sandwiches

How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

August 22, 2018

Healthy boneless chicken breasts can be shredded, sliced, or diced, and used as the base for countless healthy recipes, and when you cook them in the Instant Pot pressure cooker they can go from frozen OR fresh chicken breasts to fully cooked with just 10 minutes cooking time.

How many times have you come home and realized you’ve forgotten to pull the chicken from the freezer for tonight’s dinner? If you’re like me, it’s way too many.

But since I discovered how to cook both frozen chicken breasts and/or fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, those days are over.

It seems like all too often us recipe creators aka food bloggers get caught up in creating that totally unique recipe.

The recipe that intrigues.

The recipe that nobody’s ever thought of before.

But the reality is, while those recipes are fun to bookmark and make every so often, it’s the basics for daily cooking that we really need.

Like how to cook the basic boneless chicken breast, and how to cook it fast.

I’ve shared my recipes for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast and the Best Baked Chicken Breasts and you guys love them. So when I received requests for an Instant Pot version, how could I not oblige?

And once I started cooking chicken breasts STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER in my Instant Pot, I realized I needed to share with you how you can do the same.

So let’s talk basics.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

Italian Chicken Wrap

August 21, 2018

You may see pinwheel wrap sandwiches so often at the store or the quick mart you don’t even realize how easy they are to make at home. But this healthy Italian Chicken Wrap sandwich has a few secrets up it’s tortilla that’ll make it so you’ll never want a take-it-with-you lunch any other way again.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It seems that lunches are the meal that can make or break your best eating intentions.

I know you know what I’m talking about. And I know that if you’ve said it to yourself once, you’ve said it 4053 times.

“This week I’m totally taking my lunch every day.”

But then it’s the night before and you’re too tired to pull a lunch together, or your morning is in a frenzy, or your delicate ingredients have all gone bad.

And then there you are. Once again, your intentions are dashed, leaving you staring emptily at the vending machine or forking over $13.84 for a lame something or another that really is just not that good. And worse, that marginal lunch is both taking away from your budget’s bottom line while adding too many calories to your very own bottom that soon won’t fit into your jeans if you keep this up young lady. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

But this easy Italian chicken wrap lunch is different. And here’s why.continue to the recipe… about Italian Chicken Wrap

Healthy Homemade Egg McMuffin

July 22, 2018

Grab and go breakfasts can be the saving grace of any weekday morning. The eggs in this homemade Egg Mcmuffin sandwich recipe can be batch cooked in the oven, on the stove top, or in the microwave, and make eating a healthy breakfast your easiest decision of the day.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

We’re all guilty of it. The alarm blares at some ungodly time of the morning (no matter what time it is) and our first reaction is to fumble about and emphatically hit that snooze button for just.10.more.minutes.of.I.NEED.MORE.SLEEEEEP.

And that my friends is how you your morning time table suddenly becomes irrevocably out of whack. So what’s the first thing to go in your morning routine? Breakfast.

You think to yourself as you hustle out the door, “I’ll just grab something later,” or “Here honey, just eat this pop tart,” and load everyone into the car and buckle up for your day.

But that muffin/bagel/donut you impulsively picked up as your cruised through the drive-thru with your grande skinny latte is loaded with sodium, fat, and calories? Where’s the skinny or the healthy in that? Or worse, you don’t grab anything at all so you overeat at lunch. And your kid finds herself starving thanks to those empty carbs before 1st period is even over.

That’s why having a stash of make-ahead breakfasts ready to run out the door along with you is the secret to your morning’s success.continue to the recipe… about Healthy Homemade Egg McMuffin

17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

March 28, 2018

From ham and bean soup to ham fried rice, these 17 irresistible leftover ham recipes are the perfect way to put those smoky Easter leftovers to good use.

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself with leftover ham this Easter (this is one of my favorite recipes), that means spring pastas, soups, fried rice, and more are just a bite away. Of course it takes a whole lot of restraint not to just channel our inner caveman and snack on the remaining ham straight off the bone — the porky goodness is just way too tempting.

Baked hams are a celebratory food. Since we tend to make them for holidays and special occasions, they’re typically not something we have on a regular basis, so when we do, we know there’s a wealth of yummy ideas for repurposing that ham are at our disposal.

From classic split pea soup made in the pressure cooker, to gussied up grilled cheese, these round-two leftover ideas are so good, they’ll give your holiday ham dinner a run for its money .

So let’s carve in, shall we?

