GREEK SALAD SANDWICHES WITH FETA DRESSING

(adapted from s’kat and the food, Lynne Rosetto Kasper's weekly food email The Splendid Table, and from Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals by Sara Moulton)
4 oz. good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano leaves, or 1/2 tsp. dried
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 oz. fresh, rinsed baby spinach
4 medium plum tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, rinsed, dried and minced
1/3 c. pitted, brine-cured olives such as Kalamata
6 pepperoncini, chopped
4 pita rounds, cut in half

Combine feta, oil, water, the mayonnaise, lemon juice and oregano in blender or food processor, blending until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with feta dressing. Divide salad mixture among the 8 pita halves and serve. Notes: Add canned tuna or smoked salmon, along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Or try with cold, sliced leftover lamb and some chopped garlic, if you like.

MEDITERRANEAN TUNA SANDWICH

1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
1 sm. red onion, sliced very thinly
1 – 2 tsp. capers, drained and rinsed
1 can tuna, drained
1 tomato, sliced 1/4-in. thick
Kalamata olives, sliced
leafy greens
day old crusty bread

Combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper, adjusting to taste as necessary. Place sliced red onion into same container, and let sit while preparing the remaining ingredients. Slice bread in half, and hollow out a portion of the interior. Beginning with bottom piece of bread, layer with vinaigrette-drenched onions. Follow with capers, tuna, tomatoes, olives and leafy greens. If desired, add one more layer of onions, finish with top slice of bread, and press down firmly to make sandwich.

COBB SALAD SANDWICH

2 romaine lettuce leaves
2 tomato slices
2 slices crisp bacon
2 oz. sliced turkey
1 sliced hard-boiled egg
3 slices avocado
1 tbsp. chopped black olives
1 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1 tbsp. creamy blue cheese dressing or
olive oil vinaigrette
1 crusty French roll

Slice roll and remove some of bread inside. Layer sandwich ingredients into bread and sprinkle with dressing. Press roll together firmly.

BRIE-L-T

1 French baguette
1 tbsp. good extra virgin olive oil
1 oz. brie cheese
2 fresh tomato slices
spring lettuce mix
fresh basil leaves
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Slice the bread into a sandwich length and then in half horizontally. Splash some olive oil on the inside of the bread. Layer the bread with the brie cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.

GARDEN FRESH SANDWICH

1 crusty French roll or baguette
1 oz. sliced havarti cheese
mix of fresh lettuces
6 cucumber slices
1 big slice fresh garden tomato
3 fresh red pepper strips
3 avocado slices
alfalfa sprouts
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Slice the bread, layer the cheese and vegetables, finish with olive oil, salt and pepper.

SALMON CROISSANT

1 croissant
2 tbsp. cream cheese
1 tbsp. pesto
leftover grilled salmon or
sliced smoked salmon
6 cucumber slices
3 avocado slices (sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning)

Slice the croissant in half. Mix the cream cheese and pesto and spread on both sides of the croissant. Layer the salmon over the croissant and top with cucumber and avocado slices.

BACON & EGG SALAD SANDWICHES

2 slices bacon
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped celery
1 tbsp. chopped green olives
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 lettuce leaves
2 slices whole grain bread

Fry or microwave bacon until crisp; drain on paper towel. In a small bowl, combine eggs, celery and green olives. Stir in mayonnaise and mustard until well blended. Spread more mayonnaise on both slices of bread; top one slice with lettuce leaves and egg salad mixture. Cut bacon slices in half and lay on top of egg salad. Top with second piece of bread.

AUTUMN SANDWICH SPREAD

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1/2 c. grated carrots
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. chopped Granny Smith apple
1/2 c. chopped dates
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg (optional)

Soften cream cheese and stir in remaining ingredients. Spread on whole grain whole wheat bread and add your choice of other toppings – lettuce, sprouts, mayo, etc.

DEVILED EGG SALAD

4 large eggs
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. regular yellow mustard
2 tbsp. snipped chives
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce
1/4 c. diced celery
salt and freshly ground pepper

Place eggs in a medium saucepan filled with cold water and bring to a rapid boil; cover, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and fill the pan with cold water. Peel the eggs and coarsely chop them. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, paprika, dry mustard, chives, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Add the chopped eggs and celery and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the egg salad before serving on whole wheat bread with lettuce and mayonnaise or mustard.

