Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey and Swiss Panini

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family and fun!

MGG and I hosted a nice dinner with some friends.  The food was perfect and the company even better!  It's so good to spend time laughing, telling stories, and just enjoying friends.

With that said I was exhausted the next day.  I mean I didn't want to even think about putting all the decorations away and getting the house back in order. After 2 days of cooking (the make ahead items were soooo helpful!)  Least of all was that I really didn't want to put much effort into a meal.  With all the leftovers around I always try and find ways to change them up and utilize them in different dishes.

For lunch I whipped up this wonderful Turkey and Swiss Panini.  A perfect way to use the leftover turkey!  You'll need some good bread, I used a country loaf, some leftover turkey slices, Swiss cheese, and veggies like lettuce and tomato. 
For the spread you can swap out several kinds to make it your own version such as leftover cranberry sauce, artichoke garlic spread, mayo, mustard, even tapenade would be great!

Once you put this together you just cook it in your panini grill, or a grill pan and weight it down with another pan....or break out the Foreman grill...!  All work fine.  Soon you will have a wonderful hearty sandwich.

Here's the recipe for this wonderful sandwich, served with a nice green salad.

For more thanksgiving Leftover ideas click on the link below.
Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas: Let's talk turkey!


Turkey and Swiss Panini

makes: 1 sandwich

2 slices of country bread
spread - mayo, mustard, artichoke spread, cranberry sauce etc.
3 slices of turkey
2 slices of Swiss cheese
tomato slices
lettuce

Spread your choice of sandwich spread on each slice of bread.  Layer turkey, cheese, tomato, and lettuce on one slice of bread and top with the other slice.  Cook in a panini grill until golden brown on the outside and the cheese has melted.  About 6 minutes.  Cut in half and serve.

Sloppy Guiseppe's

Even though it is fall it's still HOT around here.  We just can't seem to get a break. I'm missing the windy blustery days of October that remind me of football and Halloween. So to roll with the flow we are still grilling.  YEP we are.  

The other day I broke out a package of ground sirloin and we made some wonderful burgers and fries.  Whenever we do that I'm pressed to come up with something different to use the leftover ground sirloin.  I typically make a batch of goulash, or spaghetti sauce...but I was in the mood for something simple, yet delish!

Today's recipe is a twist on my Old School Sloppy Joes. Sloppy Guiseppe's is an Italian variation of the same satisfying sandwich.  Filled with Italian sauce, garlic and spices...oh and gooey melted cheese, these are hard to resist!  

They are the perfect game day meal.  Comforting, homey, and just messy enough to be fun.  Guys love them! Just serve them along with some chips and a salad or fruit and you have a wonderful hearty meal.  And...I think they will be the perfect meal to serve the kiddos prior to going trick or treating this Halloween!

What do you make with your leftover ground sirloin??

Enjoy!

Sloppy Guiseppe's

serves 4

2 T olive oil

1/2 c diced onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb of ground sirloin

3 c jarred tomato basil spaghetti sauce - or your favorite variety

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

1 c fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Add the olive oil to a large skillet.  Heat over medium heat. Add you dice onion and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ground sirloin.  Cook, stirring the meat to crumble it about 7-8 minutes or until no longer pink.

Add the spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and heat until bubbly and sauce starts to thicken. About 5-6 minutes.  

Divide the meat mixture among the 4 bottom toasted rolls. Add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the meat mixture and top with the top bun.  

Beth's Downtown Club

I have always loved a good sandwich, especially for lunch on the weekend.

MGG and I invited some friends over this weekend to hang out by the pool and have lunch alfresco.
Even though it's majorly hot outside sitting by the pool, taking the occasional dip seems to make things better.

So for a casual get together I decided to make a favorite sandwich of mine from way back.  The Club Sandwich has been around forever, but you don't seem to see it too often. A few weeks ago I saw one on the menu at Corner Bakery and it reminded me of how much I really love this sandwich. All the layers, textures, and flavors just work.  So I set out to my own version of their Uptown Club by using my favorite meats and ingredients.  

Buy the freshest ingredients you can find, great bread, and thinly sliced deli meat.  This makes for a fabulous tasting sandwich.  Served along with a big bowl of various fruits, potato salad, and some ice tea or beer and you are set. All our guests enjoyed the meal.  I even got a "This is the best sandwich ever!" compliment.  Don't you love that?

But don't take my word for it. Judge for yourself.

