Lee Brothers’ Pimento Cheese

My friend served delicious pimento cheese sandwiches recently- reminding me how much I enjoy them. 🙂 Eating them also reminded me that I wanted to try this version from Charleston, South Carolina.

The recipe is from The New York Times, contributed by the Lee Brothers. I used Cabot 3-year sharp cheddar cheese. I served it on the Fourth of July as a dip with crackers and pita chips. Alternatively, it could be used to fill about 4 sandwiches. Easy and fabulous.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated with a food processor or hand grater (not pre-grated)
• 1/4 cup softened cream cheese (2 ounces), pulled into several pieces
• scant 1/2 cup jarred pimento or other roasted red peppers (from a 7-ounce jar), finely diced
• 3 tablespoons Duke’s, Hellmann’s or other high-quality store-bought mayonnaise (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the cheddar cheese in an even layer.
2. Scatter the cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and chile flakes over the cheddar cheese.
3. Using a spatula, mix the pimento cheese until it is smooth and spreadable, about 1 1/2 minutes.
4. Transfer the pimento cheese to a plastic container or bowl, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator.
5. Serve as a sandwich spread or as a dip.

Note: Pimento cheese keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Kofta Sandwiches with Tomatoes & Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

These sandwiches are a great weeknight dinner. Using ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, lamb or pork makes them a little bit lighter as well.

After seeing sandwiches served in taco racks at NYC’s Chelsea Market, I used taco racks to assemble these messy sandwiches. Genius! 😉

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken and added lemon juice, garlic, and herbs to the sauce.

Yield: Serves 4

• 1.25 pounds ground turkey or chicken
• 1/2 white onion, diced small
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley and cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cucumber, diced large (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1/2 a lemon, more to taste
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 to 4 T minced fresh dill
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 handfuls of grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise or 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 4 small naan or pitas, warmed
• 1/2 cup fresh mint or cilantro, for serving
• sliced or chopped red onion, for serving, optional

1. In a large bowl, combine ground meat, diced onion, chopped parsley/cilantro, cumin and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
2. Using your hands, form mixture into 8 oval patties.
3. In a medium bowl, toss together cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and dill; season with salt and pepper. Add additional lemon juice, if desired.
4. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium to medium-high. Cook patties until browned on all sides and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. (I cooked the meatballs until the internal temperature reached 165 degrees.)
5. Divide patties and tomatoes among warm naan or pitas. (I assembled the sandwiches in taco racks.)
6. Top with cucumber-yogurt sauce and mint or cilantro. Top with red onion, if desired.
7. Fold to enclose (if not using taco racks) and serve.

Apple Cider Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Slaw

I have made slow-cooker pulled chicken sandwiches in the past but felt like they would be improved with slaw. This version fulfilled that wish! We ate them on soft potato rolls with chips. It was a wonderful, casual dinner that we enjoyed outside on a beautiful night.

This recipe was adapted from Just Cook It! 145 Built-to-be-Easy Recipes that are Totally Delicious by Justin Chapple. I used broccoli slaw as a base for the cole slaw topping and opted to not toast the rolls. With minimal preparation required in the morning, it’s a great dish to serve after a busy day.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Pulled Chicken:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (about 8 to 10)
• potato sandwich rolls, split, toasted if desired, for serving
• slaw (recipe below), for serving

For the Slaw:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 T apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp celery seeds
• 12 ounces broccoli slaw (Trader Joe’s) or Brussels sprouts or shredded cabbage
• 1 large Ruby Frost or Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned
• 1 very firm Anjou or Bartlett pear, cored and juilienned
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper

To Make the Chicken:

1. In a slow cooker, whisk together the apple cider, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, garlic, 2 tsp coarse salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
2. Add the chicken thighs and mix well.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender.
4. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken in the sauce and then season generously with salt and pepper.

To Make the Slaw:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and celery seeds.
2. Using a mandoline set to 1/8″, julienne the apple and pear. Slice the Brussels sprouts lengthwise by hand, if using.
3. Add the fruit to the mayonnaise mixture, followed by the shredded cabbage/broccoli/Brussels sprouts.
4. Season with salt and pepper and mix.
5. Chill until ready to serve.

To Serve:

1. Pile the pulled chicken on soft or toasted potato buns, top with slaw, and serve.

Note: The pulled chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Sheet Pan Crispy Mushroom-Parmesan Sandwiches

I must confess that we’ve eaten these delicious sandwiches on a couple of occasions already. They are a fabulous variation of the more common vegetarian alternative “parm” sandwich, eggplant parmesan. Worth using the oven in the summer! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Meatless Sheet Pan Suppers: 100 Surprising Vegetarian Meals Straight from the Oven by Raquel Pelzel. I served them with both challah and potato rolls, on different occasions. The original recipe recommends sub rolls. I modified the proportions, used part-skim mozzarella, and substituted fontina for the provolone cheese. Fabulous!

