Leftover Cheeseball Sandwich

Every year my family makes a cheese ball for our HOLIDAY party and even though it is delicious, we always have LEFTOVERS. After a while, the "ball" with CRACKERS starts to lose its magic and I search for other ways to consume it without throwing it away. This cheesy-with-a-hint-of-heat SANDWICH is definitely my new favorite!

Leftover Cheeseball Sandwich
4 slices good-quality wheat or grainy bread
Leftover cheeseball
1 jar nacho jalapeños
Gouda or Havarti cheese slices
Turkey slices (deli or leftover works great!)

Lay bread on work space and spread a light layer of cheese ball over each piece. On 2 slices, layers the jalapeños, cheese slices, and turkey and then top with remaining bread slices. Cook like you would a grilled cheese.

TIP: Try not to get too carried away when spread the bread with the cheese ball, too much really is too much and will be too heavy.

Grilled Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwiches with BBQ Cranberry Sauce

I look forward to making recipes out of our Thanksgiving LEFTOVERS every year. And this SANDWICH is definitely one of my favorites. The GOOEY cheese holds everything together in the most PERFECT way possible. Mmmmm!

Grilled Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwiches with BBQ Cranberry Sauce
Leftover homemade or whole berry cranberry sauce
BBQ sauce
Sourdough bread, sliced
Butter
Leftover turkey
Baby Swiss slices
Leftover stuffing

In a bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce until well mixed, using roughly 2 parts cranberry sauce to 1 part BBQ sauce. (Or whatever tastes good to you!)

Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread and set them butter side down on your counter so you can "build" your sandwich. Spread each slice of bread with a layer of the BBQ Cranberry Sauce. Place a slice of cheese over top on half of the bread slices. Top the cheese with a layer of turkey and a scoop or two of stuffing. Top with more cheese, and the remaining bread. Grill like you would a grilled cheese!

TIP: You can leave the stuffing out and these are still pretty amazing!

Toasted Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Over the last year or so I've been OBSESSED with beet and goat cheese salad. One night I decided it was time to make it into a SANDWICH. That turned out to be a really good IDEA! The cheeses melt together and make it GOOEY and warm, and the toasted buttered bread gives it just the right touch.

Toasted Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich
4 sliced bread
Butter
Fresh mozzarella (I just break mine into little pieces)
Goat cheese (I just crumble this)
Sunflower seeds
Pickled beets, thinly sliced
Romaine lettuce (use the crunchiest parts!)

Butter one side of each slice of bread and put the butter side down on the counter. (Yes, it's messy, but way easier in the long run!) Layer the mozzarella, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and beets on 2 slices of bread. Top with the lettuce and a little more cheese so the sandwich "sticks" together. Place on a medium heated pan with the cheese and beet layer on the bottom first (this way the lettuce won't get soggy!). Flip when bread is brown and brown other side. Cut in half and enjoy.

TIP: I think some yummy artisan bread of some sort would make this sandwich really fabulous as well.

Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich

If you can't tell, I've totally been obsessed with SANDWICHES this summer. So maybe they are all variations of each other, but they sure all taste SUPER yum. This is the result of the huge basil plant in my GARDEN. I just love the flavor and want to incorporate it into everything!

Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich
Artisan bread of your choice, sliced
Roasted red peppers (I just grabbed a couple at the olive bar at my local Smith's)
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Fresh Parmesan, shredded
Balsamic glaze (you can make your own or buy some!)

Butter the bottom of each slice of bread and then set butter side down. Drizzle balsamic glaze over other side and then layer half of them with lots of peppers, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan. Top with remaining pieces of bread, balsamic side down and grill over low to medium-low heat like you would a grilled cheese.

TIP: My husband likes meat on his sandwich so I layered some turkey and pastrami on his. :)

Peach, Brie, and Basil Sandwich

Peaches happen to be my FAVORITE fruit. So naturally, we have a large box of them. And even though I'm happy to eat the peaches in all their fruity glory, I also like to venture out and explore new FLAVOR combinations. My basil plant is huge and almost done for the SEASON, but there are still plenty of tender leaves for me to pull from it. So with an abundance of both those two fab foods, this delightfully REFRESHING open-faced sandwich came to be!

Peach, Brie, and Basil Sandwich
Sliced artisan bread (just use your favorite!)
Fresh peach, thinly sliced
Brie
Basil, cut into ribbons
Kosher salt and pepper
Honey

Place slices of bread on a work surface and top with peaches and brie. Sprinkle basil over top as well as salt and pepper. Drizzle with honey. Broil in the oven until edges of bread are brown and toasty and the cheese is melted.

