Ham and Cheese Sliders

Sliders have become quite the rage in the last few years making appearances on chain restaurant menus, cooking magazines, and many food blogs. While I'm not a fan of slider from White Castle, I do enjoy making different sandwich sliders for my family. I especially love when I find the package of those cute little buns on Manager Special at Kroger for under 75 cents! One time, I found them for 39 cents. I picked up 3 packages and put them in my freezer. We have Quick Bite Sandwich Night once a week, and I can always find something yummy to slap between those two little circles of bread.

I came across this recipe from Janelle at Comfy in the Kitchen last spring. Like me, Janelle enjoys making ministry meals, meals she takes to families in need. This is one of her favorite recipes because it can be made ahead, is easily transportable, reheats wonderfully, and pleases eaters of all sorts.

I've altered her original recipe slightly to fit our tastes and budget. I made these several times over the summer, and they've been a big hit around our table. I love that this recipe can be made ahead and then baked right before serving. They're perfect for a company lunch, a weekend gathering, or a simple dinner.  The secret to these little sandwiches is the sweet, savory sauce that you pour over the top after you make the sandwiches. When they bake, the sauce coats the sandwich and you're left with a finger licking delight! Pair with a simple green salad and some fruit, and you've got a real winner!

With kids, I like the smaller slider bun/dinner roll size. You could also make them on hamburger buns or even hot dog buns if that's what you have. They would also be really good on those little Hawaiian rolls, but those can be a bit more expensive.

I thought I had a photo of these from earlier in the summer, but I can't seem to find it right now. Click on Janelle's link up above, and you can see her finished product. Take some time to look around on her site, too. She has some really yummy family friendly recipes.

Here's the recipe:

Ham and Cheese Sliders (small version, enough for one family)

1 package of 12 slider rolls (or dinner rolls) - look for Manager Special items

1/2 - 3/4  pound deli ham, sliced thin (Prepackaged or fresh from deli counter)

1/4 pound swiss cheese, sliced thin

4 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp poppy seeds

 

1.       Make sandwiches on buns. (I like to put cheese on top and bottom with ham in the middle; kids can also help assemble these if you like help in the kitchen)

2.       Place sandwiches in a greased 9x13 pan.

3.       In a small saucepan, bring butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and poppy seeds to a soft boil.

4.       Pour sauce over the tops of the sandwiches.

5.       Cover pan with foil.

6.       Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

 

 

Ham and Cheese Sliders (the Full Version, makes a full cookie sheet’s worth of sandwiches; great for a party/guests)

2 pkg slider rolls or dinner rolls (24 in all)

1 lb. deli ham

½ lb swiss cheese

¾ stick butter

2 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

 

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp poppy seeds

1. Make sandwiches on buns. (I like to put cheese on top and bottom with ham in the middle; kids can also help assemble these if you like help in the kitchen)

2. Place sandwiches on a greased baking tray/cookie sheet with sides

3. In a small saucepan, bring butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and poppy seeds to a soft boil.

4. Pour sauce over the tops of the sandwiches.

5. Cover pan with foil.

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

 

 

What's your favorite way to use those cute little slider buns?

 

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice

Last week we had Grilled Ham and Pineapple Sandwiches.  This week we're having Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice.  It's always an adventure to take a recipe that you already enjoy (like grilled ham and cheese or fried rice) and throw in some new ingredient.  Last week's sandwich was a hit with all the eaters in our house, so I thought I'd give this Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice a try as regular fried rice is always a winner at our dinner table.  I first read about this recipe at Eat At Home on one of her weekly menu posts (her picture looks better than mine).  I've had it saved in my Recipes to Try file for several weeks.

