Party Sandwiches

These sandwiches are a fabulous mix of sweet and savory and just so darn tasty.  I love these sandwiches, which helps explains why I ate them three nights in a row for dinner last week :-)  The sweet butter rolls combine deliciously with the salty deli meats and melted cheese-y goodness, but what really puts it all over the top is the tangy onion-mustard sauce.  The combination really is fantastic!  But you have to watch out because it can be hard to stop eating these!  They have become a party staple at our house for good reason - the sandwiches come together really quickly and the topping is so flavorful that you don't have to mess with needing to offer mayonnaise or mustard.

Party Sandwiches
adapted from All Recipes

2 packages Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls (24 rolls total)
1/2 lb turkey meat, thinly sliced
1/2 lb ham, thinly sliced
1/3 lb Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons onion, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon herbs of choice (poppy seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.  Place rolls on baking sheet.  Being careful not to separate the individual rolls, use a serrated knife to split rolls in half lengthwise.  On the bottom of the rolls, top with turkey, ham and cheese.  Cover sandwiches with the tops of the rolls.

In a small dish, melt butter in microwave.  Stir in mustard, onion and Worcestershire sauce.  Brush sauce over top of rolls.  Sprinkle with herbs.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly browned and the cheese has melted.  Carefully cut the rolls into individual sandwiches and transfer to a platter.

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Cowboy Quesdillas

These quesadillas are a refreshing change of pace from the traditional quesadillas.  I love the addition of BBQ sauce to kick up the flavor a notch and they are a perfect dinner when you're running short on time or you need to feed a crowd.  To simplify things, I baked my quesadillas in the oven because I've learned from past experience that it's really not enjoyable to stand over a stove for 15-20 minutes flipping one quesadilla after another.  While the tortillas don't get as browned in the oven as they do on the stove, they do get just as crunchy - and that's the important thing!  The filling for these is very hearty, so you really don't need to add the chicken (unless you have a carnivore in the family that must be fed).

You'll notice that this recipe makes 10 quesadillas, so unless you want to feed a lot, you'll probably want to half the recipe.  But the quesadillas do reheat well in the toaster or oven, so I've been serving them for lunch for the past few days.

Cowboy Quesadillas
recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

for the quesadillas:
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large or 2 small chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
4 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend
20 tortillas

for the sauce:
2/3 cup fat free ranch dressing
1/3 cup BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put foil or parchment paper on two large cookie/baking sheets.  Arrange 10 tortillas on the two baking sheets, trying to overlap the tortillas as little as possible.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine black beans, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, chicken and BBQ sauce.  Mix well.

Sprinkle a little cheese on the top of each of the tortillas on the baking sheets.  Evenly divide the filling between the 10 tortillas and top each with more cheese.  Cover them with the remaining 10 tortillas.  Bake quesadillas for about 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are toasty and the filling is hot throughout.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the ranch dressing and BBQ sauce.

Cut tortillas in half or quarters.  Serve hot with the BBQ-ranch sauce.

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Colorful Chicken Salad

You know I love to mix savory with sweet when it comes to dinner. You also probably know that Andrew hates it when I do that. But yesterday I was craving a good ol' homemade chicken salad sandwich. Usually I make a pretty simple recipe with roasted or poached chicken breasts, mayo, celery, and onion, but I was feeling the creative vibe and made a totally different chicken salad. As I was prepping all the ingredients, I was a little worried that Andrew may not like it since I was putting a touch of sweet into the salad. But I had no need to be worried. After Andrew finished his sandwich, he commented on how great it was and promptly fixed himself a second sandwich! At the end of dinner, Finley even remarked that "dinner was really, really good, Mama." Warms my heart!

When I was assembling this chicken salad, I was hoping to create something that was a little tangy (which is why I went heavy on the Dijon and added a little sour cream too) with really bright flavors, as well as colors - orange from dried apricots, bright green from pistachios and deep purple from red onions. I think I succeeded, and I hope you agree!

