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Honey-Seseme Chicken Skewers

These delicious treats can be the perfect made in advance meal for the family.

Spicy Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Enjoy a delicious spicy soup with this simple recipe.

Freeze Ahead Garlic Bread

The perfect accompaniment to any meal, and it can be easily made in advance and stored for later.

Individual Beef Wellington

A unique freezable meal that you can even make one step a day. Perfect for if you want a gourmet meal without the gourmet effort.

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops

This simple yet delicious meal is easy to make, easy to store, and a great meal to eat through the week!

Showing posts with label sandwiches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sandwiches. Show all posts

52. Gourmet Chicken Salad


A nice roasted chicken for Sunday supper is an American classic. Unless you've planned the meal perfectly, however, leftover chicken is certainly going to be on your menu later in the week. I like to make a nice chicken salad with the leftover white meat, and use the bones and dark meat for stock and/or soup.

This chicken salad recipe is fresh and easy and and can be served over a plain salad for a light lunch, stuffed in pita bread, made into a chicken salad wrap or served on any bread or roll.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked white meat chicken or turkey
1 cup diced green peppers
2 plum tomatoes,diced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup nonfat mayonnaise
1/4 cup lowfat yogurt

Make Ahead Prep:
In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients except the mayonnaise and yogurt. Add the mayonnaise and yogurt and mix well. Place into an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Note: Do not freeze this recipe as mayonnaise tends to separate when frozen.

Get more make-ahead sandwich recipes.

30. Make Ahead Lunch Wraps

Whether your goal is to save money by bringing your lunch to work, eat healthier or stick at your desk through your lunch hour, these make-ahead wraps will fit the bill.



Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp cumin
4 cups water
Salt to taste
1 package Southwest seasoning, 4 oz
Pepper to taste
4 can (15 oz) black beans
1 tsp garlic powder
2 can (15.5 oz) Pinto beans
1 tsp oregano
1 can (10 oz) whole kernel corn
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 jar (10 oz) Salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
16 ten-inch flour tortillas
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Make Ahead Preparation:

Combine rice, southwest seasoning and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and cool.

Place black beans and pinto beans into a colander or strainer; rinse. Add corn, onion, spices and salsa, and toss to mix. Transfer to a large bowl, and mix in rice and cheese.

Divide the mixture evenly among the tortillas, and roll up.

Freeze wraps in single layer on lightly greased cookie sheet. When fully frozen, wrap individually in foil or plastic wrap. Place wraps in large zip-top freezer bags; freeze.

Last Minute Assembly:

Unwrap wraps from foil or plastic wrap. To heat using microwave, wrap in a paper towel. Cook in microwave until heated through, approximately 2 minutes at 70% power.

To heat in oven, thaw wrap. Remove plastic wrap if used in freezing and wrap in tin foil. Bake at 350F for ten minutes.

10. Make Ahead Muffaletta Sandwich

If you haven't tried a Muffaletta sandwich before, now is the time. This is perfect for days at the beach, camping trips or other day trips as the sandwich tastes better if it is left to "sit" for a while so the flavors come together.

They key to making this sandwich work is pressing it with a decent amount of weight while it sits. If done correctly, the sandwich won't fall apart when you slice it.


Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) round bread loaf (about 7 inches in diameter and 3 to 4 inches high)
Olive salad (recipe below)
Red wine vinaigrette dressing (recipe below)
1/4 lb prosciutto
1/4 lb thinly sliced sandwich pepperoni
1/4 lb genoa salami
1/4 provolone cheese
1 large ball fresh mozzerella, sliced thinly (do not use pre-packaged)
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
Roasted red peppers (homemade or jarred, packed in water)
Artichoke hearts (jarred, packed in water)
Arugula or romaine lettuce
Fresh basil leaves

Make Ahead Preparation:

Prepare the Olive Salad and Vinaigrette dressing. (Both can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.) If you prefer, you can use a bottled red-wine vinaigrette dressing.

Prepare the bread. Cut the top 1 inch of the bread loaf off horizontally. Set the top aside. Hollow out the bottom and top halves of the bread, leaving about 1" of the bread on the crust.

