(Luke's) Taco Dip

I got this recipe from a coworker many, many years ago. It has just a few simple ingredients and was always a hit everywhere I took it. It was an absolute favorite of my son, Luke. Before he died, I made it for him often; so everytime I see this recipe, I think of him. 

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You can make as much of this, or as little of this as you'd like. You can make it spicier by using Hot Taco Sauce, or milder, by using the Mild Taco Sauce. You can add diced onion, and if you wanted it even spicier, you could add chopped jalapeno pepper. It is best to prepare this the day before serving. Below is the base recipe.

Ingredients

4 large Roma tomatoes

1-2 Green bell peppers, seeded and diced (You may add other color bell peppers, if desired)

1-2 (8-oz) bags of shredded Cheddar cheese (do not shred your own, otherwise it will clump together too much)

1-3 (8-oz) jars of Ortega Taco Sauce (I use the medium flavor)

Directions

Chop up your tomatoes. I like to remove the pulp inside, by cutting then in half and scooping out the center pulp and seeds. This way, the dip does not get too watery. Cut the tomatoes into strips, and then dice crosswise. Cut out the centers of the green peppers, and dice. Toss everything together into a bowl that has a cover. Add the cheese and taco sauce. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving, to soften the bell peppers and to allow the flavors to blend well. 

Serve with plain tostitos, or cheese-flavored doritos. 

Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake

I bought some of those really large croissants at Costco, that were perfect for this dish. I found this recipe on Plain Chicken blog. I love making breakfast dishes for dinner. It is pure comfort food for me. Follow the link for the original recipe. 

This recipe is pretty versatile, so you can use whatever breakfast meat you would like: browned sausage, bacon, ham ... You can easily add some chopped bell peppers and onions if you would like. This is somewhat of a savory dish and if you want more of a sweet dish, you can easily add some sort of berries to it if you would like. In that case, I probably wouldn't add the bell peppers and onion.

I made some tweaks to the recipe and then doubled it, baking in a 9x13" pan. Here is what I did differently:
- I used some deli ham that I needed to use up, so I gave it a rough chop using about 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound in total
- I used shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- I forgot to add the dry mustard. I am not not really a fan of mustard in general, but I will add it to a recipe when calling for dry mustard. Next time I will add it, because in a dish like this, it does give it some good flavor without being too overpowering. However, I might cut the amount in half, since the original recipe is for an 8x8" pan.
- I added the honey, but I thought 4 tbsp would make it too sweet so I only added 1 tbsp of it for the doubled recipe. It gives it a great flavor, so when I do make this again, I will play around with the amount of honey until it has the right balance. 
- The croissants from Costco are huge - larger than 5 inches each, and I ended up using 5-6 of them, which is more than what the recipe calls for if using a 5-inch croissant There is a large amount of custard here, and it worked out just fine. 
- I even drizzled some maple syrup over it at when serving, and it was fantastic.

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3 (5-inch) large croissants
1 (8-oz)  package chopped cooked ham
1 (5-oz) package shredded Swiss cheese
     (I'm not a fan of Swiss cheese, so I used a Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend. Use whatever kind          of cheese you would like, and I'm sure it would be great.)
6 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Cut up croissants into 10 to 12 pieces. Place in a lightly greased 9x9" deep dish pan. Sprinkle ham and cheese over the croissants. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, dry mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the croissant mixture and press the croissants down so they are submerged into the egg mixture. Cover dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, drizzle with maple syrup.

NOTE: I followed the baking instructions but because of the amount of custard, there was still some runny egg mixture on the bottom of the pan. So I bumped up the oven temperature to 400 degrees and baked for an additional 10-15 minutes, and it baked it right up just perfectly. 

** UPDATE:
I made this for a second time recently (again, doubling the recipe), and used the following:
- 5" croissants that you can get from the grocery store, using 10 croissants instead of 6
- 10 eggs, instead of 12
- 2 tbsp honey, instead of 4
- I added 1 tsp of dry mustard, but having tasted it without, I prefer to leave it out all together

Meatball Parmesan

This is another recipe that I got from work. You can use frozen meatballs for a quick and easy meal, or make them from scratch. I'll post some links to some recipes for homemade meatballs at the bottom of this post.

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20 - 25 large meatballs, cooked*
2 (24 oz.) jars marinara sauce (or make from scratch)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, or to taste
1 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh or dried parsley, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place meatballs in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Pour sauce evenly over the top. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

2. Uncover, and top with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle evenly with Italian seasoning. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or until the cheeses have melted and are beginning to brown.

3. Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve as is, over cooked pasta, in meatball subs, or even over warmed garlic bread.

