Slow Cooker Sandwiches

(Saturday, November 20, 2010)

Thanksgiving is coming up. It is always a fun time of year to make old holiday favorites and try new ones. But, let's face it, Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work. It takes hours and hours to make and it gets gobbled up in 30 minutes or less...and then there are the dishes that need to be done!

So, in order to make Thanksgiving as enjoyable as possible, I think it's important to take it easy cooking-wise just before and just after the big feast. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use the slow cooker. I LOVE the slow cooker! Bless the person who invented it (according to a quick google search, it appears that Rival Industries created the first slow cooker called the "Crock Pot" in the 1970's). Wonderful invention! I just wish I had invented it because I would be very wealthy. But I guess since I was only born in 1979, it would have been a lot to ask of an infant to come up with such an invention.

I find slow cooker sandwiches to be the easiest of all slow cooker recipes because you simply slice or shred the meat, place it on a bun and serve it with some easy side dishes. It also makes kitchen clean up so easy. Don't forget to use Reynold's Slow Cooker liners. Because then you don't even have to clean your slow cooker afterward.

Oh, and while some of these recipes call for a specific type of roast, I have found that any cut or type of roast works well. If you use a bone-in roast, just remember to remove the bones when you are cutting or shredding the meat.

I'm sharing a teriyaki pulled pork sandwich (a nice change of pace from the usual BBQ pulled sandwiches), pepperoncini beef sandwiches, and two versions of French Dip sandwiches (the first one is a new find, the second one is an old favorite). Both of the French Dip recipes are delicious, in my opinion. But the second one takes a lot less prep time. They both make a yummy au jus to dip the sandwiches in. To quote Homer Simpson, "Ahhhh. Au jus. Not quite gravy...not quite blood. Mmmmmmm." Hopefully that quote didn't gross you out, but I always get a kick out of it. Plus, it's a good way for me to test to see if you actually read the entire blog post!

One final note: shredded meat is very freezer friendly. If you have extra shredded meat, put it in a freezer zip top bag, label it (what it is and the date you froze it) and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave. So easy!

I hope you like these recipes and I hope they help to simplify your holidays!

Teriyaki Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 (3 lb) boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 bottle teriyaki sauce or marinade
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple rings, drained and liquid reserved
8 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Place roast in a 5 quart slow cooker. Pour teriyaki sauce/marinade and liquid from canned pineapple rings over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove roast and shred meat with two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir.

Toast whole wheat hamburger buns and use a slotted spoon to top the bun with shredded pork and a pineapple ring.

Source: This is a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com, but it is actually a Taste of Home Test Kitchen recipe.

Notes: I slightly altered the original recipe. The original recipe has a few more steps to it. First, they browned the roast in 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat and then cut the roast in half before placing it in the slow cooker. I simply found this to be an unnecessary step. They also discarded the juice from the pineapple rings and called for a can of unsweetened pineapple juice. Now, why buy another can of pineapple juice when you can use the juice from the pineapple rings and attain the same results? Also, in the original recipe, they thickened the teriyaki sauce in the slow cooker by whisking 3 tablespoons of flour into the teriyaki sauce and covering it and cooking it in the crock pot on high for 30-40 minutes until the sauce was thickened. At that point, they put the meat back into the slow cooker until the meat was heated again. Thickening the sauce isn't necessary, but it does make for a less juicy and messy sandwich. Again, I found this to be an extra step that wasn't absolutely necessary. Oh, and be sure to use whole wheat hamburger buns. They add such a nice flavor to the sandwiches. It adds much more depth to the taste than using just white buns for this recipe. If you keep a frozen pork roast and frozen buns in your freezer, this makes an easy pantry recipe that you can put together at the drop of a hat!
Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 (3 lb) beef chuck roast
4 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
1 (16 ounce) jar sliced pepperoncini peppers
Sliced Pepper Jack or Jalapeno cheese
Buns or rolls

Directions:

If using garlic, make small cuts in roast and insert garlic slices into the cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over the meat.

