sandwich

Jambon-Buerre French Baguettes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Jambon-Buerre French Baguettes! You can practically hear the music playing “Là Vie en Rose” in the memory-banks of your mind as you prepare this authentic version of a classic French picnic lunch. Discovering a French bakery stateside that bakes French baguettes is a gift beyond measure. I walked out with a market bag of assorted European bakery breads anticipating the delicacies that would soon follow. Such a delight! In hindsight, I teasingly referred to these scrumptious sandwiches as a common “Happy Meal” when purchased at the local patisserie. How spoiled am I? 

JAMBON-BUERRE FRENCH BAGUETTES 

Ingredients: 

1 traditional French baguette

2 -3 tablespoons French sea salt butter

1 tablespoon mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons caramelized onion jam

6-8 slices Emmental cheese 

6-8 slices prosciutto or jambon

Sweet gherkins, sliced in half horizontally 

Instructions: 

Cut the French baguette in half horizontally and separate. Butter cut sides with sea salt french butter. Spread mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on the top half. Spread caramelized onion jam on the bottom half. Cut slices of Emmental cheese on an angle and lay on the bottom portion of the baguette. Peel off the prosciutto, or jambon, and layer on top of the cheese. Arrange the halved gherkins over all. Place the top half onto the bottom half of the sandwich. Wrap with parchment paper and tie into place. These sandwiches can be eaten right away, or packed for a picnic. 

Xtreme Sloppy Joes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Xtreme Sloppy Joes! Some days you crave a sweet and savory warm sandwich over a lunchbox ham and cheese on wheat. Sure, it can be a little messy, but pile it high anyway and add a mound of shredded cheese. Then watch things melt together.

XTREME SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons pimento, diced

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

2 cups ketchup 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion, and green pepper seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until meat is in crumbles. Reduce heat. Add diced pimento. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well. Transfer to an ovenproof covered dish and bake in the oven for one hour. 

Ravishing Radish Sandwich

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Ravishing Radish Sandwich! There’s something a little French about nibbling on a radish sandwich. And you can pull it off without raising your pinky finger into the air. Choose an artisan bread such as a crusty baguette or toasted sesame loaf. All you really need is a little butter and sea salt. However, I went one step further and used a creamy Neufchâtel cheese blended with pimento-filled green olives. Can you say, “Oooh, La La”?

RAVISHING RADISH SANDWICH 

Ingredients:

1 bunch of radishes, washed, stalks removed, and thinly sliced

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened 

1/4 cup green olives, chopped

1 loaf artisan bread

1/4 teaspoon Chia seeds

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix Neufchâtel cheese and green olives until combined. Slice bread evenly on a cutting board and then toast lightly. Slather each slice of bread with cheese spread. Layer radishes on top, randomly squeezing on as many pieces as possible. Sprinkle with chia seeds to garnish. Voilá!

Understated Stuffed Stromboli

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Understated Stuffed Stromboli! Everyone likes finger food. Take a ready-made French bread dough, add your favorite meats, and cheeses….and Voilà, you have a speedy sandwich assembled in minutes. I often serve it with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. Leftovers make a tasty midnight snack, whether you warm it up or eat it cold. Either way, you won’t see this understated grinder hang around very long. 

UNDERSTATED STUFFED STROMBOLI

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated crusty French bread

1 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1/4 pound deli smoked ham, thinly sliced

1/4 pound deli salami, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon dill weed

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Unroll the dough and pat into a rectangle about 12″ x 14″. Sprinkle with mozzarella to within half an inch from the edges. Layer ham over mozzarella cheese. Top ham with cheddar cheese. Then layer salami over the cheddar cheese. Roll up lengthwise; seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Tuck ends under. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with dill weed. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into four servings. 

Neufchâtel Radish Sandwiches

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Neufchâtel Radish Sandwiches! How do you make a simple sandwich look appealing? Think, open-faced. Use colorful ingredients. Add texture, like the seeded bread. Fresh garnishes should be light, airy, and fragrant. And above all, be generous in presentation. Instead of a smear of whipped cheese, use a spoon to add a dollop swirled across the top. It doesn’t need to be spread all the way to the edges. By overlapping ingredients, it creates symmetry as it builds volume. All these things bring harmony to a simple sandwich with irresistible results. 

NEUFCHÂTEL RADISH SANDWICHES

Ingredients: 

8-ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

8 slices avocado seed & grain bread

1 bunch radishes, washed and cut into thin slices

Cracked black pepper, if desired

Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions: 

Using a hand mixer, cream the Neufchâtel cheese until light and smooth. Fold in chopped dill, chopped chives, and sea salt. Cut the avocado seed & grain bread slices in half.  Spread a layer of the herbed Neufchâtel cheese over each piece of bread. Arrange sliced radishes on top. Garnish with fresh dill. Sprinkle each open face sandwich with cracked black pepper. Serve slightly chilled. 

