For many of you the weather has become quite cold and snowy, winter has definitely set in. Those of us in Hawaii are lucky enough to have good weather although our temperatures have dropped to the high 50s to low 60s; and for us that’s pretty cold!
Well in our house cooler weather means it’s time to bring out the comfort food. And what is more comforting than good old Grilled Cheese Sandwiches?
The gooey goodness of melted cheese oozing from two slices of perfectly grilled bread brings back memories of childhood winters. That first crunchy bite can transport you back to the years when you stepped into Mom’s kitchen after a hard fought snowball fight with the neighbors to find hot soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.
Well in Hawaii we don’t have snowball fights or any other winter activities, but we can have cool damp days that call for grilled cheese sandwiches. At our house we love to pair grilled cheese sandwiches with creamy tomato soup. It’s a perfect combination!
Most folks make grilled cheese sandwiches by slapping a slice of cheese between two pieces of bread and frying it in butter; others use a grilled cheese maker, an electrical small appliance that looks like a waffle iron, it grills both sides of the sandwich once you close the lid. Simple and basic right?
But really grilled cheese sandwiches have gone gourmet. There are cafes dedicated to this once simple sandwich. They’ve added everything from breakfast meats, eggs, and assorted veggies to create the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
I haven’t gone that far, but I do make mean grilled cheese sandwiches, my grandkids love them, specially paired with my creamy tomato soup!
Here are my secrets to my Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Creamy Tomato Soup! Both super easy and super yummy!
Try it for lunch or dinner on a snowy day. Your family will love them!
Creamy Tomato Soup
1 Can Campbell’s Tomato Soup
1 Can Half & Half
Combine both ingredients together in a medium sauce pan and heat. You must stir the mixture as it heats to make sure the Half & Half is well blended into the soup. Serve hot.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 slices of Texas Toast per sandwich – you can use frozen or fresh. If using frozen toast thaw it out first. Texas toast is buttered on both sides.
Deli Cut Ham or Turkey slices
1-2 slices American Cheese per sandwich
Directions:
Place 2 slices of Texas Toast in a skillet and cook for about 30 seconds.
Flip 1 slice of toast over and place cheese and meat on top.
Place second slice of toast on top of filling, cooked side down.
Cook for about a minute or until the bread is brown.
Flip sandwich over and cook the other side until it is brown.
Serve right away.
You can make your own Texas Toast with slices of french bread. Mix softened butter with minced garlic and finely chopped parsley. Spread butter mixture on both sides of the slices.
I love cheeseburgers! It’s one of my all time favorite foods and I am always in search of the best burger joints.
Lately “gourmet burgers” seem to be all the rage. Lots of new burger joints are popping up around the country each one with their own specialty burger like Cajun Burgers, Hawaiian Burgers, Avocado Burgers, and so on. And of course these gourmet burgers come in all different sizes from 6 to 8 ounces and more. Then there’s the “make your own” burger where you’re invited to order your burger with everything from an assortment of cheeses and sauces to toppings of bacon, pineapple, avocados, and more.
That’s all good and well, but what happened to the simple good old fashioned Cheeseburger? That perfectly grilled beef patty, reasonably sized of course, topped with good old American cheese, on a toasted hamburger bun possible topped with lettuce and tomato. Sometimes I crave just that, a simple cheeseburger. Honestly most of the time I end up making my own patties and grilling them in the backyard.
But sometimes I don’t want to fire up the grill and at times I can’t eat a full size burger. That’s why I decided to make these sliders. These Cheeseburger Sliders are so easy to make, the kids can do it with some supervision of course.
They’re great for dinner, as an appetizer, or as a snack. You can even freeze them or store leftovers in the fridge, just pop them in the microwave and they’re good to go. They would make a great addition to a tasting party too, they’re sized just right!
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 Package King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls
6 Slices American Cheese
1/4 Cup Butter, Melted
1 Tsp. Sesame Seeds
Directions:
Carefully remove the rolls from the package without separating them.
Cut the sheet of rolls horizontally in half.
Place the bottom half in a baking sheet.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Cook the ground beef with the spices in a skillet until crumbly.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Spread ground beef evenly on top of the rolls.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Place the cheese slices over the ground beef.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Place the top of the rolls over the cheese.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Mix the sesame seeds with the melted butter and brush on top of the rolls.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and slice along the roll seams. Serve hot with ketchup for dipping.
If you want to freeze them or refrigerate leftovers place them in freezer safe containers. Microwave frozen sliders for 4-5 minutes. Microwave refrigerated sliders for 2 minutes.
Carefully remove the rolls from the package without separating them.
Cut the sheet of rolls horizontally in half.
Place the bottom half in a baking sheet.
Cook the ground beef with the spices in a skillet until crumbly.
Spread ground beef evenly on top of the rolls.
Place the cheese slices over the ground beef.
Place the top of the rolls over the cheese.
Mix the sesame seeds with the melted butter and brush on top of the rolls.
Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and slice along the roll seams. Serve hot with ketchup for dipping.
