Fried Chicken Sandwich

Sometimes it is nice to have something different on a hamburger bun besides beef. Here is a recipe for a fried chicken sandwich. This is an attempt to make a piece of chicken breast like at Chick-fil-A. To make it like them, just top with a couple pickles. I like mine with mustard, bacon, lettuce, and pickles. Make it the sandwich the way you like it. Go crazy! I made some homemade potato chips to go with it.

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper
2. mix egg and milk in shallow dish.
3. Mix flour and powdered sugar in another shallow dish.
4. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large skillet or dutch oven to at least one inch deep.
5. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
6. Coat chicken in egg and milk mixture.
7. Let drip and then coat both sides in flour and sugar mixture.
8. Carefully add to hot oil.
9. Cook until done, use an instant read thermometer if necessary.
10. Place on a wire rack to let excess oil drain away.
11. Keep warm in a 250 degree oven if necessary.
12. Build sandwich with all your favorite toppings.

Tenderloin Roast Beef Sandwiches

A couple of days ago, I made the Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin Roast. As good as it is, we never eat the whole thing. Which is good, because now you can slice it up thin and have it on a sandwich. I like mine on a sourdough hoagie roll. I always drizzle some of the Pomegranate Port Wine Sauce over it. Add some lettuce, pepperoncini, swiss cheese maybe. Build the sandwich the way you like it best. Of course it is always good with some fresh homemade potato chips. How easy can you get for a Monday night dinner?

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

This is another lovely slow cooker recipe that you can start in the morning, and come home to a wonderful aroma. I love this on cool, crisp fall days with colored leaves blowing in the golden sunshine.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 pound beef chuck roast
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3 cups water
• 4 bouillon cubes or 4 tsp bouillon granules
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 6 hoagie rolls

Instructions:

1. Pull out the roast thirty minutes before searing to bring it up in temperature a bit.
2. Heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Season both sides of the roast with salt and pepper.
4. Once the pan is hot sear each side of the roast.
5. Remove the roast and set aside.
6. Turn off the heat and deglaze the pan with the half cup of red wine.
7. Scrape the browned bits up with a wooden spoon.
8. To a slow cooker; add the roast, onions, garlic, wine reduction, broth, water, soy sauce, and bouillon.
9. Secure the lid and set the temp to or low for 7-8 hours.
10. Once cooked, remove the roast and shred with a couple of forks.
11. Serve the shredded beef and onions on a sliced hoagie.
12. Spoon some of the au jus in little bowls to dunk the sandwiches.

Gouda, Pear, and Walnut Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sometimes you just want to cook something quick and easy, but comforting. A grilled cheese sandwich is a perfect solution. It is also easy to customize to each individual and can use up awkward ingredients hiding out in your refrigerator. This is just one example that can get your creativity going. It can be a starting place to add additional ingredients, or just get you thinking about cheese, fruit, and nut pairings. Grilled cheese sandwiches also go great with those leftover soups you have in your freezer too. I decided to make some fresh potato chips to go with these sandwiches. No matter what you choose, it will be a great pear-ing. Sorry, I could not resist.

Gouda, Pear, and Walnut Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• Sourdough bread slices
• Butter, softened
• Gouda, sliced to your liking
• Your favorite pear, sliced thin
• Walnuts, toasted and broken into pea sized pieces
• Your favorite sandwich toppings

Instructions:

1. Spread softened butter on one side of bread.
2. Place face down in skillet or on a griddle.
3. Place gouda cheese slices on top of bread.
4. Next place pear slices.
5. Sprinkle toasted walnut pieces on top of pear.
6. Add any additional toppings as you wish.
7. Lastly, butter another bread slice and place on top, butter facing up.
8. Turn on heat and grill until brown and toasty.
9. Carefully flip to other side and press down hard.
10. Toast remaining side until done.
11. Place on plate and cut in half.
12. Serve with your choice of side.

Apple Turkey Burger

Monday night usually means something quick and easy, and a lot of the time that means burgers. Except I did not want the usual burger today. I wanted something different. A turkey burger sounded intriguing but it needed some flavor and some moisture. I got some inspiration from an article I read in a magazine once titled 25 gourmet sandwiches for guys. Not sure why these sandwiches were for guys in particular, but the apple turkey burger sounded interesting. There was no recipe, just a picture and a short description. So, I plopped the ground turkey in a bowl and started adding stuff. I started with the ingredient from the name, an apple. I used a granny smith diced small. I added some onion and a minced jalapeno for some kick. Then I just added salt, pepper, and thyme. These grilled up juicy and tasty. I added Swiss cheese on two and cheddar on the other one. I started with the bottom bun, and then added spicy pickles, the turkey burger, lettuce, red onion, and I topped it with honey Dijon dressing. Not your boring Monday burger!

Apple Turkey Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey

• ½ medium onion, minced

• ½ jalapeno pepper, minced

• ½ granny smith apple, small dice

• salt and fresh ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp dried thyme

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into medium bowl.

2. With your hands, incorporate ingredients evenly.

3. Divide into three portions.

4. Form 3 patties.

5. If cooking in a skillet, use a little oil.

6. If cooking on a grill, make sure your grates are clean and oiled.

Pastrami and Swiss on Rye

Without a doubt, the best pastrami in Colorado can be found at the Bagel Deli. Don’t just take my word for it, this place was also featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. Whenever the family gets a craving for pastrami, I head up to the Bagel Deli to pick up some. We like to heat ours up in a skillet and melt some Swiss cheese on top, and then place it between two toasted and buttered pieces of Rye bread. Serve it with chips and a big dill pickle. How is that for a tasty and easy dinner?

Chicken Salad

It’s Monday again, and time for something easy. It has been awhile since I made chicken salad, so let’s give that a try. You can always buy a roasted chicken at the store to shred up for this dish. I like to take a couple bone in chicken breasts and cook them at 350 degrees for about an hour or so. I let them cool, and then shred them. There are lots of dishes you can make with this shredded chicken. But today, let’s make chicken salad. Try it, you’ll like it!

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 celery ribs, minced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple, diced
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Shred chicken.
2. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise,  lemon juice, and mustard in large bowl.
3. Transfer chicken to bowl with mixture.
4. Add celery, apple, pecans, cranberries, parsley, and thyme.
5. Toss to combine.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.