Stromboli

 Found HERE

• 1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active-dry yeast (1 standard packet)
• 1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 and 1/2 cups (about 450g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface (I put flour in untill it pulls away from the sides and gets kneaded around in a ball(

Fillings for 2

• 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 pound thinly sliced meats such as Italian cold cuts, deli ham, or large pepperoni slices*
• 3/4 – 1 pound cheese (about 3 cupsshredded or about 16-20 slices deli cheese)*
• We each make our own pizza roll and put whatever we want in it: cheese (not too much!), pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, pepper, etc. 

Egg Wash & Topping for 2

• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
• optional: sprinkle of chopped fresh or dried parsley, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and/or parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. *If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.

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2. Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes (for a visual, watch me do it in the video below). The dough can be a little too heavy for a mixer to knead it, but you can certainly use the mixer on low speed instead. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.
3. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray—just use the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size. If using instant yeast, this takes about 1 hour. (Tip: For the warm environment on a particularly cold day, heat your oven to 150°F (66°C). Turn the oven off, place the dough inside, and keep the door slightly ajar. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. When it’s doubled in size, remove from the oven.)
4. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide in half. (If you aren’t making 2 strombolis, freeze the other half of dough. See freezing instructions below.) On a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each half of dough into a 10×16-inch rectangle. I like to use my hands to square off the edges, as shown in the video below. If the dough keeps shrinking as you try to shape it, cover it lightly and let the dough rest for 10 minutes before trying again. (The gluten just needs to settle.)
6. Add fillings: Mix melted butter and garlic together. Spread all over each rectangle. Sprinkle each with parsley. When you start layering on meats and cheeses, leave a 1 inch border on the bottom and sides and a 3 inch border on top. (Basically you’ll have an empty 3×16-inch gap on top that only has butter/garlic on it. This is because when rolling, the fillings will be pushed forward. See photos and video below if you need a visual.) Arrange a layer sliced meats onto each dough, usually about 8-10 slices on each depending on size and thickness of slices. Add a layer of cheese. Repeat with more meat and cheese until all is used—about 1/2 pound meat and 1/2 pound cheese per stromboli. Brush all edges with egg wash, including 3 inch gap at the top. This helps the stromboli hold its rolled shape. Slowly roll each into a tight 16 inch log, folding in the two ends as you roll. See me do this in the video below. Dust your hands or the dough with flour if things become too sticky. Carefully transfer each to lined baking sheets. Pinch or tuck in ends to seal if they became unfolded.
7. Brush each stromboli with egg wash and, if desired, optional toppings. Using a very sharp knife, cut 3-4 slits into the tops of each, which helps steam escape. At this point, you can cover shaped stromboli tightly and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown—if you have an instant read thermometer, the center of the stromboli should be at least 200ºF (93ºC). If meats are particularly greasy (like pepperoni), some grease will spill out the sides. Cheese may bubble out the sides or top slits, too. If baking both at the same time, rotate pans halfway through baking and extend bake time (if needed) by 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cutting board and slicing.
9. Serve plain or with pizza/marinara sauce for dipping.
10. Cover and store leftover stromboli (slices or whole) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

I'm trying to up my school lunch game. The girls love these so much. I originally got the idea from this girl. (I sort of want her Costco one stop cookbook...) I'm also trying to simplify dinners. 

One Package of Kings Hawaiian Rolls (you can get a two pack at Costco)

Ham (we like smoked. Honey feels to sweet to me with the rolls)

Cheese (we like tillamook Cheddar but you could do swiss as well)

Mayo Mustard

1 T. or less Melted butter

Everything but the Bagel Seasoning (I've found this at Costco but Trader Joes has it as well)

Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half long wise so you have a top and bottom large sheet of rolls. Spread mayo mustard over the whole thing. Layer ham then cheese. Put the roll tops back on in one big sheet. Brush with melted butter (sometimes I add dry mustard to this but it's optional), then sprinkle with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning. Cut into individual roll sandwiches. I freeze 1-2  in a baggie for my little kids and 3-4 for hungrier kids. 

You can also throw all 12 rolls in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. They also air fry well in small batches.