Enjoy!



Beth's Downtown Club

makes 1 sandwich

2 slices of bacon
3 slices of country bread
1 large lettuce leaf
2 oz deli thin sliced turkey
2 slice swiss cheese
2 slice of tomato, thinly sliced
2 oz deli thin sliced ham
3 slices of avocado
mayo
mustard

Cook your bacon in a skillet over medium heat, until brown and crisp, turning once.  Remove from skillet to a paper towel and set aside.  Toast your slices of bread until golden brown.  On one slice of bread spread one side with mayo.  Add the lettuce, sliced turkey and top with bacon pieces.  

On the next slice of toasted bread add mustard to one side of the bread.  Place the bread mustard side up on the sandwich.  Add the cheese and tomato slices, sliced ham and avocado.  With the last piece of bread spread mayo on one side and place that mayo side down on the sandwich.  Cut in half on the diagonal and serve.

Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas - Let's Talk Turkey!

 

Happy Day after Thanksgiving!  I hope you all have a day filled with food, fun, family, friends...and a good movie!

Turkey leftovers?  I sure hope so!  Ending up with a bunch of Thanksgiving leftovers is the best!  You can do so much with them...even have another Thanksgiving plate. 

But the fun part is turning those ingredients into a different dish.  I have some delicious recipes that will fix you right up.  Today we'll concentrate on turkey since that is usually what we have most of!

Just click on the links below to take you to the detailed recipes.

Turkey Guacamole Wraps
These are a great way to use leftover turkey and serve a light lunch for the family or a crowd watching football games. 




Turkey Havarti Hot Sandwich
One of my favorite "hot" sandwiches.  The flavors are outstanding, and you'll just love it!




Turkey Salad Sandwich
Everyone just loves chicken salad.  Switch it up a bit and try it with turkey.  It really rocks!  And if you have home crescent rolls all the better.  A fresh croissant will do too!



Some other ideas:
Beth's Favorite Enchiladas - made with turkey


Turkey and Wild Rice Soup - yummy in your tummy!


Turkey Tetrazzini  -  a classic...





Enjoy Black Friday!

Breaded Chicken & Mozzarella with Basil

It's Michael Symon week!

I just bought Michael Symon's cookbook, 5 in 5; 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners and posted my first recipe from the book the other day.  Chicken Amandine was a quick, easy, and a totally flavorful dish!  

So today I decided to make my second recipe.  Breaded Chicken & Mozzarella with Basil.  This one comes from the section titled Between Bread.  I love my sandwiches, and if it's a hot sandwich I'm in heaven!  This one is a take on chicken Parmesan.  How great is that?

Again the ingredients are minimal, and pack a flavor punch.  I'm in love with this book because for the second time I had all the ingredients on hand, with one exception.  So I stopped by the store for some fresh hoagie rolls. Done and ready to cook!

Michael doesn't disappoint with the recipe.  The dish is easy to make.  Again you will be done in about 15-20 minutes with prep and all.  The end result is a wonderfully tasty sandwich.  Perfect for a weeknight meal with a salad on the side.

I will say that Michael really likes chicken thighs for flavor.  Me, not so much.  So I have been substituting chicken breasts (always pounded thin as he recommends) and have found them to work perfectly!  Use what piece calls to you most. 

Hope you enjoy this, and stay tuned for another Michael Symon recipe coming up!

Breaded Chicken & Mozzarella with Basil

serves 4

1/2 c all purpose flour
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 large eggs
2 c plain dry bread crumbs
2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness (he used chicken thighs)
1/2 c olive oil
1 c fresh shredded mozzarella cheese
4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted
1/2 c torn fresh basil leaves

Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Put the eggs in another shallow bowl and beat them lightly.  In a third shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan and season well with salt and pepper.  

Put a large skillet over medium high heat.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, coating each side well.  Shake of the excess.  Dip the chicken into the beaten eggs, allowing excess to drip off.  Finally coat the chicken in the bread crumbs.

Pour the oil into the pan.  Add all 4 pieces of chicken and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook until the other side is browned and the chicken is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Top each piece with mozzarella, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Put the chicken on the buns, top with basil and serve.

Old Schooling It! : Old School Sloppy Joes

 

What do you do with that leftover ground beef from your Labor Day grilling?

Make my Old School Sloppy Joes!