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender. Shred or slice the beef. Place on toasted buns or hoagie rolls and top with cheese and pepperoncini, if desired. You can also place the sandwiches open-faced onto a foil covered jelly roll pan and broil for 1 minute to toast the bread and melt the cheese prior to serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Joyce.

Notes: If I'm in a hurry, I either skip the garlic, or just add it to the slow cooker with the jar of pepperoncini. Broiling the sandwiches is a must, in my opinion. Just make sure to watch the sandwiches closely while they are broiling. They can burn quickly if you aren't paying attention!

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 boneless beef rump roast (4 lbs.), trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 package (0.7 oz) Italian dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 hoagie buns, split
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
12 slices (1 oz each) provolone cheese, cut in half

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray (or use slow cooker liner). In slow cooker, place onion; add broth. Brush all surfaces of beef roast with vinegar. Place roast on top of onions. Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix, salt, and pepper.

Cover; cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender.

Remove beef from slow cooker; place on cutting board. Cut beef across grain into thin slices. Return slices to slow cooker; mix well. (You can also shred the meat, if you prefer)

Spoon beef onto bottom halves of buns and top each with bell pepper, cheese, and top half of bun. Serve sandwiches with juices from slow cooker.

Source: A cookbook of my mother's entitled Slow Cooker Sensations.

Notes: You can simply pour the balsamic vinegar over the roast. You don't really need to brush it on. I added a total of three cans of beef broth to the slow cooker. This allowed my entire roast to be immersed...which helped to make it really tender. Also, we usually saute or broil the bell peppers until they are softened. It takes a little of the bitter taste out of the green peppers. You can also use any kind of bell peppers you like. This sandwich is fantastic with green, yellow, orange, or red bell peppers. Oh, and although I didn't toast or broil my sandwiches this time (as seen in the picture above), I usually do because I like to melt the cheese on the sandwich prior to serving (just as described in the pepperoncini beef sandwich recipe above).

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 beef roast
2 cans beef consomme
1 can French onion soup
Hoagie rolls
Butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place roast in a slow cooker and pour consomme and onion soup on top. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Serve on buttered, salted, and peppered hoagie rolls and use the consomme/onion soup mixture as an au jus to dip the sandwiches in.

Source: I have no idea. This is a recipe that my mom has been making since I was a child. I don't know where she got it from.

Oktoberfest...Take One!

(Originally posted on Monday, October 18, 2010)

We at Foodie Family decided to celebrate Oktoberfest this Sunday! Only since hubby and I live on the other side of the country, we couldn't take part of the good company at Oktoberfest-Utah. But we did enjoy good food! Hubby spent 2 years in Germany, so he is an expert on the cuisine. So he told me a few of his favorites and I blindly took a stab at them. The recipes themselves were fun to make ( Rouladen, the meat pictured about was kind of like making sushi rolls with steak!) It was challenging, however, to know how accurately I was making the recipes because I had never tried any version of them. And because my husband is too nice to tell me how the compared to the real deal, I cannot attest to their authenticity. But I did enjoy eating and making them!

First up: Rouladen. This sounded down right disgusting to me. It was basically rolled up steak stuffed with bacon, onions and pickles. But I actually liked it. I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com, and according to the reviews, it is quite hard to make it in the USA, because its not easy to find the right cut of beef. So the american version uses flank steak, which I pounded thin as I could. It would be ideal to have a cut of meat half as thick, but we made do. Also I modified the recipe slightly, because I just rolled the entire steak, tied it, cooked it, and then sliced it. I think it made it a lot easier to work with. I also made a gravy out of the sauce to go with the homemade spaeztla!

German Rouladen

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• German stone ground mustard, to taste
• 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar dill pickle slices
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cube beef bouillon

1. Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide.
2. Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste. Place bacon, onions and pickle slices on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Place the rolls in the butter and saute until browned.
4. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of water and add the bouillon cube; stirring to dissolve the bouillon cube. Simmer the rolls for about an hour.

