Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Inspired by Heidi's Brooklyn Deli.

During the last four years, it seems like some of our favorite things we've found in Vegas are places to eat.  One place we absolutely love is Heidi's Brooklyn Deli, which has become somewhat of a lunchtime tradition among the UNLV dental students.  The food (including the bread) is made fresh daily, and everything we've tried so far has been delicious.  Some of our favorite sandwiches are the chicken salad, the reuben, the Cajun turkey with avocado, and the chicken parmesan.  So good!  I love getting their chocolate chip cookies and macaroni salad, too (which is amazing because I'm not a macaroni salad person).  Whenever we make chicken parmesan, we use the leftovers in our imitation of the sandwich at Heidi's.

Marbled rye bread, sliced
Chicken parmesan, thickly sliced (at least 1/2 breast per sandwich)
Marinara sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Spread a generous amount of marinara sauce on one piece of bread.  Layer chicken slices over marinara.  Cover with mozzarella cheese.  Toast chicken-covered piece of bread and empty piece (or broil in the oven if don't have a toaster oven) until bread is toasty and cheese is melted.  Put sandwich together, slice (if desired), and dig in!

Note:
- We like to use this recipe for chicken parmesan, which we got from a friend of ours.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

From Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Slow Cooker (2012), page 23.

Prep: 30 min / Cook: 9-10 hours (low) or 4.5-5 hours (high), plus 1 hour (low)

1 (2 1/2-3 lb) boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
20 cocktail-size whole grain hamburger buns or small round dinner rolls, split and toasted
Deli coleslaw
Coarsely chopped sweet or dill pickles

If necessary, cut meat to fit in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker.  In cooker, combine onion and bell pepper.  Add meat; sprinkle with thyme and rosemary.  Pour broth over meat.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

Meanwhile, for the barbecue sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, black pepper, and salt.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer meat to a cutting board.  Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds, discarding fat.  Strain vegetable mixture, discarding liquid.  Return shredded meat and strained vegetables to cooker.  Stir in barbecue sauce.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1 hour.

To serve, spoon meat mixture onto bun bottoms.  Top with coleslaw and chopped pickles.  Add bun tops.

Notes:
- The only "pork shoulder" I could find was a boneless pork shoulder butt roast, which ended up being about half fat (I'm serious).  I may try this with a different cut of pork next time so I actually get a decent amount of meat.  As my husband pointed out, really fatty cuts of meat like that are great for slow barbecuing, but I had to cut off so much of it so it wasn't drowning our food in so much grease.
- We bought 10 medium-sized Telera rolls, which were a little chewier than regular buns, but not too chewy.  We'll probably only use 7 or 8 by the time we finish the leftovers.
- This is terrible, but I don't really know how many quarts my slow cooker holds.  Ha!
- I have something against buying coleslaw and other mayo-based products at the grocery store deli.  I bought a bag of shredded coleslaw vegetables (cabbage and carrots) from the produce section and mixed up the following sauce, combining a Bobby Flay recipe with an Emeril recipe: 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbs. sugar, 1 tsp. celery seed, 3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbs. Dijon, dash cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Nutrition Facts (if making 20 sliders):
1 slider = 320 calories, 14 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 487 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 13 g protein

Southwest Sourdough Chicken Panini

We came up with this recipe based on ingredients we already had on hand, and it turned out to be delicious!  Matt has said multiple times how much he liked it.

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 5 min.

Yield: 3 sandwiches

6 slices sourdough bread
1 tomato, sliced
6 slices pepper jack, Monterey jack, or provolone cheese
3 tsp. diced green chilies
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp chipotle adobo sauce, or to taste
Grilled chicken, sliced (we prefer to use this Southwest rub)

Mix together mayonnaise and adobo sauce.  Spread on each slice of bread.  Cover with cheese slices.  Spread diced green chilies on half of each sandwich (so 3 slices of bread).  Place chicken and tomato slices over chilies.  Cover with other half of sandwich.

Grill in a panini press for about 5 minutes on high, or until cheese has melted and bread is golden and crispy.  You may also make these in a skillet, flipping them over to grill both sides.

Notes:
- I recommend starting with a little less adobo sauce and adding more until it reaches the heat you'd like.  You can chop up part of a chipotle pepper to mix in with the mayo, too, if you like.
- We used some leftover grilled chicken that had been seasoned with a delicious southwest rub.
- Instead of making your own chipotle mayo, you can buy it at the store if you like.

Havarti Shrimp Quesadillas

Adapted from Taste of Home (June/July 2010), page 22.

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 5 min each
Yield: 6 quesadillas

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. butter
6 Tbs. apricot jam
6 flour tortillas
6 oz. Havarti cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
1/2 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil and butter until tender.

