Hot Ham and Cheese

I picked up some hoagie bun rolls at my favorite Sara Lee Bread Outlet for super cheap and I was looking for something to do with them that was yummy and a bit more than just regular deli sandwiches. I had an idea of what I wanted and, with a few adjustments, this fit the bill! The ham and cheese, sautéed onions, and bacon combine together to create a delicious flavor profile. (I've been watching cooking shows with David, can you tell?)

Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
Source: Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
6 hoagie buns

6 slices bacon
1/2 yellow onion
6 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1 heaping Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
12 slices deli ham (or more- depending on how much meat you like)
12 slices cheddar cheese

Directions:
Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil. Bake in oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Slice onion into thin strips. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet; add onions and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should turn a deep golden color and taste sweet. 

Melt 4 T butter and whisk with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of each bun with mustard mixture. Top with ham, onions, bacon, and cheese. Brush the top of the bun with remaining butter. Repeat for remaining sandwiches. Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is melted. Serve hot! 

*Note: I added spinach to my sandwich after baking and it was super yummy. I'd definitely recommend it. 

BBQ Pork & Pineapple Quesadillas

The original recipe for this is a crock pot and chicken recipe. However, I had some extra shredded pork in my freezer that I was wanting to use - and when I found this I loved that it was a different take than what I usually do with our shredded pork. You could use chicken (and I probably will in the future because I like to keep shredded chicken on hand as well) - and you could put it in the crock pot, but I've written the recipe to reflect how I made (and will make in the future) this yummy dish. I love how easy it was, how I could leave the pineapple out of David's (crazy boy), and how yummy it turned out. 

BBQ Pork & Pineapple Quesadillas
Source: Adapted from Krafted Koch

Ingredients:
8 10" flour tortillas
1 lb. pork roast, cooked and shredded
1 c. BBQ sauce
1 c. onion diced
1 T oil (for sautéing onions)
4 c. fresh pineapple sliced thinly (or substitute a large can of pineapple tidbits)
2 c. shredded cheddar
½ c. BBQ sauce for spreading on tortillas
cilantro - optional garnish

Directions:
Sauté onions in a medium to large skillet until soft and starting to turn translucent. Add the cooked = and shredded pork and 1 c. BBQ sauce. Cook until warm through.

On each tortilla half, spread ½ c. meat mixture. On the other half, layer 1 Tbsp. BBQ sauce, ¼ c. cheese and ½ c. pineapple slices. Fold the quesadillas together and place quesadillas in a hot George Forman griddle for 2-4 minutes until crispy. (You could also place on a hot griddle or frying pan if you wanted to cook more than one at a time, cooking on each side for 1-2 minutes.)

Remove from heat, and slice in three sections. Serve immediately.

Overnight Sandwiches

A friend posted these sandwiches on her facebook wall as a recommendation for a meal when feeding a large group of people (i.e. baptism, blessing, etc..) They were originally called Funeral Sandwiches, but I felt that was a bit morbid and because I've never had them at a funeral, I changed them to Overnight Sandwiches - because I love that you can prepare them ahead of time and just have them ready to cook. I made a few other modifications because we didn't love the soggy bread - but we loved the sauce-soaked bread when it was crispy.

Overnight Sandwiches
Source: Clever House Wife

Ingredients:
1 package (12 ct) of King's Hawaiian Rolls

12 slices ham deli meat
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
½ cup butter, melted
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs mustard
2 Tbs brown sugar
dash of onion powder

Instructions
Cut each roll in half and place bottom halves on the bottom of a baking pan. Layer with ham slices and cheese and place the top half back on.
Mix together the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour sauce over sandwiches, making sure to coat each top. It's okay if you drip over the edges - but don't pour so much that the bottoms become super-soggy. Cover tightly and marinate anywhere from 4-24 hours. Overnight works best!

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden and crispy.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

I have to admit, our very very favorite stroganoff is this Beef Stroganoff. Almost always, I'd rather take the time to make that if I'm going to plan stroganoff for dinner. But every once in a while when I need a quick meal, or I have leftover hamburger and am not feeling any of my mexican dishes - this is a great option. Another Peaden family recipe, although I believe this one is a more recent addition to their meal rotation (I think Amy found it and they all loved it). It's yummy and filling, and oh-so-easy.

Easy Beef Stroganoff
Source: Sue & Amy Peaden

Ingredients:
1/2 lb hamburger (the original recipe calls for a whole pound, but we like more sauce in our sauce:meat ratio)
1/2 C diced onions
1 C sour cream
2 T ketchup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large frying pan, brown hamburger. When almost finished cooking, add onions and cook until translucent. (If using leftover hamburger, cook onions first and then add in hamburger to reheat.) Add in remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve over noodles or rice.