German Spaetzla Dumplings (Not pictured. Recipe also from Allrecipes.com)

These were pretty easy and really fun to make. I followed the suggestion of one of the reviews and used a ziploc bag with some holes punched in the bottom to make the spaetzle. I think they were a tad bit small, but it worked great!

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 gallon hot water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
2. Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
3. Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
4. Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.

Obatzda
Lastly, we served Obaztda, a german cheese spread served with rye bread. I did a google search and kinda merged a bunch of recipes, because usually the recipe calls for a few tablespoons beer...

I used about 8 oz soft cambert cheese
4 oz cream cheese softened
4 oz butter softened
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t onion powder
2 green onions, sliced

mix together and refrigerate. Serve with Rye bread, crackers, pretzels or veggies.

Summer May Be Ending, But Soup Season Has Just Begun!

(Originally posted on Wednesday, September 8, 2010)

*Amendment as of 10/5/10 I forgot to mention that I did not strain my soup, as the recipe calls. I prefer chuncky tomato goodness in my soup. Hence the thick texture shown in my photo. I used my stick blender to blend to the desired consistency*

Eureka! I've found it! The perfect tomato soup recipe!!! This has been quite the process, and I have gone through many a recipe in this quest. I think the problem was many of the soups would end up tasting too much like tomato sauce, or canned tomatoes. This recipe uses roasted tomatoes, which really gives a nice rich flavor to this soup. Its the perfect time to make it because garden tomatoes are at their prime, and my garden has an abundance. So this soup was basically free to make, I had all the ingredients on hand! I think next week I'll make another batch and freeze it. Try it with some delicious homemade bread bowls and a lovely tossed salad for a light and healthy dinner .

I actually found this recipe by doing a google search. Here is the link and the recipe. It is from the Zupa's blog, which I didn't even know they had. I'll have to keep checking it out. The only modification I did was adding less cream, oh and I used my stick blender, which is one of my very favorite kitchen tools! If you make a lot of soups, which I do, It is a must have item.

Roasted Tomato Soup

• 4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 6-8 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced [use only 1/2 tsp if you used dried]
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced [use only 1 tsp if using dried basil]
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (That's a lot of cream! I only used 2 tablespoons, just to give it a little bit of a creamy texture, but it would be just as tasty without the cream, but if you are feeling indulgent go ahead!)

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.

Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.
Cook onion, oregano, basil, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes.
Divide soup among 8 bowls.

Homemade Bread Bowls
this comes from allrecipes.com
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 cup warm milk ( 110 degrees)

1/2 c shortening

1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

2 t salt

6 c all purpose flour

cornmeal

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, sugar, eggs, salt & 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover & let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

2. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. divide into eight pieces; shape each into a ball. Grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place 4 balls 3 inches apart on each prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

3. Cut a thin slice off the top and scoop out bread. Serve with soup or chili.

Chicken Sandwiches

(Originally posted on Sunday, July 18, 2010)

Summer is the perfect time for sandwiches. I mean, can anyone really have too many sandwiches during the summer? Plus, there are so many sandwiches to choose from--deli, burgers, veggie, pressed sandwiches, toasted, panini, shredded barbecue sandwiches, etc. Then, of course, there is our favorite cost-efficient and versatile protein of choice--chicken.

I'm not going to include a specific recipe for chicken salad sandwiches. I think the best chicken salad sandwiches come from being creative. But, if you need some ideas...start with a base of chopped or shredded cooked chicken and mayonnaise, plain yogurt, or sour cream. Add something to give it a little kick such as yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, etc. Then add a combination of some of your favorite add-in ingredients. Here are some of my favorite add-ins: dried fruit (such as dried cranberries), fresh fruit (such as sliced grapes), toasted nuts, chopped celery, chopped dill pickles (or relish), chopped onions, sliced green onions, and your favorite spices (just a dash). Be creative! Don't forget to taste as you go so that the balance is right. I've made some super tasty chicken salad sandwiches (and tuna salad sandwiches, for that matter--just follow the same guidelines) simply by throwing in a combination of ingredients that sounded good to me and that I already had on hand.

