Creamy avocados are tossed with hard-boiled eggs, green onions, and fresh dill in the quick and easy low-carb dish.  This salad makes a delicious breakfast served as avocado toast, or a healthy lunch enjoyed on some whole grain bread with a slice of smoked Gouda and fresh tomato.  Top a bed of leafy greens with this delightful salad for a Keto friendly meal.  

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Avocado Egg Salad

A delightful combination of fresh avocado and egg with green onions and dill. Perfect for breakfast or brunch as avocado toast or outstanding in a sandwich on whole grain bread with tomato.

Course Breakfast, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword Avocado egg salad, Avocado recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 1 large avocado cubed
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 hard-boiled eggs diced
• 1 green onion thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut avocado in cubes and toss with lemon juice
• Cut eggs in half and place yolks in a small bowl. Dice egg whites and add to avocado. Slice onion and add to mixture.
• Crumble egg yolks with a fork then add yogurt, white wine vinegar, dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until creamy then add to avocado and eggs, toss gently to mix.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

A slighter firm avocado works very well for this which never is a problem to find.  The cubes will keep their shape better than if the fruit is too soft.

 

This avocado egg salad is also excellent served on toast for breakfast or lunch, or serve the salad on top of a bed of greens for a Keto friendly dish.

All the goodness of a French dip sandwich and a bowl of French onion soup are combined in these easy-to-make roast beef sliders.  Caramelized onions and gooey provolone make these little gems irresistible.  Dipped in a cup of warm au jus these little sandwiches will please any crowd.  Perfect for game day snacks or as an easy dinner for the family.  Make the rolls ahead of time and simply bake them off when your ready to serve.  So easy and delicious!

Last weekend we had our first real cold weather and about three inches of snow.  I love winter, but somehow we have not had fall yet.  The leaves are only about half turned and we have been enjoying beautiful mid 70 degree weather.  But suddenly there it was, so Sunday became a “stay in your jammies and cook something in the crock pot” kind of day.  I had located a beef roast in the freezer the day before and had the foresight to thaw it.  I used my fool proof method of cooking the perfect roast in the crock pot and added onions, carrots and fingerling potatoes.  With a quick gravy from the drippings we enjoyed a classic winter evening dinner.

Of course there was plenty of the roast left over, and at first I envisioned a simple repeat of the same dinner in the near future.  Then my mind wandered in a different direction.  I recalled what was probably the best French dip sandwich I had ever had, made with prime rib covered with horseradish on a crusty roll.  I realized that my roast would not reproduce this fantasy, so I determined it would need some cheese.  Looking at the beautiful liquid I had reserved from the roast, the random thought of French onion soup with that layer of melted gooey provolone came to mind, and I decided if I added caramelized onions that would just about cover all the bases.  So I ran to the market and picked up a package King’s Hawaiian, my go to slider rolls and I was set.  The sliders came together quite easily and they were more than delicious, definitely a hit, and I am most certain we will make these again.

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King's Hawaiian French Dip Sliders

Thinly slice roast beef, provolone cheese, and caramelized onions give these easy-to-make sliders all the great flavor of a french dip combined with french onion soup.  These make ahead sandwiches are perfect for a game day treat or an easy dinner.

Course Appetizer, Sandwiches

Cuisine American, French

Keyword French Dip Sliders, Game Day Treats

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 1 package Kings Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls
• 2 medium sized onions sliced 1/4"
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 4 tablespoons butter divided
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1 pound roast beef thinly sliced
• 1 pound provolone cheese thinly sliced
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

• Peel onions and slice 1/4" thick.  Heat large pan over medium high heat.  Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, when butter has melted add onions and toss to mix.  Season with salt and Italian herbs.  Cover for 5 minutes, then reduce head to medium low and continue to cook stirring often until onions become soft and translucent.  Remove lid and continue to cook until onions are caramelized.
• Transfer onions to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a small bowl or ramekin mix mayonnaise and horse radish.
• Pour the beef stock into a small pan.  Add about a tablespoon of the cooked onions and any small bits from the roast beef.
  
• Heat the beef stock to a low simmer and hold. 
• Slice King's Hawaiian rolls in half keeping them intact. 
• Lightly butter the bottom of a 9" X 13" pan.  Place the bottom half of the rolls in the center of the pan.
• Spread half of the mayonnaise on the rolls, followed by half of the cheese.
• Using tongs dip the roast beef a few slices at a time in the stock then evenly arrange them over the cheese. 
• Spread the caramelized onions over the top of the beef, followed by the rest of the cheese.  Spread the remaining mayonnaise on the inside of the top and place on the sandwich.
• Heat oven to 350 F.  Cover the rolls loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
• While rolls are in the oven, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian herbs.
• Pull the sliders from the oven and remove the foil.  Brush the tops with the butter and herb mixture and replace in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the tops are browned and the cheese is melted.
• Serve sliders with the warmed au jus for dipping! Simply delicious! 