One of the things I like about Fried Rice is that I can make it ahead of time on days when our dinner hour is hectic.  It's perfect for a busy night.  (It's Music Lesson and ISPTO Mtg night on our family calendar this week).  The 3 year old is napping for 45 minutes or so which is plenty of time for me to get dinner all ready to serve and have a few minutes to myself before the afternoon rush begins.  I can reheat the fried rice in just a few minutes after the girls are home from school and before we head out to our lessons.  Add a mixed greens salad and some zucchini bread (from the freezer) and we're all set for a homecooked meal together around the table for less than $6 in less than 30 minutes.

Here's the recipe:

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice
3-4 cups cooked, cooled rice (I made a batch in my rice cooker this morning before school)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups diced ham
4 Tbsp soy sauce, plus more to taste
1 lg can Pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved (you'll need 3+ Tbsp)
2 eggs beaten
1-2 cups frozen peas and carrots (or any other vegetables you might have leftover; kids said they prefer when I use shredded carrots instead of the frozen, cubed ones)
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/8+ tsp pepper, just a sprinkling of salt)

Pretend there's also minced garlic pictured here!

1.  Saute the onion in a little bit of oil until soft in a large skillet.
2.  Add the garlic and the ham, 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp pineapple juice and heat until ham is hot.
3.  Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet and stir frequently.
4.  Add the peas and carrots and heat through.
5.  Add the cooked rice and 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1-2 Tbsp of pineapple juice and gently stir with a large spatula until rice and meat and vegetables are evenly combined.
6.  Taste and season with salt and pepper or more soy sauce if needed.
7.  Serve immediately or reheat for dinner later on.

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice
The sweet pineapple gives this quick fix skillet dish a fresh twist

What's your favorite meal to fix on a night with filled with the kids' activities right around the dinner hour?

Frozen Fruit Cups

Pioneer Woman hosted a Kid Swap Sleepover a few weeks ago on her show.  Her girls spent the night at her friend's house while she hosted her own boys and her friend's boys at her house for the night.  To make things extra fun, she decided to have breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast.   My kids LOVE having breakfast for dinner, so we all tuned in to watch her show and see just what she would make at the ranch.

One of the recipes she shared was Frozen Fruit Cups.  She explained that she had been given the recipe years ago by her homeschooling friends and that it was a great way for her kids to eat fruit.  I had been given a similar Frozen Fruit Cups recipe by some women from Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in a Women of Titus 2 Class I took years ago.  The recipes were similar, so I took both recipes and sort of created a new version.  The result was a hit with my family.  These frozen fruit cups were well received last week during our March heatwave when temperatures in Columbus reached 89 degrees!  They were sweet, tart, slightly slushy, and very refreshing!  I think they'll be making a regular appearance on our snack or breakfast choices menu during the summer months.

Frozen Fruit Cups
Sweet, Tart, Slightly Slushy, and Very Refreshing!

What I like most about this recipe is that you can spend a few minutes making a huge batch (18 cups) that will last for several meals or snacks.  I also love that you can make this in individual servings so you can take out just as much as you need.  About the only trick to making this recipe be a success is to use FIRM bananas, not green, but no brown on the skins.  I think you could probably use whatever fruits you like and it would turn out fine.  My kids pick out the cherries from Fruit Cocktail to eat them first, so rather than a whole can of fruit cocktail as The Pioneer Woman suggested, I just put in a jar of cherries.  I think next time I might try adding frozen blueberries or raspberries from my freezer stash.

Here's the recipe:

Frozen Fruit Cups
4 cups frozen peaches, thawed slightly and diced
1 or 2 lg can(s) crushed pineapple, drained
2 lg cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
5-6 firm bananas, diced
1 small can of orange pineapple juice, thawed
1/3 cup lemon juice

1.  In a large bowl, combine the peaches, pineapple, oranges, and maraschino cherries.
2.  Add the bananas.
3.  Pour the thawed orange pineapple juice concentrate and the lemon juice over the fruits and stir gently to combine.
4.  Using a ladle, fill plastic disposable cups with fruit mixture. 
5.  Cover cups with plastic wrap and freeze cups on a cookie sheet until firm.
6.  Remove cups from freezer at least one hour before you want to enjoy them.

