Roast Beef Cheesesteaks

This is a yummy version of the traditional cheeseteak sandwhich that is less messy, but just as delicious!

Roast Beef Cheesesteaks

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 pound sliced roast beef, from deli

1/3 cup beef broth

4-6 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes

2 containers refrigerated crescent rolls

Swiss cheese, cut into strips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375º

In a large skillet, saute onion and pepper over medium heat until soft and the onions are transparent. 

Coarsely chop roast beef and add to onions and peppers.  Stir until the beef is heated through. 

Add beef broth and cream cheese (add the cream cheese a few cubes at a time and add more if you desire more creaminess).  Stir until cheese is melted. 

Lay out the crescent rolls and lay a strip of Swiss cheese in center. 

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of roast beef mixture over the Swiss cheese.  Roll up and pinch the sides of the roll closed. 

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet or baking mat.  Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. 

Source (with a few tweaks) Favorite Family Recipes

Root Beer Pork

The best place to search for new recipes is the Internet.  Raise your hand if you use Pinterest!  The Internet is where I find a majority of my meal ideas, but occasionally, I'll find one in a magazine as I'm flipping through its pages.   I found this one in a magazine, but the irony is, it credits the recipe to allrecipies.com.  

Go figure!

Root Beer Pork

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 12 oz can of root beer

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Hamburger buns

Directions:

Place the pork in the slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat.  Cover and cook on low about 5-6 hours or until well cooked and shreds easily. 

Drain well and stir in BBQ sauce.  Serve over hamburger buns. 

Cream Cheese Cucumber Wraps

    

These are a tasty variation of a deli sandwich! 

 I love the hint of dill!  

 Cream Cheese Cucumber Wraps

                          

Ingredients:

Tortilla 
Cream Cheese
Deli Meat
Cucumbers
Dried Dill Weed
Onion Powder

Directions:

Warm the tortillas just enough so they are pliable.  Let the cream cheese soften so it spreads easily.

Spread cream cheese over the surface of the tortilla, sprinkle with dill and onion powder.  Lay down some deli meat and sliced cucumbers.

Roll tightly and enjoy! (Add fresh avocado or alfalfa sprouts as a bonus!)

Chicken Salad

When I was growing up, a friend of my mom would bring over chicken salad occasionally.  It was basically canned chicken, mayo, poultry seasoning and some celery.  I devored it everytime she brought it over.  So I always knew I liked "chicken salad"  

It wasn't until I was older and started going to my friends' baby showers, that I learned Chicken Salad is not the basic meal I had devoured as a kid.  Chicken Salad is a meal that can take on many different personalities with many different ingredients.  Even though no one has ever repeated the chicken salad recipe my mom's friend made, I have yet to find a Chicken Salad that I don't like!

I especially liked this recipe because of the cashews and cucumbers.  The salty nuts mixed with the cool crisp cucumbers....(MmMmm!)  And adding a pita instead of plain white bread gives it a fresh new approach.  

So good!

Chicken Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 sour cream

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 ginger

2 cups cubed chicken, cooked

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup dice cucumbers

pita pockets

Romaine lettuce

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together.  Fold in the chicken, grapes, cashews and cucumbers. 

Stuff each pita wiht a leaf of lettuce and the salad. 

Thank you Family Favorite Recipes cookbook!

French Onion Soup Sandwich

One of the first things I learned about my husband after we got married is that he loves French Onion Soup.  He'll often order it when we go out to eat, and he even loves the frozen kind that Costco sells.  So when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to give it a try!  It's a keeper!  Next time I'll double the recipe.  No leftovers makes me sad. 

Thanks, Tasty Kitchen

French Onion Soup Sandwich

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons butter, and some more to butter bread

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 whole medium yellow onions, sliced 1/4" thick

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves

3 Tablespoons of Beef Broth

1/2 cups grated cheese (Gruyere or Provolone)

Sourdogh bread, sliced

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat,  melt the butter and olive oil together.  Add onions and stir so they are all coated.  Cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. 