Greek Chicken Wraps

We loved these. I'm trying to simplify my menu planning, and this was perfect. It was quick and delicious. Perfectly light for summer, but still had flavor. I don't usually love Greek stuff like this, but I couldn't get enough. You MUST pickle the onion. It tones down the strong flavor. Even Annie was eating them like candy. So good.

yield: 6 burritos or wraps

GREEK CHICKEN BURRITOS {OR WRAPS}

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINS

PREP TIME: 25 MINS

COOK TIME: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

QUICK PICKLED ONIONS:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1/2 to 1 cup thinly sliced red onion

TZATZIKI SAUCE:

• 1 medium English/seedless cucumber, shredded (I use the large holes of my box grater)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) plain Greek yogurt I forgot to buy this, I used sour cream and it worked great.
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced or pressed through garlic press
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Drizzle of olive oil

GREEK CHICKEN + EXTRAS:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 flatbreads, wraps or tortillas (we bought Oroweat multigrain pocket thins and they were soooo good. Moist and delicious)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 to 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• Crumbled Feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the quick pickled onions, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat until the sugar and salt mostly dissolve, about a minute or so. Add the onions, turning them to coat in the mixture. Set aside. I forgot to microwave. Oops.
2. For the tzatziki, lightly squeeze any excess water out of the cucumber over the sink (with your hands or with the cucumber wrapped up in a towel). In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the drained cucumber, and stir to combine. Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Set aside.
3. For the chicken, in a small bowl, stir together the oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
4. Pat the chicken pieces dry and rub the spice mixture all over both sides of the chicken.
5. Preheat a grill (or grill pan, broiler or skillet) to medium-high. Grill/cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side (exact time will depend on the thickness of the chicken) until cooked through; an instant-read thermometer should register 165 degrees F. (I just used my cast iron skillet on the stove with the lid on. )
6. Lightly tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. To assemble, heat the flatbread/wraps/tortillas until just warm (in a skillet or I sometimes throw them into a ziploc bag and microwave with the bag opened for 30-45 seconds).
8. Cut the chicken into cubes or slices. Arrange the chicken down the center of each flatbread. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions, tzatziki and feta cheese. Roll up, cut in half, if desired, and serve immediately.

NOTES:

Each of the components for this recipe can be made ahead of time. The pickled onions can be refrigerated for several days – same with the tzatziki sauce. 

If you have the time, try rubbing the spice mixture on the chicken and letting it rest/marinade for up to 12 hours. After being grilled, the chicken can also be refrigerated and used for leftover wraps (or for quick lunches). It was just as good or better leftover

Perpperoncini Beef Sandwiches

These have been on my to-make list for a long while and we finally made them this week.  They were good and super easy.  My kids even liked them.  I made mine in my Instant Pot and cooked it on manual for 80 minutes.  I think I could've done less.  Maybe 70-75.

I definitely recommend them as a sandwich, but the meat itself is really good.  There is a bit of heat from the peppers that Ginger and Elsie complained about.

From Our Best Bites

Ingredients

1. 1/2+ tsp. kosher salt
2. 1/2+ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3. 2 tablespoons of olive or cooking oil
4. 3 lb. beef roast, trimmed of excess fat
5. 4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
6. 1 16-oz. jar sliced pepperoncinis, undrained
7. optional: 1 small packet dry Italian dressing (I used this)
8. Crusty sandwich rolls (for sandwiches). I used small ciabatta rolls from Walmart.
9. Sliced provolone cheese (for sandwiches)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pot or high-sided skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, combine the salt and pepper and rub it into the meat. Add more if necessary. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides so the outsides of it is browned and a little crispy.
2. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and add the minced garlic and the entire jar of pepperoncinis and dressing mix if using. If possible, cook on high until the liquid comes to a boil and then turn it to low and cook until the roast shreds easily with a fork, for a total cooking time of about 6-8 hours. If not possible, cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
3. For sandwiches, slice the rolls and spread lightly with mayonnaise and then top with the shredded beef. Add a slice of provolone cheese and then place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 12 large sandwiches.

Hawaiian Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Pretend you're making a grilled cheese sandwich, but put barbecue sauce on both slices of bread and add some ham and pineapple to the cheese. 

Yum. 

