Hot ham and cheese sliders

Original Recipe From Envy My Cooking

Ingredients:
For the sandwiches:
24 slider rolls (we prefer the mini Hawaiian rolls )
24 slices honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
Mayonnaise

For the sauce:
1½ tbsp. yellow mustard
8 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Grilled Ham and Swiss Cheese Panini

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread (In the Artistan bread section of the grocery store)
Ham sliced thin
Swiss cheese
Tomatoes
Butter
Garlic Salt

Pesto Sauce Spread:
1/4 c. mayonnaise (I like the mayo made with olive oil)
1 t. pesto

Butter both sides of each slice of bread. Sprinkle desired amount of garlic salt on one side of each piece of bread. Grill in panini maker until bread slices are golden brown. Take off the grill. Spread the pesto sauce on one side of bread. Add ham and cheese. Top with other slice of bread. Add whole sandwich to grill. Grill until golden brown. Open the sandwich and add tomato slices.

We have a fabulous little restaraunt here in Sitka that serves these grilled paninis. I ALWAYS crave these....but at $12 a pop, I've learned to make them at home.
I know the directions are a little hard to understand, so if you need me to clarify them for you..just email me.

Corn Dog Batter

1 cup packaged pancake mix (we used krusteaz brand)

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 cup water

8 Hot Dogs

Fat for frying

Combine pancake mix, cornmeal, sugar, and chili powder.
Add water and beat well.
Dip franks in batter and drain excess batter over bowl.
In deep skillet add enough fat to make a depth of 1 inch; heat to 375°.
Fry corn dogs, two at a time, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Insert a wooden skewer into one end of each frank.
Drain well on paper toweling.

Pizza Buns

I found this recipe from Colleen's Recipes, and we LOVED it!

You can find her step by step picture tutorial HERE.

DOUGH

¾ cup very warm water

½ cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg (room temperature)

3½ cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons dry active yeast

1 teaspoon salt

"Mix the warm water (hottest out of your tap) with the sweetened condensed milk, vegetable oil and sugar and salt. The hot tap water will cool down in temperature once it is mixed with the oil and milk (so it won't hurt the yeast). Next, whisk in the egg and the yeast. Let this sit for several minutes until the yeast looks well dissolved.

NOTE: When you first mix up this dough, it will seem stiff and dense. Don't let that freak you out...just follow the instructions and it will bake up beautifully.

Once it is well dissolved, mix in the flour (using a stand mixer is easiest) and mix with dough hook on medium speed until smooth (about 5 minutes or so). Place in a bowl sprayed with vegetable spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let this sit in a warm place for an hour or until it is double in size.

Remove from the bowl and cut into 8 pieces (makes 8 sandwiches). Roll each piece out into an 8 inch circle. For pizza filling, put about ¼ cup of cheese in center of circle; top with a little pizza sauce and some toppings.

I found that these were easier to shape if you sit the 8" circle in a cereal bowl before you add the fillings. Draw up the edges of the dough and pinch them together.

This dough is a dream to work with...it stretches without tearing and sticks together beautifully when it comes time to "pinch it shut".

Cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for 20 minutes. Bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, brush them with butter.

NOTE: The fully baked leftovers (full size) reheat, beautifully, in a preheated 350F oven in 20-23 minutes and taste exactly like they did the first time they came out of the oven."

-Colleen

My kids LOVED these. We've made something similar to this before. But what made these different, is the sweetness in the dough. I found a "combo" pizza with all the topping tasted the best. We also tried hot ham, cheese and broccoli, and BBQ chicken and cheese and loved them all! You have to try these!

We made the dough quick and easy by making in our bread machine on the dough cycle.

Monster Toes & Hot Dog Mummies

1 pkg. Hot Dogs
1 pkg. Biscuit dough or Cresent roll dough
Ketchup /Mustard

For Monster Toes:
Cut hot dogs in half. Wrap dough around hot dog. Bake according to the directions on the back of the biscuit dough or until golden brown. Cut a small "fingernail" in the hot dog. Fill the "fingernail" with ketchup.

For Mummies:
Warp dough around hot dogs. Bake according to the directions on the back of the biscuit dough or until golden brown. Add mustard for the eyes.

Cheater Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

1 can Cream of chicken
1 can Chicken Noodle Soup
1 soup can of milk

Mix ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Heat thoroughly. Enjoy!

I was given this recipe from a friend in college. It made a quick easy meal in between classes. Enjoy!