Colorful Chicken Salad

a Baking and Eggs original

2-4 chicken breasts, about 1.25 lbs, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped

1/3 cup red onion, finely diced

2 celery ribs, diced

3-4 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons creamy Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons low fat sour cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

lettuce and/or good bread, for serving

Combine all ingredients except lettuce and bread in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to marry. Serve on lettuce as a salad or on bread (or croissants would be great too!) as a sandwich.

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Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

I've seen this recipe floating around on Pinterest and decided to make it for dinner one night. Since it's supposed to be just like La Madeleine's soup, I served it with a Caesar salad - which is the classic combo I always order whenever I go to LM. Just for fun, I sprinkled grilled cheese croutons on top of the soup.

Usually when I make a meatless dinner, it's met with some resistance from the hubby and from the baby. (Seriously, the kid LOVES meat - she asks for meat as a snack!) But much to my surprise, I didn't hear one complaint and every plate was licked clean.

Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

adapted from GirlTalk

2 24-oz jars of tomato puree

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, measured and then finely minced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup heavy cream (I think next time I will use less - maybe 1/2 cup)

1 stick unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices good quality bread

6 slices Muenster cheese

3 slices sharp cheddar cheese

butter

For the soup, heat tomato puree, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper over medium-low heat. Add cream and butter and stir mixture until butter is melted. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Meanwhile, assemble sandwiches by placing 2 slices of Muenster and 1 slice of cheddar between 2 slices of bread. Repeat to make 3 sandwiches. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt a small pat of butter and cook sandwiches, flipping halfway through, until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove sandwiches to a cutting board. Slice sandwiches into small squares.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a handful of grilled cheese croutons.

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Sloppy Cubano Sandwiches

I'm not sure why I am so enamored by Sloppy Joes, but I am! While I love the original, I also like to spice things up a bit. This recipe popped up on my blog feed this weekend, and I immediately knew I had to try it. I've already professed my love for Sloppy Joes, but I also love a good Cuban sandwich - pork, ham, cheese, mustard and pickles sandwiched between some good, crusty bread. Yum! This recipe is a happy marriage between two great sandwich staples and I could not have been happier with how this turned out. A delicious revision to the Sloppy Joe!

I altered the recipe to have the slow cooker do most of the work for me. With a two-year-old, I always try to do as much work ahead of time (usually while Finley is in preschool or taking her nap) so that I don't have to be slaving over dinner when she's awake and wanting to play. But if you'd like make the recipe on the stovetop, then be sure and look at the original recipes here and here.

Sloppy Cubano Sandwiches

adapted from Taste and Tell and Rachael Ray

6 oz chorizo, casings removed and finely chopped

1 lb ground pork

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon allspice

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 lime, juice and zest

1 cup chicken broth

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons tomato paste

4 rolls or buns, split in half

4 slices Swiss cheese

dill pickle slices

yellow mustard

In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook chorizo until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the pork and onions and continue to cook another 4-6 minutes or until browned. If there is a lot of grease, drain the fat. (Mine didn't render much fat so I skipped this step.)

Meanwhile, in the pot of your slow cooker, stir together garlic, paprika, ground coriander, allspice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, lime zest, chicken broth, tomato sauce and salt and pepper (to taste). Add the meat and onion mixture and stir to combine. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Stir in tomato paste just before serving.

When you're ready to eat, preheat your oven's broiler. Toast the split buns. Divide the meat mixture between the buns and place a slice of cheese on each. Broil until the cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Top with lots of pickles, spread a liberal dollop of mustard on the top half of the bun and enjoy!

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Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Originally I had planned to make these taquitos and make a few changes to the recipe. But the more I thought about it, I realized how ambivalent I was feeling about them. While I love bacon, I was a little on the fence about whether or not I wanted bacon in my taquitos...So I decided to use the taquito recipe that I've used several times in the past and always enjoyed. Why mess with a good thing, right?

These taquitos are nothing like the fried-minuscule-virtually-tasteless-things-that-more-closely-resemble-cardboard-than-food you can find in the frozen foods section of your grocery store. These are creamy, crunchy, tasty bites of deliciousness that everyone - including Finley - loves!

