Pimento Cheese Spread

My Grandma Hill's simple recipe. I did not even know you could buy in the store until after I was married. :) 


1 lb. Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 Small Jar Pimentos
1 c. Mayonnaise  
Pepper to taste 

Shred cheese in food processor or box grater on biggest grating option available.  Mix cheese, pimento and mayonnaise in large bowl (might need a little milk to thin out if too thick to mix. Serve with fritos, crackers or make a sandwich. 

Ham, Brie, Apple Sandwich

Thinly shaved ham (Black Forest or Brown Sugar Ham)
Sliced Brie cheese
Thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
Mango chutney (or the chutney of your choice)
Sliced bread

Spread mango chutney on bread slices. Layer ham, cheese and apple on bread, top with second piece of bread. You can eat it just like that or toast bread first or if you want to butter both sides of bread and grill the sandwich.

CB Chicken Salad

This is a knock-off of Corner Bakery's D.C. Chicken Salad. I made it last week when the 4th grade was responsible for teacher lunch day. Here is the original recipe because I made changes below.

Dressing:
1/2 c light Miracle Whip
1/2 c skim milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Salad:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into cubes
1/3 c small shallot, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 c granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 c pear, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice (keeps apples and pears from turning brown)
1/4 c dried currant
1/2 c slivered almonds,toasted

Combine (with a whisk) the MW, milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Set dressing aside. Mix salad ingredients together and then top with dressing to evenly coat the salad. Serve with croissants, bread, crackers or on a bed of lettuce.

Party Sandwiches

Jeremy and I like to make these for parties and game days. I found this recipe and picture from Kelly's Blog.

24 party or dinner rolls

1/2 stick butter, melted

4 T poppy seeds

4 T mustard

4 T Worcestershire sauce

Sliced ham

Swiss cheese

In a bowl, mix together the butter, poppy seeds, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.Spread sauce on both sides of rolls and put a piece of ham and cheese on each.Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese melts. Best if served warm.

Ham Delights

My friend Allison who gave me this salad and this salad made these little sandwiches for our Superbowl party last year. I have made them a few times for family gatherings and for teacher work day. FYI the recipe uses Sister Schubert's® Parkerhouse Yeast Rolls (find them in the frozen isle at the grocery store) and the ham mixture makes a lot - enough for three trays of rolls.

3 pan Sister Schubert's® Parkerhouse Yeast Rolls
1 cup finely chopped honey ham
1 t Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 T prepared mustard
1 t poppyseeds
1/3 cup swiss cheese, grated
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup asiago cheese, grated
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
Allow rolls to thaw. Remove rolls from pan and slice rolls in half. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Place a small amount of filling in each Sister Schubert's Roll. Put rolls into pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°F or until desired warming has occurred. If desired garnish with lettuce when serving.

Side note you can make the Ham Mixture ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook in rolls.

Asparagus Sandwich

I love asparagus!!! This is a wonderful sandwich.

8 to 10 fresh asparagus spears, washed and trimmed

1 tablespoons light butter

Salt and pepper

2 slices reduce calorie bread, toasted

1 Tbsp Thousand Island dressing, recipe follows

1 ounce Pepper Jack Cheese, grated

Red onion, cut into 3 thin rings

Blanch asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Remove immediately to a bowl of ice water.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and lightly saute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside on a paper towel.

Spread dressing on top of each slice of bread. Put grated cheese on one slice of toasted bread. Arrange asparagus on top of cheese, rotating the spears. Place onion on top of asparagus. Ingredients makes one sandwich (excluding dressing).

Thousand Island Dressing:

1 1/2 cups light mayonnaise

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup dill relish

2 Tbsps dried dill weed

Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper (to taste). Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Paul Deen's recipe.

The Ultimate Chicken Salad

I love Tyler Florence's recipes, and this one is amazing. Warning - this is pretty filling and rich so if you have long pieces of bread (as I do in the picture), I would cut those in half before serving. Give it a try; you will not be disappointed!

For the Poached Chicken:

1 (2 to 3-pound) whole chicken (I used 4 chicken breast w/ skin & bones)
1 gallon water 2 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
2 turnips, halved (I omitted)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
10 peppercorns
3 bay leaves

For the Chicken Salad:
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
About 1 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 celery stalks, small diced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves plus sprigs, for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded chicken meat, roughly chopped
4 slices sourdough bread, cut 1/2-inch thick
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup cranberry sauce
1/2 pound brie
1 green apple, thinly sliced

For the Poached Chicken:
Begin by poaching the chicken. Put the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 1 gallon of cool water. Add the vegetables and herbs and bring the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim well; then simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming frequently as the oil rises to the surface. When done, remove to a platter and set aside to cool. Strain the liquid and reserve it for use as chicken stock. Shred the chicken meat and discard the skin and bones. (My addition - I cooked the chicken the night before and refrigerated.)


For the Chicken Salad:
Roughly chop the walnuts and then gently toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until they brown and are slightly fragrant. (My addition - toast walnuts the night before and put in a sealed container.) Season walnuts with salt once they are finished toasting. Add the walnuts, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, celery, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large mixing bowl and combine. Fold in the shredded chicken and set aside while you prepare the bread.

This part of the recipe came from watching the show - the recipe on the web changes the assembly of the sandwich up a bit. I suggest doing it as follows. Toast the bread until golden. Smear each piece with a little butter and then a tablespoon of cranberry sauce over over each piece. Turn oven on 500 degrees (broiler). Lay the 4 cranberry-smeared pieces out on a sheet tray (covered with parchment paper) and top with a few slices of green apple, add a scoop of the chicken salad and lastly top each piece with 2 to 3 slices of thick-cut brie. Pop this back in the oven for a minute or 2 so the cheese is slightly melted and creamy. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007