Recipe Notes
If you want to freeze them or refrigerate leftovers place them in freezer safe containers. Microwave frozen sliders for 4-5 minutes. Microwave refrigerated sliders for 2 minutes.
Who says eggs are just for breakfast? Not me! I sometimes make breakfast foods for dinner, it makes a nice change. These Breakfast Hash Stacks are just the thing!
I’ve been this dish for dinner forever. My kids loved it. Recently I’ve really been into brunch buffets and thought this would be a great addition.
I usually make a pan of these Breakfast Hash Stacks ahead of time, like in the morning if I’m having them for dinner, or even the night before if I’m serving them for breakfast (if you’re going to do this add the eggs in the morning). I store the pan covered in the fridge and pop it in the oven about a half and hour before serving. Just remember oven time will be a bit longer if the stacks are cold.
It would make a tasty addition to an Easter Breakfast or Mother’s Day Brunch this year!
Ingredients:
1 can Corned Beef Hash
8 Pcs. Frozen Hash Brown Patties
8 Eggs fried over medium or hard
8 slices American Cheese
1 can Tomato Sauce
Oil for frying
Directions:
Heat 2 Tbls. Oil in pan.
Fry Hash browns until crispy. About 6 minutes per side.
Remove from pan, drain on paper towel, place on bottom of 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.
Open top and bottom of the can of corned beef hash and slide it out gently
Slice hash into 8 rounds
Heat 1 Tbls. Oil in pan
Fry hash rounds until done. About 8 minutes per side.
Remove from pan, place a round on top of each hash brown patty, place 1 slice of cheese on top of each stack, and set aside.
Fry eggs to desired doneness.
Place an egg on top of each stack.
Drop a large dollop of tomato sauce on top of each egg.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until cheese melts.
Fry Hash browns until crispy. About 6 minutes per side.
Remove from pan, drain on paper towel, place on bottom of 9x13 baking pan. Set aside.
Open top and bottom of the can of corned beef hash and slide it out gently
Slice hash into 8 rounds
Heat 1 Tbls. Oil in pan
Fry hash rounds until done. About 8 minutes per side.
Remove from pan, place a round on top of each hash brown patty.
Place 1 slice of cheese on top of each stack, and set aside.
Fry eggs to desired doneness.
Place an egg on top of each stack.
Drop a large dollop of tomato sauce on top of each egg.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until cheese melts.
Recipe Notes
You can make a pan of these Breakfast Hash Stacks ahead of time. If you're going to make it ahead of time add the eggs shortly before baking. Store the pan covered in the fridge and pop it in the oven about a half and hour before serving. Oven time will be a bit longer if the stacks are cold.
My grandsons love spaghetti. They will eat it every day if they could.
I’m sure everyone has their own favorite spaghetti recipe using different types of meats and sauces. In our family we enjoy spaghetti with meat balls, meat sauce, or as a casserole.
The casserole version is very easy to prepare, it uses sauce from a jar. It can be made ahead of time and frozen, just pop it in the oven whenever you want to serve it.
I’ve been making Spaghetti Casserole for years. It’s not as “saucy” as regular spaghetti with meat sauce, but it’s still yummy! I add a bottle of Chili Sauce to give it a unique taste, the only problem I’ve had is the bottle of Chili Sauce looks so much like Cocktail Sauce which is usually placed on the same shelf next to it. Many a time I’ve come home with a bottle of Cocktail Sauce instead, meaning an extra run to the market for the right sauce and some shrimp!
Here’s the recipe. Served with a small salad it makes a great dinner when you’re pressed for time.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. spaghetti
1 bottle Pasta Sauce
1 bottle Chili Sauce
1 tbl. minced garlic
1 tbl. cooking oil
6 slices American cheese
Cooking spray
Directions:
1. Prepare spaghetti as directed on package. Drain hot water and replace with cold water to keep pasta from sticking together. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large deep frying pan. Add garlic and sautee until it turns golden brown.
3. Add ground beef. Cook until meat is browned and crumbly. Drain oil.
4. Add pasta and chili sauce. Stir well and simmer until sauce starts to bubble.
5. Remove sauce from heat and stir in drained pasta.
6. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and pour pasta mixture into the pan.
But really grilled cheese sandwiches have gone gourmet. There are cafes dedicated to this once simple sandwich. They’ve added everything from breakfast meats, eggs, and assorted veggies to create the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
I love cheeseburgers! It’s one of my all time favorite foods and I am always in search of the best burger joints.
Place the bottom half in a baking sheet.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Cook the ground beef with the spices in a skillet until crumbly.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Spread ground beef evenly on top of the rolls.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Place the cheese slices over the ground beef.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Place the top of the rolls over the cheese.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Mix the sesame seeds with the melted butter and brush on top of the rolls.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
Who says eggs are just for breakfast? Not me! I sometimes make breakfast foods for dinner, it makes a nice change. These Breakfast Hash Stacks are just the thing!
1 can Corned Beef Hash
Fry Hash browns until crispy. About 6 minutes per side.
Open top and bottom of the can of corned beef hash and slide it out gently
Slice hash into 8 rounds
Fry hash rounds until done. About 8 minutes per side.