The first sandwich recipe is a sliced spicy barbecue chicken recipe topped with melted cheese (pictured above). The second recipe is a pulled chicken sandwich that is a nice change of pace from pulled pork or beef. The third recipe is a pulled buffalo chicken sandwich. The second and third recipes both use a slow cooker which is nice because then you won't heat up your kitchen too much during the heat of the summer. The fourth recipe is a cool chicken sandwich with an Asian flair. The final sandwich is a cool, summer friendly pita sandwich.

Also, if you keep frozen chicken and buns in your freezer, any of the first three sandwich recipes are great pantry recipes. You can throw them together quickly and easily if you keep your pantry and freezer stocked!

I hope you like them (come on, you've got to at least like ONE of them!)!

Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches (pictured above)

This recipe yields slow-cooked barbecue flavor in less than an hour. The sandwiches need to be broiled at the last minute, but the rest of the menu can be made ahead of time.

Yield: 4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup canned tomato puree
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1 1/2-ounce) sandwich rolls
2 ounces Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, thinly sliced (see note below)
4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion

Directions:

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm. (See my notes below)

Remove 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 chopped chipotle chiles, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler.

Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with onion and top roll halves. Serve immediately.

CALORIES 424 (25% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.9g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 211mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.1g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 34.5g; FIBER 2.6g

Cooking Light, MAY 2005

Notes: The first time I made this, I was making it for a crowd and as a result, the pan that I was cooking the chicken in was too crowded. Because of that, the chicken took forever to cook and the water quickly evaporated before the chicken was done. The second time I made this, I simply poached the chicken by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water (with the cumin and garlic). This solved the problem perfectly. The chicken cooked faster and more evenly and the cumin and garlic was still infused into the chicken. I didn't think that adding more water diluted the flavor at all. It just simplified things! Also, my sweet husband went grocery shopping for me and got Pepper Jack cheese (which is the kind of cheese on the sandwich in the picture above) instead of Monterey Jack cheese. Both kinds of cheeses work well for this sandwich, so go with your preference!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

The chicken and sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat the mixture in a saucepan before serving.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (for the slow cooker version, chicken breasts, or a mix of chicken thighs and breasts can also be used)
Cooking spray

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining ingredients:

8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
16 hamburger dill chips

Directions:

Regular Version:

Prepare grill.

To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.

Slow Cooker Version:

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker (or, if you prefer, drain the juices from the chicken and leave the chicken in the slow cooker). Stir half of the barbecue sauce into the chicken and reserve the other half of the sauce to serve with the sandwiches.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half. Top with extra barbecue sauce, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 365 (23% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 2.6g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 78mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.8g; SODIUM 877mg; PROTEIN 28.2g; FIBER 2g

Source: Cooking Light recipe found on Myrecipes.com

Notes: When I made this, I doubled the barbecue sauce so one batch was stirred into the drained chicken in the slow cooker and the other batch was used on top of the chicken when it was served on the sandwich rolls. I created the slow cooker version of this recipe because I thought it sounded great, but I simply didn't have time to do the version of the recipe as printed.

One final note: shredded meat is very freezer friendly. If you have extra shredded meat, put it in a freezer zip top bag, label it (what it is and the date you froze it) and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave. So easy!


Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided (Winger’s or Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce works well)
2 (1 ounce) packages dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions:

Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in ¾ of the wing sauce and 1 package of ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Mix the other ranch dressing mix with the sour cream. The ranch/sour cream mixture can be spread onto the hoagie rolls and used as a dip for carrot/celery sticks or chips. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Divinesoalce21

Notes: I made a few changes from the original recipe. Sometimes this sandwich can be pretty spicy (depending on what wing sauce you use). I have found that spreading the sandwich with a ranch spread (the sour cream/ranch dressing mixture) or blue cheese salad dressing adds just the right balance to the spiciness of the chicken. You can also add blue cheese crumbles and additional wing sauce, if you desire. This recipe is also freezer friendly (just like the pulled chicken recipe above).

