Cold Meat Salad

Salads are a great way to use leftover meat. This salad is wonderful on it's own as a main dish or used as a sandwich filling, as I have done here. The salad makes a nice filling for pita bread for something a bit different from the usuall sandwich bread. This tasty recipe comes from Marlene Sorosky's Cookery for Entertaining, with just a few minor adjustments. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup chopped green onions (I have also used white onion)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled
1/2 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen peas, thawed and drained on paper towels
2 cups diced cooked ham, beef, chicken or turkey
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tsps. prepared mustard

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise and mustard until smooth; stir into salad until well combined.
3. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend flavors.

 Yield: 4 cups
315 calories per 1 cup serving using lean ham and light mayo
4 gms. fiber
 Note: To toast pecans, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring twice. I also use a frying pan over low heat for about 10 minutes. The pecans will begin to smell so fragrant and wonderful in about 10 minutes, and they will have a bit of crunch.
Note: We use about 1/2 cup salad for a sandwich.

Ham Buns

I've always loved to cook and preparing nice meals for my family has always been a priority, but there are those times when even ladies like myself want to do what is really easy and simple. I will even use some microwave meals now, which is amazing for a lady who wouldn't even have a microwave in her kitchen until my mom gave me her old one that she was replacing with a newer model. My husband and son couldn't believe it the first time I heated up a can of chili for our meal all those years ago. But, life gets crazy and we all get worn out and simple is wonderful, especially when we are hungry. These ham buns are a meal for just such an occasion. I would make them for a fun change when we had leftover ham. Fruit and chips are great alongside; a great kid-friendly meal. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 to 4 tbsp. finely minced onion

1 tbsp. poppy seed

2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsps. prepared mustard

1-1/4 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham (about 8 oz.)

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz.)

6 hamburger buns

1. In a bowl, mix butter, onion, poppy seed, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until well blended.

2. Add ham and cheese; mix well.

3. Divide evenly among buns and place in a shallow baking pan; cover with foil.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

Yield: 6 sandwiches

Note: The amount of butter is a bit much for me, but my hubby loves it. I think the amount could probably be cut down by 2 to 3 tablespoons.

Taverns or Homemade Sloppy Joes

These sandwiches are terrific, easy to prepare, and so much better than the canned version that has been around forever. I usually serve a salad or fruit, and sometimes chips alongside. This wonderful old recipe comes from a cookbook that the ladies of the church we attended in Santa Cruz, California put together. Whenever I cook out of this cookbook I am reminded of so many good times, with good friends, early in our family life. What a blessing those times were for us. The gelatin salad that you see here is called Apple Cider Salad and the recipe will be posted tomorrow. Blessings...

Recipe:

2/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 lb. lean ground beef (7%)
salt to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard (sandwich mustard)
1 teaspoon chili powder
hamburger buns

Fry ground beef in a large skillet, crumbling it as it cooks. When the meat is cooked through, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes to blend flavors. Serve on buns.

Yield: 6 sandwiches
Note: I love to substitute 1/3 cup chunky salsa for 1/3 cup of the ketchup.

French Onion Burgers

When time is tight there is nothing easier than a skillet meal like these pan fried burgers. This recipe from CampbellsKitchen.com uses a can of French Onion Soup to enhance the flavor of the traditional cheeseburger. The recipe for the Frozen Cherry Salad was posted on 12/30/2013 and I cheated with the baked beans and opened a can of our favorite steakhouse beans. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup
sliced cheese of choice
4 hamburger or sandwich buns

1. Shape the beef into 4 patties
2. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until well browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the burgers from the skillet. Pour off any fat.
3. Stir the soup in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the burgers to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for a minute or two until desired doneness. Top each burger with cheese and allow to melt. Serve the burgers on the buns with the soup mixture for dipping.

Note: I put the cheese inside very lean (4%) beef. This way the beef doesn't dry out and the cheese doesn't melt off and end up in the pan or if your grilling, down in the coals. I also topped the cooked beef patties with some of the soup mixture rather than having soggy buns. This worked great for us.