TIP: Don't be shy with the toppings—stack them on there! Mint would also be a tasty replacement for the basil.

Salami, Mozzarella, and Fresh Basil Sandwich with Balsamic Glaze

So I know that the picture of this SANDWICH isn't amazing by any means, but it tastes FABULOUS! It's one of the tastiest ways to use your FRESH basil, and can be super versatile if you want it to be. I've made it NUMEROUS ways and have loved every combo!

Salami, Mozzarella, and Fresh Basil Sandwich with Balsamic Glaze
Ciabatta rolls
Fresh mozzarella
Sliced salami
Fresh basil
Balsamic glaze (boil 1 cup balsamic vinegar down to about a third)

Slice rolls in half and top with little pieces of the fresh mozzarella and stick plenty of basil leaves in between. Top with desired amount of salami and then top that with more cheese and basil. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over top (I like a lot!) and then broil open-faced until cheese is melted and bread is toasty. Put top on and eat away. :)

TIP: I've made this with turkey on regular bread and just grilled it like a grilled cheese. Also SUPER yum! I like the balsamic with it so much I may have drizzled some extra while I was chowing down. And for tomato lovers, I'm sure adding a slice or two would taste great!

White Grilled Cheese with Avocado

Grilled cheese sandwiches are YUMMY. I like to explore all sorts of flavor combinations. This one is fairly MILD, but flavorful. To make it extra easy, I just buy the pre-sliced packages of whatever CHEESE I'm going to use. The kiddos LOVED it, possibly because it is seriously LOADED with cheese. Or maybe it was just that DELICIOUS!

White Grilled Cheese with Avocado
Sliced bread
Ranch dressing (or a flavored mayo would work too)
Provolone cheese slices
Swiss cheese slices
Havarti cheese slices
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper
Butter or butter spread

Lay all of bread slices on the counter and spread a little ranch dressing on top of each. On half of the bread slices, place a layer of each cheese over top. Butter the bottom side of the bread topped with cheese slices and place in a preheated frying pan over medium-low heat, butter side down. Watch carefully, and when the cheese starts to melt, lay the avocado slices over top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with another slice of bread, dressing side down. Butter the top piece of bread and flip to brown and finish melting the cheese completely.

TIP: Explore different bread and cheese options! There are so many good combinations out there. A good nutty bread would be fabulous, and so would a smoked or regular gouda. Mmmmm! I just thought of a few more combinations!

Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich

I really like grilled cheese. Or love it. Whatever. But I've been CRAVING more than just a regular ol' grilled cheese. I want ADULT grilled cheese. So, I decided to combine some of my favorite FLAVORS on a sandwich. And GRILLED it!

Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich

3/4 cup (or so) balsamic vinegar

1 chicken breast or 3 or 4 tenders

Dried thyme, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin

1/3 sweet onion, sliced

1/2 red bell peppers, sliced

4 slices nutty whole wheat bread

Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce by about half. Remove from heat, stir in a few drizzles of honey, and set aside.

Pat chicken dry and then sprinkle spices and seasonings over each side. Cook in a frying pan with about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, until nicely browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft and then set aside. Now saute the peppers until soft. Drizzle the bell peppers with some of the balsamic glaze, toss to coat, and remove from heat. 

Lay bread on a flat surface and sprinkle some of the cheeses on top of 2 slices. Cut the cooled chicken into thin slices and lay over the cheese (you may not use it all, so just snack on it!). Top with the onions and bell peppers. Drizzle more of the balsamic glaze over top and finish it off with more cheese and the remaining bread. Butter the bread and toast like you would a grilled cheese. :)

TIP: I like to season each layer of this sandwich with a little salt and pepper. I think provolone or gouda cheese would also be super yummy in place of the mozzarella. I also think using fresh basil leaves between the layers would be fantastic. I'm sad I didn't have any to try that day!

Turkey Pesto Melts

This recipe is soooo EASY, it's kind of embarrassing! But, during this busy time of year it is a FANTASTIC dinner that takes about 5 minutes to put together. What more could you ask for? You can even use your LEFTOVER Thanksgiving turkey! Just serve it with your FAVORITE salad or veggies and dip and dinner is done!

