Showing posts with label hot sandwich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hot sandwich. Show all posts
You just cannot beat the Classic Tuna Melt Sandwich for a quick and easy lunch option! I have been making tuna melts for as long as I have been making tuna salad, which is a very long time. Basically a tuna melt is a grilled cheese sandwich with tuna salad added!
I have been combing the two sandwiches before I knew it was an actual thing!
You can go as old school as you like or dress it up with a variety of things, but it doesn't get much better than this basic classic recipe which I am sharing here today.
Fish for Friday here with the Ultimate Fish Finger Sandwich. Fish fingers are something we all probably keep in our freezer. They can get really boring however, and we may often find ourselves wishing that we had a fish finger recipe to help to save us from that boredom!
If you like fish you are going to love this delicious, spicy Fish Finger Sandwich. It blows the fish sandwich from most of those fast food places totally out of the water.
In fact I might even so go far as to say that once you taste one of these delicious sandwiches, you will never settle for one of those fish sandwich again!
Cheesy Taco Puffs are a simple hot sandwich which my children would have absolutely loved when they were growing up. These quick and easy hot sandwiches contain all of the flavours of their favourite tacos, except the taco filling is stuffed into a biscuit dough pouch/pocket.
My children were always happy campers when tacos were on the menu. I was happy as well because tacos were something which was quick and easy to make.
In my opinion these are even better than Tacos. Probably because they are like little puffy pies and as those who know me well should know by now, if it is in a crust I am all over it.
These almost remind me of the pizza pops my youngest son used to love eating. Oh boy. Did you have a fussy eater when you were bringing your children up?
I raised five children, three boys and two girls. They each had their likes and dislikes when it came to food. I never liked to force them to eat anything they didn't truly like. I had been forced to eat things when I was a child and I just have never thought that was the right thing to do.
If you don't like what is being served, then have a peanut butter sandwich or something like that. I have actually been physically sick by being forced to eat something I didn't like. Not everybody is going to like everything.
With me it was a texture thing. I have never outgrown it. There are certain textures in things which trigger my gag reflex big time, even now. That is why I would never force my children to eat anything.
My youngest son was extremely fussy. He had not only his own dislikes, but took on board all of his brother's and sister's dislikes as well. I used to really worry about him getting enough proper nutrition.
He was, admittedly a bit of a spoilted brat, but he was my spoilt brat. He went through periods of times where he would only eat things that were white. Bread. Rice, etc.
Even his toast had to be a certain colour, not too dark, not too light and he did not want butter on it at all. He went through another period of time where all he would eat was hotdogs . . . until he made himself sick of them.
He really loved Pizza Pockets, and he loved Toaster Strudels. I learned to make my own so that it wasn't too expensive.
Gradually he grew out of it and he now eats everything pretty much, as far as I know. I am pretty sure he would have loved these. I really hope that one day I get to make them for my grandsons. Fingers crossed!
The filling for them is pretty simple. Extra lean ground beef, browned together with onions, garlic and a mix of seasonings. I have kept them as Tex Mex as I can in fitting with taco flavours.
You could probably use a package of taco seasoning instead if you wanted to, but I like to make my own seasonings. That way I can control the salt and the spice.
It also means that there are no nasty preservatives or additives in these. No MSG or other things you can't pronounce. If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it. Just my opinion.
The meat filling for these is incredibly delicious. Flavoured with onion and garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper. You could use smoked paprika if you wanted to give them an extra little kick
The crust is simply a homemade biscuit/scone type of dough. It is tender and flaky and works beautifully in these. You could use refrigerated biscuits if you wanted to, but again, these have no preservatives or un-pronounceable ingredients.
That's how I like it. Trust me, the homemade dough is way better and its not really all that difficult to make!
In addition to the meat filling, there is a generous amount of cheese. I have used strong cheddar here, undyed. I like the flavour of strong cheddar cheese. It is creamy and packs a bit of a flavour punch without going over the top.
You could use a Mexican cheese if you wished to, like a Jack cheese. You could even use a Pepper Jack if you were wanting to add more heat. That would be really delicious I think.
In fact, if you really wanted to, you could add some chopped roasted green chilies to the filling. Those would be an excellent addition in my opinion.
These are excellent served as hot sandwiches, or even served at room temperature, which makes them perfect for stuffing into lunch boxes. They are flaky, spicy and cheesy. In short delicious. I really hope you will want to give them a go!