Spread some of the olive salad over the bread bottom and cut side of the bread top. Start layering in the ingredients as follows, occasionally drizzling with a little of the red wine vinaigrette dressing: meats, provolone, onion, lettuce, artichoke hearts, basil leaves, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzerella, remaining olive salad.

Carefully cover sandwich with the bread top. Wrap the Muffuletta tightly in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator with a weight such as a foil wrapped brick or cast iron pan on the top. Sandwich should rest in the refrigerator for at least three hours or up to two days.

Cut sandwich into wedges and serve.


Olive Salad:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
10 large pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup pitted, coarsely chopped kalamata olives

With a whisk or a small food processor, whisk the first three ingredients together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking or while food processor is on. Stir in the olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dressing:

4 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs finely chopped shallot
1 tbs Dijon mustard
4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to food processor except the olive oil. Combine thoroughly. While food processor is on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify.

6. Italian Meatballs

One of the ultimate comfort food. (How many of you remember "Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti day"?) The secret to these melt-in-your mouth meatballs is in the milk-soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs.

Italian meatballs are versatile, easy to make and don't pinch the pocketbook. Make a bunch of different sized meatballs for your freezer and you'll always have a last minute treat to serve your family!

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbs roughly chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tbs roughly chopped fresh basil
1 cup milk
4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup ketchup (yes...ketchup!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make Ahead Preparation:

Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.

In a small bowl, pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling.

Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg, ketchup and cheese and season generously with salt and pepper.

Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread, discarding the milk. Crumble the soaked bread into the meat mixture so that it is about the size of peas. Add in the cooled onion mixture and the chopped parsley and basil.

Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Shape them into nice looking meatballs, between the size of a golf ball and tennis ball. I always have a lot of meatballs in my freezer, and I make a combination of small, medium and large sized ones. The smaller ones are great for appetizers (see serving suggestions below), the medium ones are a perfect complement to a nice plate of spaghetti, and the larger sized ones make terrific sandwiches.

Heat a 3-count of extra virgin olive oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. You want a nice brown crust on them without necessarily cooking them through completely.

Remove the meatballs from the frying pan and let cool. Place in ziploc freezer bags and freeze up to 4 weeks.

Last Minute Assembly:

When ready to serve, remove from freezer and allow to defrost. Bake in a 350 oven until cooked and heated through.

No time to defrost them? No problem! Place the frozen meatballs in an oven-safe casserole dish. Top with jarred or homemade marinara sauce. Cover and bake in 350 oven for approximately 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.

Serving suggestions:

Appetizers: Unexpected company? Not a problem! On toothpicks, place one small meatball along with one cooked tortellini. Serve up with sides of marina and alfredo sauces for dipping. Garnish with some fresh basil or Italian parsley.

Pasta: Bake medium-sized meatballs in sauce. Serve over freshly cooked spaghetti. Top with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Be sure to serve up some fresh Italian or garlic bread and a light salad as well.

Sandwiches: Slice a grinder roll (also called hoagies or subs) almost in half lengthwise, so that the bread is still in one piece. Place 3 to 4 large meatballs in the center. Cover with marinara sauce and slices of mozzerelle. Bake in 350 oven until meatballs are cooked and heated through and cheese is melted.

3. Make-Ahead Sloppy Joes

We all remember sloppy joes from our summer camp days. Who knew that you could make these delightful sandwiches ahead of time and save them for up to three months in your freezer!
Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
14 to 16 sandwich buns, split
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Make Ahead Preparation:

In a skillet, brown sausage, beef and onion. Remove from the heat; drain.

Remove the centers from the tops and bottoms of each bun. Tear removed bread into small pieces; add to skillet. Set bun shells aside.

Stir remaining ingredients into sausage mixture. Spoon about 1/3 cupful onto the bottom of each bun; replace tops. Wrap individually in heavy-duty foil.

These individual sandwiches can be heated and eaten as is or frozen for up to 3 months.

Last Minute Assembly:

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

To use frozen sandwiches: Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 14-16