Spread 1 Tbs. jam over half of each tortilla; top with cheese, shrimp, and mushrooms.  Fold tortillas over.

Grill quesadillas, uncovered, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Cut and serve.

Notes:
- Diced fresh tomatoes would probably be really good in these.

Raspberry-Chipotle Chicken Panini with Smoked Gouda and Spinach

Prep: 5-10 min. / Cook: 5 min.

We made up this panini recipe last night and really enjoyed it.  I'll apologize now that I didn't measure anything; just use as much of each ingredient as you want.  If you don't have exact ingredients, improvise!

Ciabatta bread
Cooked chicken, sliced
Portobella mushrooms, sliced
Fresh spinach
Smoked Gouda, sliced
Mayonnaise (use the kind with olive oil if you can--it's better for you)
Raspberry-roasted chipotle grill sauce

Briefly cook mushroom slices in a small amount of olive oil (or even cooking spray) over medium to medium-high heat (about a minute total).

Spread mayonnaise on one piece of ciabatta bread and grill sauce on the other.  Cover each piece with slices of smoked Gouda.  Spread a little more grill sauce over the cheese on the mayo piece.

Layer spinach, mushrooms, and chicken over one piece of bread; top with other half.

Grill in a hot panini press for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Slice and serve!

Notes:
- I sliced a chicken breast in half (as if I was attempting to butterfly it and cut too far--which didn't happen), seasoned each side with ground pepper and rosemary (you could add salt, but you know me), and cooked it in a little olive oil over medium heat for probably 5-8 min on each side.  Then I sliced it.  (I didn't account for using raw chicken in the time estimate.)
- Slice the mushrooms about twice as thick as you think you'll want them.
- Use at least twice as much spinach as you think you'll want.  Like the mushrooms, it will cook down significantly.
- Next time we're going to try regular Gouda.  Although we liked the smokiness, it was ever so slightly overpowering (though still delicious).
- I realize not everyone has raspberry-roasted chipotle grill sauce on hand.  If you fit into that category, you could probably make your own by mixing raspberry jam with a little finely diced or pureed chipotle pepper (you can find cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Mexican food section at most grocery stores).  Start small with add more to taste.  I probably wouldn't use more than 1/2 a chipotle pepper in 1/4 cup of raspberry jam.  That's totally guessing, so you may want to start with less.

Potluck Sloppy Joes

Adapted from Healthy Cooking (Aug./Sept. 2010), page 31.

Serves: 4-5

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 celery rib, chopped
1/4 medium onion, diced
2/3 large red pepper, diced
1/2 cups ketchup
2/3 (8 oz) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
Whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the turkey, celery, onion, and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in ketchup, tomato sauce, flour, sugar, vinegar, and mustard.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until heated through.  Spoon 2/3 cup turkey mixture onto each bun.

Nutrition Facts:
1 sandwich = 360 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 785 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 24 g protein

Notes:
- The nutrition facts are for the original recipe (from the magazine), which for the most part triples the amounts I've listed above, with a few exceptions (onions, bell pepper, tomato sauce).  I think the nutrition facts include the whole wheat bun, though I'm not sure how--it will vary depending on what brand and size you buy.
- You can make this even healthier by using no-salt-added or reduced-sodium ingredients whenever possible (look for ketchup--I have yet to find a mustard that qualifies, probably because salt is a large part of mustard).

The Champ (Turkey & Brie Panini)

We made these paninis in honor of one that Matt ate at Champ's Deli when we were in New York two years ago (hence the name).  All we could remember (or find out) was that it had turkey, brie, and honey mustard.  It is very simple, but also very tasty!

Prep: 5 min./Cook: 5 min.

Yield: 2 sandwiches

3 slices (4 oz. total) Columbus Herb Roasted Turkey lunchmeat
12 thin slices Brie cheese (or however many it takes to cover the faces of your bread)
1 sliced tomato
2 Ciabatta buns
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. mustard
1 Tbs. honey

Mix together honey, mustard, and mayonnaise.  Spread on both cut sides of each bun, then cover with Brie.  Add tomato and 1 1/2 slices of turkey to each sandwich.

Cook in a contact a grill or panini press set to sear for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasty, applying slight pressure to press the bread.

Slice and enjoy!

Notes:
-  You can use whatever turkey you want, but I have to say that Columbus is my all-time favorite brand of turkey lunchmeat.  It's more expensive than other brands, and I've only seen it at Costco.  But it honestly tastes like Thanksgiving turkey, is 99% fat free, and is MUCH lower in sodium than other brands (we're talking 220 mg per 2 oz serving instead of the usual 500-700 mg).  It's worth it.
- Brie is one of those cheeses that is on the list of foods to avoid for pregnant women and small children; however, if you find a pasteurized Brie (our Costco carries a Henri Hutin Brie Couronne), then it's safe for both pregnant women and toddlers.
- Feel free to alter the amounts of mayo, honey, and mustard--to be honest, I didn't measure, so those amounts are complete guesses.  Dijon mustard also makes a very good honey mustard.

