Saucy Parmesan Chicken Sandwich with Swiss, Bacon and Caramelized Onions

This sandwich is a great way to use up that left over spaghetti sauce that you might have. You know what I’m talking about, when you don’t have enough to use over noodles, but enough left over that you just can’t bring yourself to throw away.

I do have to warn you, this sandwich is messy but oh so good. 

Start by slicing one small onion.

In a small sauce pot, melt some butter and add olive oil.

Throw in the onions. Stir, then cook on low.

Stir occasionally until they are soft and turn a nice golden color. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Spray a wire baking rack with non stick spray. Place on a baking sheet. Lay 2 slices of bacon per sandwich on rack. 

If you are a bacon addict like me, you may want to throw on a few more slices because you know you will end up eating some before it goes on the sandwich. 

cook in the oven at 375 degrees until crispy.

In a shallow dish, combine 2 eggs.

Give them a little whisk. 

Add a few drops of hot sauce. This is optional, but it adds a little flavor to the eggs.

In another shallow dish add some Panko bread crumbs…you can use Italian if you like. I like panko for the crunchiness. Is crunchiness even a word?

Throw in some dried parsley.

then add in some cheesy goodness in the form of shredded Parmesan cheese. 

You can shred your own as I do at times, or you can get the preshredded. I like to keep this on hand when I don’t feel like pulling out the grater….ok when I’m feeling lazy and want results now.

Mix the bread crumbs, parsley and cheese together.

Next you will need boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts which ever you prefer. For this recipe I had some chicken thighs on hand. They are cheaper and to me, have a little more flavor. 

dip chicken in egg.

Then dredge in bread crumb mixture coating both sides.

Add some oil to the bottom of a frying pan (just enough to cover the bottom). 

Add chicken to the pan and cook on med. high heat for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook about 2 minutes. 

turn the heat down to med. low. Cover the pan and continue to cook about 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

As the chicken is cooking, check to make sure that the crust is not getting too brown. I learned this the hard way. If so, turn the chicken over. 

Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside. Yes, I know it’s hard after smelling that delicious aroma of fried chicken, but don’t eat it just yet….you’re in the homestretch…..it will be worth the wait I promise.

Now for the assembly. 

you will need a sturdier bread then plain loaf of bread. I used Italian, but you can use sourdough as well. Butter each piece. On a baking sheet, lay what will be the bottom of the sandwich buttered side up.

Place chicken on the bread.

add a slice of Swiss cheese on top of chicken.

Warm up spaghetti sauce and spoon some over cheese. 

add caramelized onions over the sauce.

next comes the bacon.

top with bread butter side down.

Place in oven at 425 degrees. Cook until top of bread becomes lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Grab plenty of napkins and enjoy!

Saucy Parmesan Chicken Sandwich with Swiss, Bacon and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

Sliced Bread, Italian or sourdough

1 small onion, sliced

1 TBs. Butter (for the onions)

bacon, 2 slices per sandwich

2 eggs

hot sauce (optional)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tbs. dried parsley

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (1 per sandwich)

spaghetti sauce

sliced Swiss cheese

soft butter for the bread

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add some olive oil. Add onions and cook on low until caramelized. Set aside.

Spray a wire baking rack with non stick spray. Place on a baking sheet. Lay 2 slices of bacon per sandwich on rack. Cook in the oven at 375 degrees until crispy. Set aside.

In a shallow dish, add eggs and hot sauce. Whisk until blended.

In another shallow dish add some Panko bread crumbs, parsley, and cheese. Blend well. Dip chicken in egg, then dredge in bread crumb mixture coating both sides. Add oil to a frying pan. cook chicken on med. high heat for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook about 2 minutes more. Cover, continue cooking chicken on med. low heat for about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. 

Butter each piece of bread.  On a baking sheet, lay what will be the bottom of the sandwich buttered side up.Place chicken on the bread, then Swiss cheese, sauce, onions and lastly the bacon. Top with bread butter side down. Place in oven at 425 degrees. Cook until top of bread becomes lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Oven Baked Chicken Sandwich

I had one lonely chicken breast in my freezer that I knew I had to use up soon. So I thought a chicken sandwich might be pretty good. Of course you can use more than one chicken breast. You might have to double the rub mixture if using several chicken breasts.

Here’s what you need:

Boneless,skinless chicken breast, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, Cajun spice (i forgot to include it in the picture) and olive oil.

Place chicken breast between wax paper (plastic wrap will work fine also) and with a meat mallet or in my case, a rolling pin, pound until thin. This is also a great way to relieve stress. I need to do this step everyday.

That is one big chicken breast.

mix together paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary and Cajun spice. Stir in olive oil, enough until mixture is at a spreadable consistency. Add a little salt if desired.

spread mixture on both sides of chicken. Marinate for an hour in refrigerator.

place a wire rack on a small baking sheet and spray with non stick spray. if you don’t have a wire rack, just spray baking sheet. Place chicken on wire rack and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until no longer pink.

This is optional, but I topped the chicken with 1 Tablespoon of butter.

Spread your favorite condiments on a bun and enjoy!

Oven Baked Chicken Sandwiches

1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. rosemary

1/2 Cajun spice

1 Tbs. butter

olive oil

Pound chicken breasts until thin. Mix together  paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, Cajun spice.  Stir in olive oil, enough until mixture is at a spreadable consistency. Add a little salt if desired. Spread mixture on both sides of chicken. Marinate for an hour in refrigerator.

Place a wire rack on a small baking sheet and spray with non stick spray. Place chicken on wire rack and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until no longer pink.

Top with butter.

Crock pot Beef Stew

CROCK POT BEEF STEW

One thing I look forward to when the days start turning cooler is a big bowl of beef stew. What I like even better, is throwing it all in the crockpot and let it do all the cooking…not to the mention delicious smell wafting from the kitchen for most of the day. Very satisfying indeed.

So Here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of stew meat or 1 1/2 to 2 pound roast (whatever cut you prefer) cut into bite size pieces. Honestly, I get whatever is on sale. Most of the time it’s cheaper to buy a roast and cut it myself. Just remember, when cutting the roast, cut against the grain. This will insure a more tender meat. You will also need potatoes, carrots, an onion, salt and pepper, thyme, rosemary ( I like the crushed Rosemary because the leaves are smaller and I don’t feel like I’m chewing on pine needles) garlic powder, paprika, a bay leaf, beef broth, tomato paste and flour.

In a big bowl add beef, then add thyme, crushed rosemary, garlic powder, paprika,pepper and a pinch of salt. You can always add more salt. The beef broth already has salt in it so you don’t want the broth to become too salty. Mix all the herbs and spices with the beef. This part I like using my hands, it’s messy but what can I say, I like playing in my food.

Next add the flour making sure to coat the beef well.

Now I will say, this is my least favorite part. Yes, it smells wonderful as the beef, is frying but it seems to take forever. I did leave this step out once and the flavor was just not the same. So with love, patience and tongs in hand, I will brown the beef.

In a large frying pan, add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Over medium high heat add the beef. Do not over crowd the pan or the meat will not brown properly. You will need to do this in small batches. (I think I just channeled Julia Childs). Cook about 2 minutes then turn the beef over and cook another 2 minutes. If needed, add more oil to the pan.

Place beef in a layer in the bottom of the crock pot.

Chop onion.

scrape carrots, then chop into bite size rounds.

peel potatoes,cut into bite size pieces.

add onions, carrots and potatoes to crock pot.

This is my usual go to when it comes to beef broth- Better then Boullion. To me it has a richer flavor and I can add as little or as much as I want. To 2 1/2 cups of hot water your going to add 2 heaping teaspoons..stir..and that’s it.

Stir tomato paste into broth. (My look at that nice shot of the paper towel in the back ground.)

Pour broth mixture into crock pot.

add bay leaf.

Stir everything together well. Put on the lid then cook on low for about 6 hours. If needed thicken with cornstarch then serve.

enjoy!

Crock pot Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or 1 1/2 to 2 pound roast cut into bite size pieces
2 large baking potatoes; peeled and cut into bite size pieces
3 large carrots; scraped and cut into rounds
1 small onion, chopped
2 heaping tsp. each thyme, rosemary, garlic powder and paprika
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 bay leaf

2 heaping tsp of cornstarch mixed into 1 tablespoon cold water if needed.

