My Bunco Meal

A couple of years ago my mom made these sandwiches for Easter and I fell in Love. They are a sweet & salty parade of flavors with just the right crisp to the warm sandwich.

If you have not been lucky enough to have tried one of these sammy's I suggest you go right out and buy the ingredients and make it for dinner tonight! You will be forever in love and can thank me later.

The Best Ham Sandwiches Ever

adapted from Recipezaar

Ingredients

• 2-12 packages of sweet hawaiian rolls (the small dinner roll looking ones)
• 2 lbs of sliced ham (any kind will do)
• 12 slices swiss cheese
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onions ( i used grated onion)
• poppy seed

Directions

1. 1
   You will need two 9 x 13 pans. Place the bottoms of 12 rolls in each pan. Place ham (about 2 shaved slices or so) on the rolls. Cut the cheese slices into 4 parts and place 2 small pieces on each sandwich. Put the dinner roll tops on. In a sauce pan, mix butter, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, and dried onions. Wait until all butter is melted, wisk together, and then pour the melted mixture over the ham sandwiches (I know it sounds weird but TRUST me). Sprinkle the buns with poppy seeds and cover with foil. Let refrigerate overnight (If not able to wait, it is okay. They still taste great if made right away). Preheat oven to 350 and uncover sandwiches. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes and serve. They are great hot and even at room temperature Enjoy!

I also made this take on a Caprese Salad, but with pasta a salami
Pasta Caprese Salad

Mozzarella Balls quartered

Halved grape tomatoes

Thinly cut basil

Pasta

Thinly sliced Salami

Put it all together with your favorite Balsamic Dressing.

I know I already said you MUST try the ham sandwiches but I you MUST also try the Lemon Cooler Cake from Costco it is straight Divine! I have had Many Lemon cakes and Nothing I mean Nothing compares to this one ( yes Joes BBQ included). It is sooooooo Moist, sweet and the perfect amount of lemon flavor. I could truly eat the whole thing!

Bean with Bacon

My Husbands mother has a gift of turning inexpensive ordinary items into a meal. One of the things I love about being a Cummard is all the GREAT recipes I have picked up.

Here is one that most would turn up their nose at and not give it a try, but I am here to tell you it is worth 15 min. and lousy can of soup to find out.

It is simply a can of Bean with Bacon soup ,made with milk, Of course!

Then spiced up with some minced onion, crispy bacon, cheese and a piece of buttered toast.

place the toast in the bowl, pour the soup on top and then add the other toppings to your liking.

I truly fell in love with this dish, my husband LOVES it and so do my kids.

It is definitely one of those "Mom dishes" that you remember as a kid.

A Heart Healthy Meal

While watching television one day I saw an advertisement for Filippo Berio Olive Oil in which they featured this recipe. So I quickly got on my computer and looked it up.

I made it and Loved it! It was easy, light, fresh and the best part, Healthy! Score!

This was also the first time I had ever made Orzo- which has since become one of my new favorite types of pasta. It is a lot like rice in size and shape but is actually a type of pasta.

I am always trying to make life into a movie.

I always think it is so "cool" when people will go to the butcher and get some meat all wrapped up. So when I picked up this shrimp from the Butcher counter, I felt like I was in NY picking up my food from the Delicatessen. I know super Nerdy- what can I say that is just me!

Orzo Pasta with Shrimp

• 8 ounces uncooked orzo pasta

• 3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon Filippo Berio Olive Oil, divided

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-1/4 pounds raw small shrimp, shelled and deveined

• 1-1/2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (tender but still firm). Drain.

2. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil; set aside.

3. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until golden.

4. Add shrimp; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque (do not overcook).

5. Stir in pasta. Add tomatoes, cilantro, parsley and lemon juice. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

All Wrapped up

So I saw this meal on one of my fav. cooking blogs Mels kitchen cafe.

Now it was a little out of my comfort zone, but since I had previously attempted this roll recipe I thought I could do it. I tried and triumphed. It was perfection- granted it didn't look as Gorgeous as hers did but the tasted was still Phenomenal!

Now this looks a LOT more complicated than it is.

As long as you follow the steps you can make this dish into anything you want. I used mostly the same stuffing as she did- but I plan on trying many more variations of it. ( Her readers had many comments on different ideas and things they have tried)

I rolled it out pretty wide since I had a lot more stuffing that hers called for. It also makes 2 braids so this is a great dish to make one for your family and one to take to someone. ( Which since It was our night to make dinner for my SIL and her family, that is exactly what I did.)