Notes

I thinly sliced a left over portion of pot roast for these sandwiches, but you can certainly use deli meat.

 

Sliders can easily be made ahead of time and held in the fridge.  Allow to come to room temperature before baking.

Before you go……. if you love sliders like we do, be sure to give these a try!

Layers of tender pulled pork, thinly sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles are pressed between sweet Hawaiian jalapeno rolls to create an amazing sandwich, the Cuban Slider.  This southern Florida treat also known as a Cubano, is packed full of flavor.  Delicious and easy to make, this sandwich is sure to become a family favorite.  Cuban sliders will also be a huge hit at your next game-day half-time buffet.

I guess it was about three years ago I had the pleasure of working with a gentleman from Cuba.  His father had brought their family to the states when he was about five to become US citizens.  Spending time together we soon became good friends and found we shared many common interests such as travel and of course food.  Quite often we would share different dishes we had prepared at home and brought for our lunches.  Cuban bread was one of the treats I was introduced to, followed shortly by the incredible sandwich known as the Cubano.

There are many versions of this sandwich, however most all of the are made using shredded pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard.  I was a little unsure of the yellow mustard thing as I rarely use it (I am much more of a stone ground or Dijon guy) but I am always willing to try a new dish.  The tang of the pickles and mustard work brilliantly with the sweet flavor of the bread, and pulled pork and ham, Please!

I had prepared a pork shoulder roast in the crock pot a few day ago and decided to use the left over portion to try this sandwich.  I have used King’s Hawaiian rolls for making our Ham & Swiss rolls and thought the sweetness of the rolls would work nicely to bring the flavor of the Cuban bread.  I decided to use the roll with jalapeno for a little extra kick even though peppers are not traditional in this sandwich, heat is usually introduced by spicing the roast.

The Cubano is usually a grilled pressed type of sandwich, so I decided to try using my griddle/grill pan as a press. I wrapped the sandwiches and then used the flat side of the pan to weight it down in the fridge for about four hours before baking. After brushing the tops with melted butter I turned the pan over so the grill side was down and placed directly on top of the rolls before placing them in the oven.  This method worked great for adding a bit of crisp to the crust. You could also use a sheet pan to get a similar result.

Butter bottom of rolls

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King's Hawaiian Cuban Sliders

Layers of tender pulled pork, thinly sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles are pressed between sweet Hawaiian jalapeno rolls to create an amazing sandwich, the Cuban Slider.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Sliders

Ingredients

• 1 Package King's Hawaiian Jalapeno Rolls original if your prefer
• 10 oz. Shredded pork roast
• 8 oz. Thinly sliced deli ham
• 8 oz. Sliced Swiss cheese
• ¼ cup Dill pickle slices
• Yellow mustard
• Butter

Instructions

• Slice entire package of rolls in half.
• Butter the bottom of the bottom half and place on a sheet pan lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
• Spread mustard on the top of the bottom.
• Cover with a layer of cheese, followed by the pork, ham, more cheese, and pickles.
• Spread mustard on the bottom of the top and assemble.
• Wrap pan with cling wrap and place a griddle or another sheet pan on top to press.
• Place in fridge for about 4 hours before baking.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 350° F.
• Brush the top of the rolls with melted butter and place the griddle or sheet pan back on top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes

This sandwich is a great way to use up part of a left-over roast.

Yellow mustard is a must. the others just don't cut it here.

I used the jalapeno rolls for a little added kick, the regular would certainly be tasty as well.

I like to assemble these sandwiches and press them in the fridge for about four hours before baking.

This step could be skipped but the pressed sandwich is better.

Tender sweet shrimp, crunchy cool cucumber, and garden fresh dill give this sandwich the flavor of summer. This delicious roll is easy to make in just a few minutes. Offer this at your next backyard party or game day gathering for something completely different, your guests will love it.

