Spinach Melt Sandwich

I have been in classes for work for the last two weeks which accounts a little for my blogging absence. Commuting downtown when I am used to a 5 minute drive, sitting for 8 hours when I am used to being on my feet, and having to wear real clothes when I am used to wearing scrubs is putting a toll on my mind and body.

The one up-side of my classes is that my sweet, older instructor loves to eat . . . more than just eat, she loves to eat and socialize. This means lunches out at fancy restaurants or catered lunches!

There is a quaint little deli just a few blocks from IU Health/Methodist (where my classes are being held) called the Side Street Deli. I have totally fallen in love with their spinach melt! I love it, love it, love it!

Spinach, tomatoes, provolone cheese on wheat bread - melted and grilled to perfection!

Commuting, sitting, and wearing real clothes might not be so bad after all!

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Meatball Subs

I love a quick, hardy meal - and these meatball subs are just that. Quick and hardy.

I use home-style meatballs from Walmart (or the Evil Place as my friend Linda calls it - ha ha). There are so many things you can do with these pre-cooked, frozen meatballs:

spaghetti and meatballs, easy crock pot meatballs, and meatball subs . . . just to name a few.

1 package frozen home-style meatballs
1 jar/can spaghetti sauce of choice (I use Hunts)
hot dog buns
dill pickle slices
black olives, sliced
mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat meatballs in sauce until well warmed. I usually stick them in the crock pot either on high or low depending on how quickly I need them done.

To make sub: Spread mayonnaise or Miracle Whip on opened hot dog bun. Lay dill pickle slices down one side of the bun. Place 4-5 meatballs with sauce in each bun. Add black olives. Liberally sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Looks fancy, tastes great, fills up empty stomachs, and leaves time to lie out on the trampoline and watch the stars.

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Waldorf Sandwiches

I love Waldorf Salad and I love cinnamon-raisin bread.

This sandwich combines the two - sweet and yummy!

2 cups shredded unpeeled apple
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
14 to 16 slices cinnamon-raisin bread (lightly toasted)

In a bowl, toss apple with lemon juice. Stir in celery, walnuts and mayonnaise; mix well. Spread apple mixture on seven to eight bread slices, top with remaining bread.

Yield: 7-8 sandwiches

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Dilly Egg Salad

Brian and I both love egg salad. In fact, this love goes way back . . .

Brian got his first "real" job the first summer we dated. It was the summer he turned 18 and I turned 14.

I used to be younger than him, but somehow I think I caught up.

Anyway, there was a little deli close to the small print shop where he worked. Both have since closed their doors. But during the summer of 1983, one provided Brian with a way to earn money and one provided Brian with a way to spend money.

That little deli had the best egg salad around. They would pile the egg salad so high on the sandwich that half of it would fall down your arm while you ate it. By the time you finished eating the sandwich, chips and dill pickle slice and washed it down with some Pepsi - all was well with the world.

Summer eating at it's best.

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup small-curd cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Spread 2/3 cup on two slices of bread. Top with lettuce if desired.

Makes 2 servings.

Love Me

Virginia's Ham Salad (sandwich spread)

I have been promising this recipe for a while now but have not posted it because I wanted to have pictures to go with it.

Pictures of sweet Virginia as well as pictures of the whole yummy process. But I have decided to go ahead without pictures for now and add them later.

But first a little background on this amazing ham salad and its inventor.

Virginia is one of my BFFs. She and her family go to church with us - Robby, Virginia, Troy and Beth - the whole gang.

Virginia truly has the gift of hospitality. She is such a blessing to me personally as well as to my preacher hubby and the whole entire church.

And she makes ham salad/sandwich spread that is more addictive to me than crack. Although I have thankfully never been addicted to crack, I am pretty sure that my previous sentence is true.

1 pound of bologna
1 pkg (24 slices) wrapped processed cheese (like the kind you put on a bologna sandwich)
3 hard boiled eggs
1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
Miracle Whip (1 small jar)

Using your meat grinder, grind bologna, unwrapped cheese, eggs, and relish into large bowl. Mix well with spoon.

Add Miracle Whip to desired taste and preferred consistency. Refrigerate.

Serve on whiter than white bread (you know the kind that sticks to the roof of your mouth) and experience sandwich spready goodness at its finest!

Love Me (and Virginia)

Kentucky Hot Brown

While looking up the history of turkey manhattan the other day, I ran across this recipe for a WW version of the Kentucky Hot Brown.

This will be a good way to use up the rest of the turkey Brian bought for the turkey manhattan and satisfy my nostalgic mood at the same time.

In the late 1920's, this hot open-faced turkey sandwich was created by a chef at the famed Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It was added to the menu as a quick and delicious way to feed hungry travelers.

1 cup skim or 1% milk
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 pound sliced cooked turkey breast
4 slices crisp-cooked turkey bacon, cut in half

Combine milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan, mustard, and pepper sauce.

Preheat the broiler. Place the toast into 4 individual casserole or oven proof dishes. Arrange the tomato slices on the bread, then top with the turkey. Spoon the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and broil, 5 inches from the heat, until the sandwiches are hot and the sauce begins to brown in spots. Top each sandwich with 2 pieces of bacon.

Serve with a crisp lettuce salad.

Makes me want to dance the Charleston!

WW 7 points
33 carbs per serving

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