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham from Skinnytastecontinue to the recipe… about 17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

Peach Panzanella Salad with Burrata and Bacon

March 22, 2018

This recipe is not your classic, traditional Italian or Greek panzanella salad, because with sliced sweet peaches, savory bacon, and gooey burrata crunched with sourdough bread chunks and dressed in an easy to make golden balsamic vinegar dressing, this healthy-ish salad goes well beyond the regular old panzanella each and every meal of the day.

Here we are, just three days into spring, and I’m already counting down the days to summer. That would be 72 if you’re wondering.

It’s not the hazy, lazy summer days lounging at the pool I’m waiting for (although that IS always on my summer happiness list), it’s the food I’m craving now. After a winter of simmering soups and savory stews, this girl is ready for the fresh, bright colors of salads of every color. And if it said salad has even a hint of caprese salad fixings—which I classify as a salad that includes some sort of mozzarella dressed in olive oil and balsamic and topped with basil—I am so 100% all over it.

It’s just one reason why I stopped dead in my flipping-the-pages-tracks while perusing the new cookbook of one of my favorite friends, then swiftly scoped my pantry stock for golden balsamic vinegar, checked on my countertop basil plant to be sure it hadn’t expired due to dehydration (those babies dry out fast!), and then headed straight to the grocery store for three loves of my foodie loving life: peaches, burrata, and bacon. Okay, make that four loves, with sourdough bread too.continue to the recipe… about Peach Panzanella Salad with Burrata and Bacon

Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

February 22, 2018

If you’re still debating whether a wrap is really a sandwich or not, you can use this one as proof that either which way the vote comes in, we all agree that healthy, crunchy rainbow wrap lunches are what make the world go ’round.

This post is brought to you by Almond Breeze

My daughter is mildly amused with the return to my teenage fascination with rainbows.

Chalk it up to reliving the memories of my eighth grade year as she makes her way through hers. Or it may be thanks to my continuing countdown of the quickly fading days of this age of innocence for my lil’ baby. Or maybe it’s thanks to the ’80s boomerang of denim overalls, scrunchies, boom boxes, Polaroid cameras, casseroles, mom jeans and new remakes of Full House, CHiPs and Roseanne.

🌈 Either/or/and/alloftheabove…ahhh, 8th grade. Best year ever. 🌈

This easy, veg-heavy Thai-flavored lunch wrap represents all the things right with eating the rainbow. You’ve heard it a hundred times. At least I hope you have: Eating the rainbow is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting all the right nutrients in one fell swoop. And it’s just one more reason that eating a healthy wrap for an easy lunch or quick dinner is a good idea.

continue to the recipe… about Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

How to Make a Healthy-ish Fried Fish Sandwich

January 22, 2018

If you think that making a healthier fish fillet sandwich at home is an impossible task, think again. This fried fish sandwich with homemade tartar sauce is golden brown and ready to serve in under 30 minutes, and it’s so good that it puts McDonald’s filet-o-fish to shame.

It’s wasn’t very often that I ate fast food as a kid so my first memory of eating at McDonald’s made quite the impression. Surprisingly, it was my grandma Mary Jane—who was a make-it-from-scratch kind of cook and always made sure I ate all my vegetables—who first introduced me to the fast food chain. Yes mom, she DID take me there!

But that day, and every trip to Mickey D’s after that, it wasn’t burgers that we ordered. It was always the filet-o-fish. Apparently I’m not alone.

Ever since, I’ve had a love for the simplicity of that fried fish sandwich: A simple fish patty with a dollop of tartar sauce and a slice of melty cheese sandwiched between soft and warmed top and bottom buns. Of course I always had to request extra pickles on mine because some things just never change.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise that while grazing through the gorgeously photographed and totally creative new cookbook Modern Comfort Cooking from my friend Lauren Grier of the food blog Climbing Grier Mountain, my perusing came immediately to a halt when I spied her recipe for Halibut Filet o’ Fish Sliders, a perfect recipe to serve for a crowd.

And that’s how Lauren helped cure my fish sandwich cravings by delivering a totally delicious recipe we’ll definitely be making time and time again.

How to Make a Fried Fish Sandwich That Feels Almost Healthy

Usually when I’m given the choice of going grilled, baked, or fried, 98% of the time the healthier baked and grilled routes are the ones I take. But just like every rule, there are exceptions, and that’s why I always prefer fried fish for my tacos and will once in a while splurge on fried chicken, Because hey, this girls still gotta live.

The methods Lauren provides in making this recipe make me feel totally okay that this fish is fried.

