Easy Croque Monsieurs

I married into a French-Italian family. The best part of this is when my father-in-law would be talking to me and switch into French without realizing it, leaving me clueless. The worst part of this is when I first met my in-laws and my husband left me alone with them for about 10 minutes, leaving me to understand what they were saying through their thick accents. I just sat there and smiled.

 

My mother-in-law is an amazing cook, but her recipes are hard to recreate because she's the kind of cook that uses "a little bit of this and a little bit of that." One day I'm going to have to shadow her and write down what she does, or go crazy trying to perfect her homemade oatmeal and pea soup and half a dozen other recipes I dream about her making for me!

 

My husband didn't grow up on casseroles (what??!!) or traditional PB&J sandwiches. Instead, he had such sandwiches as Croque Monsieurs. Basically a French sandwich with Dijon mustard, ham, swiss, and pepper. Really simple but so good. I've had one at a French restaurant we found in Seattle and it was served with "pomme frites"aka fries (my high school French comes in handy sometimes). This particular sandwich was served with a thick bread, lots of ham, a Swiss cheese sauce, and a lot of pepper.  My recipe is slightly easier, I don't make a cheese sauce. I just use cheese. It's less messy and quicker to make.

 

A variation of the Croque Monsieur is the Croque Madame. It's similar to the Croque Monsieur except that it also includes a fried egg on top, sometimes with béchamel sauce included (again, a step I generally avoid because it defeats the whole "quick and easy" approach).

 

Lastly, Croque Monsieurs and Croque Madames can be eaten open-face or sandwich style. 

 

Did I mention my kids LOVE this particular dinner?! My six-year-old doesn't love Dijon mustard (he also doesn't love cheese...whose kid is he anyway?!) and I use butter on his sandwiches and everyone is happy.

 

 

Croque Monsieur Sandwich (or Croque Madame Sandwich)
by Girls in Aprons

Makes 4 servings, two open-faced sandwiches each

4 ciabatta rolls, cut in half
Dijon mustard
1/2 lb Virginia ham (or any ham, just not honey ham)
8 slices Swiss cheese
Black pepper
Butter (if making Croque Madame sandwiches)
8 eggs (if making Croque Madame sandwiches)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place sliced ciabatta rolls on a cookie sheet, cut side up, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until tops are toasted. Remove from oven.

Spread each piece of bread with Dijon mustard. Top with ham (as much or as little as you desire) and a slice of Swiss cheese. Place back in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with a pinch or so of black pepper.

If making Croque Madames, which sandwiches are in the oven, melt butter in a small pan and fry one egg per sandwich. If you don't want the yolk to be runny, break the yolk before flipping the egg over to cook the other side. Once the sandwiches are removed from the oven, top with pepper and then the fried egg.

Serve warm. We usually serve our sandwiches with a green salad and fruit.

BLT Supreme

It's really hard to feed my family on our current food budget. We're not exactly eating Top Ramen every night, but neither are we eating steaks, either. And the suggestion that we eat fish at least once a week? Yeah, right. We're lucky to get fish once a month, and no, I'm not counting fish sticks.

A lot of our meals are thrown together by what I have on had. Pasta is mixed with different cheeses and leftover meat for a meal. Salads are a mix of veggies and beans I happen to come by. We have eggs and toast whenever my husband isn't going to be home, and Little Caesars has found its way into our kitchen occasionally :)

So when I was creating the menu for this week, I asked my husband for ideas. Sometimes I just can't think past the first few days of the week. I listed a few things on sale at the grocery store (or stores, I stalk three different grocery store ads) and when he heard bacon, he immediately answered with "BLTs". Why didn't I think of that? Oh, because I don't like tomatoes. Don't judge. I'll eat them in a hot dish, but not fresh. Sorry.

As I was preparing dinner last night, my eyes wandered to the avocadoes that were supposed to be used in our burritoes but were too ripe. I was sure that they were close to being over ripe at this point. I decided to make an avocado spread to put on top of the BLTs. And add cheese. Our family loves cheese, and I just happened to have sliced swiss cheese. Perfect with bacon and tomato. And now avocado!