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle teriyaki marinade
6 hamburger buns

Suggested Toppings (all or a combination of):

Sliced cucumbers
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Pineapple rings
Favorite cheese slices
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki marinade at least one hour or up to overnight in the fridge.

You can grill or broil the chicken breasts. If grilling, grill on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (or until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle). If broiling, broil on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (again, until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle).

Place chicken breasts on hamburger buns and top with toppings of your choice.

Source: My mom has been making this for years. I'm not sure if she just came up with the idea or if she saw it in a recipe book.

Notes: You might want to either consider pounding the chicken breasts to flatten them prior to cooking or thinly slicing the chicken once it has been cooked because once you add all of your toppings to the sandwich, it is one tall sandwich (and pretty difficult to eat without everything slipping out of the bun!).

Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
Bagged Caesar salad kit
Pita bread

Directions:

Cook chicken according to your own preference (you can poach it, saute it in a pan, grill it, etc.). Once the chicken is cooked, slice or cube it. You can also often find pre-cooked and sliced chicken in the refrigerated/deli section of the grocery store, if you would prefer to use that.

Prepare Caesar salad kit according to package directions. Mix in chicken.

Slice pita bread in half and open the pockets. Fill the pockets with the Caesar salad mixture and enjoy!

Source: Again, this is a recipe my mom made for us years ago. I'm not sure of its origins. The bagged salad kit is a time-saving idea, but you can also make your own Caesar salad from scratch, if you prefer.

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!

(Originally posted on Friday, June 11, 2010)

I won't be givin' ya any recipes fer pirate drinks 'cause this here be a family blog, arrrrr! If ye be in the mood fer bootleg rum, ya better be goin' after another treasure map to be findin' yer booty! But come now matey, is there a better time to enjoy a nice cool drink to wet yer whistle than the summer time?

So, quit swabbin' the decks fer a minute and take a swig!

Herbal Sodas

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 ounce fresh herbs, such as basil, lemon verbena, mint, tarragon, or thyme.
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ice, for serving
Sparkling water or club soda, for serving

Directions:

Put sugar and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; add herbs. Cover; let cool completely.

Pour syrup through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard herbs. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Fill glasses with ice. Add 2-4 tablespoons syrup; top with sparkling water or club soda, and stir.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, 2010.



Coconut Horchata

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup almonds
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3 cups boiling water
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
5 cups cold water, or more as needed
5 cups ice

Directions:

Place rice, almonds, and coconut flakes into a food processor. process until ground to the consistency of sand. Pour rice mixture into a bowl and stir in the boiling water. Cover and rest for 6 hours or overnight.

Strain rice mixture through a sieve twice, discarding the ground rice, almonds, and coconut. Stir in the coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the cold water and serve over ice.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Suzie.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

(Originally posted on Monday, May 31, 2010)

Above: Vanilla Ice Milk, Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream, Pralines and Caramel Ice Cream, Blackberry Ice Cream, and finally, Toasted Coconut and Almond Ice Cream.

Nothing compares to homemade ice cream. Even the very best store bought ice creams can't hold a candle to what you can make at home. Sadly though, due to the expense (both money-wise and calorie-wise) homemade ice cream is only something you should make once in awhile. We decided to make some for Memorial Day.

In addition to the flavors pictured here, we also made Cake Batter Ice Cream and Blueberry Ice Cream.

I hope you like them...but pace yourself! You could gain 10 lbs in a day if you go overboard on this stuff!

Vanilla Ice Milk

Ingredients:

3 cups skim milk
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 cups whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Freeze as directed. Stir after freezing to blend any unfrozen skim milk into frozen mixture.

Makes: This recipe is designed for a 4 quart-size ice cream maker.