Turkey Pesto Melts
Sandwich hoagies
Pesto (I buy the jar of fresh pesto from Costco)
Sliced deli turkey 
Sliced provolone cheese

Split the hoagies and spread the top and bottom with desired amount of pesto. (We like a GOOD amount!) Layer the turkey over the bottom half of the sandwich and top with cheese. Place open-faced sandwiches in the broiler until cheese in melted and bubbly. BE CAREFUL! Make sure you watch these so your bread doesn't burn!

TIP: If you don't have hoagie buns, put these tasty things together on regular bread and cook like you would a grilled cheese!

Blackened Salmon Sandwiches with Creamy Basil Sauce

I think I've mentioned before that my husband WANTS to gain weight. He is required to eat a lot of HEALTHY protein, so we've been having salmon once or twice a week. Our whole family LOVES fish, even the 1-year-old twins! Anyway, this SIMPLE dinner was fantastic and full of flavor thanks to the cajun seasoning and SECRET sauce.

Blackened Salmon Sandwiches with Creamy Basil Sauce

Salmon, cut into portions that will fit on bun

Olive oil

Cajun seasoning (I buy this in the spice aisle)

Creamy Basil Dressing

Hamburger Buns

Lettuce

Lightly pat all sides of the salmon portions with olive oil. Sprinkle a good amount of the Cajun seasoning over both sides and then cook in a grill pan (or bbq) until done. Spread a spoonful of dressing on both sides of the buns then put salmon on top. Finish off with another drizzle of the dressing and top with the lettuce. Enjoy!

TIP: The dressing is from one of my favorite salads EVER! I've been making it with Greek yogurt instead of mayo and it is still delicious. Also, if you don't have the oil marinade from a container of those fresh mozzarella balls when you make the dressing, just use olive oil instead. I usually throw in a couple dashes of garlic powder and oregano and parsley when I don't have the marinated mozzarella that I can steal oil from. 

Ham and Cheese Sliders

This has been one of my GREATEST finds on Pinterest. It sounds so simple (and it is!), but it has AMAZING flavors that makes my mouth water just thinking about it! So one of these BUSY summer nights when there's not much time to prepare a YUMMY meal, make these.

Ham and Cheese Sliders
24 dinner rolls, cut in half
24 slices honey ham
24 slices swiss cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Miracle Whip
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and Miracle Whip. Spread both sides of the dinner rolls with the mixture.
On a baking sheet with sides, place bottom half of dinner rolls close together and top with 1 slice ham and 1 slice cheese. Put the roll tops back on.  
In another bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, onion powder, Worcestershire, poppy seeds, and brown sugar. Pour over the rolls. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Bake, covered with foil, for 10 minutes; remove foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Makes 24 sliders.

TIP: I also made this using turkey and provolone, and it was also delicious! However, the ham and swiss version is our family favorite!

Orzo Chicken Salad

This recipe was INSPIRED by the chicken salad I enjoyed recently at a BRIDAL shower in my neighborhood. It's LIGHT and REFRESHING—perfect for summer, and actually pretty darn good for you! Hope you love it.

Orzo Chicken Salad

1/2 cup orzo, cooked

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

1 cup red grape halves

3/4 cup cashew pieces and halves

1 green onion, sliced

1 (6-ounce) container Honey-Flavored Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients and serve on a croissant, soft flatbread or pita wrap, or a large leaf of iceberg lettuce. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich

I've recently become ADDICTED to hummus over the last few months, enough so that you might often find me standing by my fridge with a SPOON in hand as I sneak scoops out of the big container I bought from Costco. It's soooo GOOD! Anyway, I discovered this TASTY little sandwich that is very filling and great for someone trying to watch their CALORIE intake. I absolutely love it and hope you do too!

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich
Orowheat Sandwich Thin (or wheat bread)
1/4 to 1/3 cup hummus
Matchstick carrots
Sliced red and green bell pepper
Sliced purple onion

2 or 3 tablespoons finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Lettuce

Open up your sandwich thin (or place 2 slices of bread) on a work surface and spread the hummus over top of one side for a nice thick layer. Place a good amount of the carrots, peppers, and onion over top and press lightly into the hummus. Sprinkle the cheese over veggies and then place lettuce over top. Top with the other half of your sandwich thin and enjoy!