It's also important to note that unbaked these freeze really well!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

adapted from Our Best Bites

3 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

4 oz sour cream

1/4 cup chipotle salsa (feel free to substitute your favorite salsa)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

12 flour tortillas

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, green onions, garlic,cumin, onion powder, oregano and chili powder. Stir until well combined and then stir in chicken.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on each tortilla and roll up as tightly as you can. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining tortillas. Lightly spray each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the ends of the tortillas turn golden brown.

Serve with extra salsa, guacamole or this dipping sauce. (I made a simple sauce of equal parts guacamole and sour cream plus a squeeze of lime juice, a dash of chili powder, and a dash of cumin.)

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Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

This post marks an important day for Baking & Eggs - my sweet, wonderful, fantastically generous husband bought me a fancy SLR camera for my birthday, which means that this post will be the last one with horribly lit photos! Now if only I can figure out exactly how to use it...

Yesterday I baked three loaves of banana bread and a batch of peanut butter and nutella cookies (be still my heart!), so when dinner time rolled around, I was ready for something packed with healthy veggies. I used what we had on hand and it was delicious! I love a meal that tastes great and lets me clean out the fridge! Andrew wasn't happy when he found out it didn't have any meat, but once he tasted it, he admitted he didn't miss the meat at all.

Also, I think you could easily mix up the veggies and cheeses a bit to fit your tastes (or to clean out the random bits of this and that in your fridge). I'd like to try it again with asparagus, broccoli and grape tomatoes with some goat cheese thrown in. Yum!

Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

a Baking and Eggs original

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 large white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

pizza dough (homemade or store bought)

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon olive oil

pizza or spaghetti sauce, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, arrange zucchini, squash, bell pepper, mushrooms and onions on a baking sheet. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper over top. Drizzle veggies in olive oil and mix with hands until all veggies are evenly coated. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. Keep oven preheated to 400 degrees.

Spray a second baking sheet with nonstick spray and lay the pizza dough out flat. Spread the vegetable down the long center of the dough. Top with the three cheeses. Wrap one side over the vegetables and cheese, followed by the second side. Pinch the ends together to close. Brush 1 tablespoon on olive oil over the top of the stromboli. Using a sharp knife make a few slits on the top to allow steam to escape while cooking.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the dough is puffed and lightly browned. Serve with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

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Three Healthy Lunch Ideas

Being a stay-at-home mom, I'm in and out of the kitchen all day long. But often times 3:00 will roll around and I will realize that I haven't had much (or anything!) to eat that day. In an effort to eat regularly - that's a good thing, right! - I'm trying to bookmark easy and fairly healthy lunch ideas. Here are a couple that I've made in the past few weeks that I enjoyed and thought I would pass along.

{White Bean and Guacamole Wrap}

White Bean and Guacamole Wrap

adapted from Eating Well - serves 4

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup prepared guacamole (or make your own)

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

4 whole wheat tortilla or sandwich wraps

In a food processor, pulse beans, chili powder, salt and pepper until mashed. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil.

Spread 1/4 of the bean puree, 1/4 of the guacamole, 1/4 of the shredded carrot and 1/4 of the cucumber slices on each tortilla. Roll up and slice in half.

{15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta}

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

adapted from Oh She Glows - serves 2

6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

1 medium ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 lemon, juice and lemon zest, for garnish

2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a food processor, pulse avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt, basil and olive oil. Process until smooth and creamy.

Toss sauce with hot pasta. Garnish with reserved lemon zest and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

{Mac N Cheese with Zucchini}

Mac N Cheese with Zucchini

a Baking and Eggs original

6 oz whole wheat short pasta (I used cavatappi)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 oz American cheese

1 zucchini, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, stirring often, until sauce begins to thicken. Lower heat to medium-low and stir in cheeses. Cook until cheeses have melted. Stir in zucchini and toss with pasta.

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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

I absolutely adore pasta. I eat it at least three to four times a week, and I've been getting bored with my usual/traditional sauce recipes. I pinned this recipe on Pinterest (big surprise there!) and thought it sounded like a wonderful change of pace.