Source: Rival Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Maker user's manual.

Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup toasted, chopped almonds
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
6 beaten eggs
2 cups canned milk
6 cups half 'n' half
4 cups whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Toast chopped almonds in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend sugar and cocoa together and add 6 beaten eggs, 2 cups canned milk, and 4 cups half 'n' half. Stir and heat until almost boiling. Cool; then add remaining 2 cups half 'n' half, 4 cups whipping cream, and 3/4 teaspoon almond extract. Add nuts just before freezing. Pour in 6-quart ice cream freezer container and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Each 1/2 cup serving contains: 195 calories, 14 g fat, 16 g carb, 40 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol.

Source: Deseret News, submitted by Diane C. Anderson, of Fruit Heights, Utah. May 21, 2002.

Note: I was actually able to fit this into my 4 quart ice cream maker. It took a little longer to freeze and I had to ripen it in my freezer (in a freezer safe container) a little longer before it was ready, but it still worked. It would definitely have frozen faster in a 6 quart ice cream maker, however.

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups milk, or half-and-half

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Transfer to an ice cream maker, and freeze following manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight, freezer safe container.

Source: Martha Stewart website, Copyright 2010.

Pralines

Ingredients:

Butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Butter bottom of a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Cook brown sugar and next 3 ingredients in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugars dissolve; stir in pecans. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla; let stand 3 minutes. Beat with a wooden spoon 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Working rapidly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Let stand until firm.

Source: Southern Living, November 1999.

Note: I used a full package of pecans--which measures 2 cups (instead of 1 1/4 cups). I didn't have a candy thermometer, so as soon as the mixture started boiling, I timed it at exactly eight minutes. I also let the mixture cool a little over 5 minutes. This made it so that when I started stirring it, it crumbled into individual caramel covered nuts. I spread the individual nuts onto a wax paper covered jelly roll pan and let them cool completely.

Pralines and Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 recipes Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream (see recipe above)
1 recipe Pralines
1 jar caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

Prepare Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream and freeze in a 4 quart ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. During the last five minutes of mixing time, add pralines.

When you are transferring your ice cream to a freezer safe container, do it in layers. Ice cream, caramel ice cream topping, ice cream, caramel ice cream topping, etc. Lightly swirl the caramel topping before putting ice cream on top of it.

Makes 4 quarts.

Source: Compilation recipe. Ice cream recipe from Martha Stewart, pralines from Southern Living. I just love pralines and caramel ice cream and shakes and I had never found a great recipe for it before, so I figured I would have to come up with it myself. This was to die for! Mission accomplished.

Blackberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, or Mixed Berry Ice Cream
(see notes below for more options)

Ingredients:

2 recipes Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream (see recipe above)
3-4 cups berries of your choice (see note below)

Directions:

Depending on how you want the consistency of your ice cream, you can either keep the berries whole, blend all of your berries in a blender, crush them with a fork, or blend half of the berries and put the rest of the berries into the ice cream mixture whole.

Prepare Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream and stir in berries. Freeze in a 4 quart ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Source: Martha Stewart and your own creativity!

Notes: Be creative. If you don't like berries, use this vanilla ice cream recipe and mix in crushed Oreos, crumbled cookie dough, crumbled brownies, your favorite candies, etc. To make cake batter ice cream, simply mix in a box of dry cake mix into the vanilla ice cream recipe of your choice.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup white cake mix, sifted
Sprinkles, optional

Directions:

Whisk together milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, cream, and cake mix in a saucepan until well blended. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator or freezer until liquid is cold.

Pour the chilled mixture into a 2 quart ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches "soft-serve" consistency. Transfer ice cream to a one or two quart lidded plastic container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Note: If you would like sprinkles in your ice cream, you can add them to the ice cream mixture during the last 5 minutes of mixing, or you can fold them into the ice cream as you transfer it to a freezer safe container.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Ekho

Toasted Coconut and Almond Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water
3 cups low-fat milk (divided)
3 large egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) nonfat sweetened condensed milk
1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Directions:

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand, stirring once or twice, while you make the base for the ice cream.