Mix avocado, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and salt together in a food processor. You can totally use a bowl and fork and get a chunkier version. If you use a food processor, reserve the last avocado and mash it in afterwards to get some texture to the sauce. By the way, I'm digging the color!

All of the pieces to the puzzle. Ciabatta bread (the best for sandwiches in my opinion), tomatoes, mayo, Swiss cheese, lettuce, avocado spread, and bacon. The grapes are for a side dish, not necessarily for the sandwich :)

You can take some of the breading out so that your sandwich isn't so thick and jaw-breaking. I did this for my kids so that they could actually attempt to eat it, although to be honest they sort of just took the whole sandwich apart and ate it piece by piece. They just don't understand a masterpiece when they see one!!

BLT Supreme

by Girls in Aprons

1 loaf ciabatta bread, slices in half and then into fourths (to make four sandwiches)

1 lb bacon

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced

4-6 slices Swiss cheese

1 head lettuce, leaves torn

Mayonnaise

For avocado spread:

3 ripe avocados

3 oz Greek yogurt (half of a 6oz container)

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp salt

Cook bacon in large pan over medium high heat until crispy. Let drain on a paper towel.

Meanwhile, cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and, using a spoon, remove the avocado flesh from the peel. Place two of the avocados in a food processor fit with a metal blade. Add yogurt, lime juice, and salt and pulse until smooth and creamy. Pour into a bowl and, using a fork, mash in the remaining avocado until desired consistancy.

To assemble, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the top half of the sandwich and then generously add the avocado spread. On the bottom half, layer in the following order: lettuce, cheese, tomato, and bacon. Place top half on the sandwich and enjoy.

Optional: Using a grill pan or a grill on low heat, grill the tomato slices and the ciabatta slices until grill marks appear. Assemble sandwich as normal.

You can also toast the sandwich by placing the cheese, tomato, and bacon on the bread and toasting under a broiler before adding the lettuce, mayonnaise, and avocado spread.

Teriyaki Burgers with Glazed Pineapple and Asian Slaw

I looooove me some Red Robin. Sometimes I branch out and try something new, but usually I cave and go for my all-tme favorite burger: the Bonzai Burger. Who would've thought that I'd actually like pineapple on my cheeseburgers? If you've never had it, you must try it. Go to Red Robin, or put in on your bucket list. Or better yet, try out this recipe!

To be honest it never dawned on me to actually make my own Bonzai burger at home until my sister Carissa said she glazed her pineapple with teriyaki sauce and put it on her burger. She's a genius! We have homemade cheeseburgers about three times a month. Don't judge - I have five boys in this house and it's nice to eat dinner without hearing complaining!! We usually try to switch it up and make different variations: guacamole and bacon, marinara and pepperoni, "Fair" burgers (you know, loaded up with sauteed onions) but the Teriyaki burgers I make are my favorite! The Red Robin Bonzai burger doesn't have Asian slaw on it, but I have a sort of addiction to cole slaw on my burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, so I figured this would just make the burger so much better. And I was right, as usual. :)

For the slaw, whisk together mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. Sesame oil can be a little pricey (not too bad though) but don't skip it! It really gives the slaw a great nutty flavor. I love using sesame oil on fried rice too.

Mix dressing with a bag of coleslaw. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. This is really good on it's own or on the sandwich (or both!!).

For the pineapple, cut thin slices (about 1/4 inch) off a fresh pineapple. Saute with your favorite teriyaki sauce (I like Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze). Don't use the watery teriyaki sauces. You want a nice thick sauce! Flip the pineapple over and continue to cook until the pineapple is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

While cooking your burgers, season with salt, pepper, garlic, and ground ginger. Then my trick is to transfer the burgers to the pan the pineapple was in so they soak up the leftover teriyaki sauce and pineapple juices. Layer your bun with burger, pineapple, and slaw. No need to extra condiments!! And have napkins ready - this one is messy!

Teriyaki Burgers with Glazed Pineapple and Asian Slaw

by Girls in Aprons

ASIAN SLAW:

1 bag coleslaw mix

1 cup mayonnaise

2 T rice vinegar

1 T sesame oil

3 T honey

1 to 2 T sesame seeds (use as much as you like!)

Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. Stir in coleslaw and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

GLAZED PINEAPPLE:

1 fresh pineapple

Teriyaki Sauce (the thick stuff!)

Cut the pineapple into thin strips (about 1/4 inch thick). In a saucepan over medium heat pour about 1/4 cup of sauce into pan and top with pineapple. After about two minutes flip the pineapple over and add more sauce if needed. Remove and set aside. Turn off heat and reserve left over sauce and pineapple juice.

FOR BURGER:

1 pound hamburger

Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger

4 hamburger buns

Separate hamburger into four patties. Season on both sides with seasonings. On your grill cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the meat is no longer pink. Dip both sides of the burger in the left over sauce and pineapple juice in the saucepan. Layer your buns with burger, pineapple, and slaw.

**If you are only using the slaw for the burgers you can half the recipe.

Chicken Salad Sonoma

So way back in my former life in Cleveland, we had a Relief Society dinner that has stuck with me for a long time. I may not remember exactly what it was said (I'm pretty sure it was a celebration of the Relief Society's birthday), but sadly I do remember what there was to eat. And I am the first to admit, I usually only go to partys or functions for the food. I am a foodie at heart and the way to get my attention is to serve me something yummy! Anyway, on the table ready for us was a gigantic chocolate covered strawberry (they really could have just stopped there), a salad, a huge cupcake for dessert, and a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant.

I have to tell you, my previous experience with chicken salad had been less than stellar. I had used the canned chicken (like you get from Costco) and mixed it with some mayo and a little mustard, then added a few things here and there, usually some almonds and Craisins or something. It had the consistancy of tuna sandwiches, which I actually don't like very much. I don't know why I never thought of using actual chicken that I cut up myself. Duh.

So I got the recipe from the gal in charge (who always made amazing food!) and tweaked it a little here and there and I have made it so many times. It feeds a crowd, but if I make it for my family it is perfect for dinner and then to have for the husband's lunch the next day.

And since I didn't know where the actual recipe came from, I googled the name I was given for it and found out that it is from a Whole Foods cookbook. So there you go, it has to be healthy, right?

Here's your lineup. Most of this stuff you would normally have in your pantry anyway. The only thing I had to buy was the pecans. And please don't substitute almonds. I think almonds are amazing too, but the pecans, when toasted, add a great flavor to the salad!

Your sauce. I always make this in a large bowl and refrigerate it until the chicken has cooled, then I dump everything into the same sauce bowl. This is the sauce with the curry in it. I like the flavor of curry with the grapes and celery, but it is completely optional and the salad tastes amazing without it (in fact, this is the first time I've added it. Ever.) so if you don't like curry or don't have it, just leave it out.

After your chicken has cooled, add it it to the sauce. The pour in the pecans. To toast them, break up the pecans into pieces (if they are whole) and put in a cool pan. Turn your pan on medium-low and stir the pecans periodically. When they start to become a little darker and fragrant, they are ready to be taken off the heat. Rachael Ray always says "Your nose knows" and she's totally right. You'll see and definitely smell when they are toasted right.

Add in your celery. I love the crunch of the celery and it doesn't overpower the other flavors at all.

Add in your grapes. And make sure they are red grapes, not green. Green are way too tart for this.

Everyone together. Just mix, mix, mix until it is coated. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate it until you are ready. We really like these on rolls or croissants. They are also super yummy wrapped in tortillas and that is how I pack them in my daughter's school lunch since it's portable that way.

It's also a pretty salad. This was served at my sister's baby shower and was an instant hit.

Chicken Salad Sonoma

by Carissa, adapted from Whole Foods Cookbook

Dressing:
3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise (light is fine, and I usually don't add a whole cup)
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Prepare the dressing by thoroughly mixing together all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad.

Cook chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Cool in refrigerator for about two hours (You can also use some rotisserie chicken). Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.

**Optional method** You can make this salad without the grapes, since they can be pricey when they are off-season. Simply chop an apple into small chunks and add a 1/2 cup or so of Craisins in as a replacement. Omit the curry (which is optional anyway).