: 2 Sandwiches

4 slices bread
butter
16-18 slices pepperoni
4 slices mozzarella cheese (or ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese)
Oregano
Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt

Preheat griddle pan to just below medium heat (you don’t want to burn the sandwich).

Butter one side of each slice of bread and stack them butter sides together. Top the open side of the bread with cheese and sprinkle with oregano, Parmesan, and garlic salt (light on the salt).

Place cheese topped slice of bread on the griddle and the place 8-9 pepperoni slices on top of the cheese. Grab your second slice of bread and put the un-buttered side on top of the pepperoni, leaving the buttered side up.

Grill for a minute or two until the first side is nice and golden brown. Flip the sandwich over with a spatula and grill the second side until golden, I like to put a bit lid over the sandwich on the 2nd side to help the cheese get some extra heat for a completely melted cheese taste. Be careful not to over-brown the second side, you may turn the heating element down a bit.

Serve while it’s nice and warm! Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Diana K.

Cheesesteak Subs

These subs have appeared (not magically, of course) on our dinner table at LEAST twice a month (maybe more) since I've discovered their yumminess and simpleness. The original recipe calls for provolone cheese, which we love. But we've also made them with a spicy pepper jack and they were to-die-for. Either cheese is pleasing to my taste buds. What way will you make them?

These subs are made best with homemade sub rolls, which I posted a recipe for last week. I'm sure they'd be good on a store bought bun, but they will really knock your socks off if you have them on these homemade subs. Really, try them! They are soft and tender and when they are toasted to perfection (like this recipe calls for) it gives them the perfect crunch. I mentioned last week that I usually make a double batch of the rolls. I make some into rolls and some into subs. They freeze great and then I can have a quick tasty meal in minutes!

Cheesesteak Subs

Printable Version - with picture
Printable Version - text only

Makes about 4 sub-sandwiches

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, halved and sliced into thin half moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons A-1 steak sauce
1 pound deli roast beef, cut into 2-inch strips
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
4 (6-inch) sub rolls, sliced open lengthwise
8 slices provolone or pepper-jack cheese

Preheat the broiler in your oven and adjust a rack to the upper-middle position.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook for a minute, until it smells fragrant, be careful to not have the heat to high or your garlic will burn. Add the A-1 steak sauce and the sliced roast beef. Stir well to coat the beef with the sauce and onion/butter mixture. Cook until the meat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste (this is optional - and I have to admit I’ve never done it).

Place the sliced rolls on a baking sheet. Place an even amount of beef on each roll. Place sliced cheese on top of the meat. With the buns open, place in the oven on broil and broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes - but don’t go far and check on them before 2 minutes. You don’t want them to burn. They are best when the cheese is melted and the top side of the sub roll is nice and toasted. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe - www.melskitchencafe.com

Tuna Cheesewiches

I debated on whether I should post this or not, because it's so simple. However, the whole reason I am doing this blog is to share our family favorites and also to have them preserved for myself. So here it is. Let me know how you like it. We LOVE these for lunch. It's kind of our Saturday/Sunday lunch when we are both home.


Tuna Cheesewiches
Bruce G.

1 can tuna, drained
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp mayo
Sliced cheese (pepper-jack and cheddar are our favorites)
4 slices bread

Set oven temp to broil. In a small bowl mix tuna and mayo. Evenly distribute tuna mixture on top of bread slices. Top with cheese. Place on a broiler pan or cookie sheet and broil until cheese is melted and starting to bubble - don't go far, they are done pretty quick .