Category Archives: Sandwich

Spinach Mushroom Grilled Cheese

May 7, 2020

I was planning to post my easy salsa verde enchiladas today but for some reason can’t get the photo to upload. So you’ll have to wait for enchiladas. Instead, I’m bringing you grilled cheese! You’ll probably think my kids are crazy because when they request grilled cheese they don’t want just cheese melted on bread, they mean spinach mushroom grilled cheese- it has become a popular meal around here! For some reason this combination of veggies is just really delicious with gooey cheese and crunchy bread. I saute mushrooms and spinach with a bit of garlic and pinch of pepper flakes. And then I layer it on some crusty bakery bread with a generous mound of cheese, grill, and repeat.

There are no rules for making this sandwich. You can get extra creative with the cheese(s). Use whatever you love and/or have on hand. I’ve made it so many times with so many different varieties of cheese. I’ve mentioned a few of my favorites in the ingredients section below. My daughter would like me to insert here that you’ve got to try Beecher’s flagship. It comes from Pike Place market here in Seattle (but can be found nationwide) and makes a killer grilled cheese. You can also add a bit of Parmesan, Pecorino, feta, or goat cheese. It’s really versatile. Sometimes we serve this with soup (oh yum) and other times we’ve added ham (or try bacon!) for an even heartier meal.

Spinach Mushroom Grilled Cheese

INGREDIENTS

spinach, chopped (fresh or frozen, if frozen defrost first)
mushrooms, chopped (I like to use cremini but any variety will work)
butter or olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
garlic, minced or a pinch of garlic powder (optional)
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
crusty white or wheat bread, sliced
cheese, grated (cheddar, colby jack, pepper jack, gouda, smoked provolone, Muenster, manchego, Beecher’s flagship, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat a bit of butter or oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and mushrooms and garlic, if using, and saute until the mushrooms are tender and most of the moisture has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
  2. Remove the spinach and mushroom mixture from the pan and squeeze out any excess moisture.
  3. Wipe the pan clean, if necessary, and return the pan to medium heat. Pile cheese on a slice of bread, top with some of the spinach mushroom mixture, more cheese, and a second slice of bread. Put a little butter or oil on the pan and grill the sandwich, flipping halfway through until the cheese is melted, and the outside is golden and crisp. Slice and serve.

Turkey, Smoked Gouda, and Raspberry Chipotle Jam Sandwich

May 4, 2020

I have so many fond food memories of Chicago. We lived there for 2 years while Dustin completed his pediatric dental residency and have been back a couple times since we moved away almost 6 years ago. One of my favorite lunches in Chicago was from a bakery in Uptown, just down the street from our second apartment, that no longer exists but had the most amazing bread and sandwiches. The best of all their sandwiches was the turkey and smoked gouda with raspberry chipotle jam layered on their fresh baked ciabatta. I still crave it to this day. And so I’ve figured out how to make my own!

The secret to this sandwich is using the best bread you can find. A good ciabatta is thick and chewy yet fluffy with nooks and crannies to soak up the mayo on one side and spicy jam on the other. Arugula adds a fresh peppery bite. Smoked gouda is a must. It’s got so much flavor you can’t skip it. I’ve looked and never found a raspberry chipotle jam in a store, but it’s so easy to make your own. Take some good raspberry preserves and mix in some minced up chipotle pepper in adobo (the kind that come in a can- they are just smoked jalapeno peppers in a sauce). I haven’t included any amounts for this recipe (except a suggestion on the chipotle pepper to jam ratio) because I don’t measure when I make a sandwich. I just layer it all on like I like it! I promise this sandwich will make you a fan.

Turkey, Smoked Gouda, and Raspberry Chipotle Jam Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

ciabatta, sliced in half
raspberry jam (Bonne Mamam is the best store bought brand)
chipotle pepper in adobo (from a can), minced
oven roasted or smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced
smoked gouda, sliced
mayonnaise
arugula
tomato, sliced

DIRECTIONS

  1. To make the raspberry chipotle jam, in a small bowl stir to combine the raspberry jam and chipotle pepper. (I use 1 Tbsp. minced chipotle in adobo per 1/4 cup raspberry jam for a mild/medium kick. It will taste less spicy on the bread so you can add more chipotle if you like a lot of heat!)
  2. Spread the prepared jam on the top half of the ciabatta and mayonnaise on the bottom half. Layer the bottom half with turkey, smoked gouda, tomato and arugula, and top with the top slice of bread. (The sandwich can be served cold or warmed in the oven until the cheese is melty and the outside of the bread crisp.)

Inspired by a sandwich at the former Baker and Nosh in Chicago.

Egg in a Hole Grilled Cheese

April 7, 2020

Breakfast for lunch or dinner happens often around here. Eggs make a great meal any time of day and there are so many ways to eat them! This recipe puts a fun twist on egg in a hole by making it into grilled cheese. We added thinly sliced ham, sharp Cheddar, and for those who are fans, some mustard. Grill until the bread is crisp and the cheese is oozing out. (You can leave the egg yolk runny- we like ours just set.) Slice in half and devour. Then repeat.

Egg in a Hole Grilled Cheese

INGREDIENTS

crusty white or wheat bread, sliced (French or sourdough loaves are really good here)
butter
cheese (sharp cheddar, Colby/Pepper Jack, or Swiss, etc.), grated or thinly sliced 
egg
thinly sliced ham or cooked bacon or Canadian bacon
mustard or honey mustard (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut a hole from the center of one slice of the bread. Melt a bit of butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When it foams, place the cut slice of bread and the round in skillet and toast lightly, about 1 minute.

  2. Crack an egg into the hole and season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

  3. Flip the egg bread, sprinkle cheese on bread and top with ham. Spread mustard (if using) on second piece of bread and close sandwich. Cook until well browned and bottom part of cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute more. Flip whole sandwich and cook until all cheese is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve warm.

Adapted from Food Network

Turkey Bacon Panini (or Burger) with Sun-dried Tomato Aioli

March 31, 2020

Today I not only have a recipe to share, but my site has a new look! I was forced to update because of some outdated features of the old design but I’m excited about the new modern/minimalist look. Thank you to Natalie and Blogzilla for the template and installation help- I highly recommend them!

This sandwich/burger and aioli recipe has become a favorite around here. I’ve made it many times now both ways. The secret is the sun-dried tomato aioli, which is just a fancy name for mayo. But not ordinary mayo- no, this one is jazzed up with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and lemon juice. I used to live a couple miles from Whole Foods and would often pick up lunch there when we were grocery shopping or out for the day. I almost always went for the sandwich bar where you could custom create a massive sandwich (enough for me + toddler) for 8$. They had the best sun-dried tomato mayonnaise and when I moved away (sadly my nearest Whole Foods is a 35 + minute drive now) I had to figure out how to make my own! This recipe is spot on.

For a panini, I like to use crusty white bread, arugula, bacon if I have some, and either provolone or Havarti. When I make turkey burgers, I skip the bacon and add some sliced tomato and red onion. It’s all up to you! (BTW this makes A LOT of aioli, so if you’re not cooking for a crowd you can halve the recipe or save some for later… you’ll want to!)

Turkey Bacon Panini (or Burger) with Sun-dried Tomato Aioli

INGREDIENTS

Panini (or Burger):

crusty bread, sliced (or hamburger buns)
arugula (or baby spinach)
bacon, cooked until crisp (optional, but delicious)
smoked or oven-roasted turkey, thinly sliced (or ground turkey for a burger)
cheese, sliced (smoked provolone or Havarti are my favorites on this)

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar (optional, but recommended)
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli:

  1. To make the aioli, mix the mayo, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl. (If you prefer your aioli to have a smoother texture you can pulse them in the food processor.)

Panini:

  1. Spread aioli on one or both slices of the bread. Layer arugula, bacon, turkey, and cheese. Top with the second slice of bread.
  2. Preheat a panini press or pan on the stove to medium heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray or butter to help the sandwich crisp and brown. Grill sandwich, flipping halfway through if necessary, until both sides are toasted and the cheese has melted. Cut and serve.

*If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a plate, spatula, or second pan to press the sandwich down on the pan on the stove to get the “pressed” panini result.

Burgers:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey with a bit of the aioli (1-2 Tbsp. per pound of turkey) and season with salt and pepper. Form into patties and grill until cooked through.
  2. Place burgers on a bun and top with cheese, aioli, bacon (optional), and aioli.

Panini adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and burger/aioli from Fine Cooking.

Buckwheat Crepes

March 1, 2015

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The thing I miss most about Chicago (besides the friends we left behind) is the food. So much amazing food in that city. At least once every week during the spring and summer Clara and I frequented one of the farmers markets (Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park were our favorites)- for fresh fruit and veggies, flowers, and bread. And to visit our favorite crepe stand. Two cute Frenchman ran a crepe truck and made the most incredible sweet and savory crepes. Dessert (or breakfast, occasionally!) crepes with blueberries and fresh cream and honey and buckwheat crepes with ham and cheese (our go-to), or pesto with cheese and ham or turkey, even goat cheese and honey. We’d share a massive hot crepe in the park with a side of just-picked cherry tomatoes and berries before heading home with the rest of our edible treasures.

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Lincoln Square farmer’s market

I didn’t expect this recipe to be nearly as delicious or authentic as those perfect Chicago street crepes. But it is! And it’s simple and can be made 100% buckwheat/whole wheat if you wish. We love them just about any way, but highly recommend ham + freshly grated REAL Parmesan for your first experience. Which is what we had for lunch today (and several times last week) followed by a warm peanut butter + banana + honey crepe for dessert!

Buckwheat Crepes

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use 1/2 cup white whole wheat + 1/4 cup all-purpose)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

fillings:
thinly sliced ham + freshly grated Parmesan + freshly ground black pepper (I’ve also added spinach)
basil pesto + mozzarella
peanut butter + sliced banana + honey
almond butter + sliced strawberries + honey
yogurt + fruit + honey

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth (using a blender, food processor, immersion blender, or whisk). Cover bowl and chill for several hours or overnight. (You can get away with cooking them immediately, but they’ll have a better texture if refrigerated first.)

2. Set the batter out to come to room temperature for an hour before cooking (I usually forget this step and they turn out fine). Preheat a large skillet over medium-heat. Add a small pat of butter and quickly spread the butter around the pan. Add 1/4 cup (for small crepes) -1/3 cup (for large crepes) of batter and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads into a circle. Cook for about a minute, until bubbling and golden on the bottom, then flip (I loosen the edges with a spatula and then slide it under the middle and flip very carefully) and cook on the second side until golden brown.

3. To make a ham and cheese crepe: Immediately after flipping, sprinkle with Parmesan and place a single layer of ham on top. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Fold the crepe over twice and cook a bit longer on each side, until the cheese is melted. Serve warm. The same can be done with pesto and mozzarella or other fillings of choice.

4. Unused crepes can easily be stored wrapped in the fridge for a couple of days, or frozen (layer between wax paper and place in a plastic bag) for several months.

Makes 10-20 crepes, depending on size (mine were large, so I only got 10).

(Adapted from David Lebovitz)