Yield: 4 sandwiches

• 8 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp plus a pinch of kosher salt
• 3/4 cup grated low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup grated fontina or provolone cheese
• 6 T finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 4 large or 6 medium portobello mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce with Barolo Wine), or more, as desired
• 4 rolls, such as challah, potato, or sub rolls

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a microwave safe bowl, and warm in the microwave at high power until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Pour 3 T garlic oil into a small bowl and add the panko bread crumbs and a pinch of kosher salt. Rub together with your fingers to combine and set aside, reserving the remaining garlic oil. (Add up to an additional tablespoon of garlic oil, as needed.)
4. In a separate bowl, combine the mozzarella, fontina (or provolone), and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses.
5. Place the mushrooms in a medium-sized bowl and toss with 2 T garlic oil and the remaining 1 tsp kosher salt.
6. Transfer the mushrooms to a parchment paper-lined, rimmed sheet pan and roast until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not flip them. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
7. Line a second sheet pan with aluminum foil (or the same pan if it is cool enough to handle). Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the broiler to high.
8. Open the rolls and lightly brush the interior of each with some of the remaining garlic oil.
9. Place the rolls, face up, on the prepared sheet pan and broil until the bread is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully! Remove the rolls from the oven, keeping the broiler on, and divide the tops of the rolls among 4 plates. Leave the bottom of the rolls on the sheet pan.
10. Arrange the mushrooms over the bottom halves of the rolls and top each with 2 (or more) T marinara, spreading it out a bit.
11. Divide the cheese over each mound of vegetables and return the sheet pan to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes, watching carefully.
12. Sprinkle the reserved panko bread crumbs evenly over the cheese and return to the broiler until the crumbs are golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
13. Transfer each portion to a plate and top with reserved roll top. Serve hot.

Grilled Glazed Salmon & Bacon Sandwiches

More… Salmon! Easy and delicious. Grilled too. 🙂

This post is really belated. We ate these yummy sandwiches on Memorial Day… Thank goodness it’s still fabulous grilling weather! They were such a great alternative to standard holiday grilling menu items.

I served these sandwiches with German Potato Salad with Dill and Pasta Salad with Peas and Summer Beans on the side. For dessert, we enjoyed a Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie (a family favorite!), Milk Bar Sugar Cookie-Cake Squares, and ice cream, of course! I almost forgot to mention our New York Soft Pretzel appetizer- yikes! It really was an All-American feast.

This recipe was adapted from a Food and Wine “staff-favorite” recipe, contributed by Marcia Kiesel. I served the sandwiches on brioche rolls but would opt for potato rolls next time. Too much bread for me! 😉

Yield: Serves 4

For the Glaze & Salmon:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained
• 2 tablespoons honey
• four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
• canola oil, for rubbing
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Light a grill.
2. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, horseradish and honey.
3. Rub the salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Grill the salmon over moderate heat, skinned side down, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
5. Turn and grill for 3 minutes longer, until the salmon is almost cooked through.
6. Turn the salmon again and spread each fillet with 1 tablespoon of the horseradish glaze.
7. Turn and grill until glazed, about 30 seconds.
8. Serve the remaining glaze on the sandwiches, below.

Note: As with any sweet glaze, brush the honey-horseradish-mustard sauce on the salmon in the last minutes of grilling, or else the sugars in it might burn.

For the Sandwiches:

• 4 kaiser, brioche, challah, or potato rolls—split, toasted and buttered
• 4 red lettuce leaves
• 8 thick bacon slices, cooked until crisp, as below
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, cut into 12 thin slices

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Place the bacon in a single layer, divided between 2- 9×13-inch pyrex dishes.
3. Bake for 30 or 35 minutes, until crisp. Remove from pans and place on a paper towel-lined, rimmed baking sheet to drain.
4. Spread the remaining horseradish glaze from the Grilled Glazed Salmon on the rolls.
5. Place a lettuce leaf, 2 crispy bacon strips and 3 slices of Granny Smith apple on each buttered roll and set a salmon fillet on top.
6. Close the sandwiches and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Simple Barbecue Sauce

Two Years Ago:

• Moroccan Chicken Brochettes with Garlic Sauce

Three Years Ago:

• Apple Cider Barbecue Sauce

Slow-Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I can’t believe it, but I am tired of pulled pork. What is even more surprising is that my husband is in agreement! This was a nice variation and the sauce was tasty with a subtle spicy kick; I omitted the liquid smoke as I am not partial to smoky flavor. The chicken was really moist even after five hours in the slow-cooker too.

This recipe was adapted from Cook’s Country Magazine, via cookingwithauntjuju.com and talkingonmagazines.com. Perfect to feed a crowd. Perfect for guests because it can be made ahead of time and reheated in the slow-cooker prior to serving.

We ate it with Provencal Tomatoes and corn on the cob but it may have needed coleslaw and potato salad (too?!?). Next time… 🙂 Nice!

Yield: Serves 10 to 12

• 4 (10-12 oz) bone-in split chicken breasts
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 tsp chili powder
• 2-3 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) tomato paste
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 T brown mustard
• 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce, plus more for serving, if desired
• 3/4 tsp liquid smoke, if desired
• 12 sandwich rolls (I prefer potato rolls)

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Generously season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine onion, oil, garlic, chili powders, cayenne, and tomato paste in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the onion softens slightly, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow-cooker and stir in the ketchup, molasses, mustard, and cider vinegar.
4. Add the chicken to the slow-cooker and toss to combine with sauce. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
5. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet and loosely tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Using a ladle or large spoon, skim the fat off the surface of the sauce. Discard.
7. Stir the hot sauce and liquid smoke (if using) into the sauce. Cover to keep warm.
8. Remove and discard chicken breast skin and bones. Coarsely shred the breast meat using 2 forks. Roughly chop the thigh meat into 1/2-inch chunks.
9. Return the meat to the slow-cooker and combine with sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve on sandwich rolls with hot sauce to pass at the table, if desired.

One Year Ago:

• Palestinian Chicken