TIP: I've made this sandwich for my husband and added turkey to give him an extra boost of protein. He loved it even though he claims he does not like hummus! And as always, feel free to add your favorite veggies. Any variety would be great, I'm sure! :)

Garlic Blue Cheese Burgers

My husband and I have an OBSESSION with anything garlic and blue cheese, so obviously these BURGERS really hit the spot! Is there really anything better than a good JUICY burger to finish out this year's menu? :)

Garlic Blue Cheese Burgers
1 pound hamburger (I typically use 80/20 for burgers)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 to 2 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles, plus more
Onion, thinly sliced (but kept in rings)

In a bowl, mix everything but the onion. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and make into patties. Cook on a grill pan according to desired doneness. While cooking, throw circles of onion rings into pan to brown. Serve onion and more gorgonzola cheese on the burger (on a bun of choice!). Top with favorite burger condiments.

TIP: You can add more or less cheese to these burgers, if you prefer. Also, try using other cheeses for fun—I don't think you can go wrong. For hard cheeses, just shredded or cut into very small cubes. And try serving with some yummy Sweet Potato Fries!

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

This is a recipe from my book, 101 Things to Do with Cheese. I love how EASY it is and that it tastes like you ordered it from the CAFE or bistro around the corner. YUM!

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small onion, cut into strips

1 package good-quality roast beef lunch meat, cut into strips

2 to 3 hoagie or deli-style buns

Provolone cheese slices or Cheez Whiz

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the veggies. When tender and slightly browned, stir in the beef. Let the meat heat through and brown slightly as well. Open the buns and place cheese on both sides, whether using slices or spreading on the "Whiz." Divide the hot meat mixture evenly among buns and then let the cheese warm and melt slightly. Serves 2 or 3.

TIP: You can add sliced fresh mushrooms to the veggies when you are sauteing them, or stir in some drained canned mushrooms with the meat. It's really good!

Ham Dandies

If YOU are looking for something QUICK, these little BEAUTIES are the best DINNER you can make! 

Ham Dandies

1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced

1/4 onion, diced

Olive oil

10 slices ham lunchmeat, diced (about any kind that's better quality than Budding!)

Mustard

4 slices bread 

Grated cheddar cheese

Saute the bell pepper and onion in about a teaspoon of olive oil until tender and slightly browned. Toss in the ham pieces and stir until lightly browned. Spread mustard on all 4 pieces of bread. Sprinkle cheese over 2 of the mustard-covered pieces. Top with the ham and veggies and sprinkle more cheese on top. Cover with the remaining bread, mustard side down. Butter the top and bottom of the sandwich and grill in a pan like you would grilled cheese. Makes 2 sandwiches.

TIP: Another great addition to this sandwich would be sliced mushrooms or olives. You can saute them with the other veggies. I prefer it this way though. So easy and soooo good!

Turkey Pesto Melts

This recipe is so EASY, it's kind of embarrassing! We LOVE it though, and it's super handy because we USUALLY have all of the ingredients on hand.

Turkey Pesto Melts
Sandwich hoagies
Pesto (I buy the jar of fresh pesto from Costco)
Sliced deli turkey (chicken would work too)
Sliced provolone cheese

Split the hoagies and spread the top and bottom with desired amount of pesto. (We like a GOOD amount!) Layer the turkey over the bottom half of the sandwich and top with cheese. Place open-faced sandwiches in the broiler until cheese in melted and bubbly. BE CAREFUL! Make sure you watch these so your bread doesn't burn!

TIP: If you don't have hoagie buns, put these bad boys together on regular bread and cook like you would a grilled cheese!

The Best Sloppy Joes EVER!

I learned this EASY recipe from my mother-in-law! It is now definitely one of my FAVORITES. I added the bell peppers because that's what my family likes, but these are still DELICIOUS without them.

The Best Sloppy Joes EVER!
1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 can chicken gumbo soup, condensed
1/2 cup ketchup (or more if desired)
3–4 tablespoons mustard (or more if desired)
Hamburger buns

In a frying pan, brown the turkey and then drain. Season with salt and pepper and then toss in the bell peppers. Let cook until peppers start to soften, just a few minutes. Add the soup, ketchup, and mustard to the pan and stir. Give it a taste and adjust if necessary. Let simmer for 5–10 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

TIP: My husband likes to top his Joe with a slice of pepper jack cheese. I have to admit, it is pretty tasty that way, but I don't think it needs it (at least not if you're trying to lose baby weight like me!). He also likes to eat his sandwich open-faced with a fork and forgo the "sloppy" part. :)