Fancy Grilled Cheese

Trying to diet is killing me.  I justified indulging in some buttery carbs by watching my portions and adding in a healthy sized meat and veggie serving... don't you judge me. ;)

2 slices 98 calorie bread
Butter --I still won't go margarine
Cheddar
Sliced Avacado, tomato, and lettuce
provalone

Arrange so you have one kind of cheese on each slice of lightly buttered bread and the meat and veggies in between.  Cook on medium heat in a skillet until both sides are golden brown.

I had something similar at Cubby's.  They have cranberries on theirs. SO GOOD.

Turkey Avocado BLT

There is some sort of sacred union in this sandwich.  If you don't want to cook the bacon, you can pay a little extra for the precooked and nuke it.

2 slices of bread
1 slice provolone cheese
sliced avocado to make a layer
Lean deli turkey
2 slices of crispy bacon
Lettuce
sliced tomato
your choice of Mayo, Miracle Whip OR ranch dressing
mustard

Layer, toast if desired and eat!

Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwich

Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:
Chicken (1 can chunk chicken or 1-2 cups roughly chopped chicken left overs)
1 gala apple diced small
1 celery stock diced small
1-2 cups sliced red seedless grapes
Optional 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Bread/Crusty Roll/Croissant

Dressing Ingredients: (these are guesstimates as I just added each to the bowl free handed)
1/4 cup mayo (what ever kind you like - lite/fat free/olive oil base/regular/miracle whip)
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup honey
palm full of poppy seeds
S&P to taste

Make dressing in a large bowl first. Whisk together all ingredients and set aside to marinade while getting the other ingred ready.
Chop chicken, apples, celery and grapes and toss in dressing. Check seasoning and adjust here if needed. Add walnuts directly before serving. This is great as a sandwich but it's also great as a regular salad.

Thanksgiving in a burger!

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 sweet apple; grated
1/2 onion
1/2 C chopped Celery
1/2 pkg dry stuffing
1 egg
1/2 C dry bread crumbs
Poultry seasoning.

Combine ingredients and shape into a ball. Divide into 4ths and make into patties. Fry over med-high heat flipping periodically until heated through. Remember with all poutry to be very sure the meat is fully cooked.

Top with Cranberry sauce or this fantastic Cider Gravy by Rachel Ray. It is super easy and while it makes the burger a bit messy is, as RR would say: YUM-O!

Carrie's Faux Phillies

These are not authentic, but they are tasty!

 


1 lb VERY thinly sliced beef steak (Ribeye is preferable, but in a pinch I used sirloin.  Not as tender, but it works.)  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.

In a skillet place 2 Tbsp Olive Oil,  1 cup Fajita blend veggies, and 1 Tbsp minced garlic and carmelize (cook until the onions are soft and golden brown.)

Add Steak to skillet and stir occasionally until meat is browned thouroughly.  Add diced mushrooms.

Scoop onto toasted Hoagie Bun bottoms and top with wedges of sliced American cheese.  Close Hoagie bun.

If cheese isn't melted right away, you can place sandwich in the oven or microwave.

Chicken Apple Burgers!

This heart healthy meal is really tasty (in my opinion) and went over well with half of our family. Richard, myself and Katie all really liked it. Emma and Grandpa were not big fans.
If you leave off the apples, it tastes a lot like thanksgiving leftovers on a bun--with out the fat and calories. SO GOOD! FYI, Grandpa and Emma don't like "sweet meat."

The recipe was from Good Housekeeping's Website. Next to the recipe are the nutrition facts. They used a regular buns, I used light, whole wheat buns with half the sodium.

I spent about $10 probably less. It would have been more, but Macey's didn't have ground chicken. Instead I took frozen chicken breasts to the cheese grater. Saved a bundle and it worked just fine.

In the future, I'll use thinner apple slices and maybe just the patties and cranberry sauce.

Sloppy Joes

This is not a dish I grew up eating, but it's one of the few things my husband remembers his mom making--so it has sentimental value. I've found my absolute favorite recipe, which has a lot more flavor and actually makes me feel like I'm creating a meal rather than opening a can and throwing together a sloppy sandwich. Here it is:

Sloppy Joes

Brown:

2.5 lbs ground beef

2 lg onions, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Sprinkle in 1 Tbsp flour and stir.

Add:

1 pt ketchup

1 pt water

1 1/2 t curry powder

2 bay leaves

2 T Worcestershire sauce

· Simmer 1 1/2 hours, serve on deli rolls (not hamburger buns) and top meat with finely grated cheddar cheese, carmelized red onions, and crispy fried onions. Serve with homemade french fries or sweet potato fries and a green salad.