First, there’s no cloyingly heavy batter here. Instead, we use a lighter mixture of panko bread crumbs and finely crushed un-salted Saltine crackers. Un-salted Saltines? Now that’s an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one. The panko breading adheres to the fish thanks to a quick dip in buttermilk, tenderizing the fish while still keeping things light. And because breadcrumbs allow more evaporation to occur, the fish stays crispy longer, where battered foods that keep all the moisture in, get soggy faster.

The second method that keeps things healthy-ish is the fish is cooked quickly in 350°F oil. Each side of fish takes only 2-3 minutes to cook and spends less time in the oil so the fish doesn’t absorb that much of it. I use grapeseed oil due to it’s high smoke point, making it ideal for frying and a sandwich that takes just minutes to make. Be sure to test the internal temperature of your fish fillets for doneness at 145°F and the fish is flaky and opaque.

Once the fish is cooked, place it on a rack placed in a baking sheet rather than paper towels. This allows air to circulate all the way around, keeping your fish crispy on all sides.

The other key ingredients to make this fish sandwich swimmingly sublime are:

A super soft, buttery brioche bun that’s been warmed on a tray in the toaster oven so the top of the bun stays soft, or you could microwave it for 15-20 seconds instead. (*note: Lauren’s original recipe made these sandwiches as sliders, but I had a hard time finding brioche slider buns so I simply used the regular sized bun and made just three sandwiches instead of 4 sliders.)
A thin slice of American or cheddar cheese, melted on the bottom bun.
Tartar sauce made with sweet relish for that tangy zip. Use Greek yogurt instead of mayo and lighten the whole load even more.
Slices of sour dill pickles. Always more pickles. That’s my big twist on Lauren’s original recipe.
If you’re really trying to up your fish sandwich game, sliced tomato, red onion and shredded lettuce could certainly be added too.

Best Fish for a Fish Sandwich

Overall, any skinless, mild white fish will do. The halibut I used here is at the top of my price point and the quality proves why, but a more budget-friendly cod or grouper would definitely be my next choice.

halibut
grouper
cod
bass
snapper
tilapia

What Goes Well with a Fish Sandwich?

Anything you’d serve with burgers or at a barbecue will make this fish sandwich a whole meal, and of course, you can never rule out good old potato chips or french fries on the side.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

0 from 0 votes

Healthy-ish Fried Fish Sandwich

Finely ground unsalted Saltine crackers with panko bread crumbs provide the crunch for these easy to make fried fish fillets. The original recipe called for twice the amount of ingredients for the buttermilk and the saltine mixture and we had a lot left over so I've cut those amounts to what is listed here.To grind the crackers, place them in a zippered gallon bag, release all of the air, close, and use a rolling pin to gently crush the crumbs into a fine meal.

Servings 3 regular bun size sandwiches or 4 sliders

Ingredients

For the Tartar Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish or sweet onion relish
1 tablespoon minced onion yellow or green onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Fish Sandwiches
2 6-8- ounce skinless boneless halibut filets (if making sliders use 4 3-ounce halibut fillets)
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely-crushed unsalted, saltine crackers
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
Grapeseed or canola oil for frying
3 brioche buns or 4 slider buns
Cheddar cheese slices
Dill pickle slices

Instructions

For the Tartar Sauce
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sweet relish, onion, lemon juice, kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for flavors to combine.
For the Fish Sandwiches
Cut the fish fillets into 3-4 ounce pieces. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish fillets. Combine the buttermilk, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. On a large plate, toss together the crushed saltine crackers, panko bread crumbs and Old Bay seasoning.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil until a deep-fry or candy thermometer reads 350°F. One at a time, dip a piece of fish in the buttermilk, shake off any excess and dip into the saltine mixture and set on another plate or small baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the fish pieces. Place a few of the fish pieces in the oil being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 2 minutes, or if the fillets are taller than the oil, fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Use tongs to transfer the fish to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet or something similar to catch any dripping oil and quickly season with a sprinkling of kosher salt while the fish is still hot.
While the fish is cooking, preheat the broiler or a toaster oven. Place the tops and bottoms of the brioche buns on a baking sheet and place a slice of cheese on each of the bottom buns. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has slightly melted and the buns are warm and toasty.
To assemble the sandwiches, top the bottom bun with the melted cheese with pickle slices, the halibut, and spread the top bun with tartar sauce and top your sandwich.

Purchase your own copy of Modern Comfort Cooking for 80+ recipes loaded with international flavors like French Onion Udon Noodle Soup, Indian Spiced Fried Chicken Drumsticks with Ginger Honey, Banh Mi Breakfast Tacos and Korean Pulled Pork Lasagna.