If you don't want to use disposable plastic cups, you can just make these in muffin tins instead and pop them out like ice cubes when you are ready to eat them.  I don't use very many plastic disposable cups, but I like to for this recipe.  The plastic cups make this a very portable, healthy snack alternative.  I think these would be great to stick in our insulated snack bag this summer for a refreshing treat during the rest periods at the pool.

I could not find a small can of orange pineapple juice concentrate, so I just bought a big can and then used about half of it in this recipe.  I mixed the other half with 1 1/2 cans of water, and we had orange pineapple juice for breakfast!

What's your favorite frozen fruit treat?

I've linked this recipe to Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight Bananas. 

Kid Friendly Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

We received a pan of these simple chicken and cheese enchiladas after the birth of my youngest from a MOPS friend.  She said that they were very "plain" but it was a dish her kids liked.  She brought me a jar of salsa along with the pan of enchiladas and said her husband would add the salsa at the table because he liked a little extra kick.

Since then, I have adapted the recipe she shared slightly to suit our tastes, and I have taken this same meal to numerous families in need over the years.  It transports well and tastes great leftover, too.  I like this dish because it is very kid friendly, it can be made ahead, and I often can find the simple ingredients on sale.  The kids like that there is nothing they have to pick out before they start eating, and the eaters who enjoy a little spice and texture can add as much spice and texture as they want at the table.  I'm often asked for this recipe, so I'm happy to share it today.

I put together a pan of these Kid Friendly Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas in less than 10 minutes.  I had chicken already cooked in my freezer.  Having pre-cooked chicken makes dishes like this one come together in a snap.  I like to cook my chicken in the crock pot when I find a good deal at the store (less than $5 for a whole chicken or $0.99/lb for dark meat or $1.99 for white meat).  After the chicken is cooked and slightly cooled, I chop it up and package it in 2 cup packages to put into the freezer.  This particular batch of enchiladas was made from dark meat, but I usually use white meat or a combination.  When it's all rolled up in the enchilada, it's hard to tell what kind it is. 

I used low fat versions of cream soup and sour cream, and I actually prefer it with the low fat versions to the full fat version.  It makes a little thinner sauce which I think is better.  I have also used Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, but it will make the dish have a little more tang than using sour cream.  I have also used low fat cheeses, but I prefer the regular version of cheese because it melts better.  I have used both whole grain and white tortillas; can't really detect too much flavor or texture difference.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos.  It was sunny yesterday, and I did not have on the lights in the kitchen, but the pictures turned out a little too dark when I look at them on the computer.  I checked out a Food Photography book at the library on the weekend.  I definitely need to pick up some new tips.  Let's just say you know that my cooking is real and not staged in any way shape or form!  Just try the recipes; your kids will like them!

Here's the recipe:

Kid Friendly Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
1 can low fat cream of chicken soup
1 cup low fat sour cream
2 cups cooked chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper during cooking)
1 1/2 cups shredded co-jack cheese
6-8 tortillas
chili powder
cumin
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika
dried cilantro or parsley
jar of favorite salsa (for use at table)

1.  Mix together the soup and sour cream in a medium bowl.
2.  Sprinkle a few shakes or chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder over the cooked chicken and stir it around.  (I don't always measure; I go by smell; I would guess I use about 1/4 tsp of each)
3.  Empty bag of shredded cheese into bowl.  (It makes it easier to do the assembly)
4.  Sprinkle some cheese down the center of a tortilla shell.  (about 1-2 Tbsp)
5.  Place a scoop of chicken on top of the cheese. (about 1/4 cup)
6.  Sprinkle some cheese on top of the chicken. (about 1-2 Tbsp)
7.  Plop on some of the sour cream/soup mixture. (about 2 Tbsp; this kind of seals the tortilla shut)

All ready to roll up.  You can plop the sauce on the top;
just wanted to show about how much.

