BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I probably don't have to tell you that we're the kind of family that loves to cook.  Would you believe though that some days, we just don't want to step into the kitchen.

Well, let me introduce you to one of our best friends, the rotisserie chicken.

Now, the easiest way to serve one is right off the bone and sometimes we do.

I was feeling like a sandwich though and came up with this combo.

This is a really nice way to have a delicious dinner that your family will enjoy without having to spend a lot of time in your kitchen.

I actually had about one cup of the bbq chicken leftover and used it the next day for bbq chicken pizza.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe couldn't be simpler.  Add more or less of the chicken and bbq sauce to your liking. If you want to get a little fancy, coleslaw on the sandwich would be really good!

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

*Your favorite bbq sauce (purchased or homemade)

Toasted buns

Place the shredded chicken in a 2 quart sauce pan add as much sauce as you like (we like it really "saucy".  Stir well until heated through.  Place on toasted buns and serve immediately.

Balsamic BBQ sauce

This is one of our favorite sauces.  The kids made it one year for Brian for Father's day.

1 Cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 garlic clove minced

1 tbs. worcestershire sauce

1 tbs. dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a small nonreactive saucepan.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Simmer over medium heat until reduced by one third,  15-20 minutes.


Source:BBQ sauce, Giada DeLaurentiis

Weekend Plans:

Friends over for dinner

Garden

Baseball game

Paint the Queen's room

Have a lovely long weekend!

xoxo

Rachel

Tuna Melts

Tuna seems to be one of those foods that people love or hate.  Growing up my family ate a lot of fish, and I was never a fan.  The one exception I had was tuna.  We seemed to have sandwiches quite a bit on Saturday for lunch and tuna was a popular choice.  My Mom added hard boiled eggs and diced pickles (must have been a 70's thing).  If we were lucky Mom would make an open faced sandwich and put a slice of cheese on it and stick it under the broiler.  I have a lot of good "food memories"

Now that I am all grown up, I'm still not a huge fan of fish, but my family loves it.  I am trying to incorporate into our diets more often.  Since everyone loves tuna around our table.  I thought I would try an updated version of tuna melts.  Per Mr. Young's request I have made these a couple of times now.  It's a quick and easy meal that tastes good and everyone enjoys!

Tuna Melts

2-3 cans of albacore tuna

1/4-1/3 cup of light mayonnaise

1/2 cup kalamata olives chopped

salt and pepper to taste

*1 medium onion caramelized

Half a loaf of Italian bread

Pre-heat your oven to 350.  Cut your bread in half lengthwise.  Place the bread on a baking sheet in the oven for 3-5 minutes while the oven is heating up.  You want the bread to crisp up a bit, but not get brown.

Mix together the tuna, mayo, olives, and the salt and pepper.  Divide the tuna mixture equally over the two slices of bread and top with the caramelized onions.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, place in the oven until the cheese is completely melted.  Cut into serving size pieces.
*To caramelize the onion.  Slice the onion thinly and place with a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan until caramelized about 30 minutes

Enjoy!


Hugs~
Rach



Special Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Let's jazz up your boring ham and cheese sandwich,shall we.  Quick, easy, and delicious.

Special Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Butter Spread:

2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon finely minced onion or dried

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Hamburger buns

Sliced deli ham (I like black forest for this recipe)

Sliced swiss cheese

Mix together the ingredients for the butter spread.  Spread the butter mixture on the inside of each hamburger bun.  Add a ham and cheese slice to each one.  Wrap each sandwich loosely in foil and bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  I usually get 5-6 sandwiches out of this amount of spread you may get more or less depending on much spread you use for each sandwich.

xoxo

Rach

Spicy Shrimp Po' Boys

We all love shrimp around here, so when I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats I knew I needed to make it.  Brian loved these and so did I.  The kids liked them, but the shrimp is  very spicy, so you might want to cut back on the spice.  This really isn't a problem if you eat it like a sandwich, but if you eat your shrimp on the side like our kids do, well them you really feel the heat!

If you like spicy food and shrimp please make these.  The juicy and spicy shrimp with the cool veggies and the crunch... oh my.  This photo isn't even that good, but just looking at this sandwich and remembering the meal makes me drool!  With all the cold weather we have been having this is a great way to warm up.

Spicy Shrimp Po' Boys

Cajun Seasoning:

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Sauce: ( I eye balled most of these ingredients, so add to taste)

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 large pickle spear finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
Dijon mustard
prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon ketchup
cayenne pepper
hot sauce
paprika

Sandwich:

1 lb. medium to large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cajun seasoning use all of the above recipe
4 sandwich rolls ( I used club rolls)
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato

1.  Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl with a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Cover and refrigerate until you are going to use it.

2.  Combine all of the spices for the seasoning in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Toss the shrimp, olive oil and cajun seasoning in a medium bowl until thoroughly coated.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and grill the shrimp for about two minutes per side.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.  It is easy to over cook shrimp, so don't step away while they are cooking.

5. Slice the rolls in half.    Spread some of the sauce on each slice.  Layer lettuce, shrimp, and tomato.  Top with the over half of the roll and serve immediately.

Source:  Annie's Eats

I read this on a blog the other day, I don't remember which one but I thought it might make you laugh.

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says "oh crap, she's up!"

FYI:  We have a recipe index now at the top of the page.  I hope you like it, let me know what you think.

Have a great day!

Rachel



Grilled Cheese with Ham and Pears on Sourdough

This is my new favorite sandwich!! The sharpness of the cheese, the salty ham, the sweet pears, and the crunchy bread...yum...yum!! This is so easy to make and you can vary each sandwich to suit your own tastes. Take out the ham, or use apples instead of pears, use gouda instead of cheddar. You get the idea. Now please go make yourself a ooey, gooey sandwich!

xoxo

Rachel

Grilled Cheese with Ham and Pears on Sourdough

2 slices of good quality sourdough bread

Enough thinly sliced sharp cheddar cheese to cover one slice of bread

Red pear cut, cored, quartred and thinly sliced. I use 3-4 slices.

1 thin slice of black forest ham

Butter

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat until warm. While the pan is warming assemble your sandwich. Lay a piece of bread on a cutting board add your cheese, ham and pears in that order. Add a little bit of butter to your warm pan. How much butter you use is determined by how big your pan is. The butter will brown and toast the bread. So don't add too little or too much. Otherwise butter each slice of bread on one side before you assemble your sandwich Use which ever method works better for you.

Place your assembled sandwich in your warm pan. Turn the heat to medium low. Cook the sandwich on one side until the cheese is mostly melted and the bread is golden brown. Turn the sandwich over and cook until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is golden. Transfer to a plate cut in half if you like and enjoy!

Makes one sandwich