Do you remember Sloppy Joes?  There is something wonderfully fun about getting to eat a burger/sandwich that is messy by nature.   Memories of the mix in the can or the mix in the package made me seek a way to create these by hand and make a tastier sandwich.  I've tested these many ways, tweaking the ingredients until I found the variation that I favor best.  These are my "Old School Sloppy Joes"!

 

The secret to wonderful Sloppy Joes in my opinion is the ratio of ingredients creating that unique flavor.  Oh, and a soft bun is a must! (I used a soft kaiser roll) Some like to add bell peppers or beans to their meat mixture.  I'm more of a plain Jane in that aspect, but to me it's all about the flavor of the sauce.  Some people add brown sugar, and mustard, which really creates a BBQ sauce.  I like it more tomatoey with a bit of tang.

Try my version, and bring out the kid in you!

Remember, use up your extra or leftover ground beef.  They are quick and easy to make, inexpensive, and kid friendly.


Old School Sloppy Joes

serves 4


1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground beef
3/4 - 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns or soft kaiser rolls, split (toasted optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.

Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir 3/4 can of tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce into beef mixture in skillet. Taste for flavoring.  Add more tomato sauce or Worcestershire sauce to adjust flavor to your liking.  Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.

Season the mixture with more salt and pepper, if desired. Spoon onto buns, and serve.  

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Today is all about one of my favorite sandwiches, the French Dip! 

I remember growing up and my mom and I would always go out to lunch and order a French Dip sandwich.  I always thought it was so fancy and different from regular sandwiches because you got to dip it in a wonderful beefy sauce.  Through the years I've had some very good French Dips and some bad ones.  But I never really thought about making one at home.

So I was feeling nostalgic the other day and decided  to cook a brisket in the slow cooker and make my favorite sandwich.  Nothing could be easier than making these in the slow cooker.  You just put in the ingredients and walk away.  When you come back 8 hours later you get succulent beef and a wonderful dipping sauce.  For flavoring I used an old trick that my friend Mary taught me for her pot roasts, using a dry onion soup mix.  I chose a beefy onion soup mix, but if you can't find that use the regular onion soup & dip mix.  It's easy peasy...and it tastes fabulous.

I served the sandwiches with the following salads and they were the perfect side dishes:
Artichoke and White Bean Salad

Asparagus Tabbouleh with Prosciutto





The sandwiches or either salad would be a great dish for the upcoming Labor Day! 
Hope you enjoy these as much as well did.  So many memories.  Plus the leftovers were even better!

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

serves 8

1 3 lb beef brisket
1 pkg dry beefy onion soup mix or regular onion soup mix
1 10.5 oz can condensed beef broth
8 hoagie or french rolls

Place beef in cooker. In small bowl, mix dry soup mix and broth; pour over beef. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Skim any fat from the liquid in the cooker. Remove beef from cooker and place on a cutting board. Cut the brisket across the grain into thin slices.

Cut each sandwich roll in half horizontally.   Place sliced beef on bottoms of rolls and top.  Cut in half crosswise and serve with broth for dipping. 

Grilled Turkey, Ham, and Swiss

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Well, another weekend has passed and it's time to go back to work.  Boy, how I dislike Monday's.

It's sooooo hard to get back in the groove when you've had such an enjoyable weekend off.  Don't you think?

But before the work week starts I have a simple and mouthwatering sandwich for you.  I've told you so many times how I love to make sandwiches on the weekend for lunch because they are quick, filling, and taste so dang good!  This one won't disappoint. 

 
The combination of Swiss cheese and deli meat like turkey and ham is a winning combination.  Add some grainy mustard and heat the whole thing up and you have a fantastic lunch.

This is a great kid friendly meal.  The fact that you are getting a hot sandwich makes the meal feel more substantial.  Serve it with a side salad or some fruit and you are good to go!

Enjoy!

Grilled Turkey Ham and Swiss

Serves 1

2 slices of country white bread

2 T grainy mustard

2 slices Swiss cheese

3 slices deli sliced roasted turkey

3 slices deli sliced ham

1 T butter

Lay two pieces of bread flat on work surface.  Cover each slice with 1 tablespoon of mustard.  Lay the cheese slices on top of one slice of bread.  On the other slice of bread layer the turkey and ham slices.  Place bread and cheese slice on top of meat slice. 

Spread butter on both outsides of the sandwich.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sandwich with butter side down.  Cover and cook until browned, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side another two minutes covered.  Slice and serve.