Yield: Makes 6
Cheesy Taco Puffs
These simple to make little puffs are fabulously tasty on their own or served with soup or a salad, or even stuffed into lunch boxes.
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 20 Mintotal time: 35 Min
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 TBS sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) white vegetable shortening such as Crisco or Trex (UK)
- 2/3 cup (180ml) milk
For the filling:
- 1 pound (450g)extra lean ground steak
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS mild chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups (245g) grated medium to strong cheddar cheese
You will also need:
- fresh milk to brush on top
- sesame seed to sprinkle
- flour to dust the counter for rolling
Instructions
- Make the filling first so that you can cool it before stuffing the pockets.
- Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add the ground steak, garlic, and minced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften. Add all of the herbs and spices along with a few tablespoons of water to moisten.
- Cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink and is beginning to brown. Set aside to cool completely while you make the biscuit dough.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt. Drop in the shortening and cut it in with a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Using a fork, stir in enough of the milk to give you a soft dough that isn't overly sticky.
- Dust a flat surface with some flour. Tip the dough onto it and knead a few times. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a floured cutter, cut into 12 6-inch rounds, gathering any scraps and re-rolling out the dough as required.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with some baking paper.
- Place six of the dough rounds onto the lined baking sheet. Top each with 1/6 of the meat mixture and then divide the cheese between all six rounds, placing it on top of the meat. Leave a small border all the way around.
- Brush the border of each with a bit of milk. Top with the remaining six rounds (you may have to stretch them a tiny bit)and crimp shut with a fork.
- Brush the tops with a bit of milk and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Cut a tiny vent into the top of each with a pair of kitchen scissors.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
With this past weekend being the Canadian Thanksgiving, I did want to have some turkey to enjoy. It is impossible to buy a turkey here in the UK at this time of year without it costing an arm and a leg. Actually it costs an arm and a leg at Christmas also, but at Christmas they let you keep a portion of your arm and let if that makes sense. Turkey is expensive.
I decided instead to cook Turkey Burgers. I like turkey burgers. I would rather have a turkey burger than a regular burger, but that is just me. I know most people prefer beef burgers.
I have cooked quite a few turkey burgers on here. They are my favourites after all, but every now and again I like to try a new recipe. I found and adapted this recipe from one I found on Simply Recipes.
I cut the recipe in half basically. I did not need 8 burgers. I did not really need four either, but I figured I could freeze two of them for another time. Its nice to have burgers in the freezer ready to cook. You do need to thaw them first, but once you have done that it is a quick and easy proposition!
I used basically the same herb mixture. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Those herbs are beautiful partners and all go very well with turkey. There is also some sauteed red onion and garlic in the mix.
I also chose to use half breast and half thigh meat. In the past I have used only breast meat, but the thigh meat ends up being a lot moister.
Another trick that I use to keep the burgers moist is to insert a small pat of butter into the centre of each patty. A juicy lucy technique, which many use on their beef burgers. It works just as well on turkey burgers.
One thing when shaping burgers is you need to bear in mind that the meat will shrink as it cooks. This usually means that it will shrink in from the edges.
The most common result of this is a burger that is super thick when it is done. I don't like super thick burgers. A certain amount of thickness is to be expected, but I like to be able to get my mouth around what I am eating.
One way to prevent this is to make sure that the middle of your patties is much thinner than the edges when you are shaping them. You can even make a little divit in the middle about the size of a North American quarter or a one pound coin.
This usually works really well. Just be careful that you leave enough turkey covering the butter so that it doesn't all melt out and disappear. You want that butter inside flavouring and moistening the meat.
You can use whatever buns you like. I am a fan of the brioche bun myself. Toasted. I just pop them under the grill until they are golden. I don't like using untoasted buns as they fall apart.
Toasting them helps to hold them together at least until you are halfway through eating. It is a tad bit less messy!
I don't remember burger buns falling apart when I was a child, do you? Even at McDonald's these days the buns don't last out the burger. Its strange that.
Once your buns are toasted and your burgers are cooked all you have to do is to decide what it is you want to garnish your burger with.
I like to have a slice of cheese melted on the top of mine, glutton that I am. Today I used a Swiss type of cheese. Swiss melts wonderfully and I find burger slices over here have a funny, almost powdery taste that I don't like at all.