European Baguette Sandwich

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: European Baguette Sandwich! WYKYK. My all-time favorite lunchtime sandwich begins with a bakery fresh French baguette. It has become the starting point for what I consider a staple in France and Europe. Perfect for picnics, compact enough for lunch, and elegant enough to eat with your fingers. Of course, it’s all about the ingredients. You may recall, my husband and I order French sea salt butter online after visiting the country years ago. I can’t buy it in America. But that’s okay because it freezes well. Personally, I love Emmental cheese and can buy that locally, along with prosciutto sold without added preservatives. Choose your ingredients wisely. One bite and you’ll practically feel your eyes roll back in heavenly bliss. 

EUROPEAN BAGUETTE SANDWICH

Ingredients: 

1 French baguette, halved and split lengthwise (makes two servings)

4 tablespoons French sea salt butter, room temperature

1 cup mixed greens

2-3 Swiss cheese slices

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced 

2-4 sweet gherkins, sliced lengthwise 

Instructions:

To build your sandwich, place all four halves on the counter, open-faced. Slather each cut side with French sea salt butter. On the baguette that will be the top, divide the micro greens between the two portions. For the bottoms, layer the Swiss cheese onto the buttered side, followed by the paper-thin prosciutto. Finally, arrange the sweet gherkins over the prosciutto. Carefully place the tops of the sandwich onto the bottoms. Wrap each baguette sandwich in waxed paper. 

Meatball Marinara Moat

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Meatball Marinara Moat! Lately we’ve been having some maintenance and home improvements done on the house. Whenever I have workmen around, I tend to offer them a bite to eat without hindering the project at hand. I needed something hearty and filling without anchoring them down afterwards. This savory sandwich sealed the deal when served with a portion of potato salad on the side. 

MEATBALL MARINARA MOAT

Ingredients:

1 4-pack hoagie rolls, top cut

16 Italian meatballs, pre-cooked

8 slices provolone cheese

24-ounce jar of all-natural tomato and basil sauce

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Place meatballs in a covered casserole dish. Add tomato and basil sauce. Heat through on 30% power for 10 minutes in the microwave. Slice an opening in the top of the hoagie roll, hollowing out a portion to create a “moat” for the fillings. Place two slices of cheese in each hoagie, allowing them to overlap. Spoon 4 meatballs with sauce into each sandwich, lining them in a row. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Carefully wrap each hoagie in foil and place in a warm oven until ready to serve. 

Xingzi Apricot Wedding Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Xingzi Apricot Wedding Cookies! When time is of the essence, all cooks and bakers may take a shortcut or two. Sure, I could’ve given you the recipe to bake the wedding cookies from scratch, but let me tell you why I didn’t go that route. The main reason was, I needed the cookies to be uniform in shape, exact to be specific. I wanted pretty little dessert sandwich cookies that didn’t require me spending a couple hours building. Obviously, you can choose whatever flavored jam you’d like to substitute. Raspberry comes to mind for me. And you could melt chocolate chips to give definition to the stripes. The end result is pure satisfaction, no matter which way you spin it. 

XINGZI APRICOT WEDDING COOKIES

Ingredients:

4.5 ounces package of Mexican Wedding cookies 

1/2 cup apricot jam

Chocolate syrup, for drizzling

Instructions: 

Form tiny sandwich cookies by taking 2 wedding cookies arranged flat side up. Spoon a layer of apricot jam on one side of one cookie. Place the other cookie, flat side down, on top of the confection to make a “sandwich”.  Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat until the platter is full. Before serving, drizzle apricot wedding cookie sandwiches with chocolate. Serve. 

Open Face BLT

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Open Face BLT! If you’re looking for something to serve instead of cheese and crackers or hamburger sliders for your next gathering, think about offering these appealing handhelds. Slathered with custard-like mayo that boasts of a creamy rich taste, which seals in juicy tomatoes and hearty mixed greens, to create a platform that screams, “Eat Me!” With less bread and half the bacon per serving, it naturally becomes a guilt-free option for everyone to try. 

OPEN FACE BLT

Ingredients: 

2 slices multiple-grain bread, toasted

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 Roma tomato, sliced

1/2 cup mixed salad greens

2 strips of hickory smoked bacon, cooked crisp and cut in half

Instructions: 

To assemble ingredients, cut the toasted multigrain bread into halves; arrange on a plate. Slather the mayonnaise over each piece of toast. Divide the tomato slices equally between them. Layer the mixed salad greens over the tomato slices. Top with crispy bacon halves. Now they’re ready to serve.