*You can use frozen meatballs, or make your own. If you use frozen, you should thaw them out, first.


Here are some links to homemade meatballs, the first two coming from this blog.

https://thesugarqueenbakes.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatball-subs.html

https://thesugarqueenbakes.blogspot.com/2019/04/italian-meatballs.html

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-meatballs-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-108048

https://dinnerthendessert.com/easy-homemade-meatballs/

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/homemade-meatballs-505491

Biscuit Pizza Bake

This is an easy recipe that comes from Taste of Home Biscuit Pizza Bake.

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1 pound hamburger (can use half hamburger, and half Italian sausage)
2 (12-oz each) tubes buttermilk biscuits
1 (15-oz) jar pizza sauce
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (3 1/2 oz.) package sliced pepperoni
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese  (may use all Mozzarella cheese)


Brown the hamburger and/or Italian sausage, and drain. Quarter the biscuits, and place the biscuits in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle the meat over the biscuits. Top with pizza sauce. Sprinkle on the green pepper, onion, pepperoni and cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has lightly browned and melted. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.


Notes:
 I have notes on the recipe stating that is would be better if it were spicier, but if you like your food mild, this is a tasty recipe. To spice it up you can use Italian sausage, or adding some seasonings to the browned hamburger, such as crushed red pepper flakes. You can also doctor up the pizza sauce by adding Italian seasoning and/or some crushed red pepper flakes to that, rather than the hamburger.

Pizza Casserole

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/pizza-casserole. I've made it numerous times, and you can adapt it however you like to suit your tastes. It's very versatile.  Try adding browned Italian sausage, onion, black olives, cheddar cheese, etc. - whatever you would like.  This casserole is very good. Use whatever kind of pasta you want. I usually use Ziti or the corkscrew pasta. I have another version of this dish that I will post, soon.

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2 cups uncooked Ziti pasta (about 1/2 of a 16. oz box)
1 pound ground beef
chopped green pepper
1 cup pepperoni slices - I maybe use 1/2 of a package
1 - 2 (16 oz.) jars pizza sauce
4 tbsp milk
1 cup (at least) shredded Mozzarella cheese (I've used shredded Mozzarella-Provolone)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the hamburger and drain. Add the cooked pasta, green pepper, pepperoni, pizza sauce, and milk. Stir well. Pour into a 9 x 13" baking dish and top with the cheese. Add additional pepperoni slices on top, if you wish. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted and browned.

Notes:
You can sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning on the top of the casserole dish before baking, if desired.

Crispy Cheddar Cheese Potatoes

I used to make this frequently, but haven't made it in years. These are really good, especially with the crispy topping. I have always use crushed corn flakes but you can also use bread crumbs.

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6 cups (5 or 6) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (these can also be cubed, small)
chopped onions, as much as you would like
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups (8-oz. package) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, optional

Topping
1 cup bread crumbs or crushed cornflakes
1 tsp paprika


1. Crush the cornflakes in a ziplock bag and add the paprika. Set aside.

2. Combine the potatoes, onions, melted butter, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.

3. Grease a 9 x 13" pan and alternate layers of potatoes and cheese, ending up with cheese. Sprinkle on the topping.

4. Bake 350 degrees, covered for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cheese is browned.

Egg Brunch Bake

This is another very old recipe that I got from a friend. It is a good way to use up bread and eggs that need to be used up quickly.

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1 loaf sliced bread, white or wheat bread
butter, softened
12-15 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dry mustard
chopped ham
1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheddar cheese, may use more if desired


1. Remove the crusts from the bread and butter both sides. Place one layer of bread slices in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Beat eggs and milk together, and add salt, pepper, and dry mustard, set aside.

2. Sprinkle ham and cheese over the bread in pan. Place another layer of bread on top of the ham and cheese. Pour egg mixture over all.

3. Cover pan with foil and chill overnight in the refrigerator, or at least 8 hours. Bake, uncovered, in a 275 degree for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until bread is puffy and golden brown. Increase the oven temperature, if it is not browning up. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Sausage Bake

This is a recipe that I got from my sister-in-law, years ago. It's so old, that the salad croutons the recipe calls for, are no longer made in boxes. You can easily substitute whatever salad crouton that is available in your area. I'm making a guess on the size bag, since I never wrote down the size box at the time - but if I had to guess on the size, I would say they came in 6 ounce boxes. Doing a Google image search, I find that the bags are 5 1/2 ounce bags, so I say, close enough.

This is a recipe that needs to be made ahead of time, since it needs to sit for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator before baking. The original recipe does not call for browning the sausage first, and I never did, but it still came out just fine. If you want to brown the sausage first so that you can drain any grease that might accumulate, please feel free to do so. You could easily substitute chopped up ham, if you would prefer. 