Visit Lauren and her food blog at Climbing Grier Mountain.

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31 Healthy Lunches to Make in January

January 1, 2018

Get a healthy start on your week by creating lunches that won’t derail your best eating intentions. These 31 recipes will keep you on track!

Happy New Year, friends!

Now that we’ve eaten too many cookies, drunk too much champagne, and thrown caution to the wind with our diets (because #holidays), 2018 is upon us and The Ghost of Christmas Future has awarded us a fresh slate. But that doesn’t mean we have to trade in our culinary vices for full force diet deprivation ala Sugar-Free-Paleo-Whole30-latest-diet-trend-to-jump-onto. Though if you are, more power to you.

For me, January is never about diet repentance or deprivation, but always about finding balance. It’s about enjoying comfort food like chicken pot pie or lasagna while also embracing more salads that don’t always require “detox” in the name.

Lunch is a good place to start, because it’s all too often the “chopped liver” of our three daily meals, and sometimes we skip it or eat a protein bar and call it good. Breakfast may get credited as the most important meal of the day, but lunch is a close runner-up and is the fuel needed to power through the day so we don’t succumb to the dreaded afternoon slump where we just want to face plant into our desks.

That’s why 2018’s first 31 day what to cook series installment is dedicated to healthy lunches, with an emphasis on meal prep.

And so here are 31 virtuous (but still totally yummy) lunch recipes to motivate you through the new-you month of January.

continue to the recipe… about 31 Healthy Lunches to Make in January

The 20 Most Popular FoodieCrush Recipes of 2017

December 27, 2017

I published many recipes on FoodieCrush this year, and while I thought they were all good, this is YOUR list of readers’ top 20 favorites.

The best recipes are the ones we come back to time and time again — the ones that are the heart of of our ever-expanding repertoire and the ones that keep them asking for seconds.

This last year I tinkered and tested, made a lot of messes, and whipped up tons of winners along with a fair share of losers that you never even got to see. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to make memories in the kitchen and to make something good, because honestly, what’s better than enjoying a stellar meal with the ones you love?

I’m happy to bring you YOUR list of the 20 most popular recipes chosen by readers as your favorites. These are the recipes that were most clicked on/bookmarked/and hopefully cooked with by FoodieCrush readers in 2017. Some are new, some are favorites you obviously keep coming back to for more, but all of them were FoodieCrush favorites.

Happy eating, friends. :)
continue to the recipe… about The 20 Most Popular FoodieCrush Recipes of 2017

21 Easy Recipes for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

November 21, 2017

This roundup of 21 easy but creative leftover turkey recipes will help you make the most of the lingering bites of Thanksgiving.

Ahhh, it’s the most wonderful time of year. Thanksgiving is upon us, which means we’ll soon be eating our weight in turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. And even though next day leftover turkey sandwiches with all the fixins’ are a gift from the gods, there’s only so many of them we can manage to shovel down our gullets. That’s why we’re determined to leverage our leftovers as best we can, in as many different ways as we can.

From soups and curries, to pot pies and casseroles, and even pop tarts (yes, pop tarts), we’ve got 21 delicious ways to enjoy your leftover T-Day bird. It’s the stuff tryptophan dreams are made of. Gobble, gobble.

continue to the recipe… about 21 Easy Recipes for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

How to Make Homemade One-Pot Sloppy Joes

October 11, 2017

Forget the cans of Manwich sloppy joe sauce, because my mom’s homemade Sloppy Joes recipe is just as easy to make and sixty-four (or more) times as good, especially knowing there’s a generous helping of vegetables inside our homemade, ground hamburger-ed, comfort food, beef-ey sandwich.

Remember the days when licking your plate was encouraged? They still are. And your fingers, and your chin too.

I originally published this recipe in the earlier days of le FoodieCrush blog, and after making it time and time again, I felt it was time for a little refresh. It’s totally worthy.

One of my favorite dinners as a kid was always Sloppy Joes, and the memories of stealing tastes of this burger/veggie mixture as it simmered on the stove still renders the same take-a-bite-then-burn-the-top-of-my-mouth-oh-no-it’s-now-become-a-blister result today as I hear the subliminal retort of my mom echo in my adult ear to “leave it alone or there’ll be nothing left for the rest of us to eat.”

Guilty as charged. But, sorry mom, I still can’t help myself. And if you’re a fan of easy recipes and you make this one, my mom will tell you it’s okay that you taste-test your way through the making of it, too.

