YumSugar

'Wich of the Week: Corned Beef and Fontina Grilled Cheese

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:21 -0800

After posting a obscenely easy recipe for corned beef that can be made in the slow cooker, a number of friends and co-workers started asking me about how much the recipe made. "Is it going to be too much meat?" they asked me.

As I reassured them then, I will do the same for you now. Dear readers, one can never have too much corned beef! It tastes great in a number of applications, and one of them is alongside dijon mustard, oozing fontina cheese, and buttered, toasted rye bread in the grilled cheese sandwich of a lifetime. For a festive yet fast recipe, read on.

Celebrate Mardi Gras With Muffuletta Paninis

partysugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:50:09 -0800

Fat Tuesday is tomorrow and even if you live far from New Orleans, you can get into the spirit of things by making this seriously scrumptious sandwich. A muffuletta is a thick sandwich with layers of Italian meat, cheese, and olive salad. Traditionally muffulettas are served cold on a round roll. However, this ingenious recipe (sometimes you have to love Rachael Ray - she does sandwiches right!) treats the muffuletta like a grilled cheese.I took it one step further and made it into a panini. The bread becomes toasty and crisp, the cheese melts and oozes, the meat is juicy and delicious, and the giardiniera mixture is hot with a fiery crunch. It's a spicy full-flavored sandwich with lots of attitude. You simply must make this sandwich! Why? Because YumSugar called it the best thing she ate all week. For the recipe, please read more.

Muffuletta Paninis
From Rachael Ray

When I made these sandwiches, I assembled them in the evening, wrapped them in foil, smashed them down, and put them in the fridge. The next day, I cooked them for lunch.

Ingredients

1 cup giardiniera (Hot pickled vegetable salad), drained
1 cup packed baby arugula leaves
1/4 cup pitted green olives
8 slices pullman-style white bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
8 thick slices provolone cheese
8 thin slices prosciutto cotto or boiled ham
8 thin slices hot soppressata*
8 thin slices genoa salami

Directions

Using a food processor, grind the giardiniera, arugula and olives.
Coat 1 side of the bread slices with the butter. Build each sandwich as follows: a bread slice (buttered side out), giardiniera relish, a cheese slice, 2 prosciutto slices, 2 soppressata slices, 2 salami slices, another cheese slice, more relish and another bread slice (buttered side out).
Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sammies and cook, turning once, until the cheese melts, 6 to 8 minutes. Alternately, cook in a panini maker on medium low heat for 12-15 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is oozing.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

*My grocery store did not have soppressata, so I used mortadella instead.

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Ready in a Flash: Craveworthy French Bistro Sandwiches

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:00:04 -0800

When PartySugar wrote about heading straight to the store after a Barefoot Contessa episode, I couldn't help but laugh and think of a recent instance when the same thing happened to me. Sometimes, all it takes is a momentary glance at a picture, and I develop a sudden, pressing need for a particular dish.

Said craving occurred most recently when I was flipping through an old magazine, and happened upon a 15-minute recipe for oven-toasted egg, pâté, and gruyère sandwiches. No more than 16 minutes later, it seemed, I was enjoying the crunch of a broiled baguette melded with the earthiness of Marcel et Henri pâté and a runny fried egg. Currently lusting after the same? Then get the recipe when you keep reading.

Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Are Simply Delicious

partysugar — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:00:38 -0800

Like peanut butter and jelly, the pairing of ham and cheese has been around forever. However, it just doesn't get old. When I'm in the mood for a comforting and quick meal, I make this ham and cheese panini. Served with mixed greens or a bowl of soup, it's the perfect dinner for one. Caramelized shallots and fresh thyme give it a touch of elegant sophistication, while grainy mustard ensures that the sandwich isn't too dry. It's nostalgic and homey, but gourmet enough to offer guests at a luncheon or impromptu weeknight dinner. Want the recipe? Read more.

Must Make: Triple Decker Italian Cheese Sandwich

partysugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:44 -0700

When I was little there was nothing as comforting as a grilled cheese sandwich. Although I enjoyed its crisply toasted exterior and gooey melted-cheese center, what I loved most about a grilled cheese was the name. For the longest time, I thought they were called "girl cheese sandwiches," meaning that the sandwich was something so special and delicious only girls like myself got to enjoy them. Eventually, I learned that boys ate them too, but at that point, I was so smitten by the classic combination of cheese and bread that I didn't care. My latest favorite "girl" cheese sandwich is actually a baked cheese sandwich. With its three cheeses (fontina, provolone, and parmesan), triple decker, and slow roasted tomatoes, it's far more gourmet than anything I devoured as a child. However, it still is everything a classic grilled cheese should be: nostalgic, comforting, and sublimely scrumptious. To savor every bite of this sandwich yourself, get the recipe now.