I like lettuce and tomato with my burger. I prefer the darker green lettuce, so I use a few leaves of romaine. I, personally, think the flavour of iceberg gets lost in a burger, although I know that is what most people use.
Today I had a yellow beef-steak tomato which I sliced up to put into the burger. I am not sure it tasted as good as a red tomato would taste, but it is all that I had.
Usually I will add mayonnaise of some sort or ranch dressing on the bottom half of the bun as well. If I am using just mayo I might also add some cranberry sauce. Today I had none. *sniff *sniff*
Finally I like to add a bit of onion. The sharpness of raw onion goes well with all burgers. I like fried onions too, but I think on a burger I like raw onion more. I use red onions so that the flavour is not quite as sharp as it could be.
Altogether these were really delicious burgers. Moist and filled with lots of lovely favours! I highly recommend. Not quite as tasty as a Roast Turkey Dinner, but a person does what they need to do and has to be content with that.
Herbed Turkey Burger
Yield: 4
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 15 Mintotal time: 30 Min
Deliciously moist and filled with flavour. If you like turkey burgers, you will love these.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 pound ground turkey breast meat
- 1/2 pound ground turkey thigh meat
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 TBS minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/2 TBS minced fresh sage leaves
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 TBS butter, divided into 4 flat pieces
- 4 slices of swiss cheese
You will also need: (all are optional)
- toasted burger buns
- sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce
- mayonnaise
- ranch dressing
- Dijon mustard
- relish and or pickles
- ketchup
- cranberry sauce
- crisp bacon
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened. Add the garlic and cook until the mixture becomes fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Crumble both ground turkey meats into a bowl. Mix together. Add the onion mixture and all of the fresh herbs and seasoning. Gently mix everything together until all are evenly distributed.
- Divide into four equally sized balls. Place 1/2 TBS butter in the centre of each ball and flatten into a patty around the butter. Try to get as flat a patty as possible. As the meat cooks it will shrink up and you don't want them to end up being too thick.
- Heat lightly greased grill or skillet. Cook the burgers for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. The internal temperature will read 74*C/165*F. Lay a slice of cheese on top of each and allow it to melt.
- Serve hot on toasted buns with your favourite burger toppings/condiments.
So what are your favourite kinds of burgers? Do you prefer Beef or Turkey? Maybe you can't stand either one? What are your favourite toppings on any burger??? I really want to know!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
One of my favourite things of all of the food groups is Pizza. I adore Pizza in any way shape or form. You may not think of it as a food group, but I do. We have our fruits and vegetables, our meat fish and poultry, our dairy, our grains and breads and then there is Pizza, which from where I am sitting deserves a group all of its own.
It combines the best of all the food groups, and it does it in a most delicious way. I will forever be grateful to the Italians for this delicious contribution to the world. It was always my dream to be able to eat pizza in Italy, but I don't think that is ever going to happen now for one reason or another!
It was not always so, this love I have for pizza. I was well into my teens before I ever tasted a pizza. Our high school did a Winter Carnival every Winter. It lasted several days and it was a happy mix of games and activities.
That was back when we used to get quite a bit of snow in Nova Scotia in the Winter months. You could make snow sculptures and go ice skating out of doors, tobboganing, etc. I believe in Global Warming because it has certainly changed a lot in recent years.
The year I was in Grade nine, they held a "Coffee House" on one of the nights of our High School Winter Carnival. The gym was set up with a stage for the performers and there were tables scattered throughout for our "customers" to sit at and enjoy the music and pizza which was available to buy by the slice.
Our Home Ec Department was kept very busy making the pizzas for sale and I, as one of the "waitresses," was kept very busy taking and delivering orders.
This was the very first time I ever tasted Pizza. I fell in love. (Who wouldn't!) Next time I tasted it, it was by way of a boxed Pizza Mix, enjoyed in the comfort of our home, introduced to us as a family by my then boyfriend, who would one day become my husband. Apparently, it was something his sister's made quite often at home.
So what does any of this have to do with Pizza Bagels? Why nothing really! It was just an attempt on my part to explain how Pizza, which is something which we all take very much for granted these days, became one of my great loves.