Oven-roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from Tyler Florence.

Serves 12-15.

Dry Rub:
2 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1 1/2 Tbs. coarse salt
1 (5 to 7 lb.) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Mix the paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl.  Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Bake in a roasting pan for 6 hours at 350 F until the pork is falling apart and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 170 F.

Remove roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter.  Allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes.  While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to shreds.  Put shredded pork in a bowl, pour 1/2 of the barbecue sauce over it, and mix well to coat.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the bun, top with spicy slaw and additional barbecue sauce, if desired.  Serve with pickle spears.

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 buns

Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat.  Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Spicy Slaw:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 red chile, sliced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbs. whole grain mustard
2 Tbs. yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Several dashes hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrot, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl.  In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar, stirring to incorporate.  Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix.  Season the coleslaw with celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.  Chill for 2 hours in refrigerator before serving.

Notes:
- I had a 4 1/5 lb. pork loin in my freezer, so that's what I used.  If one side of your meat is fattier than the other, roast with that side up.  It will help flavor the meat and keep it moister.
- I forgot to buy a red chile for the spicy slaw, so I just sprinkled in a few shakes of cayenne pepper.
- This recipe makes a LOT.  If you don't have a large group helping you eat it (or you don't want to eat it for every meal for a week), freeze two thirds of it in separate quart-sized bags for later use.

French Dip

Adapted from Taste of Home (April/May 1996), page 29.

Prep: 5 min. / Cook: 6 hours
Serves 6

1 top round steak (2 lbs)

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup water

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 bay leaf

4-5 whole peppercorns

6 French rolls, split; toasted, if desired

Place steak in slow cooker. Add water, soy sauce, beef broth, and seasonings. Cover and cook on high 4 hours, then switch to low for 2 more hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from broth; shred with forks (or slice if you can--mine fell apart) and keep warm. Strain broth; skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls.

Notes:

- Once I opened the crock pot, a lot of the liquid quickly evaporated. We only had enough of the broth for probably 3 sandwiches. I have a dry packet of au jus that we'll use for leftovers, but I think next time I'll mix it and the additional water it calls for into the broth after I remove the meat.

- We toasted our rolls with slices of pepper jack cheese.  Provolone would also be delicious, as I'm sure would be Swiss, Monterey Jack, or others.

Grilled Burritos / Grilled Soft Tacos

We really like Taco Bell's grilled stuffed burritos, so we decided a while ago to start grilling our own at home. Sure, ours aren't "stuffed," but they're yummy. The nice thing is you can customize them to your own liking.

Fill burrito-sized flour tortillas with any combination of the following:

Taco-seasoned meat (beef, turkey, etc.)

Black beans

Tomatoes

Mexican rice (we used Knorr brand)

Lettuce

Salsa

Sour cream

Cheese

Nacho cheese sauce

Lettuce

Fold in two opposing sides and roll up, starting on one of the other sides. Grill over medium-low to medium heat sprayed with cooking spray. Each side only takes a minute or two; just keep an eye on it.

Other good fillings I can think of:

- Guacamole

- Refried Beans

- Taco Bell sauce

- Peppers

- Corn

- Onion

- Anything else you like!

Notes:
- To make meatless, omit the taco-seasoned meat or replace with refried beans.  Cook black beans in taco seasoning and water before adding to burrito to maintain the general flavor of the dish.
- Consider using Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix to reduce the sodium!

Sloppy Joes

From Mom Larsen.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. flour
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion. Mop up excess grease with paper towel. Stir in flour.

Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until heated through. Serve on hamburger buns.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

From Quick Cooking (July/August 1998), page 44.

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound ground turkey breast
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon vinegar
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 whole wheat hamburger buns

In a nonstick skillet, cook the turkey and onion for 5 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink. Add the next seven ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on buns.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving = 236 calories, 3 g fat, 37 mg cholesterol, 364 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein.

Tangy BBQ Sandwiches

From Taste of Home (June/July 1997), page 33.

This is what Matt and I ate on our first date!  It's always a favorite in our house.

Yield: 14-18 servings.

3 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds), trimmed
14 to 18 hamburger buns, split

In a slow cooker, combine the first twelve ingredients; mix well. Add roast. Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours or until tender. Remove roast; cool. Shred meat and return to sauce; heat through. Use a slotted spoon to serve on buns.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving = 262 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 49 mg cholesterol, 659 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein.