Tag Archives: sandwiches

Walnut Cream Cheese Sandwiches on Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

I will never look at grilled cheese the same way again.  Never in my life had I ever considered a sweet grilled cheese.  I’ve had sweet sandwiches before (like this Panini with Chocolate and Brie) but nothing like this Walnut Cream Cheese Sandwiches on Cinnamon-Raisin Bread.  Every once in a while when I go out to get a bagel from the bakery, I’ll splurge and get the walnut-raisin cream cheese but it’s rare because it seems so decadent.  Well, the walnut cream cheese in the middle of this sandwich tastes nearly identical.  And I’m obsessed.

Cream cheese (I used reduced-fat), walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon are mixed together until creamy and spread between two pieces of cinnamon-raisin bread which is then grilled in a little light butter until golden and slightly crispy.  Even with using reduced-fat cream cheese and light butter, I still found this sandwich to be a little rich so if you aren’t into sweets for breakfast, this would make a great after dinner dessert.  I mean, why not?  You can control however much cream cheese you want in your sandwiches so you can make it as hearty as you like.  Trust me, any leftover cream cheese mixture is stunning on a toasted bagel.  Or licked from a spoon.  Or licked from your fingers.  Not that I know anything about that.

DSC04642

The ingredients:

DSC04637

Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

DSC04638

Spread cream cheese mixture on 4 bread slices; top with remaining 4 bread slices.

DSC04639

Spread outside of sandwiches with softened butter.

DSC04640

Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is golden brown.

DSC04641

DSC04643

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • 1/3-less fat cream cheese
  • Light butter

Overall Rating:  Love It Source:  Coastal Living magazine

Sweet Chili Rolls

Have you had one of those weekends where you either have too much to do or don’t feel well enough to do anything at all?  That was me this weekend.  After taking Friday off and laying in bed all day because the pesky cold virus that was threatening me most of the week final showed it’s ugly face, I still didn’t feel up to much the rest of the weekend.  When you have a food blog and do almost all of your cooking on the weekends though, this doesn’t make things easy when all you want to do it lay in bed.  So thank goodness for the slow cooker.  Normally, I don’t have the patience to wait for food to cook in a slow cooker.  But when every physical activity becomes exhausting and all you want to do is rest, the slow cooker is a life saver.  And these Sweet Chili Rolls were worth the wait.

Ground turkey is mixed with a blend of water, pinto beans, ketchup, dijon mustard, garlic and chili powder in the slow cooker and cooked low and slow for 6 hours.  The result is healthier version of a sloppy joe which is topped with cheese.  I love the addition of the pinto beans here because the slow cooking process make the turkey meat tender and texturally perfect with the beans which also provides a boost of fiber.  I substituted some of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder to add a little kick so consider adding in additional spices if you choose.  I really don’t think you can go wrong here with other flavors like dry mustard or smoked paprika also.  Whether you have a lot to and have no time to cook or just need keep your feet up instead of standing in the kitchen, these sandwiches are a happy no-brainer.

20130225-131852.jpg

The ingredients:

DSC04317

Blend chili powder, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Add ketchup and mustard and stir to combine.

DSC04318

Pour ketchup mixture into slow cooker and stir in 1 cup water, beans, onion and garlic. Crumble in half the turkey and gently stir to combine. Repeat with remaining turkey.

DSC04319

DSC04320

Cover and slow cook on HIGH for 6 hours or on LOW for 8 hours.

DSC04321

Uncover and add salt. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture onto a roll. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese.

20130225-131802.jpg

Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Vidalia onion

Substitutions:

  • Chipotle chili powder

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

Turkey Panini with Citrus Aioli

I have to admit, I’m not the biggest sandwich person.  Aside from the occasional Wawa junior hoagie, I don’t desire a sandwich very often.  At lunchtime, I usually get so cold in my office that I need something warm and cold sandwiches don’t usually cut it.  Sometimes, however, a warm panini with gooey cheese can be the perfect solution.  Since sandwiches are paired so perfectly with soup I thought this Turkey Panini with Citrus Aioli would be a great complement to the Winter Tomato Soup I posted on Monday.

Smoked turkey slices and provolone cheese are the base to this sandwich which I topped with baby spinach instead of watercress (because I had a huge tub of spinach on hand).  Adding a fresh and citrusy touch, an aioli made simply with mayonnaise, lemon and lime zests, garlic and lemon juice is lightly layered on the bread before topping it with the turkey and cheese.  This panini, which can be grilled on either a grill pan or a panini maker, is a great twist on the standard turkey sandwich.  If you have turkey and cheese in your fridge and you just don’t want another plain old sandwich, consider this.  It doesn’t matter what kind of turkey or cheese you use or even if you don’t have any leafy greens.  If you love mayonnaise like me, grab a lemon and a lime and whip up some of this citrus aioli for a yummy condiment to any sandwich.

DSC04258

The ingredients:

DSC04254

Combine mayonnaise, lemon, lime, pepper and garlic and spread evenly over half the bread slices.

DSC04255

Top evenly with turkey, watercress (or spinach), cheese, and remaining bread slices.

DSC04256

Coat a grill pan or panini maker heated to medium-high heat with cooking spray.  Arrange 2 sandwiches in pan.  If using a grill pan, place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches and press gently to flatten.  Cook 2 minutes on each side (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

DSC04257

Repeat procedure with remaining sandwiches.

DSC04259

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Baby spinach
  • Light mayonnaise
  • Reduced-fat provolone cheese
  • Whole-wheat bread

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

1 … 4 5 6 … 9
Blog at WordPress.com.