Sloppy Joes

I know Nettie posted a sloppy joe recipe a while back, but this is my favorite concoction (besides mom's...her's are the best). It's half manwich + half Mel's recipe. Her recipe alone is too sweet and doesn't taste very sloppy joe to me, but with manwich, it's perfect. Here's her original recipe. My kids LOVE sloppy joes.

2 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1-2 T tomato paste
1/3 c smoky bbq sauce
1/4 c ketchup
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 T soy sauce
Black pepper
1 can Manwich (the regular size)

Cook beef and onions. Drain the grease off the meat and onions. Stir in the tomato paste, and keep stirring until the meat is coated. Add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, pepper, Manwich sauce and bring to a boil.

1/2 cup = 200 CAL (don't write kcal or nettie will call you out)

Oven Ham Sammies

Recipe from HERE.

This is a ham version of this roast beef sandwich. My notes are pink.

1 12 count package Kings Hawaiian Rolls
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 tsp ground mustard (i'd use closer to 1 tsp next time)
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp worcheshire sauce (i'll add 2 tsp next time)
1 package swiss cheese
12-16oz thin sliced ham

Put ham and cheese on sliced rolls.

Mix all other ingredients and spoon over sammies. Let set overnight or several hours (i didn't do this because i didn't think ahead of time).

Bake on 350 for 15 min before serving (i think i will cover the pan with tin foil next time like i do with the roast beef sandwiches).

Summer Sandwich

For our RS activity last night, they had a light dinner with little tea sandwiches. The avocado one was my fave. Very simple.


Cream cheese smeared on bread.
Then layer:
Sliced avocado
Sliced cucumber
Baby spinach
Sprouts (if you dare risk e coli poisoning)


Mmm. A good summer sandwich.

this really, really good roast beef sandwich

we had these at our friends' house yesterday after sledding. MAKE THEM. NOW. i hope the instructions are clear. i wish i had a picture of them to show you. i thought they would be a kind of soggy sandwich, but once they are out of the oven, they are crunchy-ish on the outside and melty-cheesy on the inside. and that sauce you put on them -- crazy good.

You will need good, fresh hoagie rolls (or any roll), thinly sliced roast beef (i think my friend had meat from Costco .. that you get by all the other sliced meats and cheeses. I suppose you could use left over meat too), and swiss cheese.

Sauce:
1cup melted butter
4T Worcestershire Sauce
1t garlic pepper (yes, PEPPER. no, no garlic salt. PEPPER.)
1T poppy seeds
1T sesame seeds

Assemble the sandwiches on a baking sheet like so: bottom half of roll, some roast beef, slice of swiss cheese, top half of roll. My friend cut the rolls in half ... easier to eat and get more of the sauce on them. If they are smaller rolls, don't cut in half.

Pour sauce over the sandwiches: do a few spoonfuls over each sandwich. It will run over the sides and pool on the baking sheet, but that's ok. This amount of sauce was good for about 8 whole hoagies (so, 16 halves). Cover with tinfoil (wrap it around the edges of pan) and cook at 350 for 1/2 hour. You may need to double the sauce depending on the number of sandwiches you make.

kelvington special

our friends call these the kelvington special. we love them ... super quick and easy. it just cheese and tomato on a bagel. here's how:

toast up buttered bagel under broiler (open face). once it's golden brown, place cheese on top - i always use havarti. put back under broiler until cheese is melted. take out of oven and top with sliced tomato, sprinkle of seasoned salt, and some pepper. they are really good. i promise.

anybody recognize these plates?

Barbeque Chicken Sandwich

1. Marinade chicken in bbq sauce.
2. Grill or bake your chicken.
3. Shred chicken, and add more bbq sauce to your desired taste. Maybe some salt and pepper.
4. Put chicken on hamburger bun. Top with cheese. Broil.
5. Cole slaw would be good dolloped on top before eating.

Apple Sandwich

Here is what we had for dinner last night:

cinnamon bread
turkey (or any lunch meat you want)
provolone (I believe you are supposed to use Gouda, but Gouda luck finding it in my grocery store)
thin apple slice
cranberry sauce

Do it just like you would make a grilled cheese sandwich...
butter outside of the bread. Stack cheese, meat, apple, cranberry sauce, cheese, bread...and grill.
Cut into four triangles for dainty eating. We don't even add any sauce to these because the cinnamon bread is so moist and stuff.