'Wich of the Week: Spanish Monte Cristo

partysugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:00:08 -0700

I'm not much of a Monte Cristo fan. The classic sandwich straddles breakfast and lunch by placing ham, turkey, and cheese between two slices of French toast. The entire thing is topped with powdered sugar and jam resulting in a dish that to me, is messy and too sweet.

However, when I came across this Serrano ham and manchego cheese variation, my love for all things Spanish overcame me, and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, this sandwich is wonderful!

The quince paste isn't as cloying as strawberry preserves and the addition of mustard provides a delightfully savory tang. Although the bread is dipped in egg before being placed in the saute pan, it tastes more like a really crispy grilled ham and cheese than French toast. To check out the recipe, read more.

Spanish Ham and Cheese Monte Cristo Sandwiches
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

8 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough or country-style French bread (each about 5 x 3 inches)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 ounces Manchego cheese, thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
4 tablespoons membrillo (quince paste) or quince preserves
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Directions

Arrange 4 bread slices on work surface. Spread each with 1/2 tablespoon mustard. Top each with 1/4 of cheese, then 1/4 of ham, folding to fit.
Spread 1 tablespoon quince paste on each of remaining 4 bread slices; place bread, paste side down, atop ham.
Beat eggs in pie dish until well blended.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large skillets over medium-low heat.
Working with 1 sandwich at a time, hold sandwiches tightly closed and dip into beaten eggs to coat on all sides. Place 2 sandwiches in each skillet.
Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, about 4 minutes. Turn sandwiches over. Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, cheese is melted, and egg coating is cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.

Serves 4.

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'Wich of the Week: Pecan Pumpkin Cakewich

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:10 -0700

In Autumn I welcome the arrival of all things pumpkin, whether it's pumpkin lattes at Starbucks, pumpkin chocolate cookies, or pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. So why not pumpkin sandwiches? Inspired by carrot cake with cranberries folded in, this sweet sandwich would make a great dessert or an afternoon snack with cider. Just in time for Halloween, you can make your own pumpkin bread or use a mix from a store like Trader Joe's, which is where I found the apple-cranberry chutney. Get this comfy Fall recipe now.

'Wich of the Week: Portobello Mushroom Sloppy Joe

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:50 -0700

When it comes to meaty sandwiches, it's hard to get much meatier than a sloppy joe. But with National Vegetarian Month on the horizon, you can enjoy a kinder, gentler, and healthier version of the old Manwich.Made with hearty portobello mushrooms flavored with bell peppers, onions, tomato paste, and a touch of spice, these vegetarian sloppy joes don't taste like beef, but in sentiment and sloppiness, they do the trick. Get the recipe now.

'Wich of the Week: Olive and Roasted Ahi Tuna Melt

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:20 -0700

I could write a whole blog about sandwiches I make with Trader Joe's ingredients, from the Sloppy Jose to the naanwich. Of course, I love leftover sandwiches, so after enjoying TJ's marinated ahi tuna steaks for dinner, I used the extra fish to make a gourmet tuna melt with olives and sprouts. The photos don't do justice to how delicious it was.If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, don't worry: you can use any leftover ahi tuna steak, roasted, grilled, or seared. Though I spooned on the supermarket's mixed olive bruschetta, a basic tapenade or olive salad will create the same effect. Find out how to melt your leftover tuna into this tasty sandwich when you read more.

Olive and Roasted Ahi Tuna Melt
Original recipe

Ingredients

1 large (1/2 lb) marinated ahi tuna steak, roasted (recommended: Trader Joe's)
4 slices hearty multigrain bread
2 slices Swiss cheese
Dijon mustard, for spreading
3 tablespoons Trader Joe's mixed olive bruschetta or olive tapenade
1 cup alfalfa or clover sprouts

Directions

Heat the broiler on low.

Break the cooked tuna into bite-size chunks, divide in half, and distribute to cover two slices of bread. Top each tuna-covered slice with a slice of Swiss cheese.
Place all four slices of bread on an ovenproof baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Coat each bare piece of toast with Dijon mustard, and top each cheese-covered slice with half of the olive mixture.

Divide the sprouts and distribute evenly over the olives. Place the second slice of bread, mustard-side down, over the sprouts. Cut in half and serve.

Makes 2 tuna melts.

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'Wich of the Week: Pan Bagnat

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:15:09 -0700

Nicoise salad buffs, meet the pan bagnat. This classic French sandwich also hails from Nice and features the same signature olives, plus oil-packed tuna (I prefer Genova), hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and anchovies, among other yummy ingredients.

Since I've been somewhat obsessed with all things French, I recently lunched at San Francisco's Cafe Claude to satisfy my pan bagnat craving. Learn how to replicate the recipe now.