Then I made about a 4 inch groove in the middle that would house the stuffing.
Then I cut strips on either side by hand- this does not need to be perfect each strip was about an inch wide.

Then I loaded up the stuffing in the center that I lightly rubbed with some bbq sauce.

The Stuffing mixture could be basically anything you would like- I did bbq chicken with red onions and cilantro. Topped off with 2 kinds of cheese -monterey jack and sharp cheddar.

This is where your creativity and food preference will come in whatever sounds good to you.

Ideas here

Then start wrapping it up- taking one strip at a time starting at one end and wrapping it over to the other side.

seal up the edges and brush butter on the top
then bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 min.
It felt pretty hard when it came out, but it tasted perfect. Crunchy, chewy and just pure goodness. I can't wait to try some more filling ideas.

BBQ Chicken Braid
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture

*Note: the amounts of chicken, onions, barbecue sauce, and cheese in the recipe can be altered based on your preference – simply add more or less to your liking.

*Makes 2 large braids

1 recipe French Bread Rolls
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

After the french bread roll recipe has gone through the first rise, split the dough into two parts. Lightly cover one portion and set aside. Roll the other portion into about an 11X17-inch rectangle (I roll mine out directly on a silpat liner to make for easy transfer to the baking sheet and oven). Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, onions and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Place the braid on a lined baking sheet (or simply transfer the silpat liner to a baking sheet) and let rest for 15 minutes. While it is resting, follow the same steps above for the second portion of dough. Bake the first braid for 15-20 minutes (while the second braid is resting), until golden brown and bread is baked through. Remove from oven and bake the second braid.

Let the braids rest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.

Easter Goodness

Easter is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons

Family

Faith

Food

I especially enjoyed this holiday since we were able to listen to the prophet speak on Easter Sunday. Only problem was that I had a little trouble with my "Roll" making, for the 2 dinners I was attending and I wasn't able to sit down and enjoy it as much.

I told you I am still learning the ways of the "Yeast"

Reading this you already know that I have an extreme LOVE of Food! Well I have also passed this down to my daughter as well.

She spent the first part of the morning hiding in a room stuffing candy into her face as fast as she could! It reminds me of myself as a child.

So onto the Food. I decided to try a new roll recipe for my Easter dish. I thought I would just Double the batch and make it for both of our families.

Well things did not go as planned- I think maybe it was that I didn't have enough time to let the dough rise properly before I had to start baking them.

So I only got enough for 1 family- so I had to start all over again after we got through with lunch!

But regardless of my troubles the Rolls were fantastic. I did 2 separate takes on the Lion House Roll recipe that I got from here . You make the recipe for her Lion House Rolls and then turn them into Orange Rolls.

Now I don't really like Orange rolls ( since the one time when I was in HS and ate so many that I threw up) but I am trying to gradually ease back into them. This seemed like the perfect recipe to do that.

The were extremely easy, beautiful, and divine. Thought I am glad I did both the normal rolls and orange rolls, since we had just eaten the cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Which are basically the same things as the orange rolls!

Here is the wonderful spread my mom had for us.

My grandma made an Out of this World Potato Salad. The BEST I have ever had. I will have to get the recipe from her. ( secret ingredient her homemade pickles)

My brother and his wife gave us this super cute basket of goodies for Easter filled with Trader Joe's delectables.

These eggs were To Die for.

I went back to get more but they were all out.

They blow the Reeses Eggs out of the water. I am hooked for life and can't wait till next season when I get to enjoy all this great food once again.

Traditions

A couple of years ago I decided to start a Tradition. Twice a year me and the family would make cinnamon rolls to deliver around the neighborhood for people to eat while they watched General Conference. The first time I did this was also the first time I had ever made Cinnamon Rolls and I was a bit nervous. But I found a super easy and yummy recipe ( from my neighbor Tenille) and I did it all by myself!

Rolling it out to just the right thickness

Adding just the right amount of cinnamon sugar and brown sugar ( for me less is more)

Rolling it up and cutting them out

I always get so excited when I see that they raised.

The frosting is the best and I could just eat these up!

My kids love doing this as well- they have so much fun spreading out the cinnamon and sugar. Our favorite part is passing them out to the neighbors and seeing how excited they are for the goodies!

Cinnamon Rolls

1 can evaporated milk

4 cups hot tap water

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup potato flakes

3 Tbs. yeast

2 Tb. salt

12-13 cups flour

*Mix all ingredients until it pulls away from sides. ( now I get nervous every time I read this so I mix the wet ingredients first, then add dry ) Then mix for 6 minutes. The let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half or into thirds, depending on how big of cinnamon rolls you want. Roll out dough onto floured surface. Cover with melted butter. Sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mixture. Then sprinkle with brown sugar. Roll up tight and cut with string or floss. Put them on pan and let rise until doubled in size. Bake for 350 for 20 minutes, depending on how big they are. Frost with buttercream frosting.

Buttercream frosting

2 cubes butter, softened at room temp.

2 boxes powdered sugar

dash of salt

2 tsp. vanilla

enough milk to make it spreadable

*this frosting is unbelievably good

Texas Caviar

A couple of months ago my SIL Sarah introduced me to this great "dip" called Texas Caviar- it is like a Pimped out Black Bean Salsa. When I decided to make it I got her recipe and then combined it with another one from a blog I saw, and well it's the Bomb Diggity!

Every time I bring it somewhere I have at least 2 people tell me it is the best thing EVER, and that they want the recipe.

It also has Many uses.

The first one obviously being a "chip dip"

I have put it in tacos and even made some Killer Enchiladas with the leftovers.

To sum it up this dish ROCKS!!!!!!!

Sorry about the pic, I forgot to take one before it got gobbled up so this is the scrapings of the bowl!

Texas Caviar

1 can black beans ( rinsed and drained)

1 can white corn (drained)

1 can black eyed peas ( drained)

6- 8 roma tomatoes chopped small

6 avocados dices

chopped cilantro

finely chopped green onions

1 small can of green chilies

Put it all together ( add the avocados right before you are ready to take it) and pour on some Italian dressing to your liking . For me less is more. I also use Good Seasons Italian packets and make my own and then pour most of it in. Then refrigerate.

So next time you are asked to bring something to the Partay- I would bring this and you will be a Hit!

Make your own Take-Out- Fontina Burger

I like to think of myself as a "food connoisseur" (yes I had to look up the spelling of that).

Always out to find the next best thing, and always up to try something different. I love sharing my love of food as well and introducing people to new places and good food.

One of my fav. places is Joes Farm Grill with is one side of the Joes Trinity- Joes Farm, Joes BBQ and Liberty Market. All of which are my favorites of the specific food style.

I will even wait in line for an hour to get a Free Hamburger! Course with me it is just as much about the Free as it is about the Food.

Now onto the meal.... My favorite menu item at Joes Farm Grill is the Fontina Burger. It was my fav. even before it was featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives (another favorite show of mine).

So I decided to re-create this masterpiece of a Burger.

of course I would never get anything at Joes without their Fabulous Sweet Potato Fries- these are killer and MUST be tried.

I got some great baby portobella mushrooms and sauteed them up a bit

some Fontina cheese - which took me awhile to find. Trader Joes is where I ended up getting most of my ingredients

Some pesto and arugala

Then put it all together with some Roasted Red Pepper and a great grilled patty of Ground Beef to create this beauty.

It was a Hit! I loved it as did my mom and husband. All those same great flavors melted together to produce a symphony in my mouth. I inhaled it and then had it for leftovers 2 days in a row.

*All those ingredients cost me so much I had to get my money's worth.

So while it is cheaper to make a single burger at home- you still have to buy all the ingredients for about 6 burgers so the price can get a little high. But if you are looking to impress, this meal will definitely do it.

If you don't want to take the time and effort I would just go down to Joe's and have them make it for you. (Their fries were much better than mine anyways!)

Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I have had a couple of Best's on here already but here is another one. I am always looking for the "best" of certain cookies I love. The husband and I are big Oatmeal Choc. Chip cookie Fans and are always on the lookout. At a shower the other day they had these cookies there and by the time the shower was over I had the recipe being emailed to me by our cousin Leslie. I also walked out the door carrying about 5 of them.

I decided to make them the next week but instead of chocolate chips I used chopped up Reesce's Peanut Butter Eggs from Easter candy.

Well the result was Perfection, rich, full of oatmeal and flavor like no other.

I promise you won't be dissapointed and I will finally be able to give up the search.

*sorry here is the recipe

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. butter (softened)

2 c. sugar

2 c. brown sugar

Cream

Add:

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

4 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

5 c. oatmeal

2-3 c. pecans (optional)

24 oz. chocolate chips

Bake @ 375 for 8-10 minutes until golden. Leave in pan 2-3 minutes.