8.  Roll up the tortilla and place in a greased 9x13 pan with the seam side down.
9.  Repeat until you are out of chicken.  I can usually get 6-8 tortillas made depending on the size)
10.  Spoon the remaining sour cream/soup mixture on top of the rolled tortillas.  Sprinkle with additional cheese (maybe 1/3-1/2 cup).
11.  Sprinkle the top lightly with paprika and dried cilantro or parsley (for color)

Ready to bake, refrigerate until later, freeze, or deliver to a family in need

12.  Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350.  Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes to brown on top.

You can easily make this ahead and cook it later in the day or even the next day.  You can also freeze this dish unbaked.  You made need to add some additional bake time.

Kid Friendly Chicken Enchiladas
Slightly seasoned chicken and cheese wrapped in a tortilla
topped with a creamy cheese sauce.  Great for kids who usually
ask you to pick things out of casseroles before they will eat them.

Serve enchiladas with salad and rice and/or beans.  Offer salsa at the table for those who like their enchiladas with a little more kick.

Here's what it looks like on the plate:

Kid Friendly Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Add your favorite salsa at the table for extra kick

We enjoyed ours with rice, a tossed salad topped with corn, black beans, red peppers, cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and ranch dressing, and a bowl of fresh cut up fruit.  There wasn't much talking going on at the table because we all were busy cleaning our plates!

What's your favorite recipe you've adapted to be more kid-friendly while still pleasing the adult eaters in your house?

Quick and Easy Lasagna

I've always loved lasagna, especially when company comes over.  It was my mom's "go to company meal" when I was a kid.  As I left her nest and started inviting friends and family to my own home, I started serving lasagna because it reminded me of the comfort and hospitality of my childhood.

When we lived in Wisconsin back in our early days of marriage before kids, we met a wonderful set of friends who had invited us over for dinner after work.  When we arrived, there was a pan of lasagna on the table ready to be devoured.   It was delicious.  It set up on the plate without running all over the way mine usually did.  When I asked the hosts their secret, they shared that they don't cook the noodles first.  They just put them in the lasagna uncooked, and they were not the "no boil" kind.  Just the regular, plain old lasagna noodles.  They had discovered this secret first by accident because when they tried to figure out how to make lasagna together they didn't know you were supposed to cook the noodles first. 

Now you know I love any recipe that tastes like you've spent lots of time making it when you really have not.   So since our days in Wisconsin eating our first pan of lasagna with Paul and Laurie with the uncooked noodles, I fix my lasagna the same way.  When people eat my lasagna, they always say, "How do you get your lasagna to stay all together on the plate and not run all over everywhere?"  I've had skeptics who don't believe me when I say that you start with uncooked noodles, but once they try it, they never go back to the "old" way. 

I have made this lasagna for each of my girls' first birthday dinners because it was one of their favorite foods of their first year of eating table foods.  It easily impresses a crowd and can be made ahead in under 30 minutes and with ingredients that I often find on sale.  I use jarred sauce (usually Prego or Kroger brand) that I have enhanced a bit, but feel free to use whatever sauce your family likes, store bought or homemade.  I also use low fat small curd cottage cheese instead of the traditional ricotta because I don't like ricotta cheese.  I can usually find the cottage cheese on sale for $1.25 and try to pick up bags of mozzarella cheese for under $2.  As we enjoyed a pan of my quick and easy lasagna last night at dinner, the 3 year old gobbled hers up and said, "More yum-sagna please!"  I think that speaks for itself.

I didn't take pictures through the assembly process because we had company over the weekend and I was just cooking as normal, not as if I was making food for a blog post.  If I make it again soon, I'll post some more pictures.  I realized as I was writing for the post that pictures would have been helpful!