I came up with a few quick reasons why you too should try this recipe:

1.) I love that I was able to make the sauce from all fresh ingredients - nothing canned or processed here.

2.) Not only was it healthy, it was really tasty to boot!

3.) The brilliant red-orange sauce flecked with green from the basil and zucchini was beautiful as well as delicious.

4.) Texas has returned to 100 degree weather (ugh!) + a no-cook sauce = a much cooler kitchen

5.) By grating the zucchini and adding it to the sauce, you can sneak in an extra veggie and make it a one-dish meal.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

adapted from Annie's Eats

3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

1/2 cup pine nuts

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb. penne pasta (or your favorite small pasta)

1 zucchini, coarsely grated

heavy cream, optional

Preheat broiler. Place bell peppers on a cookie sheet, cut side down. Broil peppers until their skin is blistered and charred, about 10 minutes. Place bell peppers on a plate and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin of the peppers.

Place pine nuts and cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add bell peppers, basil, and parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until incorporated.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to pot. Add zucchini and pesto and stir well to combine. Add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, if you desire a creamier consistency. Garnish with extra parmesan.

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Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

My friend Molly introduced me to the Quorn brand vegetarian 'chicken' patties and they have quickly become a family favorite. Since I know there is no way that I can just serve Andrew a plain chicken patty, I have been coming up with different ways to serve it. This easy recipe is our favorite so far! I've served it for a quick dinner and Finley and I have eaten it for lunch several times too. In fact, I think I might be making it for lunch again today! The recipe is pretty healthy too - the Quorn chik'n patty has 45% less fat than an actual chicken patty and it has 9 grams of protein; low fat dressing; parmesan cheese is a naturally low fat cheese since it's made from skim milk; spinach; and you can make it even healthier by using a whole grain tortilla or wrap.

"Chicken" Caesar Salad Wraps

1 Quorn chik'n patty

1 tortilla or sandwich wrap (use a whole grain one to make it healthier)

1 1/2 teaspoons low fat Caesar salad dressing

1/2 cup spinach leaves or romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

Bake the chicken patty according to package directions. Meanwhile, evenly spread the dressing over the tortilla. Top with spinach. Slice chicken patty into 6 thin slices. Spread the slices down the middle of the tortilla. Top with parmesan cheese.

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Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

Well, the name pretty much sums it all up, so I'll just go now...

Just kidding! I really had you going there, right?!?

I'm such a dork.

Back to the food. This dish was a wonderful, hearty - but not too hearty - vegetarian dish. My meat-eating man cleaned his plate and asked for more. This meal was just the perfect summer meal - a lightly seasoned pasta, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and melted, gooey cheese. Yes, please! If it weren't brutally hot in Texas, I would have loved to eat this out on the back deck with a glass of crisp white wine while reminiscing about our Italian honeymoon. But it's over 100 degrees (which totally qualifies as brutally hot in my book), so we ate inside with the air conditioner on full blast while intermittently telling Finley not to feed her tomatoes to the dog. Just keeping it real!

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

recipe from Real Simple - serves 4

12 oz spaghetti

3 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), each cut into 4 thick slices

3 T olive oil

salt and pepper

8 oz fresh mozzarella, grated

1/4 cup parmesan, grated or shaved

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Heat broiler. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on greased baking sheet. Season with each slice salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle tomato slices with mozzarella and parmesan. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 7 minutes.

In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss sauce with the pasta. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve tomato slices over spaghetti. Garnish with extra basil leaves.

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Hawaiian Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

You know what I love? I love having dinner just about finished and the kitchen cleaned by 10 a.m. Fantastic! When I bought my slow cooker, I thought for sure it would revolutionize my life. Prep for dinner the night before, throw it in the slow cooker in the morning and come home from work with dinner already made. I bet you know what's coming...I used it once or twice and then it sat gathering dust in my kitchen and eventually it was banished to our storage unit. But then Finley entered the picture and all of a sudden a slow cooker sounded like a great idea again. My second foray into slow cooking was a success - good old comfort food with a twist. The pineapple adds just a hint of sweetness and a depth of flavor that most pulled meat doesn't have. I loved the crunch and vinegar-y tang that the cole slaw added to the sandwich too. Yum!

