Steak Hoagies

These were yummy! 

I cut the steak before cooking because I think it's easier to cook small pieces of meat. Also after the meat was thawed, I threw it in the freezer for about an hour because it's easier to cut slightly frozen meat. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/steak-hoagies-with-mushrooms-onions-and-peppers/

3-4 pounds sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick (strip steaks are originally called for in the recipe but were way too expensive when I shopped so use whatever is the best buy)
1 tablespoon sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
2 tablespoons steak sauce (I used A-1)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4-6 (6 inch) sub rolls, slit partially open lengthwise
6 ounces thinly sliced deli provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat steak dry with paper towels and rub saute spice liberally into each side. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium high heat until rippling. Cook steaks until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes per side (this is all the cooking time the steaks get so cook them according to your preference). Transfer to plate and tent with foil. Let them rest for five minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
2. Meanwhile, add remaining oil, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to empty skillet and cook until vegetables are softened and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Off the heat, stir in steak sauce, oregano, and sliced steak until well combined.
3. Divide steak mixture among rolls and top with cheese. Arrange sandwiches on rimmed baking sheets and bake until cheese is melted and rolls are golden brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

This was AWESOME. Not as spicy as I expected with all the spicy things that got put into it (read: didn't taste spicy at all to me). But still SO GOOD. We're talking Chick-fil-a good. And with homemade fries? Just mmm. 

I also learned from this recipe a neat trick for not needing to by self rising flour. Maybe it only works for this recipe, but you mix 1 c flour with 1.5 tsp salt and 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder. Cool. 

Anyway this was delicious. I topped ours with pepperjack cheese, lettuce, mayo, and thought about cutting up a tomato but that seemed like way too much work.

So good!

http://www.foodpeoplewant.com/spicy-fried-chicken-sandwich/

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into 4 thin cutlets
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• Cajun seasoning for dusting (there are lots of recipes for making cajun seasoning on google if you don't want to buy it)
• 1 cup self-rising flour (1 c flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• Canola or vegetable for frying (I used exp pressed coconut oil)
• 4 sesame seed hamburger buns
• Toppings (lettuce, cheese, mayo, etc. etc.)

METHOD:

1. Pour the buttermilk into a bowl and whisk in the cayenne pepper.  Add the chicken cutlets to the buttermilk mix and marinate them overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before frying.  In a shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the hot sauce and set aside.  Pour the flour onto a clean plate and stir in the coarsely ground black pepper and set aside.
3. Drain the chicken cutlets from the buttermilk marinade and place on a clean plate. Sprinkle both sides of each cutlet heavily with Cajun seasoning before dunking it in the egg mixture.  Quickly dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour-pepper mixture, making sure to shake off any excess.  Place on a clean plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Pour oil to a depth of 2” into a 4-qt. heavy-bottom pot and heat over medium-high heat until the temperature registers 325° on a candy thermometer.  Working 2 pieces of chicken at a time, carefully submerge them in the hot oil and fry until crispy and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per batch.  Remove the fried chicken cutlets to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with the remaining chicken.  Keep first batch of chicken warm in a low, 200° oven.
5. Spread each half of the hamburger buns with mayonnaise (or ranch dressing) and top with a fried chicken cutlet, lettuce and tomato.  Serve immediately.

Jalapeno Guacamole Cheddar Burger

This was so good. Awesome. It was a little warm, but that could be because I used a whole jalapeno and not two pounds of meat, nor did I seed the jalapeno. Other than that this was awesome. And with the guacamole on the burger. Just mmm. Since I was only making two burgers I did half everything else. Mostly.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/08/jalapeno-cheddar-turkey-burgers.html

• 
  
• 2 pounds ground beef (I was probably closer to a pound ish)
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion (white, red or yellow)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1/2 tablespoon or so)
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For Serving:
• 6 soft hamburger buns 
• Guacamole
• Extra cheddar slices
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Whatever else your heart desires to put on these babies

1. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees if you have a temperature gauge on the grill). If needed, oil the grates to keep the burgers from sticking. I did this in my cast iron pan, no grills here.
2. In a large bowl, mix all of the burger ingredients together until well combined. I just dig in with my hands and mix it all up.
3. Shape the meat mixture into 6 patties (I judge the size by how big the buns are and make the meat mixture slightly larger since they'll shrink a bit while cooking). I made two patties as previously stated. 
4. Grill the meat patties for 5 to 6 minutes per side, more or less, depending on how thick the turkey burgers are. Tent with foil after removing from the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. Serve with desired toppings - I highly encourage the use of guacamole because it makes the burgers absolutely out of this world.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite things to take for lunches.  It is the thing I make when I need to get back in the habit of taking a lunch to school, but nothing sounds good.  I have made notes throughout the recipe. 