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Shrimp Salad Roll

Tender sweet shrimp, crunchy cool cucumber, and garden fresh dill give this sandwich the flavor of summer.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound salad shrimp rinsed and dried
• 1 cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
• 3 scallions finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons red pepper finely diced
• 3 tablespoons dill chopped
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 baguette or french loaf
• iceberg lettuce finely shredded
• 1 tablespoon green goddess dressing

Instructions

• Rinse the shrimp. Pat dry using a paper towel and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Add cucumber, onion, red pepper and dill. Toss to mix.
• Add mayonnaise and toss until ingredients are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper (add some Cajun spice or Old Bay for a little kick if you like).
• Thinly slice or shred the lettuce and toss with the green goddess dressing.
• Cut the baguette into 6″ lengths and toast or grill (I like to grill both the inside and outside of the roll).
• Place some of the lettuce in the roll followed by the shrimp salad and serve.

Notes

Makes 4 - 6″ sandwiches

Like Mint Juleps, garlands of roses, and ladies hats, the Kentucky Hot Brown is a derby day tradition. Created in 1926 by Fred K. Schmidt at the Louisville Brown Hotel as a late night alternative to ham and eggs, this open face sandwich is piled with turkey and tomatoes, smothered in a Mornay sauce, broiled to a golden crisp, and topped with bacon. The sandwich became widely popular, and to this day remains a signature dish of the Historic Brown Hotel, and has also become a part of the legendary Kentucky Derby.

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Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich

This open face sandwich is piled with turkey and tomatoes, smothered in a cheesy sauce, then broiled to a golden crisp and topped with bacon.

Course Brunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 oz. whole butter
• 2 oz. all-purpose flour
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
• Salt & pepper
• 14 oz. sliced roasted turkey breast
• 2 slices Texas toast or any thick-sliced toast, crust trimmed
• 4 slices of bacon cooked until crisp
• 2 tomatoes sliced or halved
• Paprika and chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Cook bacon until crisp and set aside.
• In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste or roux.
• Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
• Whisk whipping cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the sauce is smooth.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble

• For each hot brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey.
• Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast.
• Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish.
• Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese.
• Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble.
• Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe courtesy of the Brown Hotel

For a little different spin on the Kentucky Hot Brown, I used our easy Pizza Dough recipe and topped it will all the same tasty toppings. delicious!

I think it was last fall during football season, I came across a recipe for baked ham and Swiss cheese rolls while looking for some ideas for halftime snacks.  I had known about this sandwich for years, but had completely had forgotten about it until a picture sparked my memory. For months now I have been threatening to make them but somehow had never gotten around to it, until yesterday.  My partner Kelly had invited a few colleagues over for a “working dinner”, so I wanted to come up with something that I could prepare ahead of time, and also something that would be easy to serve during their meeting.  Well these King’s Hawaiian Ham &Swiss Rolls were the perfect solution. I made them in the morning, and then all I had to do was pop them in the oven when the gang arrived.  Twenty minutes later dinner was served, and judging from the fact that there were none left, I would say they were a success.

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Kings Hawaiian Ham & Swiss Rolls

Classic recipe for delicious ham and cheese slider. Easy to make ahead of time and always a hit.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 1 package King’s Hawaiian Rolls
• 1 pound deli ham
• 1 pound Swiss cheese
• 2 sticks butter
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1 onion diced

Instructions

• In a medium-sized sauce pan melt the butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and onion. Simmer until the onions become translucent about 5 minutes.
• Cut the entire package of rolls in half. Do not separate them, keep them intact.
• Lightly grease the bottom of a 9″ x 12″ baking pan.
• Place the bottom half of the rolls in the prepared pan and spread with half of the onion mixture.
• Layer the ham and cheese over the onion mixture. Cover completely from edge to edge.
• Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture evenly over the surface.
• Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours (the rolls will absorb the butter mustard sauce as they sit).
• When you are ready to serve. Remove rolls from the refrigerator and heat oven to 350°F. When the oven in hot, place the covered pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 – 15 minutes, or until tops are light golden and slightly crisp.
• Transfer rolls onto a cutting board, cut and serve.

Notes

There are many recipes for this dish, this is my hybrid version. Assemble the sandwich at least four hours before baking or up to 24 hours in advance.

You might also want to try our King’s Hawaiian Cuban Sliders.  Tender pulled pork, thinly shaved ham, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles on a jalapeno roll. Simply delicious!

If you still have any leftovers from the recent holiday, you need to make this sandwich. If you don’t have any more storage containers of goodies in the fridge, you seriously need to consider preparing another holiday meal in order to have what you need to make this grilled thing of wonder. Pure delight is the best way I can describe it. Thanksgivings greatest hits in one amazing dish. The Shangri-la of sandwiches.