And I’m here to attest, the top-of-the-mouth-blisters are totally worth it.continue to the recipe… about How to Make Homemade One-Pot Sloppy Joes

Avocado and Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

July 31, 2017

This traditional chicken salad recipe is lightened up with Greek nonfat yogurt and creamy mashed avocado for an added boost of protein plus good for you fats that make this salad so tasty no one will ever miss the mayo.

This post is in partnership with Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt who has compensated me to create a recipe using their product. All opinions are my own.

Continuing with tradition is so good in so many ways. But continuing to evolve is even better.

I mean, why use the answering machine when you have voice mail at your fingertips instead? And why tool your baby around in an old-fashioned pram instead of an easy-to-transport collapsible baby stroller? And just think of what we’d all sound like if language didn’t change over time …”If your great umbrage would care to meet my high dudgeon at 12 paces, I would be happy to entertain you at dawn.”

Huh?

So while this chicken salad has a whole lot of the classic flavors (shredded chicken, grapes, celery, pecans, red onion) it has also taken a turn for the healthy by subbing in mashed avocado mixed with Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt in place of the typical mayonnaise binder.

This change is good, and good for you, friends.

continue to the recipe… about Avocado and Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Bacon Double Cheddar Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions

June 28, 2017

These beefy burgers deliver bacon and cheese in every bite, with chunks of both mixed into the patty, then grilled and topped with melted American cheese slices for a double dose of cheesy goodness.

This post is in partnership with Cache Valley Cheese

As a kid, my dad wasn’t much of a griller. He was more of the nacho-making guy. Woman-ing the grill was more my mom’s expertise, and let me tell you, she had her burger game down.

Now, as an adult, with not just one, but two grills ready to be fired up at a moment’s notice, my husband and I share the man/woman-ing of the grill. When it’s his turn, you’re likely to see this ribeye steak action happen in all the best grilling ways. When it’s my turn, you’ll usually see me trying out new things like grilled cauliflower steaks, you know, for those times calling for a bit lighter flare.

But where we always meet in the middle is when it comes to grilling burgers, and when it comes to burgers we absolutely do not discriminate. Bison. Turkey. Chicken. You name it, if we can shape it into a patty, we’ll grill it.continue to the recipe… about Bacon Double Cheddar Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions

Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

April 23, 2017

These easy and full of flavor healthful chicken gyro sandwiches start with a simple 5-ingredient yogurt lemon marinated chicken that can be pan-fried, baked, or grilled, and then topped with a simple cucumber and dill tzatziki sauce. It’s as easy as that.

I’d have to say I’m just like 97.99% of the rest of the home cooks out there. We’re busy. Our days are full. And that makes our nights even fuller. It’s the reason why one of my most often heard of requests is for more meals that are easy to make, don’t take a whole lot of time or a laundry list of ingredients, but still have that from-scratch, seasonal-eats quality.

Well here is one recipe 97.99% of you and more are going to love. It’s simple. It’s fast. It’s practical with just a few simple ingredients. And it’s totally flavorful thanks to it’s Mediterranean roots. continue to the recipe… about Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April 12, 2017

Today is a big day in the world of cheese lovers. It’s National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Two snaps and let’s celebrate.

I know. They make food holidays out of the oddest of food themes: Bologna Day (October 24). Fruit cocktail day (May 13). Bicarbonate of soda day (December 30). What?

But for pretty much every food lover everywhere, Grilled Cheese Day is officially one to break bread for. I mean, it’s cheese. And I’ve made it my goal to share a cheesy fave every GCDay since I started this bloggity blog back in 2011. So let’s dig into this melty onion, cheesy favorite between two slices of sourdough bread.

Who needs brothy soup anyway?continue to the recipe… about French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Avocado Toast with Tomato and Hard Boiled Egg

April 10, 2017

Healthful, nutritious, and filling, this avocado toast with hard boiled egg is an easy to assemble open faced sandwich ready for eating on the go.

Are you over the “put an egg on it” movement yet? I know. Me neither. It seems like it’s the mantra for making any favorite recipe a little harder to resist.

It’s the most popular way to sexy things up. Simply top whatever you’re making with a golden drippy yellow yolk that oozes down the edges of whatever it’s topping and BAM! You have one Instgrammable dish. I’m certainly a fan of the egg drip over anything and everything, but it can be a bit of a mess, and far from being hand-held fare.

