Twenty Minute Tuesday - Turkey (or Chicken) Salad Sandwiches and bonus recipe, Home Made Pita Bread

Another quick meal idea for a crazy Tuesday.  The hubs has been picking up overtime shifts left and right, so I am beginning to feel like a single mom.  I'm so thankful for a hardworking hubs who wants me to be home with our girls, so in return, I am working hard to make sure he has healthy meal options to take to work.

Tonight is quick, easy, delicious, and uses minimal ingredients.  I always plan for this particular meal after we've had a roast turkey, or chicken.  It is a perfect way to give new life to leftovers and also makes a fantastic picnic too.

There aren't really exact measurements on this recipe, it is more of a "how you like it" recipe, but here is the general idea.

Turkey (or Chicken) Salad

leftover turkey, or chicken, cut into small cubes
3-4 ribs of celery, chopped
2 shallots, minced
small handful of craisins
zest of one lemon
juice of 1/2 -1 lemon
mayonnaise, enough to bind the ingredients together, but not to make them soggy
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix the turkey, celery, shallots, craisins, and mayo together.   Add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Spoon filling onto bread or into pitas, add lettuce and enjoy.

Pita Bread
adapted from King Arthur Flour

3 cups All-Purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all ingredients to form a rough dough. Continue to mix for 5 minutes until dough is elastic and smooth.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest for 1 hour.  It may not double in size but it will become puffy.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll each piece into a ball.

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a rolling pin, flatten 4 of the dough balls into 6 inch circles.  (they don't have to be perfect circles, mine are far from perfect).  Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet.  When the oven has reached temperature, place the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Move to the middle of the oven and bake again for 2 more minutes (this is to brown the pitas).

Remove from the oven, and cool by wrapping them in a clean dry towel (flour sack towels work best for this part).

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Store them in a plastic bag.

Sloppy Joe Sliders

While meal planning this week, I was trying to come up with a few things we hadn't had in a long time.  Sloppy Joe's popped into my mind and I couldn't remember the last time I had made them.   We've become quite fond of sliders, they are the perfect size for the girls and we have so much less waste.  So I whipped up a batch of hamburger buns, and when shaping them into rolls, I weighed them to be sure we'd have uniformity.  I used an ounce and a half of dough for each roll.  That seems to be the best size for sliders. 

The girls were thrilled, especially for the jell-o that I had them help me make earlier in the day, but whatever I can do to get them excited about being in the kitchen, I'll do it.  We whipped up a potato salad, and then finished off the meal with a bowl of ice cream.  Even though it doesn't feel like summer, around our dinner table you'd never know that it wasn't.  

Sloppy Joe's

1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef

1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Place ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook and stir the mixture constantly until the beef is browned and forms small crumbles, about 10 minutes.  Drain off any excess grease.
Stir in garlic and green bell pepper; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and stir, scraping the pan to dissolve any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Mix in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Add 1/2 cup more water and return mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick, about 30 minutes.
Season with salt , black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

Comfort Food Makeover - Meatloaf Burgers

Classic comfort food is just that, comfort food. Whether your favorite is creamy mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, or good old fashioned meatloaf, sometimes you just need to eat one of those childhood favorites that has become a source of comfort. I am not condoning emotional eating at all, but I will say that comfort food (in moderation) helps when you've had a really horrible day, or getting over an illness.  It takes you back to when life had no worries and all you had to think about was who you were going to call to play that day.  Oh, if life were only that easy still.

The Hubs LOVES meatloaf, my girls both love it too.  With spring upon us we just cannot stop grilling, so we took one of our favorites and grilled it.  Two thumbs up from everyone!  I was skeptical that our youngest would eat it, because she seems to find fault in just about everything these days, but she ate the entire thing.  The burger stayed moist, juicy, and was full of flavor.   The glaze that we brushed onto the burger just before it was done, caramelized and gave it a wonderfully sweetness.  Delicious!  I whipped up another batch of the toasted onion buns, and thought that it was a great combo.

Meatloaf Burgers
makes 6 servings

For the burgers:
1 1/2  lb ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp ketchup
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp packed brown sugar

Preheat the grill, or broiler.  In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, onion, ketchup, egg, panko, salt and pepper (works well to dive in and just use your hands.)  Don't overwork the mixture, or you'll have tough burgers.  Divide the mixture into 6 pieces and form them into patties.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar to make the glaze.  Set it aside.

Grill the burgers until they are just about done, then using a silicone basting brush, brush the glaze generously over each burger.  Continue to cook until they are done to your liking.

Place on buns, top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion slices.  Finish off with your favorite condiments and enjoy!  I'd love to hear what you think when you give these a try...

Raspberry Jalapeno Grilled Cheese

Because the Hubs had to work tonight, we decided to have our big meal for lunch (totally confused the kids), and stick to a lighter dinner.  So, when dinner time rolled around, the kids were happily playing in their room, and I was left to my own devices.  I had planned to make the kids both grilled cheese sandwiches (it is National Grilled Cheese Month after all) but wanted to make my own a bit more exciting.  After taking a quick inventory, I grabbed a few ingredients like cream cheese, raspberry preserves, and pickled jalapenos and started out.  It was delicious!  I loved the sweet and savory, then the kick of the jalapenos.  WONDERFUL!

Raspberry Jalapeno Grilled Cheese

2 slices rustic bread (I used the some of the olive oil bread)
2-3 tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp raspberry preserves
5-6 slices pickled jalapenos
2 slices cheddar cheese
butter

Butter one side of each slice of  bread.  Then, placing buttered sides together, spread the cream cheese across one un-buttered slice of bread.  Spread the raspberry preserves across the cream cheese, and arrange the jalapenos over the preserves.  Top with the sliced cheddar and the second slice of bread, buttered side out.  Grill on medium heat to allow for the cheeses to melt and the other ingredients to heat up.  Turn and grill on  the other side.  Remove from pan and enjoy the gooey deliciousness.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

In honor of April being National Grilled Cheese Month, I got into the spirit and also cured my craving for Buffalo Chicken at the same time.  I am a sucker for Buffalo Chicken, when I think about it I can automatically taste it and my mouth starts to water, strange, I know...  I would be the first to say it a weakness of mine.  So, I'll only indulge once in a while.  But  when you combine the creamy cheeses, and spicy chicken together the flavor profile is magical.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Serves 4

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*, about 2 cups
4 ounces neufchatel cheese (or full fat cream cheese), at room temperature
3-4 tbsp hot sauce (I love Franks, that's the only one I'll use for buffalo chicken)
blue cheese crumbles
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices bread
softened butter

Combine chicken, neufchatel cheese, and hot sauce in a medium bowl until combined and there are no longer chunks of neufchatel cheese.  Butter one side of each slice of bread.  Assemble your sandwich by spooning 1/4 of the chicken mixture onto 4 slices of bread, on the un-buttered side. Top with blue cheese crumbles, and a slice of sharp cheddar.  Top with another slice of bread and place on a hot pan.  Grill to a medium brown.  Enjoy with carrot and celery sticks.

*I love to have bags of already cooked, shredded chicken in the freezer ready to go.