In a big bowl add beef, then add thyme, crushed rosemary, garlic powder, paprika,pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix all the herbs and spices with the beef. Add the flour to beef, mix to coat well.

In a large frying pan, add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Over medium high heat add the beef pieces in . Cook about 2 minutes then turn the beef over and cook another 2 minutes. Cook in batches making sure not to over crowed the pan. Place beef in a layer in the bottom of the crockpot. Add onion, carrots and potatoes to the crock pot. Stir tomato paste into broth then pour over vegetables. Add bay leaf. Stir all ingredients together. Cook and low for about 6 hours. Thicken with cornstarch if needed.

SKILLET STEAKS

Cooking Steaks on the grill is one of the best ways to cook a steak, but sometimes it’s either too cold in the winter or like me today, I’m just feeling too plain lazy to fire up the grill. So for me, the next best thing is cooking them in a cast iron skillet. Here’s what you’ll need.

Steaks of course any kind (these are Ribeyes), olive oil, coarse salt, cracked pepper and any other seasoning you like. My choice for tonight is a Gourmet burger spice.

Set your steaks out about 30 minutes before cooking, enough to bring them to room temperature. 

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Brush on olive oil then add salt, pepper and any other spices on both sides of steak. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.

Add steaks to the skillet. No matter how tempting it may be, do not move the steaks. Trust me, it took me a while before I learned that to get a good sear,do not move it around in the pan. It’s hard I know.

At this point you might want to turn on your range-hood fan because there might be some smoke going on about now. 

Let the steaks cook for about 1 minute on each side.

Carefully, put the skillet into the oven. As you will notice I did not take any pictures of this because frankly, it was too hot not to mention trying to juggle the camera while holding a 12 inch cast iron skillet would probably not end well.

Cook steaks for 2 1/2 minutes for med. rare or 3 1/2 minutes for med. Flip steaks over, then cook another 2 1/2 minutes or 3 1/2 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let steaks rest at least 5 minutes before eating. Serve with your favorite side dish.

Enjoy!

Homemade Salsa

I have a confession to make. I was never into making homemade salsa until I married my husband. He loves salsa. Yes, before meeting him I ate salsa when I would go to Mexican restaurants of course, but at home I would always buy the kind that came in a jar…not that there is anything wrong with that mind you. Then one day he introduced me to his mom’s homemade salsa and from then on life took on new meaning..ok..maybe not quite that dramatic, but I must say jarred salsa just never tasted the same way again. Though my version is not as wonderful as my mother-in-laws, I don’t hear any complaints and I think it’s pretty darn good myself.

I’m not a professional photographer as you can tell, and this being my first post…well…bear with me. 

I use 2 cans of diced tomatoes, one can of Rotel tomatoes (you can use mild to hot depends on what kind of kick you like), small onion, a few squirts of lime juice (you can of course use real limes, I just prefer the stuff that comes in the little bottles because it stays fresher longer.) garlic (again fresh is good and I use that as well) salt, and fresh cilantro. I don’t use jalapenos in my salsa because for me, the rotel tomatoes have a good amount of heat all their own, but again, if you like jalapenos, throw them in there as well.

Add all 3 cans of tomatoes, juice and all into the bowl of a food processor.

chop one small onion.

Add chopped onion, a pinch of salt or more to taste and 2 tsp dried minced garlic to tomatoes. If using fresh garlic mince 1 clove or more to taste.

add a few squirts of lime juice

Chop up some Cilantro…I like a lot of fresh cilantro in my salsa, but you use as much or as little as you like

Throw that in as well. Then pulse several times til desired consistency. I don’t like mine very chunky so I run mine on low for a second or two. 

Taste it to see if you need to add a little more seasoning to your liking.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips or cover tightly and refrigerate. This does serve two bowls of this size, but my dear hubby snatched one bowl before I could get a picture. Oh well, I guess that’s a good sign that he couldn’t wait to eat my salsa. 

Enjoy and hope you like it as well as he does. 

Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles, original

1 small onion chopped

2tsp. dried mined garlic or 1clove garlic mined

juice of 1 lime

a pinch of salt or more to taste

fresh cilantro to taste, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a 12 cup food processor, pulse until all ingredients are mixed and salsa is at desired consistency.