To make my egg topped avocado toast a little less napkin-needy, I’ve taken to topping it with the simple but mighty hard boiled egg. And this time around, this egg gets a shave. continue to the recipe… about Avocado Toast with Tomato and Hard Boiled Egg

Green Goddess Cream Cheese Veggie Sandwich

September 19, 2016

Garlic and herb-infused cream cheese flavor a bounty of green vegetables to make a healthy sandwich with loads of flavor.

This post is brought to you by Arla USA

It’s back to school and that means I’m back in the sandwich-making game.

When I was a young whipper snapper going to school, I ate school lunch every day. Flying Saucers were a favorite—fried bologna with a dollop of mashed potatoes and topped with melted American cheese served in the tray that didn’t let anything touch.

There were maybe a handful of kids that took their lunch to school, showing off their Scooby Doo or Barbie lunchboxes with boring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But not me. PB&J’s were never on my lunch bucket list, and they’ve never been popular with my Smudge either.

I mean, why would Smudge even be tempted by a peanut butter sand when instead she gets layered beauties of freshness like this packed in her lunch every day.

My girl…she’s got it good. And I’m MORE than happy to provide them to her because it sets my mind at ease knowing she’s eating a healthy meal to keep that brainpower powered.continue to the recipe… about Green Goddess Cream Cheese Veggie Sandwich

How to Build a Better Sandwich

July 5, 2016

There are a few secrets that make your sandwich instantly Instagrammable. These are the tips I follow to make a good sandwich great.

This post is sponsored by AdobeSpark. All of the photos in today’s post were shot over the past few months on my iPhone, with type added by a super fun app called AdobeSpark. The whole process makes it fast and easy to share on the blog and all of my social channels. See how I do it here.

It was my 8th grade summer when I embraced my independent wings. That was the year we were old enough to take the bus by ourselves to walk the floors of Ogden City Mall. We looked for boys and then looked away when they looked at us. We hummed along to Culture Club as we wandered through the aisles of Contempo Casuals. We sorted through the fishnet gloves ala Madonna and off-the-shoulder sweatshirts ala Flashdance wishing we had the money and the guts to pull off the look the girls in Seventeen magazine did.

Ogden was not the fashion capital of the world, but then neither were we.

continue to the recipe… about How to Build a Better Sandwich

California-Style Bison Burger

June 13, 2016

Lean, natural ground bison with a simple seasoning of kosher salt and pepper creates a nearly guilt-free burger dressed with fresh, California-style toppings.

This year I’m happy to share recipes created as a Kroger blogging ambassador, where I am featuring all sorts of products from Kroger grocery stores for my family, and for yours, including this amazingly simple, totally delicious, Bison Burger.

Okay. I know what you’re thinking. “Bison? I’ve never tried bison.” “Isn’t bison game-ey tasting?” “But how can I eat a buffalo?” “It sounds way too exotic for me.”

Over the years I may have had some of the same thoughts. But in recent years I’ve discovered that using grass-fed bison for grilling burgers is a GREAT idea.

And here’s why…continue to the recipe… about California-Style Bison Burger

25 Epic Burgers You Need to Make This Summer

May 25, 2016

Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or meat lover, we’ve got 25 epic burgers that need to be on your summer grilling agenda.

Summer is here, and we honestly can’t think of any food that screams “backyard cookout bliss” better than a big juicy burger. Because this is the one food item we crave most often once warm weather hits, (and since that’s already happened), we’re getting an early start.

Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or meat lover, we’ve got 25 epic burgers that need to be on your summer grilling agenda.

Check them out below, and just see if you can get through this roundup without craving one!

Remember, burgers are best enjoyed outdoors, with good beer, a fresh side salads and among the best people.

continue to the recipe… about 25 Epic Burgers You Need to Make This Summer

The Best Garlic Burgers EVER

May 18, 2016

These juicy, world famous garlic burgers have just three seasonings and a legion of fans, and are simply one of the very best burgers you’ll every bite into.

It’s here! Grilling season is dead set upon us and that’s just one reason I’m happy to partner on this post with Cowboy Charcoal, because just like this recipe, Cowboy Charcoal is a classic.

And this garlic burger recipe is one of my all-time, forever favorites, and the favorite of thousands upon thousands who’ve eaten it for themselves. Not cooked by me, but by one of the most classic joints in Salt Lake City, the spot that has held the title of Best Garlic Burger in Utah.

Until now.

The first time I had this burger was on a date with my then boyfriend, now husband, at Salt Lake City’s notorious The Cotton Bottom Inn. Resting at the base of two ski canyons, this dive bar is THE spot in the city to stop in for a beer and a round of pool or two after skiing one of the Cottonwood Canyons in the winter or to soak up the sun out on the patio after hiking in the spring, summer and fall.