Here's the recipe:

Quick and Easy Lasagna
3/4 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
9 lasagna noodles (I've used the whole wheat or white)
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic salt (the mixture should smell like garlic)
1-2 tsp parsley flakes (you should see flecks of green throughout mixture)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

1.  Brown and drain the ground beef.  (I use a medium pan so I can just add the sauce on top of the meat after it's browned)
2.  Add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until onions turn opaque (about 1-2 min)
3.  Add the jar of sauce to the pan.  Add about 3 Tbsp water to jar to rinse it out and then add that to the pan.
4.  Bring sauce to a boil.  Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes.
5.  In a medium bowl, mix the cottage cheese, egg, garlic salt, and parsley. 

Now it's time to layer the lasagna.  I use a 9x9 pan because that makes just enough for our family and the amount of sauce.  You can play around with the amount of sauce and meat to make more.  If you double everything, it will make two disposable lasagna size pans (they are a little smaller but deeper than the regular 9x13 pan).  This is perfect for a large crowd or make one and give one away.

1.  Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray.
2.  Spoon a little bit of sauce in the bottom of the pan.  I try to get more sauce than meat for this bottom layer.
3.  Place 3 uncooked noodles on top of the sauce.  (You will have to break off a little bit of the ends unless you are using a bigger pan.)
4.  Scoop about 1/3 of sauce on top of the noodles and spread it around with the back of your spoon.
5.  Scoop about half of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the sauce layer.
6.  Sprinkle 2/3 cup or so of mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese layer.
7.  Place 3 more uncooked noodles on top.
8.  Spoon 1/2 of the sauce left on top of the noodles and spread it around with the back of your spoon.
9.  Spread the rest of the cottage cheese on top of the sauce.
10.  Sprinkle about 2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top of the cottage cheese layer.
11.  Place 3 more uncooked noodles on top.
12.  Pour the remaining sauce on top, carefully covering all the noodle.
13.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  You can also add a sprinkle of parmesan
14.  Loosely cover the lasagna with foil.
15.  Refrigerate to bake later or bake immediately.

Bake lasagna at 350 for one hour or until bubbly.  Remove cover for last 15-20 minutes.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  (If you make it ahead and then bake it, you will have to increase the bake time about 20-30 minutes)

Serve a big cut of lasagna with a tossed salad and hot garlic bread. 

Quick and Easy Lasagna
The noodles are tender, the sauce is rich and thick,
and it comes out of the pan without running all over the plate.

Dinner on the Go - Burritos

One night a month, we have the challenge of having to go from one extra curricular activity (gymnastics team practice) to another (Brownies) without enough time to come home for dinner in between.  I try to guard our family schedule so that we don't have nights like this regularly, but unfortunately it didn't work this school year.  The first Wednesday of the month is our "crazy night".  For many families, I know that this crazy kind of night is the norm and not the exception.

But what do you do about dinner on a night like that?  For a mom like me who aims to eat well balanced meals nightly together as a family around the kitchen table, this running from one activity to another poses a challenge to my menu planning.  I knew this week we'd have our "crazy night", so I planned to fix these on the go dinner burritos that 4 or us could enjoy around the table and the 8 year old could eat easily in the car between her activities. 

It took me about 10 minutes to assemble the Chipotle inspired burritos which I did in the afternoon before picking the kids up from school. They could even be made an evening in advance as I had one leftover for lunch today, and it tasted the same as it did last night.  I wrapped each burrito in wax paper which kept all the fillings inside and made the heating up process super easy.  A single burrito was ready to eat in 45-60 seconds in the microwave.  Because they were wrapped in paper, the 8 year old was able to undo the paper and eat her burrito without making a huge mess in the car.  I opted for a vegetarian version this time, but you could easily add cooked chicken, beef, or even fish if you have that on hand.

I made a simple tossed salad of green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and ranch dressing for those of us eating at home.  I topped our salad with a few fritos for extra crunch.  An avocado would have been a perfect addition to this salad, but I didn't have one.  We also enjoyed the $1 fresh pineapple that I picked up at Kroger over the weekend.  The super sweet, candylike fruit was the perfect side dish to the somewhat spicy burritos. 