Pizza can come in many ways, shape or forms, aside from the traditional. There are French Bread Pizzas, Naan Pizzas, Spaghetti Pizzas, Cracker Pizzas, etc. Pizza Bagels and Pizza Bagel Bites. This, I am sharing today, is my attempt to share with you what I feel is the Ultimate Bagel Pizza!
It combines all of the things I love about Pizza, but in the form of a very delicious, hand held, Pizza Bagel. I used Sour Dough Bagels for my Pizza Bagels. It provided the perfect case for all the cheesy ooey gooey goodness!
I started by brushing the cuts sides of a bagel with some softened butter and sprinkling them with some garlic Italian seasoning. Onto this I sprinkled some coarsely grated Parmesan Cheese. I then popped them into the oven to crisp up the edges and melt the cheese.
Onto that went some pizza sauce. I have always made my own pizza sauce. It is delicious. I downsized it to a smaller amount for these. (Quantities are given for enough to make one are are easily multiplied to make more!)
This went onto both the top and bottom of the bagels. On top of that almost garlic bread topping. It is all about layering flavours here.
Next I applied a sort of an uncooked sofrito/mirepoix of very finely chopped vegetables. I used two kinds of sweet bell peppers (yellow and red), onions and green and black olives. You could use whatever combination you wanted to use.
It is meant to be another layer of flavour in what is already shaping up to be something quite delicious to say the least. And I am all for the flavours!
Onto that, and again on both sides, goes a layer of grated Mozzarella cheese. Ooey, gooey, milky Mozzarella Cheese. This helps to "glue in" those vegetables and keep them in place.
I added a layer of very thinly sliced Pepperoni. Italian Pepperoni. You will never catch me snacking on a Pepperami stick, but on a pizza, I love the flavour of Pepperoni. It just fits.
Of course if you don't like Pepperoni, you can add whatever kind of protein you like, or even no protein at all. Just make sure it is thinly sliced. You could try ham, or proscuitto, even mortadella or sliced hotdogs. Cooked ground beef, Italian sausage. Crisp diced bacon. Whatever floats your boat!! This is placed only on the bottom half of the bagel.
Its then time to close it all in by flipping the top half of the bagel over top to cover everything up. You might think that I would be finished here, but nope, there is more!
Finally on the top I gild the lily with some melted butter. A thin layer brushed over top of everything. More flavour it added by lightly sprinkling on some dried basil and oregano leaves, and then a final dusting of very finely grated Parmesan Cheese.
Now it is time to pop your Pizza Bagel into the oven. Make sure you line your baking sheet and lightly spray it with low fat cooking spray. That cheese will melt and the sauce may ooze a bit. You don't want your pizza bagel to end up stuck to the baking tray.
You are almost at the finish line now. Into the oven for a quick bake. Just until the bagel is warmed through and gilded on the edges, the cheese has melted and that buttery parmesan topping is golden crispy!
Prepare to fall in love! Grab the napkins and get ready to drool! Get ready to open wide and enjoy a spectacularly delicious hot sandwich!
These delicious hot delights are the ultimate in Pizza Bagels. Not just a half a bagel like most Pizza Bagels you will see, these are the whole shebang!
With double the sauce, double the toppings and double the cheese. A true delight you can wrap your mouth around.
Hot, delicious and oh so moreish. I guarantee these Pizza Bagels are sure to become firm family favourites.
I cannot claim fully the inspiration for this delicious treat. I was largely inspired by a photo of some Pizza Bagels I saw on Pinterest from Don't go Bacon My Heart. Lush and lucious. I have adapted the recipe in a way I feel puts them together better and so that if you only want one or two you can easily manage that. Plus I like to make my own sauces, etc. If you would like a full size recipe for my pizza sauce, you can find it here.
I don't know how you feel about Pizza, but as far as I am concerned, there can never be too much of it in my little world. My husband does not share my passion, but that's okay. It just means that there is more for me to enjoy!
Ultimate Pizza Bagels
Yield: One
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 15 Mintotal time: 30 Min
Quantities are given for one Pizza Bagel. You can multiply as per your requirements. These are fabulously tasty. Best Pizza Bagel ever, which says a lot!
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato sauce (Passata)
- 1/2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
- pinch fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp each dried basil and oregano
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
For the filling:
- 1 TBS softened butter
- 1/2 tsp garlic Italian seasoning
- 1 TBS coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated Mozarella cheese
- 1 TBS each minced onion, peppers, olives
- 4 thin slices pepperoni
You will also need:
- 1 sour dough bagel split
- 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 1/2 TBS finely grated Parmesan Cheese
- pinch each dried oregano and basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a small baking tray with aluminium foil and spray it lightly with canola spray.
