Chicken Salad Carrot Crescents

“Hippity, hoppity Easter’s on its waayyyy….”

I can never enter the Spring season without singing that song verse on more than one occasion.  So, now that we’re even closer to this years Easter holiday, it’s in my crawl as much as one of my favorite festive recipes!  These buttery crescents are shaped onto cone molds and when a tinted egg wash is applied and baked, resemble not only perfect vessels to stuff, but cutesy lil’ carrots!

Depending on our Easter plans for each year, I’ll either serve these at lunch, for an appetizer or bring to a potluck to rave oohs and aahhs.  Plus, they taste great!

The Starting Lineup

• 2 (8oz) cans crescent roll dough
• 1 egg, whisked with 1 tsp water (can add food coloring if desired)
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
• 1/2 cup grapes, halved
• 1/3 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp celery salt
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley or dill, garnish

In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, grapes, celery, onions, pecans, mayonnaise, celery salt and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Unroll the crescent dough and pinch seams together.  Using a pizza cutter, cut lengthwise into 6-8 equal strips.  Brush each with egg wash and roll each strip out to about 16″, like a thick spaghetti noodle.  Repeat.

Using either a cream horn mold or foil shaped into a cone, wrap one strip of dough around the mold.  Apply more egg wash.  Place on prepared baking sheets and bake for 7-8 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then carefully remove mold.

Fill each “carrot” with chicken salad (or salad of choice) and top with a parsley or dill sprig, enjoy!

 

Garlic Butter Italian Sausage Sandwiches (slow-cooker)

Cooking Italian sausages right in your slow cooker equals the most tender, flavorful and simple supper!  Plus, since there is basically no prep work involved (besides slicing the bell peppers and onions), you simply add the minimal ingredients to your pot, cover and be about your day!  You can welcome yourself home to the delightful smell of a gourmet dinner and it’s also great for a crowd!

*serves about 10 people.  If wanting something other than sandwiches, or for leftovers, you can serve over al dente noodles or polenta.

The Starting Lineup

• 2 packages Italian sausage links (appx 10 links, sweet, mild or spicy)
• 24oz jarred Italian diced tomatoes (I love Racconto organic San Marzano’s)
• 3 Bell peppers, cut into strips (I used red, orange and green)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup pepperoncini’s 
• 1 tsp each salt, pepper and garlic
• 10 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese
• 10 hoagie rolls
• 1 container garlic butter (often found in deli or bakery section)

To your slow cooker: add in the sausage links and top with the sliced bell peppers, onions, pepperoncini’s and the seasonings.  Pour the jarred Italian diced tomatoes over top and set to low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5.

On a baking sheet, split the hoagie rolls and generously slather on the garlic butter to each side.  Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until just golden brown.  Fill each roll with a sausage and your desired amount of sauce and veggies.  Top with the cheese and place under your broiler for another 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Spicy Crab Cake BLT’s

We’ve all heard me ramble on about my love affair with the simple BLT sandwich and it’s no secret that my cuisine of choice is Mexican.  What one may not know is that when I enter any restaurant, I go straight to their seafood options!

So when I saw our local grocer had lump crabmeat on sale, it was on!!!  The sweetness of crab goes wonderfully with a bit of Mexican inspired heat, and please tweak the spiciness level to your liking.  Just remember, don’t go too overboard since the crab is the star of this sandwich!

Oh yeah…and bacon. xoxo

The Starting Lineup

• 1 lb lump crabmeat, pick over to remove any broken shell
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 finely minced jalapeno, seeded (optional)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• a couple dashes of Mexican hot sauce
• Pinch of salt 

Breading

• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 Tbsp olive oil

Assemble

• Thick slices Texas toast or bakery rolls, lightly toasted
• Bacon, cooked crisp
• Beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
• Romaine or iceberg lettuce
• Spicy mayo (whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 minced chipotles from can of ‘chipotles in adobo’ and juice of 1 lime)

 

Crab Cakes:  In a large bowl, mix together the crab meat, mayonnaise, beaten egg, Panko, scallions, jalapeno (optional), lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce and salt.

Breading:  Gently form the mixture into about 8 (1/2-3/4th inch) patties and then fully coat in the Panko/cumin bread crumbs.  Set on a platter and refrigerate for 25-30 minutes to firm up.

Fry:  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil to medium-high.  Fry 2-3 crab cakes at a time until a golden brown crust appears on each side.  About 3-4 minutes per side.

To Serve:  For each sandwich, smear a tablespoon of the chipotle mayo on each slice of the lightly toasted bread or a split roll.  Next layer on the lettuce, tomato slices, spicy crab cake(s) and crisp bacon.  Top with remaining dressed bread slice and serve!  Enjoy!

