Do you know what my favorite breakfast in the whole world is? Hint: Classic Eggs Benedict. Ok, so I just straight up told ya. That’s because I don’t like to mess around in the morning. Just gimme my Eggs Benedict and I’m happy. And don’t talk to me.
Classic Eggs Benedict & Hollandaise Sauce
Cheese Tortellini & Asparagus in Brown Butter Sauce is super simple, super fast and super delish! It also has just a bit of a sophisticated air about it, which means it’s perfect fast meal for a family dinner or great if a friend or two drops by. “Would you like to stay for dinner?” “Umm, yes!”
Cheese Tortellini & Asparagus in Brown Butter Sauce
It took me awhile to “crack” the code on sheet pan eggs, but here they are: The Best Creamy Sheet Pan Eggs. They are perfect for a no-fuss morning, great for make-ahead meal prep and marvelous in a breakfast sandwich.
Best Creamy Sheet Pan Eggs
I’m still working on a few leftovers from Easter, how about you? One thing I love to do is make soup with my ham. This year I made a Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham, so I knew that Cajun Ham & Rice Soup would bring those flavors home.
Cajun Ham & Rice Soup
It snowed again. Yep. Not on Easter (and April Fool’s Day) but the day before. It was like a cruel joke, and it put me right into comfort mode. Anyway, here’s some of that comfort, Easy Cheesy Ham & Potato Chowder. It’s wrap up in a throw with your big fuzzy socks and eat from a mug comfort!
Easy Cheesy Ham & Potato Chowder
Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham is one of my fave Holiday hams, no matter the Holiday. It couldn’t be better during the fall/winter months & brightens up a harsh, cold Easter like we’re having this year.
Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham
I do love me some quiche, how about you? It’s been a long time since I’ve made Quiche. I’ve been all about the Frittatas lately. I think I had just forgotten how good Quiche can be.
Easy Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche
You know what I like, and I hope you do, too, since I’m posting one? Frittatas. And I like them for so many reasons. They’re delicious and the frugal me loves that frittatas are a great way to use a bit of this and a bit of that. And the healthy me loves that anything can go in a frittata.
Three Meat Frittata – Instant Pot or Stove-top/oven
So hey, here I am a Minnesota blogger and I have no Wild Rice Soup on my blog. Uff da. Well, I do have a Wild Rice and Smoked Turkey Chowder (amazingly good and healthy!) but it’s just not the same as a Classic Wild Rice Soup in the Instant Pot, now is it? (As a quick aside, I will be posting recipes that aren’t Instant Pot and aren’t soup, it’s just been a crazy Holiday week, so if you don’t have an “IP” please bear with me!)
Classic Wild Rice Soup in the Instant Pot
Do you need a fun, fresh take on a dish for your Holiday Ham leftovers? Something easy, fast and crave-worthy? You’re gonna want to try this Hawaiian Fried Rice. And you’re gonna look like a genius when you bring this to the table! 🙂
Hawaiian Fried Rice with Ham & Pineapple
This dish was a new one on me…Featherbed Eggs. I mean, how could you not fall in love with a name like that? It makes me think of country inns with crisp white sheets, quilt draped beds. Cotton curtains blowing in a warm breeze. Comfort.
Featherbed Eggs – eggs nestled into custard soaked bread all atop a layer of ham with crispy edges.
So you all know (if you follow me – and if you don’t, I’d love it if you would, here with email (on the right) or on facebook or twitter (on the left)) I cooked up a ham for Thanksgiving. And what a ham it was! The stunning and absolutely delish Biltmore House’s Tawny Baked Ham. It was just a half ham, but of course there were leftovers!
Instant Pot Opelousas
If you’re looking for a showstopper of a ham recipe for a fall or winter holiday, look no further. Simple to make but absolutely stunning, this ham has it all: Great looks and great taste.
The Biltmore House’s Tawny Baked Ham
Here’s a perfect salad/side that just screams Summer! Maybe that’s why Chef Joe Kindred (Kindred’s Restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina – yep, the same restaurant responsible for Kindred’s Milk Bread) named the original recipe “Summer Bean Salad.”
Summer Bean Salad
It might have been the name that drew me in. The Original Cheese Zombie Sandwiches. It was the wholehearted endorsement of those who had grown up on The Original Cheese Zombie Sandwiches that hooked me. A Cheese Zombie is a sheet tray of home-made bread layered with an oozy, gooey American cheese and Cheese Zombies are sooo much better than they sound.
The last time I made Original Cheese Zombie Sandwiches, I made 1/3 plain cheese, 1/3 with pickled Jalapenos and 1/3 with ham. The possibilities are endless.
I love me some Risotto – how ’bout you? It amazes me how you can take a simple ingredient like rice, add a glug of wine & a few gratings of cheese (plus a bit of this and that) and turn it into a gourmet meal – no make that a gourmet experience – because you get to drink the rest of the wine! Plus plus!
Ham & Parmesan Risotto
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned Not Your Father’s Root Beer on my blog before – see my Dad and I are pretty wild about it and split one every now and then. So when Dad said he’d like a ham, I immediately (and selflessly, I might add) sacrificed a bottle. Of his, of course, lol! (Fyi: plain old root beer will work in this recipe, too.)
Not Your Fathers Root Beer & Bourbon Glazed Ham
Here’s a super simple little breakfast casserole that is perfect even for the pickiest of eaters. Delicious just as is, full of cheese & Sausage or Ham, I often like to tinker!
Cheese & Sausage Egg Bake
“No, ga-hrose! Ham Balls?” Yeah, my sister didn’t hold back when I told her I made them. Too bad she’s so far away coz I know I could convert her with these little lovelies. They’re the real, deal Iowa Ham Balls, heritage style. No soup or ketchup.