Adapted from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/teriyaki-chicken-salad-sandwiches/

2 chicken breasts
Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze or 1 recipe of Teriyaki Sauce
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/3 C sliced green onions, chopped
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1 mango, cut into small cubes (or 1 small can of Mandarin oranges, drained) I think both mangos and mandarin oranges are disgusting, so I leave this out.
1 small can pineapple tidbits OR roughly-chopped chunks
1/3-1/2 c. light mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Croissants or pitas
Lettuce leaves

THis is kind of a labor intensive meal, but worth it.  Because you have to make the teriyaki sauce and then marinade the chicken.  I normally do this the night before. 

Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours. Grill. While chicken is grilling, combine celery and green onions in a small mixing bowl or a plastic storage container with a lid. When chicken is done, allow to stand for about 10 minutes and then cut (I use scissors, so much easier) into bite-sized pieces. Toss with celery and onions and then add mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Start with 1/3 c. and go from there. Add 2-3 (or more) tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce to taste. The thickness of the Kikkoman Baste and Glaze (or the homemade recipe) is important because it helps keep the dressing from becoming too runny. You want to add some of the yummy Teriyaki flavor, but you also don’t want it to be overwhelming. Refrigerate for several hours.

Right before serving, add mango (eww), pineapple, and nuts (I always forget these). Or you can do this the night before serving which is what I did last time because I make my lunch the night before.  It was just fine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, I don't think I have ever added salt and pepper.  You may need to add more mayo and/or Teriyaki–if you need it, go for it! Serve on a lettuce leaf (too lazy for that) in a croissant or a pita (or by itself if you feel the urge!)

I used to always eat these in croissants, which was amazing and fabulous.  But croissants mold really quickly out here plus they aren't very good for you.  I found last time I made this that the 8 grain pitas were really good with this in them.  Plus you feel rather healthy eating those because they have 8 grains and are only 100 calories...wow.  Anyways, these are delicious and I love them :)

Three Cheese-Cheese steak Sandwiches

Ok, these were really really good. I will post them how I did it (vs how they say to do it).

HOWEVER, without a doubt, next time I do this, I will figure out how to cut the steak thinner than just using my knife. That was still way way to thick...I am thinking maybe the slicer I use for vegetables? I don't know. Or, one post said you could have your grocer shave it thin...which is an idea too. Since the steak isn't precooked, I don't know if OUR grocer will do this but it would be worth an ask I guess.

Original Post:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/three-cheesesteak-sandwiches-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 3/4-1 pound frozen sirloin steak, partially thawed (or freeze fresh sirloin for 45 minutes) so it is easy to cut
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
• 1 large or 2 small yellow onions, sliced with the grain
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (lucky me I didn't have one of these which made Eric happy but I would suggest putting it in, yum)
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (I would say maybe do 1 or a little over 1)
• 2-3 slices American cheese
• 4 hoagie rolls-Ok they must have HUGE rolls. This easily made 6 HUGE sandwiches.
• shredded mozzarella cheese, or slices of provolone (I used mozzarella...it was waiting for me in my freezer)

Directions

Slice the partially frozen meat into very thin slices. Mix together the chili powder, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss the meat slices in the mixture to coat. THEN LET SIT.

Heat the oil in heavy saute pan (such as cast iron) over medium heat. Cook the onions and peppers until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until all the vegetables are soft and golden, about 5 minutes longer.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Remove the vegetables to a plate and add a splash more oil to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high. Cook the meat quickly in the hot pan, browning on both sides. Once brown, reduce the heat to low and mix together the vegetables and beef. (I did not do this. I keep the veggies and meat separate because I was not sure Hailey would love the veggies so she got an all meat sandwich...I just added the veggies on to the sandwiches Eric and I ate) Add the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce and American cheese, and stir until creamy and well incorporated. Split open the hoagie rolls and place on a baking sheet. Divide the beef mixture among the rolls and top with the mozzarella cheese. Broil until the cheese begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully for burning. Serve.

The Marlboro Man Sandwich

Ok, so we had some cubed steaks and I didn't know exactly what to do with them. It turns out that, after talking to mom, there are tons of yummy things to do with cubed steak, but I didn't know that.

So, we tried this. Eric gives it 5 stars. He loved it. I give it like 3...it gets 4 if you put pepperjack cheese on it.

The post is originally from the link below but after reading the comments, I did make a few changes.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/marlboro_mans_f/

Ingredients

• 1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
• (This is not i the recipe-1 package mushrooms, sliced)
• 2 sticks Butter (lots And Lots Of Butter)
• 2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
• Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or Similar Seasoned Salt)
• 1/2 cup (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
• Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
• 4 whole French/deli Rolls (earthgrains Are Best!)

Preparation Instructions

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. (not in the recipe). Then add mushrooms and cook.

Remove and set aside.

Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. DON"T STIR. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine. Ok, I thought this was way way way to much of the Worcestershire sauce flavor. Next time, I think half is fine. However, Eric loved it "as is" so I guess whatever you think here

Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!