Pour 1 1/2 cups milk into a large saucepan. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds into the milk and add the pod.

Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until steaming. Whisk egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking until blended. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the back of the spoon is lightly coated, 3-5 minutes. Do not bring to a boil or the custard will curdle.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large bowl. Add the softened gelatin and whisk until melted. Whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

Whisk the ice cream mixture and pour into the canister of a 2 quart ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add coconut flakes and almonds to the ice cream maker. If necessary, place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up before serving.

Serves 8 (Yields 1 quart, 8 1/2 cup servings).

Tip: To toast chopped dry nuts, cook in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes. Cool toasted nuts completely before adding them to the ice cream maker.

Nutrition Information: 276 calories, 9 g fat, 91 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Source: Delish.com

Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups half and half
5 cups whipping cream

Directions:

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla extract and whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Freeze as directed.

Strawberry: Add 5 cups pureed strawberries to chilled mixture before freezing.

Banana: Add 3 1/2 cups mashed bananas to chilled mixture before freezing.

Peach: Add 5 cups pureed peaches to chilled mixture before freezing.

Mint Chip: Omit vanilla and substitute pure peppermint extract (to taste). Chop your favorite bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate bar into tiny uneven pieces. Add the chopped chocolate during the last 5 minutes of mixing.

Source: Rival Ice Cream Maker user's guide.

Notes: I thought you might appreciate having another version of vanilla ice cream. The Martha Stewart recipe is amazing, but if you're looking for a less decadent version of vanilla ice cream, this one is for you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

(Originally posted on March 17, 2010)

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is our family's tried and true (and super easy) recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage.

I'm also including a recipe for Irish Soda Bread that I tried today. It was very easy and quite tasty. I chose this particular recipe because I had all of the ingredients in my pantry already.

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Red Currant-Mustard Sauce

Note: Corned beef brisket needs a long, slow simmer to get it tender. Put it in the slow cooker first thing in the morning. But the cabbage, potatoes and carrots will turn mushy if they've been cooked all day. They can be microwaved in 15 or 20 minutes just before dinner is served.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pound boneless corned beef brisket
Corned beef seasoning packet (or 1 tsp whole black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf)
3 ribs celery, cut into 3 inch lengths
2 medium onions, cut lengthwise into quarters
3 1/2 cups water
1 pound green cabbage, cut into 3 inch wedges
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
6-8 small carrots, tops trimmed, or 4 medium carrots, cut crosswise into thirds
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsps. butter, melted
Salt
Pepper
chopped parsley

Instructions:

Place celery and onions in 4 1/2-51/2 quart slow cooker; top with corned beef brisket. Add corned beef seasoning packet, if included, and 3 1/2 cups water. Cover and cook on high 7 hours, or on low 9-10 hours, or until brisket is fork-tender. Remove brisket; set aside. Discard cooking liquid, celery, and onions.

Place cabbage, potatoes and carrots in 2 1/2 quart microwave safe casserole dish; add 1/2 cup water. Cover and microwave on high 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Drain vegetables; add butter and salt and pepper as desired; toss to coat.

Carve brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with vegetables and red Currant-Mustard Sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Red Currant-Mustard Sauce:

Ingredients:

12 ounces Red Currant Jelly
3 Tbsps. Coarse grain Dijon-style mustard

Directions:

Place 12 ounces of red currant jelly in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stirring once. Whisk in 3 Tbsps. coarse-grain Dijon-style mustard. Cover and microwave on high 30 seconds.

Or, you can melt the jelly in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Once the jelly is melted, stir in the mustard.

Source: This recipe was found in the recipe section of the Deseret News years ago. The clipping that I have doesn't include the name of the person who created the recipe.


Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an "X" into the top of the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

We topped ours with honey-butter.

Source: Allrecipes.com submitted by MP Welty