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1 and 1/2 bags of Brownberry seasoned salad croutons (Approximately 5 1/2 oz. bags each)*

1 16 oz. roll regular Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage**

12 eggs ( This also works well using 8-10 eggs, if needed)

1 cup milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1 (8 oz.) bag shredded Cheddar cheese (2 cups)

Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the croutons. Take the raw sausage and break it up, spreading evenly over the croutons. (See note below**) Sprinkle cheese over the sausage. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and dry mustard. Pour over all in the baking pan. Cover, and allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight, or at least several hours to allow the egg mixture to soak into the croutons. Bake in a preheated oven 350 degrees, for 40-45 minutes, until puffy and browned well.

* Note: These used to come in boxes but now they come in sealed bags. I 'm guessing they came in 6-oz boxes, but now come in 5 1/2 oz. bags. Use whatever is available to you. Feel free to use more than what is called for, if you seem to have too much egg mixture. The croutons should absorb whatever is there as it sits overnight in the refrigerator.

** Note: You may use without browning first, or you may brown is and drain any grease that accumulates. Either way, is just fine.

Italian Meatballs

I used to make these years ago, and they are extremely good. Serve them with a marinara sauce over hot, cooked pasta.

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1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
garlic salt, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
1 tsp dried basil flakes
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the above together and form into small meatballs, the size of a walnut. Brown the meatballs on cookie sheets in the oven, 350 degrees, for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Drain on paper towels.

Heat up a marinara sauce in a saucepan and simmer in the sauce, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Pizza Bread

I used to make this all of the time when I was in my 20s, taking it to all sorts of gatherings. It always went over very well, and people always requested the recipe. This can be made from Pillsbury canned pizza crust or a loaf of Rhodes frozen pizza dough that has been thawed.

                       

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There are no real measurements to this recipe. You just use as much of each as you desire, as though you are making a pizza.

Ingredients:
2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped or you may use Ragu pizza sauce, instead
Italian seasoning
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Pepperoni slices
Italian sausage, browned and drained

Roll out one can of the refrigerated pizza dough and place on a large jelly roll pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of tomatoes over the crust. (You may use pizza sauce instead, if desired.) Sprinkle on Italian seasoning. Layer on the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Layer with pepperoni and/or browned sausage.

Roll out another can of the pizza dough and place on top of the other. On top of that, spread with a generous amount of tomatoes or pizza sauce, cheeses and pepperoni and/or sausage.

Bake 350 degrees until cheese has melted and the bottom crust has browned on the bottom. Cut into squares.

Alternate crust 
If you wish to use the Rhodes frozen pizza dough, thaw out and then allow the 1-2 loaves of dough to rise until doubled. Top the dough as directed above with the pizza ingredients. You may either roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion or top with with another loaf of dough that has been rolled out. If using two loaves of Rhodes dough, top with tomatoes or pizza sauce, cheeses and meats as directed above.

Allow dough to rise a second time, and bake as directed above. You may need to increase the oven temperature to ensure the bottom dough has baked through.

When done baking, cut into squares. Serve warm, but this is even good served cold.

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

I've never made these, but they sound fantastic. The recipe can be found here on the Pillsbury.com website.

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BROWNIE BASE
1/2 cup butter
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

FILLING
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened and reserving 2 oz. for the frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows

FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Reserved cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

2. To make the brownies, in a large saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, eggs, and nuts. Mix well until smooth and spread in the prepared baking pan. Set aside.

3. To make the filling, in a small bowl, combine 6 oz. of the cream cheese, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg. Using an electric mixer, beat for 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Stir in nuts and spread over brownie base. Sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips.

4. Bake 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle over the mini marshmallows. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Meanwhile, to make the frosting,  in a large saucepan, combine the butter, milk, unsweetened chocolate, and reserved cream cheese. Cook over low heat stirring until well blended. Remove from heat, and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.

6. Pour the frosting over the marshmallow layer immediately after removing pan from the oven, and lightly swirl with a knife to marbelize. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese with Breadcrumb Topping

Good, old-fashioned comfort food

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1 1/2 cups dry, uncooked elbow pasta (macaroni)
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
2 cups milk
8 ounces American cheese


Topping (optional)
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs


Cook the pasta according to package directions, and drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring until well blended. Add the salt, pepper and milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thick and bubbly. Add the cheese and stir constantly, until cheese is melted.

Pour the pasta in a greased 8 or 9" square pan. Add the cheese sauce and stir.

If making the topping, melt the butter in a small skillet, then add the breadcrumbs. Stir constantly until lightly browned. Sprinkle over the pasta.