Yield: 4 burgers
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 to 20 minutes

Hot Turkey Salad (Sandwich)

This hot turkey salad sandwich is a bit different than most we are familiar with in that it is cooked in a hollowed out loaf of French bread. I made this sandwich often when our son was growing up and still at home, as an easy, fun meal after Thanksgiving. We loved it with the leftover cranberry sauce that was always in our refrigerator and maybe some chips. This recipe was adapted from a recipe I found in Family Circle Magazine many years ago. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 loaf French bread

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green onion, or 2 tbsps. white or red onion

1/4 tsp. salt or to taste

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (curry powder was the original spice of choice)

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

2 cups cubed cooked turkey (of course, chicken would also work)

1/2 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese

1. Cut a slice lengthwise from the top of the loaf. Hollow out loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch shell.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients, blend well. Fold in turkey. Spoon mixture into hollowed out loaf and place the cut slice on top. Wrap loaf in foil.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer. Slice loaf into "chunks" for serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings
 Note: Recipe pictured on post dated 12/30/2013

In Praise of Soup and Sandwich Dinners

On a busy day, or at the end of the week, it is a blessing to cut dinner prep short and put soup and sandwiches on the table. This week was particularly busy and by last evening there were a few leftover items in the fridge that I could combine with a Tuna Melt Sandwich, and I knew all would be well because my hubby loves Tuna Melts.

I first encountered a Tuna Melt years ago in a restaurant in southern California when I was away at school. I never even thought about making them at home until I had a family and going out for a tuna sandwich was no longer in the budget. They are so good, easy to prepare and my family liked them, so they became a mainstay on our menu plan.

Here we are having them alongside what remained of the Pinto Bean Soup that my friend and I had for our lunch this week. This recipe is posted on 1/9/2010. We also finished up the Fresh Raspberry Pie that was posted on 6/18/2013. Have a wonderful weekend, and if it is a busy time, enjoy some soup and a sandwich for dinner. Blessings...

Recipe:

Canned tuna made with a bit of mayonnaise to moisten and bind it together.
Slices of medium Cheddar cheese
Slices of fresh tomato
Bread of choice

1. Spread the amount of tuna filling you wish on one slice of bread, top with slices of tomato and then top this with slices of cheese topped off with the second slice of bread.
2. Butter the top slice of bread and place in a frying pan or on a griddle, buttered side down. Butter the second slice of bread.
3. Cook over medium-low heat until bread is toasted to a golden brown. Flip over to brown second side. Sandwich is done when bread is beautifully toasted and cheese is melted. Yummy!

BBQ Beefies

This simple hot sandwich recipe came about as a creative way to use up some leftover barbecue sauce from another meal last week. As my daughter-in-love will tell you, I don't throw anything away in the kitchen but garbage. I can always find a use for the bits of leftover somethings. So after preparing the wonderful barbecue sauce recipe that my niece shared with me, and I posted on 5/6/13, I decided to try a Sloppy-Joe-kind-of-idea with the leftover sauce. We thought it worked out well; maybe you will, as well. The coleslaw that is pictured here is a recipe that was posted on 9/2/08. This is a very fast and easy way to get dinner on the table for the family, and I think would probably be very kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup barbecue sauce

1. In a large skillet cook beef, green pepper and onion until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
2. Add barbecue sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat until heated through. Serve on hamburger buns.

Yield: 4-6 sandwiches

Egg Salad for Sandwiches

If you dyed Easter eggs with the kids and have bunches to use up, this recipe might just fill your needs for lunches this week. The addition of cumin makes this egg salad very different, and delicious. This recipe comes from Lee Bailey's City Food. Blessings...

Recipe:

6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and smashed with a fork
3 generous tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
Grind of black pepper (I omit)
2-3 drops of Tabasco sauce, optional

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve as a sandwich filling with lettuce or with crackers.

Yield: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef

Fall is here, and the gathering of friends and family around the T.V. for football is a national pass time, as well as all the snacking that goes along with a three to four hour game. Barbecue beef sandwiches are a favorite with the tender and mildly spiced beef on a hamburger bun. Great for game day or anytime. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 boneless beef sirloin tip roast (about 3 pounds), cut into large chunks

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 cup ketchup

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tbsps. chili powder

2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsps. molasses

2 tsps. salt

2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. ground mustard

hamburger buns or sandwich rolls

1. Place the beef in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the celery, onion and green pepper.

2. In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour over beef and vegetables.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours or until meat is tender.

4. Skim fat from cooking juices if necessary. Shred beef and serve.

Note: If your serving the beef for a party, prepare the recipe in advance and refrigerate. Return the beef to the slow cooker and reheat on low setting for a few hours. When the meat is hot, turn down to warm setting for your party.