PIER 39 TURKEY SANDWICH

Good quality large round sandwich rolls

Sliced turkey

Cranberry orange relish

Lettuce

Mayonnaise

Slice rolls into halves.  Spread mayonnaise on both halves.  Layer roll with turkey, generous spoonful of cranberry-orange relish, lettuce and remaining roll half.  Note – cranberry orange relish is easy to make in the food processor with one bag of fresh cranberries, quartered whole orange with peel, and 3/4-cup sugar. Stays fresh for several days in refrigerator.

MEGA JUICY MEGAN BURGERS

2 pounds of hamburger (70-80% lean)

1/2 cup (+/-) Hellman’s mayonnaise

1/3 cup (+/-) Heinz ketchup

1/2 teaspoon (+/-) granulated garlic

cheese, of course!

Mix all ingredients with hands until well blended.  Form into 8 balls.  Toss each ball against the palm of you hand until slightly compacted.  Shape each ball into a hamburger patty.  Grill to desired degree of doneness, covering with cheese for the last minute of cooking.  This makes really juicy, moist, flavorful burgers!

MAID-RITES

1 pound ground beef

1 cup water

1 beef bouillon cube

chopped onions

dill pickle slices

mustard

hamburger buns

In a large heavy skillet, cook ground beef until just browned.  Drain fat and return beef to skillet.  Add water and bouillon cube: cover and simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring a couple of times to dissolve bouillon cube.  Remove cover and continue to simmer until water is evaporated.  Spoon cooked beef onto bun with your choice of chopped onions, dill pickle slices, and mustard.

DAM TURKEY SANDWICH

Turkey Dressing or Stuffing

Sliced turkey

Cranberry sauce of your choice

Lettuce

Mayonnaise

Pita Bread

Thinly slice dressing, if possible.  If dressing or stuffing is too loose to slice, place on a piece of plastic wrap and draw the edges together to form a ball, then pat stuffing into a patty. Spread inside of pita generously with mayonnaise.  Layer all ingredients in the pita bread and serve.  Note – use packaged instant stuffing, if desired.

GRILLED PIMENTO CHEESE, BACON & PEPPER JELLY SANDWICH

2 slices good white or whole grain bread
Homemade Pimento Cheese
2 slices crisp bacon
red or green pepper jelly (store-bought or homemade)
butter (the real stuff is all I use, but you use what you want)

Lay out two pieces of bread. On one piece of bread, spread a generous, but not ridiculous, amount of pimento cheese. Break bacon into 4 pieces and place on top of pimento cheese. On second piece of bread, spread a fairly thin coating of pepper jelly. Place pepper jelly side on top of pimento cheese-bacon side of bread. Heat griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. When surface of pan is hot, melt some butter in the center of the pan and place the sandwich right on the melted butter. Cook until first side of bread is golden brown and crispy. Remove sandwich with a spatula and melt more butter in pan. Flip sandwich as you place right on melted butter. Continue to cook over medium heat until second side is golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat, slice in half and place on plate. Eat it while it's hot!

HOMEMADE PIMENTO CHEESE

adapted from Frank Stitt's Southern Table

3 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese (I usually use packaged Kraft or Sargento
shredded sharp cheddar cheese)
1 oz. cream cheese, softened (low-fat, if you prefer)
8-oz. jar diced pimento
1/2 c. mayonnaise (Hellman's, Duke's or Homemade only!) 
Cholula or Tabasco hot sauce, several shakes (or to taste, or not at all)
1 - 2 tbsp. Howard's Sweet Pepper Relish

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Keep in refrigerator for several hours, or until ready to use for sandwiches, crackers, celery sticks or eating from a spoon.

CREAM CHEESE AND OLIVE SANDWICHES ON RAISIN BREAD

½ cup chopped green olives with pimento

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

¼ cup mayonnaise

dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

sliced raisin bread (I'm partial to Pepperidge Farm)

Chop green olives in food processor to measure ½ cup; remove from food processor and set aside. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce and process until creamy. Add olive and pulse just enough to blend into cream cheese. Use as a sandwich spread on raisin bread.

HAMWICHES

2 lbs. thinly sliced ham (Black Forest is good)
12 slices cheese (Swiss, Sharp Cheddar, Muenster)
¼ lb. salted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup mustard (I like Dijon)
2 tsp. poppy seeds
12 hamburger buns

Melt butter and sauté chopped onions. Stir in mustard and poppy seeds to blend. Allow mixture to cool slightly. Place ham on bottom piece of bun, cover with cheese slice. Spread top half of bun with 1 spoonful of onion-mustard mixture. Place sandwich halves together and wrap in foil. To serve: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place foil-wrapped sandwiches in a single layer on large baking sheet and heat for 20-30 minutes. Sandwiches may be frozen before heating – allow extra 15 minutes to heat frozen sandwiches. Serve warm.

Note: For hors d'oeuvres size or small appetites, make these on Pepperidge Farms Party Rolls. Slice the entire pan of rolls in half horizontally, fill bottom half of rolls in tray with sandwich ingredients, replace top of rolls and slice to divide into individual roll sandwiches. Leave individual sandwiches on tray and wrap tightly in foil. Store in ziploc bags in freezer until ready to bake and serve as directed above.

CORA’S BEST-EVER ITALIAN BEEF

4 tbsp. olive oil
1 6-7 lb. rump roast (leave fat on!)
1 tbsp.Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
26 oz. beef stock, or more
1 can beer
8 oz. jar chopped pepperoncini, with juice
½ pkg. Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Italian Sub Rolls

Heat olive oil in heavy pan or Dutch oven. Sprinkle roast with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Brown roast on all sides. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir to blend. Place browned roast in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low or medium for 6 to 8 hours. At the end of cooking time, turn off slow cooker and allow meat to cool. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred meat with a fork.   After all meat is shredded, add it back to stock in the slow cooker and set on low to heat. Serve on lightly toasted Italian sub rolls (I like warmed Cobblestone Mills White Sub Rolls) with additional meat juices and more pepperoncini on the side. Makes 10 to 12 sandwiches.

After using all the Italian beef for sandwiches, use the leftover meat juices as an excellent base for making Minestrone soup. Add a blend of vegetables, cannellini or kidney beans, canned tomatoes, cooked pasta and more beef stock to the pot and simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Stir in freshly grated Parmesan before serving with crusty Italian bread.

MEATBALL SUBS

(adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook)

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. very lean ground beef
1 c. fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. Italian herb blend
2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. Kraft shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tbsp. good olive oil
1 c. chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. good red wine (I used a Merlot)
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the sandwiches:
8 sub rolls
16 provolone or mozzarella cheese slices

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 c. warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-in. meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-in.) skillet to a depth of 1/4-in. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 mins. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more min. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 mins. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 mins., until the meatballs are cooked through. Slice sub rolls open, but do not separate into two pieces. Warm rolls in a 350-degree oven. Place a slice of cheese inside the roll, spoon in meatballs and sauce and serve immediately.

Serves 8-10 subs. Freeze some to use for spaghetti and meatballs or sandwiches later, if you don't use them all at once.

TURKEY SANDWICHES I'VE KNOWN & LOVED

Pier 39 Turkey Sandwich
Kaiser Roll
Turkey Slices
Cranberry Sauce
Leaf Lettuce
Mayonnaise

Dam Turkey Sandwich
Pita Pocket
Mayonnaise
Leaf Lettuce
Turkey Slices
Stovetop Stuffing Patty
Canned Cranberry Sauce Slice

Fist Full of Feast
B-i-g Pita Pocket
Mayonnaise
Leaf Lettuce
Turkey Slices
Stuffing
Cranberry Stuff
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Gravy, if you dare

Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich
Good Homemade Bread Slices or Rolls
Turkey Slices
Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
Dressing/Stuffing
Leaf Lettuce
Mayonnaise

Classic Turkey Sandwich
Store Bought White Bread
Sliced White Meat Turkey
Salt
Iceberg Lettuce
Mayonnaise

Hearty Thanksgiving Turkey Club Sandwich
Pumpernickel Bread
Turkey Slices
Crisp Bacon
Havarti Cheese
Cranberry Sauce
Leaf Lettuce
Mayonnaise

Little Gobbler
Dinner Roll
Turkey
Dressing
Cranberry Sauce
Lettuce
Mayonnaise

CREAM CHEESE AND OLIVE SPREAD & SANDWICHES

Cream cheese, regular or low-fat, softened

Mayonnaise, regular or light
Chopped green olives
Dash of Worcestershire
Dash of cayenne
Raisin bread

Blend together first five ingredients. Spread cream cheese mixture on raisin bread. It may sound like a strange combination, but it works!