Bake 350 degrees, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until heated through and is bubbly.

Serve. This is good accompanied by meatloaf. See Recipe below.

Golden Treasure Meatballs

This is a dish my mother made years ago.  It is sort of reminiscent of Porcupine Meatballs.

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1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (bread torn or cut into small cubes)
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

16 (3/4-inch cubes) American cheese * (see note)
3-4 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce for cooking the meatballs in
about 2 tbsp oil for browning the meatballs in

hot, cooked rice


Mix together the hamburger, bread crumbs, green pepper, ketchup, egg, garlic salt, salt,  and pepper.  Shape into 16 meatballs.  Form around one cube of cheese and set meatballs on a sheet of waxed paper until all meatballs have been formed.

In a large skillet, working in batches, brown the meatballs in hot oil, being careful not to break them apart, until they are browned on all sides.  Once all the meatballs are browned, place them all in the skillet and pour the tomato sauce over all and cover the skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through, maybe up to 25 minutes, depending on how lean your meat is.  Be careful not to overcook them, or they will become dry and tough.  You want them to be tender and the cheese to melt.  Serve over hot rice.

* You can find American cheese in 8-oz packages vacuum sealed like you would find Mozzarella, or Colby cheese.  You don't have to use something like Velveeta anymore.

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Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

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There is a real good restaurant close by that makes a Hawaiian Chicken sandwich, and I wanted to try to replicate it at home. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.  I changed a few things, and I'd have to say that it comes pretty close.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups bottled Teriyaki sauce (I use Kikkoman)

Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
a few drops Worcestershire sauce

mixture of cornstarch and water, stirred

6 slices pineapple (use fresh, if you're able, otherwise, canned will work fine)
thinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese
9 or 12 grain bread, buttered on one side


Pound the chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper or in a heavy-duty ziplock plastic bag to an even thickness.  Marinate the chicken in the Teriyaki sauce in ziplock bags placed in a large glass bowl or cake pan, for up to 8 hours.

I usually use chicken that I've bought from Sam's club, and since they are so huge, I make additional sauce.  I like to have some to dip the sandwiches into on the side, too.  You just want equal parts of the brown sugar, soy sauce and pineapple juice.  I add a few drops of Worcestershire to cut down on the sweetness from the sugar and the juice.  A few drops is all you need, or else you will change the flavor of the sauce too much.  Bring the sauce to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until it has nicely thickened.

Preheat the gas grill to 350 degrees and oil the grates, if desired.  With the lid closed, cook the chicken about 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the size of the chicken breast.  Baste with the sauce starting right away.  Since it cooks for such a short time, you can put some on the top of the chicken when you first place it on the grill and then again when you flip them halfway through.

At some point, if you're using fresh pineapple slices, place those on the grill to sort of caramelize them.  Just before you pull the chicken off the grill, turn the gas off and place a slice of pineapple on top of each piece of chicken, and top with some Monterey Jack cheese.  Baste with some more sauce.  Close the lid again and let stay in there for a few minutes until the cheese has melted but has not browned.

Meanwhile, fry up the bread on the stove in a dry skillet on one side.  You can either serve the bread on the side, or serve the chicken on the bread, sandwich style.  Be sure to serve a bit of the sauce on the side to dip your chicken or bread into.

This is a great summer meal served with fresh fruit.

Egg Bake

This is fresh out of the oven.

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My sister Sandy, made this Egg Bake for our family's breakfast on Christmas Day.  It is delicious, and the recipe is pretty versatile.  For any vegetarians, you can easily leave out the meat.  For any that don't like cheese, that can be left out, as well.

1 pkg Jimmy Dean Sausage (cooked, crumbled and drained)
green and/or red bell pepper, diced, and cooked along with the sausage
onion, diced, and cooked along with the sausage
4 cups cubed, day-old bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk (my sister used 2 cups skim milk and 2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp onion powder (my sister did not add, since she used fresh onion)

Place bread in a well-buttered 9x13" baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, pepper and onion salt, if using and pour over the bread and cheese.  Sprinkle with the sausage, pepper and onion mixture.  Cover and chill overnight.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked all the way through in the center, and the center is set.  Tent baking dish with foil, if the top browns too quickly.

Remove from the oven and allow to set up for easier cutting, about 10 minutes.  Serve.

See how deep and velvety it is?

State Fair Subs

Printable Recipe


I got this recipe from Taste of Home's "Quick Cooking" magazine in 2001. They are one of my son's favorite sandwiches.