(For my cole slaw, I used half a 16-oz package of tri-color cole slaw tossed with some mayo, a little dijon mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, and 1/4 teaspoon celery salt.)

Hawaiian Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

adapted from Tasty Kitchen

6 chicken thighs

2 slices hickory smoked bacon, chopped

1/2 large white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (8-oz) can of pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved

1 1/2 cups smoky barbecue sauce

Cole slaw, for serving (optional)

Hamburger buns or rolls (optional)

Arrange chicken thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with bacon, onion, garlic, pineapple, 2 tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice, and barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. One hour before serving, remove chicken thighs and shred meat. Return meat to slow cooker, stir meat into sauce and cook 1 additional hour. Skim off any fat/grease that has come to the top with a spoon and discard. Serve on hamburger buns and with cole slaw.

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BBQ Chicken Calzone

Have you heard of Pinterest? One of my friends first told me about it a few weeks ago and I thought it sounded like another time-sucking website I needed to avoid. Of course, I chose not to and it's now my favorite place to play on the web. If the dishes don't get cleaned, the laundry doesn't get folded (or even washed), the floors don't get swept...it's all Pinterest's fault. Sad but true!

Pinterest is basically an online bulletin board where you can 'pin' pictures, recipes, ideas, quotes, etc. of things from anywhere on the internet. You can create different files - for example, I have boards for recipes, party ideas, fun activities to do with Finley, and ideas for home decor - so that all your online inspiration/ideas are organized. I love to be organized, especially since I find it so hard to be in real life:-) Anyway, all this gabbing about Pinterest has a point.

I made an upscale version of CPK's BBQ Chicken Pizza (with bacon, chicken, smoked gouda and caramelized onions) a few weeks ago, but the cheese I chose didn't melt well so the end result tasted fantastic but did not look pretty. When I was on Pinterest a few days ago I saw a tutorial about how to create a really good-looking calzone. And inspiration hit - I decided to turn my ugly duckling of a pizza into a beautiful calzone.

BBQ Chicken Stromboli

a Baking and Eggs original recipe

here's a link to the wrap tutorial, in case you'd like step by step pictures

3 slices bacon, preferably hickory smoked

1 red onion, sliced into thin rings

1 tube refrigerated french bread dough

1/4 -1/3 cup smoky barbecue sauce, depending on how saucy you like your pizza

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced (I used a breast from a rotisserie chicken)

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

7 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded

Extra barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until lightly browned and crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel-lined plate to cool. When cool, crumble bacon and set aside.

Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in the pan, lower heat to medium-low and add the onion. Stirring occasionally to keep onion from burning, cook until onion is soft and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread out your dough onto a baking sheet - sides may hang off the sheet but that's okay. Orient the dough with the short side facing you and spread the BBQ sauce down the middle (vertical). Top with the chicken, crumbled bacon, caramelized onion, cilantro and cheese.

Now comes the fun part! Cut the dough on each side of the filling in 3/4-inch intervals - you want to have the same number of strips on each side. Start at the bottom, alternating sides, stretch the strip up and across the filling on a slight diagonal. Keep doing that until you reach the last strip.

Bake at 350 degrees until the dough is a light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with extra barbecue sauce, if desired!

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My Favorite Sandwich

I love sandwiches. I don't know why but I just do. And this sandwich was great. It combined a subtle sweetness from the Hawaiian bread, the potent tang of fresh pesto, the smoky flavor of good deli meats and the creaminess of cheese. Delish! We had it for dinner and again for lunch the next day. And I'd eat it again today if I hadn't have run out of meat and cheese!

My Favorite Sandwich

recipe from Recipes to Run On

Hawaiian bread

Pesto - fresh or store bought

Mayonnaise

Good quality deli turkey, thinly sliced

Good quality deli ham, thinly sliced

Good quality provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Spread a light layer of mayo on the bottom piece of bread. Top with ham, turkey, and cheese. On the top piece of bread, spread a healthy dollop of pesto and place bread over the meats and cheese. Cut sandwich in half and enjoy.