Stir and add in the salt, pepper, sugar and Thyme.  Stir, cover the pan and let cook.  Stir occasionally until the onions are soft and deep golden color.  Reduce the heat if onions are browning too soon. 

Add in the beef stock and scrape any bits of the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat. 

On a griddle or skillet, preheat and then place buttered bread (buttered side down) and top it with cheese.  Add some onion mixture and more cheese. Top with another slice of bread.

Cook and flip.  

Serve!  

Crockpot Meatball Subs

We went to a get together with some friends recently, and our friend, Heather, had these yummy meatball subs fixed up for everyone.  While the wives were visiting at the table I asked my friend for the recipe.  As she's telling me the simple steps I hear my husband holler at me from across the room (because he and all the husbands are gathered at the other side of the room giving each other high-fives)  He says, "Ask Heather for the recipe!  These are awesome!"  Whenever there is a meal that he gets excited about, I take note.  I think I made these at our house about 2 weeks later. 

Instant favorite!

Thanks, Heather!

Crockpot Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

1 bag of Italian meatballs (32 ounces)

1 package of spaghetti seasoning (Thick and Zesty)

4 cans of tomato sauce (the small size)

Hoagie rolls

sliced cheese (provolone or mozzarella)

Directions:

Mix the seasoning with the sauce and pour over the meatballs in the crockpot, and cook until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is nice and thick. 

Serve on hoagie rolls with your choice of cheese, usually provolone is the best. 

Meatballs with Greek Yogurt Sauce

You know how every once in a while you make something and it just "hits the spot" in such a way where you end up eating the same meal for at least 4 or 5 meals in a row? 

Well, enter Meatballs with Greek Yogurt Sauce! My goodness, it makes me want to sing.  (Don't worry, I won't).

Seriously, make these and eat them for 5 consecutive meals.

Meatballs with Cucumber Greek Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium cucumber, peeled partially
1 small carton plain Greek Yogurt (5 or 6 oz)
2 Tbsp fresh mint, snipped
1 16 oz package frozen meatballs, thawed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 package flatbread or naan

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Sauce:
Coarsely shred half the cucumber and combine with yogurt and mint.

In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, peppers and oregano and sprinkle on the thawed meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the broiler until heated through, turning occasionally. (8-10 minutes)

Slice the other half of the cucumber and set aside.

Warm flatbread in microwave.

Spread the sauce on the bottom of the flatbread or naan and place onion, cucumbers and meatballs over sauce.  Sprinkle with additional seasonings, if desired.

Enjoy!

Pizza Pockets

I like to cook. Never will I claim to really know what I'm doing, but I find it relaxing and I love to eat so it's the perfect hobby for me. One thing I forget is that my kids aren't always as excited about trying new recipes as I am. So in tribute to my sweet boys this meal is for them.

Pizza Pockets

Ingredients:

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough

marinara or pizza sauce

3-4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

8-12 ounces mozzerella cheese, cubed

various pizza toppings of your choice: pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers. . .

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425º.  Use a pizza stone if you have one, otherwise lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. 

Unroll the dough on to a lightly floured surface and press into a large rectangle (about 12"x8" Think that a sheet of paper is 8.5"x11").  Cut into 24 squares.  

Place cheese and other toppings into the center of each square.  Gather the sides of each square and pinch closed to create a ball.  Place each ball seam side down on the pizza stone. 

In a small bowl, mix melted butter, garlic powder and Italian seasonings together.  Brush the tops of the dough using a pastry brush.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. 

Serve with warm pizza/marinara sauce for dipping. 

Thai Chicken Wraps with Peanut Sauce

It's a risky move to try a new dish and invite someone over for dinner all in the same night.  I can't imagine anything worse than having hungry houseguests and ruining dinner.  Talk about anxiety!  Good thing Chipotle is down the street, just in case.