Here's the recipe:

On the Go Burritos
2 cups cooked rice (brown or white, regular or minute)
2 cups cooked beans (I used a mix of pinto and black, from my freezer stash)
1 cup corn (frozen or canned; I used leftover frozen)
1/2 cup salsa (my kids like mild, not too chunky, but use what you like)
fresh cilantro (about 1/4 of a bunch; this is what give it the Chipotle fresh feel)
1-2 tsp lime juice (fresh or concentrate will work)
1/2 tsp salt (add a little more if you want to bring out the flavors a bit more)
10 tortillas (I used wheat, medium size so they're not too big for the kids)
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a colby-jack blend)

1.  In a large bowl, combine the rice, beans, corn, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
2.  Place 1-2 Tbsp of cheese in the center of a tortilla on a piece of wax paper.
3.  Spoon 1/3 cup of filling on top of the cheese. (I didn't measure; just use a big spoonful)
4.  Sprinkle a little more cheese on the top of the filling.
5.  Fold up the bottom of the tortilla and then fold in the sides.  Wrap folded burrito in wax paper.
6.  Microwave each burrito for 45-60 seconds before serving.

(You can microwave more than 1 at a time; just increase the cook time about 20-30 seconds for each additional burrito.)

At home or on the go, these simple Chipotle inspired bean, corn, and rice
burritos hit the spot when you need a quick meal to fit your busy schedule.

What's your favorite dinner on the go?

Make Ahead Snacks - Pizza Bagels

Have you ever thrown these into your cart at the grocery store?

If you're lucky enough to buy them on sale with a coupon, you maybe spent $1.50 on these 9 tiny snack bites.  The box IS luring with this healthy information - "whole grain", "protein", "real cheese".  And don't they just look so yummy? (No, not really but kids like 'em! )

The problem?  This box is not big enough to feed the hungry snackers at my house!  When they were toddlers, yes.  But now that they are growing and bringing their hungry friends over, there's not enough to satisfy their hunger attacks.  Plus the picture on the box always looks much better than the ones I pull from the oven.  And they're sometimes too crunchy or too chewy or too fake tasting.

This past week I had some leftover pizza sauce from our stromboli, so I decided to whip up a new batch of pizza bagel bites myself.  Now we have 18 bagel bites in the freezer just waiting to be devoured by hungry children!  An added bonus - they taste so much better than those frozen ones you buy at the store!

When hunger strikes, just pull one or two or more bagels from the bag in the freezer, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 5-7 min at 350.  We like to do ours in the toaster oven because they cook super fast.  Just watch so they don't get too brown on top. 

This particular batch is just cheese, but you could certainly put whatever pizza toppings you like on them.

These took me about 5-10 minutes to put together; an hour to freeze, and less than 5 minutes to bag and refreeze for later use.

Here's how you make 'em:

Ingredients:
1 bag of your favorite brand bagels (I used whole grain white)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite pizza sauce (leftover spaghetti sauce will work too)
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella or pizza blend cheese

Step by step instructions:
1.  Open the bagels and place on a large cookie sheet.
2.  Spread some sauce on all the bagel halves.  (Sometimes I sprinkle a little extra italian seasoning or oregano on top if I'm using spaghetti sauce instead of pizza sauce)
3.  Top with shredded cheese. 
4.  Place cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour or so.
5.  Place the frozen bagels in a large ziploc bag.  Separate the layers with a piece of wax or parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
6.  To eat, pull out frozen bagel(s).  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 5-7 min @ 350 in a toaster oven.  (may need to do a bit higher in a real oven)

Whole grain bagel, heart healthy pizza sauce, and low fat mozzarella cheese. . . .

Make a batch of these tasty snacks this week for your family! 

What's your favorite make ahead snack?