- Place the split bagel onto the baking tray. Spread both halves with the softened butter and sprinkle with Italian garlic seasoning. Sprinkle over top the coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.
- Pop into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes to gild the lily and melt the cheese.
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together to combine well.
- Remove from the oven and spread each half of the bagel with half of the pizza sauce. Top with the chopped onions, peppers and olives, dividing the chopped vegetables between each half. Top each half with half of the Mozzarella cheese, pressing it down lightly to adhere.
- Place the pepperoni onto the cheese on the bottom half. Carefully place the top half of the bagel over the pepperoni, cheese side down.
- Brush the bagel all over with the melted butter. Sprinkle with some oregano and basil. Sprinkle the finely grated parmesan cheese over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for a further 15 minutes until the bagel is crispy, the cheese inside has melted and the topping has gone golden crispy.
- Cut in half to serve. Deliciously scrummy!
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
There is no doubt about it, if push comes to shove I will choose a turkey burger over a beef burger any day of the week, and this Spicy Ranch Turkey Burger Recipe is one of my favourite ways to make them.
Its filled with lovely flavours and always goes down a real treat!
From the cool and creamy ranch slaw that gets tucked into it to the spiciness of the burger it is a real taste sensation!
You might be thinking that is a mighty odd looking burger bun and you would be right. Its not a burger bun, its a finger/hot dog bun.
That's what you get when hubby makes a trip to the shops.
Beggars can't be choosers and it tastes exactly like a round burger except it is torpedo shaped. Why quibble about a shape when something tastes this good, right?
One reason I really like turkey burgers is because I love the flavour of turkey and the consistency. There is something about ground beef that puts me off more often than not.
And yet . . . in a chili or a sauce, or a meatball, I prefer beef. There's naught so queer as folk they say here in the UK. We like what we like . . .
I like to melt a slice of Jack cheese over my burgers. If you want it really spicy use Mexi-Jack cheese, which packs a wallop.
Me, I like it just normal, ordinary, not spicy. There's enough spice in the burgers for me, with jalapeno pepper, red onions, green tabasco . . . I want to bite my burger. I don't want it to be biting me!!
That creamy ranch slaw helps to cool down the spice a bit and goes so well with the flavour of the turkey. It doesn't make the bun soggy either, so long as you don't leave it sitting for too long . . .
And any extras go very well on the side.
I served these with skin on oven chips . . . and altogether this was a fairly lowish fat supper for us.
If you are low-carbing it, just eat the burgers with the cheese on top and the slaw. No need for the bun or chips. Unless you have a way of doing low carb chips! (And I haven't figured out how to that yet!)
Spicy Ranch Turkey Burgers
Yield: 4
prep time: 40 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 55 M
This low fat burger is filled with lovely flavours. A spicy fresh lean turkey patty tucked into a toasted roll with ranch coleslaw. Delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 TBS soft whole wheat bread crumbs
- 2 TBS minced red onion
- 1 TBS chopped fresh coriander
- 1 fresh jalapeno chili, trimmed, deseeded and minced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS green Tabasco sauce
- 1 large free range egg white, lightly beaten
- salt and black pepper to taste
- some spray oil to grill
For the slaw:
- 1 1/2 cups hand shredded red and green cabbage
- 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 TBS minced red onion
- 1/2 cup your favourite ranch dressing
- seasoning as desired
You will also need:
- 4 toasted burger buns
- 4 slices Monterey Jack Cheese
Instructions:
- Combine all of the burger ingredients until well blended. Shape into 4 equal sized pattys. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about half an hour to set up.
- While the burgers are chilling make the coleslaw. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, tossing together to combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Heat a grill pan, electric grill or skillet. Spritz with some oil. Add the turkey burgers and grill them on both sides until cooked through. (180*F or 80*C should be the internal temperature.) Slap a slice of cheese on top of each and let it melt while you toast the buns.
- Top each toasted bun with some of the slaw , slap on a turkey burger and serve immediately.
Just looking at these photos is making me hungry for these all over again. What's your favourite burger fix? I really want to know!
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