It seems to me there should be a better name for this golden goddess of holiday leftovers. Names like the Plymouth, the Mayflower, the Miles Standish, and the Christopher Columbus all came to mind, but none of them seem quite right to me. I guess I will have to continue to work on that a bit, and probably the best way to do so is by enjoying another one of these beauties for inspiration.

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Grilled Thanksgiving Sandwich

A great way to serve some of your holiday left overs ala-sandwich.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• slices of french bread
• turkey
• dressing
• cranberry relish
• brie
• mayonnaise
• arugula
• butter

Instructions

• Spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the slices of bread. On one slice place some arugula, followed by a slice of dressing, turkey, and cranberry relish.
• On the other half of the sandwich place a slice of brie.
• Put the sandwich together, and spread a layer of butter on the top.
• Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet buttered side down.
• Butter the top side and grill till golden, carefully turning only once. After turning I applied a bit of pressure with the spatula to help the cheese hold the sandwich together.

Notes

I use a flat lid from my stock pot to add a bit of weight to the sandwiches as I grill them. This also helps hold the heat making sure the sandwich it hot through.

Mild goat cheese melts together perfectly with the tender sweet flavor of roasted beets, while arugula offers a hint of tang, making this sandwich come alive with flavor. This twist on the classic grilled cheese is sure to please the veggie lover in your home.

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Grilled Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Mild goat cheese melts together perfectly with the tender sweet flavor of roasted beets, while arugula offers a hint of tang, making this sandwich come alive with flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium-sized beets
• goat cheese
• arugula
• Texas toast Or bread of your choice
• butter

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400° F. Clean and peel beets. Place in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 30 – 40 minutes or until tender testing with a knife (cooking time will vary on size of the beets). Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to be able to handle. When cool thinly slice.
• Over medium heat sauté the beets searing both sides (this will help prevent excessive bleeding in the sandwich). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Build the sandwich by placing a handful of arugula on a slice of bread, then a layer of beets, followed by the goat cheese. Top with another slice of bread.
• Spread butter on the top of the sandwich. Place sandwich in heated skillet buttered side down. Butter the other side. Cook over medium heat until both sides are golden brown, turning only once.

Notes

Canned beets could certainly be used if fresh ones are not available, however I would sauté them lightly before adding to the sandwich.

The other night I was in the mood for something a bit different for dinner. How about a burger? Now for many of you the sound of a burger probably sounds fairly routine, but at our house we don’t have them very often, so it is a treat when we do. As I was contemplating the evening meal, I started wondering what I could do to make tonight’s dinner even more delicious.

The first thing that came to mind was to shape the patties differently. How about a square burger? I could not recall ever personally making one before, then me being me, I started wondering if they would taste different being a different shape. Like how better a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tastes better when you fold it instead of cut it. I had the beginnings of my plan. But placing a square burger on a round bun, didn’t seem right. Then it hit me. Texas toast, when was the last time I had used that? The plan was coming together nicely. A quick search in the fridge yielded me some Queso Fresco cheese, perfect. Glancing at the large wooden bowl of onions on the counter I saw red, red onions that is. Now I had my plan.

But how was I going to make this square burger patty? As I started trying to free form the shape, I was not pleased with my results. Then I remembered a shallow square storage container that I had in the drawer. I slipped the container into a lightweight plastic bread bag, and used it as a form (great trick, the bag keeps the hamburger from sticking to the container. The patty falls right out when you flip it over). I had my patties. I seasoned them by brushing a little Worcestershire sauce on both sides followed by my house grilling salt (equal parts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder). With the burger situation under control it was smooth sailing from here.

I thinly sliced a large red onion, and discovered that I had a half a white one in the fridge as well, so I slice it and added it to the pile. Onion medley. I sautéed the onions is a little bit of olive oil and added a few dried herbs, some rosemary, tarragon, and basil. Wonderful aromas began to emerge, this was going to be good.

Time to grill. I cooked my burgers to a medium rare turning only once (I have witnessed lots of people flip burgers many times back and forth and smashing them against the grill with the spatula. The Horror!). I grilled my Texas toast as the burgers were cooking (better use of time than squeezing all of the flavor out of the meat). As the burgers were just finishing, I cut the heat to the grill, topped them with the cheese, and closed the lid for about 2 minutes (the residual heat from the grill will sufficiently melt the cheese without making it “run away”). Time to assemble.

I put down the first slice of Texas toast and smeared it with some mayonnaise, followed by a hand full of baby arugula. Then came my square burger with the melted (but still present) Queso Fresco, topped with a generous portion of the sautéed herbed onions, and capped off with the another slice of toast dressed with barbecue sauce. What an amazing  explosion of complementary flavors. This one will definitely be repeated.