1 (1 - lb) loaf French Bread (I use hoagie buns)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb hot Italian sausage
chopped onion, optional
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cut bread in half lengthwise, and carefully hollow out top and bottom of loaf, leaving a 1" shell. Cube the removed bread. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, pepper and salt. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat; set aside.

In a skillet, over medium heat, cook sausage and onion until the meat is no longer pink, drain. Add the sausage to the bread mixture. Spoon filling into the bread shells, sprinkle with cheese. Wrap each in foil and bake 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Cut into serving-sized slices.

Overnight French Toast Ham (and Cheese) Sandwiches

Printable Recipes

These sandwiches are so easy to make and are pretty versatile as well. You can add cheese, sliced tomatoes, anything that you like! Make as many or as few of these as you need to.

4 slices bread
softened butter
thinly sliced ham (I use ham from the deli)
thinly sliced cheese, any kind, optional
2 or 3 eggs (I use about 1 egg per sandwich, adding one extra egg for every two sandwiches being made. Sometimes I use 2 eggs per sandwich, depending on the size of the bread slices)
2 to 3 tbsp milk (just eye-ball it, about 1 tbsp per egg)
a little salt

Butter one side of each slice of bread, like you would for a grilled cheese sandwich. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. You don't want a lot of extra space between the sandwiches, so make sure you use a small enough baking dish. Place the bread buttered sides down, and place the sliced ham on top of the bread, and then top with the other slices of bread, buttered sides up. In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk and salt together and pour over the sandwiches. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until browned, about 30 - 35 minutes. I usually flip the sandwiches over halfway through baking so they brown evenly on both sides. Serve with maple syrup.

Breakfast Pizza

Printable Recipe

 I started making this about 23 years ago, and I made it quite often when my kids were younger. I haven't made it in years ... it was just one of those recipes you sort of forget about, but I'm not sure why. It is very quick and easy to make and it's very good. I know the bacon on the side is a little overkill, and this would be a perfect combination served with blueberry muffins - I just didn't have enough time to make the muffins when I made this. Served with orange juice, and coffee and you have the perfect breakfast or brunch. I probably overcooked this a little bit, so the cheese doesn't have to look as golden brown as it does in the picture when you make it! :]

1 (8-oz) container Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (10-oz) pkg sausage links (I use Banquet's Brown 'N Serve, Original flavor), cooked according to pkg directions and sliced*
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded or sliced
4 oz Cheddar or Colby (I used a whole 8-oz pkg of shredded Co-Jack cheese - original recipe calls for all Monterey Jack cheese. I  have always done half Monterey Jack and half Cheddar or Colby)

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Generously grease a 9 x 13" pan and lay the crescent rolls flat, pressing the seams together. Layer on the sausages, and then the cheese. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over all and bake 425 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cooked through and cheese is melted and browned. Do not overbake.

*This would be good with a bulk Italian sausage, browned. You can use any sausage you want, really.

Grinder Sandwich

Printable Recipe

You can make as many of these sandwiches as desired. To spice them up a bit, you can add some pepperoni, or browned hot Italian sausage. Maybe add some chpd jalepenos, or use pepper-jack cheese. Really, the sky is the limit. The recipe calls for sliced tomatoes, but I never add those.

olive oil
onion, sliced
green pepper, sliced
salt and pepper

thinly sliced deli ham
thinly sliced Provalone cheese
additional olive oil for drizzling
dried oregano leaves
hoagie buns, split almost all the way through

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and green pepper and saute until tender-crisp. Drain the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Layer the ham, cheese and sauteed vegetables on the hoagie buns. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano leaves. Wrap each sandwich in foil and bake 350 degrees for about 25 - 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Meatball Subs

Printable Recipe

These sandwiches are fantastic, and very easy to make! This time around, I substituted jarred Ragu Spaghetti Sauce that I doctored up, for the homemade sauce below because I was in a hurry, but the homemade sauce is awfully good, too.

Sauce
chpd onion
minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes, undrained
1/2 of a (6-oz) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, Remove bay leaf and set sauce aside.

Meatballs
4 slices white bread, crusts removed and bread cubed
2 tbsp water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced parsley, optional
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
dash black pepper

In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with eggs mixed with water. Add the hamburger, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Lightly mix together and form into 1 1/2" meatballs. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil, and bake 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Add to the sauce and simmer for another 20 minutes. This time around, I baked the meatballs at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, put them in a pan, added some of the sauce and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe.
 
For the Sandwiches
5 - 6 Italian rolls or Hoagie buns
sliced Provolone or Mozzarella cheese (In the photo above, I used Sargento shredded Mozzarella and Provolone Artisan Blend)

Spoon desired amount of meatballs and sauce on the buns and, if desired, top with cheese. Loosely wrap each sandwich in foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.