Open-Faced Ham Sandwich

 

I don't know where this recipe came from, but it goes way back, probably before some of you were born, as I first remember my mother making these for me in the seventies during my early high school days. We had split sessions, which meant I went to school from 6:00 in the morning until noon. This also meant that I'd be walking to the bus stop, in the dark, at around 5:30AM.  When I got home, exhausted and hungry, I could always look forward to mom having lunch ready for me. If she happened to be gone, that was no problem as she'd make up a bunch of these yummy sandwiches, wrap half of them in foil, place them into a large Ziploc freezer bag (yep, we had freezer bags back then), and pop them into the freezer.  If I wanted a hot sandwich all I had to do was unwrap one, remove the foil, place it into the toaster oven at 350ºF for about 15 minutes, and I'd have a tasty hot sandwich with no effort. I loved them then, and I still love them now.

 There's really nothing to putting them together.  You may just have everything you need on hand right now.  These make for a great winter lunch, a light supper with a cup of soup or small salad, or a welcome addition to your Super Bowl buffet.

 The filling keeps for up to a week in the fridge, so if you only want to make up a couple at a time as I did today, that's no problem either.

Separate two halves of an English muffin and place on a foil-lined tray.

 

Slide into the broiler and bake until cheese melts and tops are brown.

Spread a generous amount of cream cheese filling (recipe below) on each.  DO NOT SKIMP.  The filling is where most of the flavor comes from.

 

Top each with cooked, baked, or deli ham. (This is Virginia Baked Ham from the deli).

 

 

Top the ham with a thick tomato slice, and another dollop of the cream cheese filling.  Sprinkle with dried parsley, if desired.

 

 

 

ENJOY!

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Open-Face Ham Sandwiches

 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

½ c. butter, softened

½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 t. paprika

½ t. dried oregano

½ t. garlic powder

4 English muffins (I use Bay’s)

8 slices (¾ lb.) deli ham

8 slices tomato

 In a medium metal mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Stir in cheese, paprika, oregano, and garlic powder.  Spread two thirds of the mixture evenly over the eight muffin halves.  Top each with ham slice and tomato slice.  Spoon remaining cheese mixture onto the center of each tomato slice.  Place on baking sheet and broil until golden brown.

 Serves 8

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Portobello Onion Dip

 

I am a big fan of portobello mushrooms, and, as a consequence, I’m always trying to find new ways in which to use them. Last month you saw my Portobello Mushroom Broth as well as my creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup. This month, I’m offering up a wonderful appetizer, snack, or starter in this portobello mushroom dip. It is complex and sophisticated, but easy to make, and because it gets better with age, it is definitely make ahead. Serve with chips, crackers, or crudités, just try not to eat it with a spoon, because once you start, there’s no stopping. It is that good.

Portobello Onion Dip

1 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

2 lg. Melissa’s portobello mushrooms, minced

½ large Melissa’s sweet onion, minced

½ t. Melissa’s minced garlic

¼ t. kosher salt

A sprig of Melissa’s fresh thyme*

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. sour cream

1½ T. dry onion dip mix

Freshly ground black pepper

 Melt oil and butter together in a 10” skillet over medium heat. Add the minced mushrooms and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until the water has been released. Stir in garlic, salt, and thyme. Continue cooking until the mixture has reduced and the water has evaporated. Set aside to cool. Discard the thyme sprig.

 In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and sour cream until well blended. Stir in the mushroom mixture, onion soup mix, and a few gratings of freshly ground black pepper.

 Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours, or more ideally overnight. Serve with chips, crackers, or crudités.

 *¼ t. dried thyme leaves can be substituted for fresh

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip Party Squares

 

I love “party food.” That’s how my family refers to a meal that consists of starters and appetizers. Back in the day, my aunt used to host Christmas Eve dinner. The whole family would go to church for the 5:30 Christmas Eve service, and then head to my aunt’s for dinner and gifts. Sometimes she would bake a ham, but the most memorable times she served party food, and her party food was legendary.

 

Invariably the buffet would start with a meat tray (remember those?) from a local deli that was always a huge hit. Then there were the meatballs in gravy that were served with those little tiny buns, crab puffs, mini pigs in blankets, mini ravioli, spinach squares, and a green salad to be virtuous. Don't get me started on her phenomenal cookie trays! It was an incredible spread. When I saw this recipe, I thought of those Christmas Eve gatherings, and had to make them. They are really delicious, and the nice thing about them is that they are equally tasty whether they are served hot, warm, room temperature, or even cold directly from the fridge.Spinach and Artichoke Dip Party Squares

Adapted from thekitchenismyplayground.com

 2 packages crescent rolls

 1 (1.4 oz.) envelope Knorr Vegetable Soup & Recipe Mix

½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

½ c. sour cream

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, finely chopped

  1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 357°F.

In a mixing bowl combine soup mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream; set aside for soup mix to soften while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Unroll crescent rolls and fit into a lightly greased jelly roll pan or rimmed cookie sheet; press seams together to form a crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very light golden brown. 

Add garlic, spinach, artichokes, water chestnuts, and Monterey Jack cheese to soup mixture. Stir well to combine.

Spread soup mixture over partially-baked crust. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the top. Grate pepper over all. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until heated through.

Cut into squares and serve.

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Dirty Martini Dip

 

About a year ago, I found a dirty martini dip in one of the markets that I frequent (honestly, I can’t remember which one). I really enjoyed it, and have been thinking about that dip ever since, which probably gives you some indication as to my obsession with food (not that you’d fail to notice my hips, but I digress).

This morning I was playing with my new Sheldon and Amy “Fun with Flags”-style white board and came up with a recipe that is really delicious. Having seen a number of recipes online, I noticed (and was shocked by the fact) that none of them contained gin. Honestly, how can you have a dirty martini ANYTHING without gin?! Here’s the result of my experimentation. You can add more gin if you want a stronger taste, just cut back a bit on the sour cream so that it’s not too runny. It is so good as a dip, but I have to tell you that I used it on a ham sandwich, and I am in love! I spread it on a piece of bread before topping it with wafer thin slices of ham. So good! Give it a try. You will soon become as addicted as I am.

Dirty Martini Dip 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¾ c. sour cream
4 oz. blue cheese crumbles
¾ c. chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
1 T. gin
¼ t. onion powder
¼ t. garlic powder

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl, and beat together with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Serve with crudities, crackers, bagel, chips, your choice. In addition to being a tasty dip, it makes an excellent sandwich spread.

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