Iowa Ham Balls with Sweet/Sour Glaze
I love quaint, old expressions and this year with all the our hot, hot days I kept thinking about “Dog days of summer.” Now, being a dog lover, I always thought that meant the hot August days where it was all a dog could do but find a bit of shade and pant and try to stay cool.
Classic Ham Salad
Have I ever told you how much I love soup? Take a look at my Soup Menu and it will give you an idea! So when I find an outstanding new soup, you bet I’m going to share it with you. Here it is, my sister’s Ham & Potato Chowder. It’s a bowl of comfort, perfect for a winter day!
My Sister’s Ham & Potato Soup/Chowder
Talk about good down-home plain cooking, I make black eyed peas from time to time, and with New Year’s coming up (and a bag of peas I’ve been meaning to use up) now is the time~!
Traditional Black Eyed Peas
The Cuban sandwich – such a classic and so American, from what I understand! And like many classics, the Cubano Cuban Sandwich sparks heated debate. There are those who say the bread makes the sandwich and it’s impossible to have a great one outside of Miami – I disagree. I think you will, too, after your first bite of this one!
Cubano Sandwich
I think it’s the citrusy, garlicky pork shoulder and good, sweet ham (you’ll need a cut 1/4 inch thick or so, a slab, not shaved lunch meat) that really makes the sandwich. If you don’t have ham in the house, ask your deli to special cut it for you.
If you’re a purist and don’t have a Cuban bakery nearby, you can make your own bread. I’ve had pretty good luck using two types of bread, the little soft deli buns from Aldi (yes, I know! But it’s true!) or soft (not a hard, French baguette, but the “Italian”) grocery store baguette. Around here, they’re packaged up in the bakery department. Three Guys from Miami suggest stopping by a Jimmy John’s and picking up a loaf of their bread.*
Cubano Sandwich
Three Guys from Miami (I love these guys and they inspired my Lechon Asado, the pork shoulder roast these sandwiches were made from) state that an authentic Cubano doesn’t have mustard or mayo, tomato or lettuce. My preference is for a little mustard, probably because the first Cubano I ever had did have mustard. No fancy mustard, just the yellow ballpark kind. That’s the great thing about making your own, though! No “rules!” Make it how you want it.
If you want to make an evening of it, invite friends over, fire up your Netflix and watch “Chef.” I mentioned this movie on my post for Individual Molten Lava Cakes, but it was all the Cubano sandwiches made in the movie that really made my mouth water! Before you click, be prepared for some “bad” language. Be prepared, too, to want a Cubano and to dance around the kitchen as you make it!
While I wouldn’t discourage anyone from making a similar sandwich with any left over Pork Roast or Pulled or Shredded Pork, I would highly encourage you to take a little time, plan ahead and lovingly marinade and braise a pork shoulder for Lechon Asado. Then set aside some of it for this sandwich. They’re just insanely good!
If you want to, sneak a little of the oniony sauce from the roast into the sandwich, but not too much or it will be “slippery”. If you’d like to go wild, a touch of my Sweet Pineapple Mango Habanero Hot Sauce is great, or set some out for those who like to “dip.”
I can’t think of a better side than either my Bomb Baked Potato Wedges or my crispy Stupid Simple Sweet Potato Fries. Maybe a little Creamy Cole-Slaw. Perhaps a Vinegar Based one? Unless of course, you have access to plantains…
Cubano Cuban Sandwich
To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, pickles, cheese, ham, pork then cheese again. Optional: drizzle a little of the sauce from the roast over the meat.
Although not strictly necessary, lightly steaming the ham and pork before assembling makes a great juicy sandwich, hot all the way through. Simple heat up your pan, place the meats in and toss in about two tablespoons of water. Lid and let cook until the water has evaporated and meats are hot and tender.
Cuban Sandwiches are not always “pressed” and can be served as is or griddled like a grilled cheese sandwich. If you’d like to press this sandwich, there are several ways, below.
Pressing:
from the kitchen of www.frugalhausfrau.com
* Bread:
Jimmy John’s will sell a loaf of day old bread for 50 cents if they have it, or a fresh loaf for $1.00. I have on occasion stopped by Bruegger’s Bakery when I’m nearby and it’s late in the day – and picked up bagels half priced. You’ll be surprised at how many places discount items, usually unadvertised, if you take the time to look around or are brave enough to ask.
Ha – I got your attention with that “naked” huh? 🙂 This is a dish I’ve been running into here and there. All the marvelous flavor of Chicken Cordon Bleu, none of the hassle. Here’s mine: Chicken, Ham, a Swiss Mornay, a touch of Sherry and the most marvelous Herbed Bread Crumbs. My only regret? Not making this sooner.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Deconstructed, piping hot from the oven.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Today’s Black Friday here in the US, a day when stores heavily discount prices in their attempt to kick off the shopping season for the Christmas holiday. Of course, many of us work, many of us shop, but many of us skip it all and enjoy time with their family!
Best chicken or turkey stock
Cuban Black Bean soup is simply one of the most wonderful meals – the soft, flavorful beans, the smoky ham, the rich broth, the indescribable warmth of the cumin.
Most Soups Freeze like a Dream. including this Cuban Black Bean Soup
This lentil soup is flavored subtly with cinnamon, bay and thyme. I almost didn’t try it except for I was in a bit of a mood for something different – and I’m so glad I did.
Lentil & Ham Soup
Buried in my Grandmother’s recipe box on an old scrap of paper was a true treasure, my Grandmother’s Old Fashioned Ham Loaf. I can still taste it, the top brown and crusty and the inside moist, fragrant and flavorful, almost exotic with its little touch of allspice and clove.
Old Fashioned Ham Loaf