"Caprese" Chicken Sandwich

We rarely have leftovers with a hungry teenage boy in the house, so I occasionally for lunch I like to "treat" myself with something they might not like as much. Here's one I whipped up recently...

"Caprese" Chicken Sandwich

Good bread - I had some Ciabatta on hand
butter or olive oil
fresh basil leaves
Roma tomatoes, sliced
thinly sliced chicken deli meat (this was Boar's Head something or other we had left over from chicken "philly" sandwiches we had for dinner earlier in the week) or slice up a chicken breast if you have it

optional: thinly sliced red onion, some garlic aioli, Dijon mustard, mozzarella cheese - or even better, basil farmer's cheese - a dangerously delicious treat a local store here sells (Brennan's)

I heated my pan to medium-ish heat, and then lightly spritzed my bread with some olive oil. I layered the ingredients on, topped with the other slice of bread, and then put my trusty bacon press on top to ensure even browning and heating. Oddly, I don't use it to press bacon at all - I do make grilled cheeses with it all the time, though - total game changer. I highly recommend one. Flip the sandwich when the first side is golden brown, reapply the bacon press, and heat until the other side is golden, and the ingredients are heated through.

Asian-Inspired Slaw

I tried a recipe from the "try it eventually" folder last night for some Asian chicken sliders, and they were decent, but unremarkable. It was still a fruitful effort, however, because I found a super simple, tasty side to serve in the future (although the kids were not fans). I guestimated on the measurements, since I just chopped and added - do what looks right to you. I made about 1/2 of this recipe, since it was just for 2 of us, but you could easily multiply it for a larger crowd, too. Asian-Inspired Slaw 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 tbsp. EVOO 1/2 c. cilantro, minced pinch of kosher salt a few turns of freshly ground black pepper 2 c. red cabbage, shredded 1/2 c. carrot, julienned or grated on the large holes of a box grater 1/2 c. red onion, finely diced (could do thin slices if you prefer) 1/2 c. red bell pepper, julienned or diced You could get crazy here, and add some sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, minced jalapeno, garlic, etc. I'll be e...

Classic Hashbrown Casserole

This one is kind of a classic. I cleaned it up a little bit - you can adjust things to your liking. Hashbrown Casserole 1 16 oz. package frozen hashbrown potatoes (shredded or cubed - I prefer shredded) 3/4 - 1 c. sour cream (light works fine, and you can use less - depends on how creamy you like it) 1 recipe cream soup base 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted (you can use less or omit if you like) 1/2 medium onion, minced 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (save a little to sprinkle on top) 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. In a large bowl, combine ingredients, and stir to combine. Spread mixture in pan, and bake for about 30 minutes covered in foil, then uncover and cook about 15 minutes more or until hashbrowns are cooked, cheese is melted, and top begins to brown. To freeze: Pr epare ingredients as above, spread in prepared foil pan, cover tightly with fo...

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli! I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME). If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and chop...

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