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Chicken Club Salad

I love making something pretty simple for meals on the weekends because we're usually too busy (or too lazy!) to do a lot of heavy lifting in the kitchen. This recipe was great because it made enough for two meals, a dinner and a lunch. Score - two for one! Andrew and I both really liked it when we ate it for dinner as a salad and I found myself looking forward to eating lunch the following day. I'm not usually a leftover lover so that's says a lot! To make it a little different, we ate it as chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.

Chicken Club Salad

4 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and diced

4 slices regular or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)

1 shallot, minced

1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

3 celery ribs, sliced and their leaves, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 c olive oil mayonnaise

1 t coarse mustard

2 t white wine vinegar

1/2 t celery salt

1/2 t celery seed

Freshly ground black pepper

Romaine lettuce and/or bread, for serving

In a large bowl, combine chicken, bacon, shallots, tomatoes, celery and celery leaves.

In a smaller bowl, combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, celery salt, celery seed and pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken mixture and gently fold together. Refrigerate for several hours for flavors to marry.

Right before serving, gently toss in avocado. Serve over lettuce as a salad or make into sandwiches.

Thanks for visiting! Please leave questions or comments - I always love to hear from you!

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Quick Quesadillas

Usually I prepare Finley's lunch during her nap so that it's ready to go when she wakes up. Her first word after waking up is almost always "eat!" Well today she woke up early and I hadn't had any time to plan, much less prepare, her lunch. So I was in need of a quick lunch for Finley and me. I looked at the odds and ends that we already had in the fridge and decided on quesadillas - and they turned out great! I can't wait to make them again tomorrow for lunch! What makes this quesadilla so scrumptious is the flavor of the onion and chive cream cheese, so don't skip it. All in all, a great easy lunch - almost no prep time, quick cooking, got some veggies in and I already had every ingredient.

Quick Quesadilla

butter

flour tortillas

onion and chive cream cheese

sliced or shredded cheese (I used muenster)

deli meat (I used smoked turkey)

spinach (or another green - arugula, romaine, kale, etc.)

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter. Let it get good and hot before you start cooking the quesadilla or else the tortilla won't get very crispy. Spread a tortilla with a thin layer of cream cheese. Over half of the tortilla, top with cheese, meat and spinach. Fold over to create a "sandwich" and carefully slip into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese has started to melt and flip over. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes and remove from pan. Cut into wedges and let cool slightly before eating.

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Mom's French Onion Soup

I'm not sure how I've made it through 32 years of life without ever having French Onion Soup, but as you can tell from the pictures above, I loved it! I think I shied away from it because the thought of eating a bunch of onions and mushy bread just didn't appeal to me, no matter how much melted cheese was on top! But I spent the weekend at my parents' house and my mom served this for dinner one night. It was absolutely divine! This is one of those recipes where the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Served with a green salad, this made the perfect dinner for a cold winter night. I can't wait to make myself. In the meantime, I got the recipe from my mom and had to share it!

Mom's French Onion Soup

serves 6 as a main course, 10-12 as a first course

3 T butter

4 c yellow sweet onions, sliced (from 3-5 onions)

1 clove garlic, minced

10 c beef broth

1 t salt

1 freshly ground black pepper

1 crusty French baguette, thinly sliced

1 lb. Swiss cheese (Emmeuthaler, Gruyere, etc.), shredded

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, stir occasionally, cook until onions are soft and a light golden brown. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange six soup bowls on a cookie sheet. Place 4-5 slices of bread in the bottom of each bowl. Fill bowls halfway with soup. Continue ladling in soup slowly until each bowl is evenly filled. Sprinkle cheese on top, without pushing cheese into the liquid. Gently press cheese all around the edges of the bowl, so that when the cheese melts, it forms a crust. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve with remaining bread slices and a green salad.