I don’t know if anyone actually comes for the beer, and I highly doubt it’s for the ambiance. No. It’s the garlic burgers they’re known for. They’re legendary. In fact, I don’t think I’ve EVER seen ANYONE order anything else.

And like the success of all legends, their recipe is top secret. But. I’ve cracked the code, and this is it.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Garlic Burgers EVER

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April 12, 2016

This grilled cheese is like everyone’s favorite jalapeño poppers melted between two slices of bread for the ultimate gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

It’s finally here and if you’re at all like me, you’ve been patiently waiting like a toddler patiently waits for his or her turn behind 8 other kids for a ride on the slide, or to be told to wait until after lunch for that popsicle. Tantrums, tears and frustration may or may have not all played a part in this waiting game.

But the wait is over and today we’re enjoying a different kind of meltdown. It’s National Grilled Cheese Day!

Since I first started the blog, April has heralded the arrival of one of my favorite themed months: Grilled Cheese Month. See for yourself and check out my other grilled cheese recipes here. This year I’m thrilled to be partnering with Arla to share recipes featuring their cheeses and we’re starting things off with a cheesy classic: grilled cheese sandwiches of course!

This recipe all started with “the pull”. No, not tractor pulls. Not the pull of the moon either.

We’re talking about the determining factor of every perfectly made grilled cheese. It’s “the pull” of melty, gooey cheese when two halves are divided from one.

And this recipe has what it takes to get “the pull” every time.

continue to the recipe… about Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Curried Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

March 21, 2016

Curry and onion powder add an exotic heat to the traditional egg salad sandwich, making it fit for an every day breakfast, lunch or elegant brunch.

This post is the first in my year-long partnership with McCormick, because I’m a firm believer that we can all use a little spice in our lives.

Back in the day I could peel an egg like no other.

As a kid, I vividly remember my Uncle Tom showing me a magic trick. “Hey, Heidi, do you want to see something special?” Well, of course I did! I was 10 years old! How could I not?

Uncle T knew how to make a presentation out of just about anything so when he showed me how he could peel an entire shell from a hard boiled egg in one movement, I was transfixed! The shell easily fell from the white orb in his large hand in one complete, in-tact ribbon.

It became my mission to master the peeling of an egg just like Uncle Tom did. And I did! For years.

And then my success came to a screeching halt.

I don’t know what my deal is, but for the life of me I can no longer peel an egg without it ending up as a shaggy semblance of what I see others pulling off all of the time.

That’s why today’s recipe is an egg salad sandwich instead of deviled eggs. Because who wants to see a deviled egg that looks like it’s been hacked with a jig saw when you can be making this delicious curry-spiked egg salad sandwich instead?

continue to the recipe… about Curried Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

My Favorite Reuben Sandwich Recipe

March 9, 2016

It’s a sandwich in the most classic sense of sandwiches. But it is so much more than that. It’s grilled and cheesy plus crunchy and gooey. Pass the napkins.

It’s a sandwich in the classical sense of sandwiches. But it is so much more than that.

It’s grilled. It’s cheesy. It’s crunchy and gooey all at the same time. It begs to be dipped into matzo ball soup, and in our family, it is.

And it’s probably the only sandwich I honestly, seriously crave.

I bet you know that feeling. That gut-wrenching, I DON’T CARE IF I’M ON A DIET, mouth-watering-when-you-think-about-it CRAVING!!!. For the love of God, just give me a bite!

And more napkins. Lots more napkins.

continue to the recipe… about My Favorite Reuben Sandwich Recipe

Caprese Avocado Toast Plus 10 Avocado Toasts You’ll Love Forever

March 2, 2016

Cottage cheese subs in for mozzarella in this healthy and simple avocado toast that’s perfect for a favorite breakfast, lunch and snack, plus 10 more toasts to try.

Does the world really, Really, REALLY need another avocado recipe post?

Likely, not.

I mean, the recipe isn’t really even as much a recipe as it is a formula. Toast. Avocado. Extra stuff you put on top depending upon your cravings and whatever is in the fridge.

And flaky salt. Always flaky salt.

But when I made my breakfast the other day and stopped myself mid-bite to get a snap of it for Instagram, realized that this hum-drum and routine breakfast for me is indeed a blog-worthy recipe/formula to share.