 

Tropical BBQ Sliders

As of late, there has been a cooking phenomenon of baking the King’s Hawaiian rolls with ham and cheese, roast beef and cheese, turkey and cheese, do I need to go on?  ..and quite frankly, I LOVE it!  I have tried them all and they are all delightful.

On that same note, stay with me…my oldest son has been on a Lilo & Stitch movie binge.  Every single night before bed, for the last 2 weeks, he requests this now somewhat old movie, at least compared to his 6-year-old self.  Fifteen days into it later, he randomly asked me if I could make “Hawaiian Sandwiches” for dinner.  Now, I wasn’t about to go buy a can of SPAM, so I got creative while thinking of those new, beloved baked sandwich recipes.  Below I give you another favorite that needs to be added to the Pinterest lineup of such.  You can make them for an appetizer, party, a dinner with a side of fries…  A super easy and fun recipe to enjoy with your whole family!

*You can use fresh pineapple, by all means, but for this I actually prefer the canned variety, as fresh is pretty tart and overpowering for this recipe.  That being said, my preferred brand is the new’er Libby’s Brand “Skinny” Pineapple…It is not canned in that heavy syrup, so it’s not cloyingly sweet.

The Starting Lineup

• 12 ct package King’s Hawaiian Rolls
• 1/3 cup of BBQ sauce (I prefer also the King’s Hawaiian original barbecue sauce)
• 1 lb thinly sliced or shaved ham (I prefer honey or Black Forest from the deli)
• 1 package swiss cheese (about 8 slices); Colby Jack is a good alternative too
• Pineapple (about 6 slices or 1/2 cup segments)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon (hefty fill) of ground ginger (i.e. McCormick brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp shredded coconut 
• **Optional: fresh jalapenos slices, for a savory-sweet-heat flavor

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease or non-stick spray a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish.  Most recently, I used my Pyrex 8×11, but I have used a foil-lined & sprayed baking sheet when I made a double batch.

In medium microwave safe bowl, slowly melt your butter.   Whisk in the soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic powder and coconut.  Set aside.

With a large bread knife, halve the ENTIRE 12 (or 24) rolls horizontally, so that the rolls are still connected to each other and you have two “bread rectangles”; a bottom halve and a top half that will form your sandwich slider.

Place the bottom half of bread into your prepared bread and lay on half of the cheese, followed by the ham.  Next drizzle the BBQ sauce evenly overtop, followed by the pineapple and then the remaining cheese.  Place the other “bread rectangle” topper on top.

Whisk your butter mixture once more and evenly pour or brush overtop it all (don’t worry, it doesn’t get soggy).  **If using the  fresh jalapeno slices, I like to place 1 slice ON TOP of each roll (12 slices) and then pour on the butter mixture. 

Immediately transfer to your preheated oven, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, till the top will be a deep golden brown and the cheese is super melty.

Serve immediately and enjoy!  Maybe with a Mai-Tai or two?? 😉

 

Cheesy Frenchies

This is more than just a grilled cheese.  This is the ‘chocolate molten lava cake’ of grilled cheeses.  The Cheese Frenchie, a super crunchy, battered and fried sandwich with a cornflake exterior is stuffed with as much American cheese as humanly possible.  Resulting in just that one bite that oozes warm melted cheese everywhere!

The history of this famous 1960 recipe stems from the now long gone, small, drive-thru restaurant known as King’s Food Host, based in Lincoln, Nebraska.  They had their success in the 60’s and 70’s, branching out into other Midwest states, but after their closing the Cheese Frenchie still lived on!  Now, if you don’t make them in your own kitchen, the popular Don & Millie’s restaurant, also located in Nebraska (my home state!), can prepare them for you…just like the ones from years ago.

So given its a rainy, RAINY, Sunday afternoon, I think I will curl up on the couch with a good movie and a platter of those warm Cheese Frenchies and tomato soup!

 

The Starting Lineup

Makes 12 triangles

• 6 slices white bread
• 6 slices American cheese
• 1 egg
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 3⁄4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup corn flakes
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• oil (for deep frying

Spread mayonnaise on bread, and use 2 slices of American Cheese each.  *ONLY American to stay true to the classic.

Cut sandwiches into triangles, cut off crust.

Combine egg, milk, flour and salt.  Dip the triangle sandwiches into egg/flour mixture.

Coat entirely with corn flake crumbs.

Deep Fry in oil at 375 degrees until golden and set on paper towel lined plate to absorb any extra oil.

Serve alongside a warm bowl of tomato soup or ketchup for dipping and a dill pickle!