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Veggie Quesadillas with Tomatillo Sour Cream

Isn't my daughter, Finley, precious?! Unfortunately, as Finley has gotten older, she has pretty much stopped wanting to eat veggies, so sneaking them in has become a way of life for us. These quesadillas are packed with nutrients and still totally delicious! They take a little while longer to make since you have to chop and saute the vegetables, but to me, they're worth it. (You can always prepare the veggies ahead of time and then assemble the quesadillas immediately before mealtime.) Even with the cheese and tortillas, I still feel good eating them because they are loaded with good stuff too.

Veggie Quesadillas

an Erin original

2 T olive oil

1/2 t Ancho chile powder

1/4 t granulated garlic

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 white onion, diced

3 oz white mushrooms, diced

7-8 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed off and remaining cut into 1/4-inch slices

several handfuls baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

3 T tomatillo salsa

1/4 c minced cilantro

1 c Mexican blend shredded cheese

1 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 tortillas

cooking spray

In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and allow oil to heat up. Add chile powder and granulated garlic. Stir 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and asparagus. Saute until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add spinach, cilantro, salt, pepper and salsa. Continue sauteing until spinach wilts, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer veggies to a plate. Carefully wipe out pan and return to heat. (If you're not using a non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray.)

Place a tortilla in pan and sprinkle lightly with the two cheeses. Spoon a few spoonfuls of veggies evenly over cheese and add another sprinkling of cheese. Top with second tortilla. Allow to cook a minute or two, or until bottom tortilla is golden brown and cheese is beginning to melt. Carefully flip quesadilla over and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove to cutting board and slice into quarters. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve with Tomatillo Sour Cream.

Tomatillo Sour Cream

an Erin original

3 T fresh cilantro, finely minced

3 T tomatillo salsa (I prefer La Frontera's Tomatillo Salsa)

3 T sour cream

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Keep chilled in refrigerator until ready to use.

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Yummy Turkey Wraps

I was craving something different than a regular old turkey sandwich so I decided to spice things up a bit. And I loved the result! I based the recipe on a wrap sandwich I used to get in college at a restaurant called Roly-Poly. The combination of the sweet mango chutney and the spicy peppercorn ranch dressing perfectly spices up this sandwich! (I didn't include quantities here because it seems like everyone likes their sandwiches a little different.)

Yummy Turkey Wraps

whole wheat or spinach sandwich wrap or tortillas

peppercorn ranch dressing

shaved deli turkey

colby jack cheese slices

romaine lettuce, shredded

cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced

salt and pepper

mango chutney

Spread the sandwich wrap out on a large plate. Spread a light smattering of ranch dressing over half the wrap. Top the ranch with turkey, cheese, lettuce and cucumber. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the cucumber slices. Spread a smattering (a little more than you did the ranch) of chutney on the other half of the wrap. Roll up, cut in half and enjoy your lunch!

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Baked Fontina

I was a happy girl this Christmas as I received five cookbooks from Santa! One of the cookbooks is Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? and I was so excited to try a few recipes that I'd seen reviewed out in blog-land. One in particular piqued my curiosity because the main ingredient was cheese, which I love dearly, and the blogger (Pink Parsley's Josie) said it was one of her favorite appetizers of all time. I knew I had to try it!

Oh and it was fabulous! But how could you go wrong with oodles of melted cheese?!? I made 2/3 of a recipe to serve four people and not a drop was left. It was so easy to throw everything together in the skillet, pop it under the broiler and it's ready to eat in 6 minutes! The only con I have with this dish is that it can be a little pricy (the cheese was about $17/lb) so I altered the recipe a little bit to bring down the cost. And I still thought my cheaper version was delicious!

Baked Fontina

recipe altered by Erin from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? Cookbook

1/2 pound Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta cheese, rind removed and 1-inch diced

1/2 pound cheaper Italian Fontina, rind removed and 1-inch diced

3 T good olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 1/2 t dried thyme leaves

1/2 t dried rosemary leaves

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1 crusty French baguette

Preheat the broiler.

In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, evenly distribute the cubed cheese. Drizzle olive oil over the cheese. Sprinkle garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper over cheese as well. Place under the broiler for 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and starting to brown.

Serve with crusty chunks of bread.

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