Because often those routine recipes are usually the best. Even if they’ve already cycled through the trend scene.

continue to the recipe… about Caprese Avocado Toast Plus 10 Avocado Toasts You’ll Love Forever

Zucchini and Chorizo Cheese Toast

September 17, 2015

Spicy chorizo gives a nice kick to this cheesy gouda and squash topped toast which can easily be doubled for a crowd pleasing appetizer or main meal.

I’m always happy to add an appetizer to a family meal, but when they get too dainty and precious, that’s when I bow out.

Finger food. Tidbit. Munchie.

Really? I want (wo)man food. I want flavor. I want a mouthful. I want an appetizer that doesn’t leave me lurking over someone else’s shoulder as they reach and snatch that last canapé at the buffet table.

Foiled again by a measly morsel of food.

That’s why this cheese toast is so extremely satisfying. Sure it could be cut down to size as an easy appetizer with full-strength satiation, but the beauty lies in its ability to stand on its own bread basket and become a meal in itself.

When you take the combination of seasonal squash, sturdy but still toothsome bread, spiced up sausage and cheese, oh glorious cheese!, then my friends, you have a recipe that’s going to do just fine holding its own.

continue to the recipe… about Zucchini and Chorizo Cheese Toast

Pulled Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Ranch Sauce

August 20, 2015

Easy crockpot chicken is shredded and then topped on a soft ciabatta bread and drizzled with a creamy homemade ranch dressing and topped with sliced avocado and melted Monterey Jack cheese.

Earlier this week I posted a recipe for Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, a recipe I deemed far from sexy. It’s a very useful recipe, and makes having ready-to-use chicken for lunches and dinners super convenient and obviously tasty.

But sexy? Not so much.

But this shredded chicken sandwich? I’d say it’s looming on sexy. In fact, I’d say it’s already arrived to the party.

continue to the recipe… about Pulled Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Ranch Sauce

Hummus Veggie Wrap Plus 10 Heavenly Hummus Recipes to Make at Home

May 11, 2015

Use store-bought or homemade hummus in this fast, fresh and healthy vegetable-filled lunch, and add even more flavor by using your favorite vegetable flavored wrap or tortilla.

This is one of those “recipes” that seems more of tour of assembly rather than an actual recipe. But because it’s become my standard lunch for the past two weeks, I deemed it in need of a share.

Hummus is like doughnuts. You really think you want to make it/them at home, but isn’t it so much easier to buy it/them at the store?

Yes. And no. To both. (These baked doughnuts are pretty much a cinch!)

Hummus is easy to make at home. But perfecting the smoothest hummus can be tricky.

continue to the recipe… about Hummus Veggie Wrap Plus 10 Heavenly Hummus Recipes to Make at Home

Ham and Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

April 28, 2015

This easy to make recipe is made with deli ham, smoked gouda, fried egg, tomato, and arugula, and it’s everything you want in a breakfast sandwich!

I once had a boss who had a habit for emphasizing the sensational.

He gauged quality and effectiveness by his gut, his intuition. By his visceral reaction. With a squint of his eyes, he’d push his glasses back up his nose, clench his hands and fist pound the air in front of him as he said the word visceral. “Back when I worked at [insert company name here], we created x, y, z product to get consumers to respond with a VISCERAL reaction.” You always knew he meant business when the word visceral spit out of his mouth with an extra dramatic paused slur in the middle of the word.

After pulling this sandwich from the grill, I had a flashback to those days of hearing that statement over and over. This sandwich. I had a visceral reaction to it. Visceral! My gut, my intuition, it all said that his sandwich, even before tasting it, was a fist-pump-in-the-air success.

My former boss would be proud.

continue to the recipe… about Ham and Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Spicy Smashed Avocado & Asparagus with Dill Havarti Grilled Cheese

April 1, 2015

Roasted asparagus and spicy smashed avocado are fun additions to this grilled cheese, that features a dill-flavored havarti and seedy whole wheat bread.

Why the heck do I always feel the need to stack sandwiches?

Call me a dare devil (or maybe not) but maybe it’s just a bit more fun when I can challenge myself to a game of Jenga with a fantastically good, hot, melted sandwich.

See what one resorts to when one works alone? Please send someone if I start calling my sandwiches Wilson.

Since the first year that I started la bloggity blog, the flip of the calendar page to the month of April (make that the swipe of the screen on your iPhone if you’re living in 2015) promises an event of epic proportions.

Towering proportions even. An event that not even spring showers, cotton tails or bunny trails can top.

Or topple over.

It’s NATIONAL GRILLED CHEESE MONTH!continue to the recipe… about Spicy Smashed Avocado & Asparagus with Dill Havarti Grilled Cheese