Homemade Fruit Leather

2 c. strawberry or raspberry puree
1 c. applesauce (don't use the cheap stuff, splurge and get the good stuff..motts, etc)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Puree berries to make 2 cups. (If using raspberries you can put them through a sieve to remove the seeds.) Add applesauce, lemon juice and sugar. Prepare a jelly roll pan by lining the bottom and sides with plastic wrap. Tape the edges on the side of the pan to keep them in place. Pour the fruit leather mixture into pan and spread evenly. Bake about 5 hours or until leather will pull away from plastic wrap. Let the leather sit out for about an hour. Peel the fruit leather off the plastic wrap. Cut fruit leather into desired size. Re-roll the fruit leather into new plastic wrap. Enjoy!

Yummy! This is a fun recipe to make with your kids. Remember the cooking time takes a while, so be prepared..but it IS well worth the wait.

*The cooking time always varies for me. Sometimes it takes a little longer, sometimes just right. Sometimes the edges get a little crispy and the middle is a little gooey. So trial and error is the key I guess. Even if this happens there is a lot you can still use. Also it won't look as gooey once you let it sit out for that hour.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

1 slice Havarti cheese
1 slice mozzarella cheese
1 slice Danish fontina cheese
1/2 Tbsp. butter , softened (for best results, use high-quality butter)
Honey from a squeeze bear bottle
1 tsp. fresh basil , chopped
2 slices tomato
2 slices bread (organic multigrain bread works best)

Sauté pan large enough for 2 slices of bread
Butter bread on one side with melted butter. Place in pan, butter side down, over medium-low heat. Place mozzarella on one half of the bread and fontina and Havarti on the other. Cook until golden on bottom and cheese begins to melt. Place tomato on mozzarella side and honey on fotina/Havarti side. Place under broiler for a few minutes to heat up tomato. Sprinkle basil and assemble sandwich.

I was watching Oprah the other night, and the show was a sandwich quest and cook off. I saw this sandwich and just HAD to try it.

B.L.T.s (with cheese = B.L.T.C)

2 slices bread
1 slice cheese
lettuce
tomato
pre-cooked bacon
salt & pepper
mayo, ranch, mustard, or other desired toppings

Toast the bread. Spread on Mayo and other desired spreads (mustard, ranch). Salt and pepper desired amount. Add lettuce, tomato, cheese, and bacon. Enjoy!!! Yum!

I absolutely LOVE eating these in the summer. Especially when I lived in Utah and had a plethora of fresh home grown tomatoes. Yumm!

Pizza Cheese On Toast

Slice of Bread

Shredded Cheese

Pizza or Spaghetti Sauce

Pepperoni or other topping

Spread pizza or spaghetti sauce on top of bread. Sprinkle cheese on top. Add favorite toppings. Broil in oven until toasted and cheese is melted.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can tomato puree
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder


Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

(Makes about a cup)(This will be enough sauce for 2 medium pizzas)

"Papa Johns" Pizza Crust

Makes 2 medium pizza crusts

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees)

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour (this always varies for me)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in the flour.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

I KNOW this is not the same as Papa John's, but it still tasted good. I loved the lightly crispy crust on the outside, but soft inside. Yum!

Stuffed Crust Pizza

Make your favorite Pizza dough recipe. The dough should hang over the edge of the pizza by about an inch. Add string cheese around the edge of the pan.

Fold the crust over the string cheese and seal. Bake according to your pizza crust recipe directions. Enjoy!

I know there is an authentic "Stuffed Crust Pizza" recipe out there, but we just like to use our own pizza crust recipe and add string cheese. Enjoy!...We did!

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Butter (or margarine)
2 slices of bread
Cheese (Mozzarella is our favorite) (Sliced works best, but shredded will do also)
Pepperoni
Pizza Sauce

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice in a skillet butter side down. Top with cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce (about 3 Tbs) and the second bread slice, butter side up. Cook over medium heat until golden brown, turn once. Serve with additional pizza sauce if desired.
(serves 1)

*If you are using shredded cheese and it's not fully melted after it's grilled to golden brown, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Left Over Rolls

Leftover Rolls

Sandwich meat with cheese, mayo & mustard

(or PB & J)

First of all I can't believe we had left over rolls! We devour them!

My kids absolutely LOVED these rolls. They were so excited when I made them these mini sandwiches on rolls in their lunches. Gotta try them.

Holiday Sandwiches

Make a sandwich of your choice (PB &J, Ham & Cheese, Tuna, etc...). Find a cookie cutter that apply's to the current holiday, and press the cookie cutter on top of the sandwich. Remove excess crust. Enjoy!

*When I put these in my kids lunches, there was a mixed reaction. Addi was so excited. Hunter acted excited on the outside, but on the inside Hunter was trying to figure out a way not to hurt my feelings, and figure out a way to somehow shape his heart into something else...I guess he's all grown up now!!