Knowing that, you would think I would avoid the stress.  But not me!  I live on the wild side!  Luckily, the other night, I invited guests over AND tried a new dish...miraculousely the stars aligned and my first attempt at this dish turned out great and I was able to avoid a quick dash down the street for some last minute burritos! 

Whew!

Thai Chicken Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Veggies:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 cup green cabbage, shredded

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

4 Tablespoons peanut or canola oil

4 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

4 garlic cloves, minced

2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Wrap:

12-inch flour tortillas

3 cups jasmine rice, cooked

4 green onions, chopped

1 cup peanuts, roasted and salted

Directions:

Chicken:

Combine garlic, pepper, salt and sugar in a small bowl.  Rub onto both sides of the chicken breasts.  You can cook the chicken in a variety of ways, but I used my cast iron stovetop grill to cook.  Cook over medium heat (about 5-6 minutes on each side) until cooked through.  Remove, put on a plate and tent with foil.  Slice into pieces right before serving. 

Peanut Sauce:

Combine all the peanut sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Set aside. 

Veggies:

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add onion, cabbage, carrots, ginger and garlic.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often.  You want the veggies to be crisp and tender. 

To Serve:

Warm tortillas and scoop warm rice in cener.  Top with chicken, veggies and sauce.  Sprinkle green onions and peauts.  Roll up tightly and eat, eat, eat!

French Dip Sandwich

There is nothing better than a warm, toasted roast beef sandwich with melted cheese with grilled onions and peppers.  Okay, maybe all that with steamy Au Jus sauce to dip it in!  This is at the top of our list of favorites at our house!  

French Dip Sandwich

Ingredients:


1 package of hoagie rolls
1 lb of sliced roast beef (we prefer to get our meat directly from the deli)
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 package Provolone cheese
1-2 packages of Au Jus gravy mix


Set oven to broil. 


Prepare the Au Jus gravy as directed.  Place each slice of roast beef in gravy seperately.  Cook until meat and gravy heated through.  Avoid letting it boil. 


In a frying pan, coat with olive oil and saute peppers and onions until they are soft. (At our house we have to do the peppers seperate from the onions because SOMEONE doesn't like peppers)


Butter the rolls and build the sandwich.  Place meat, cheese, peppers and onions on the roll.  


Place in oven and toast until cheese is melted and roll is toasted. 


Pour some of the gravy into a small bowl for dipping. 


Enjoy!

White Castle Sliders

I have never eaten a real White Castle slider, but my husband has.  The first time I made these he said (and I quote) "These taste better than the real thing!"  That is all I needed to hear.  This recipe immediatly found its spot on my list of favorites.

I originally found this recipe from another food blog I follow Favorite Family Recipes.  It's an amazing site.  Go check it out.

To fit our family, I made a few adjustments to the recipe.  Enjoy!

White Castle Sliders

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
12 slices of cheese (the processed kind is good)
1 tbsp olive oil
12 Sara Lee dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 350º degrees

In a large bowl mix (with your hands or a spoon) the hamburger, onion soup mix, peanut butter, and milk. Spread the meat mixture on a cookie sheet with a lip. Use a cup or rolling pin to roll over the meat to smooth it out.  Try to get it to reach all the edges of the pan. 


Put in oven for about 10 minutes. The meat will shrink. 

While the meat is in the oven, saute the onions in a small frying pan with olive oil.  

Take it out of the oven and put the onions all around the edges to flavor the meat. Place back in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Take it out of the oven. If you want onions on your sliders then spoon them onto the meat from the sides. Add your cheese slices across the entire surface. Put it back in the oven for 7-10 minutes (until cheese is melted). 

At this point there is a lot of juice.  Use a bulb baster to drain some of it from the pan.  

Then add the tops of your rolls and place back in the oven for about 5 more minutes.

Take it out of the oven. Slice the meat with a pizza cutter and pick up the slider/top bun with a spatula and set it on the bottom bun.

*Sometimes we add pre-cooked bacon.
*Enjoy with ketchup and mustard