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Grilled Ham and Apple Sandwich with Chutney plus other grilled cheese and panini ideas – 15 Minute Meals

September 23, 2014 by Tiffany King 2 Comments

The title of this post is so long, it kind of makes you wonder if I really need to write any more.

I actually do have more to say about this sandwich, grilled sandwiches and keeping dinner simple.

First, let’s talk Grilled Ham and Apple Sandwich with Chutney. The idea for this sandwich came while we were in Disney World. We stopped in Norway in EPCOT for dinner one night and ordered several sandwiches to share.

One of my boys is pretty picky. He will eat no mayo. Nor will he let any fruit touch his lips. To accommodate him, I ordered a toasted club sandwich. It had bacon, so I felt like I was in safe territory there.

But no. He spied mayo listed for that sandwich on the menu board and he refused to try it. So I gave him the Ham and Apple sandwich, cringing as he peeled off the apple. Somehow I forgot that the sandwich also had chutney on it. Chutney is a definite no-go with him.

He’s getting older, so he didn’t say anything about the chutney at the time. He did switch sandwich choices at that point. And his retelling of how he handled the event was hilarious.

Grilled Ham and Apple Sandwich with Chutney “recipe”

I hesitate to call this a recipe. Basically, you’re making a grilled cheese sandwich that involves these ingredients:

Cinnamon swirl bread
Deli ham
Thin sliced apple (I like granny smith)
Swiss cheese
A bit of chutney (I used Slow Cooker Peach Chutney)

There’s no secret method to this. Just assemble the sandwich and toast in a skillet.

The great thing about this is that picky eaters can have grilled ham and cheese. You can eat the good stuff. Everybody’s happy.

Grilled Cheese Ideas

Sandwiches make for quick dinners. Weeknight family meals don’t have to involve elaborate recipes. Sometimes, it’s best to keep things simple. But it is fun to change up the sandwich occasionally. Try something new!

Here are some ideas of things to include on your grilled sandwich. Or drag out your panini press or George Foreman grill instead of a skillet to change up the cooking method.

Brie and Apple
Bacon
Several types of cheese on one sandwich: provolone, American, Swiss, Cheddar etc
Cream cheese
Laughing Cow cheese spread
Tomato
Roasted red peppers
Onion or red onion
Sauteed onion
Banana peppers
Green chilies
Pickles

What do you like to put on your grilled sandwiches?

Sausage and Corn Quesadillas – a 15 Minute Meal

August 21, 2014 by Tiffany King

One way to make quick dinners is to wrap something – almost anything, really – in a tortilla. I keep tortillas on hand in the pantry, because they’re great for nights when I’m wondering what I’m going to fix.

Oh yes. I have those nights too, where I stand in front of the pantry and fridge surveying the contents. Some of my best recipes come from those forced cooking sessions.

Here’s how I create those recipes. I’m going to share my system so you can do the same thing. Some of you already cook this way, but for others, it’s a new experience.

Let’s say you’ve got a pack of tortillas handy. Knowing a quick meal can be pulled together using those, we’ll start there.

Next, check your fridge and freezer for any meat you may have. Leftover cooked chicken, ground beef or pork and even sausage can be used. For this meal, I chose Italian sausage. It doesn’t have to be Mexican to be wrapped in a tortilla. No rules here!

You’re also going to want cheese. Tortillas and cheese are like peanut butter and jelly. They belong together! For this recipe, I grabbed a block of Monterey Jack and started grating.

You could stop there if you wanted. Sausage and cheese would be filling all on it’s own. But since I had half a jalapeño and some frozen corn, I decided to add those. You could also use red or green bell peppers, onion, garlic, zucchini…let your imagination and pantry guide you.

Now it’s just a matter of deciding how to cook what you’ve got. This would make wonderful enchiladas. Just add a simple red sauce to the top and bake.

But I was in a hurry, so I chose to make quesadillas. Crispy on the outside and melty on the inside. Everyone loves these!

Print Recipe

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Sausage and Corn Quesadillas – a 15 Minute Meal

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 cup corn
1/2 jalapeño seeds removed and diced
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded
8 - 10 Azteca tortillas
oil or cooking spray

Instructions

Cook sausage over medium heat in a skillet until done.
Add corn and jalapeño and heat through.
Spread sausage/corn mix on one half of tortilla.
Top with cheese and fold tortilla over.
Cook over medium heat in large skillet or griddle until toasted on the outside.

Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburgers

June 3, 2014 by KateS 18 Comments

Burgers are a summer staple in our house – they’re so easy and versatile that they make an appearance at least once a week on our dinner plans. But, there are always those nights when it’s so humid and sticky and gross that standing over the grill sounds like the worst idea ever. And when it’s like that outside, who really wants to turn on the stove and heat up inside?

These are the perfect burgers for nights like that.

The slow cooker won’t heat up the house, but you can still get a really great burger out of it. The trick? Making sure the patties aren’t sitting in their own grease. I roll up foil and make a mini grill-grate on the bottom of my slow cooker to boost them up just enough.

Then, I just lay my burger patties on top. I can fit four quarter-pound burgers in my four-quart slow cooker. If you want to cook more, just make a second layer of foil and stack them up. [Read more…] about Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburgers

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers Sub Sandwiches

March 18, 2014 by Tiffany King 2 Comments

When we have Italian Sausage, I usually serve it over pasta. Ragú recently asked me to give a twist on a traditional dish, so I decided to serve the Italian sausage and peppers on buns instead. And I wanted to use the slow cooker for the recipe too. I love my slow cooker!

The Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce made it a cinch to prep this meal. And it tasted fantastic!

I toasted the buns in the oven, then topped them with the Italian sausage and peppers in rich tomato sauce, covering it all with slices of provolone cheese.

The boys in my house especially loved this meal. The leftovers got finished off as a night time snack. Anyone else have teenage sons who eat two dinners?

Here’s what you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers Sub Sandwiches:

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers Sub Sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low
Ready In: 5-8 hours

2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage links
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 jar Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
8 hoagie rolls, toasted
8 slices Provolone cheese

In a skillet, brown the sausage on all sides.
Place sausge, onion, peppers, Ragu and Italian seasoning in slow cooker.
Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-7 hours.
Serve sausage and peppers on hoagie rolls, topped with cheese.

With 11 tomatoes in every jar, Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce is our richest, thickest recipe ever! To find more authentic Italian recipe ideas visit facebook.com/ragusauce.

You can also enter to win a trip to Italy for four people! Visit the Ragú Better and Better Sweepstakes for a chance to win great Authentic Italian themed prizes, including the trip to Italy.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragú®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

February 14, 2014 by Tiffany King Leave a Comment

I love split pea soup, but it’s not one that I make often. It’s best made when you’ve got a ham bone available. But since I figured out a great work-around for that with my Ham and Bean Soup, I decided to use the same technique for this recipe.

This soup meets all the requirements for the Slow Cooker Soup Series. It’s assembly only, taking only minutes to get everything started in the slow cooker.

I was afraid that my kids wouldn’t eat it. The color is light green (even though the photo shows it to be more yellow). Plus the name isn’t very kid-friendly. However, they all really liked it and even went back for seconds.

Here’s what you’ll need: [Read more…] about Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham