I love this spicy, southwestern-inspired sandwich!  The toasted onion rolls are a creative foundation for the sandwich, while the chipotle mayonnaise adds heat and tons of flavor. I slathered a little chipotle mayo on the cut side of each bun half and used only 2 slices of cheese per sandwich, one on the bottom bun and one on the top bun. I had one sandwich leftover that I refrigerated and ate cold the next day…it was just as delicious as the hot version (just without the crunchy texture). I used my electric panini press to grill the sandwiches, but the recipe has instructions on how to cook them in a frying pan, too. Serve with a big salad or cut veggies.

Roast Beef and Two-Chile Grilled Cheese on Onion Rolls
-recipe from Sunset Magazine, July 2009

We love how spicy this sandwich is, but if you prefer less heat, cut back on the chipotle mayo and the green chiles.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chiles (about 4 small chiles)
4 onion rolls
About 2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 pound pepper jack cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
4 canned mild green chiles, seeded, split, and dried with paper towels

Stir together mayonnaise and chipotles and set aside.

Preheat a panini press* to 350° (medium heat). Brush the outsides of rolls with oil. Split rolls. Spread bottom halves with 1 1/2 tsp. chipotle mayo each, then top each with 2 slices cheese; 2 or 3 slices roast beef; 1 chile, opened up flat; and 2 more slices cheese.

Spread top halves of rolls with 1 1/2 tsp. chipotle mayo each and place on tops of sandwiches. Grill sandwiches 2 at a time until crisp and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches. Let sandwiches cool slightly, then slice with a serrated knife and serve.

*If you don’t have a panini press, use two pans to achieve the same effect: Cook your sandwiches in a frying pan or cast iron skillet and weight them with a heated cast iron skillet.

Tags: chipotle mayonnaise, green chiles, onion rolls, panini, pepperjack cheese, roast beef, sandwich

It only takes a little extra effort to turn a sandwich from boring to great. Such is the case with these turkey wraps. A simple chipotle mayonnaise is a cinch to make and is flavored with lime, cilantro, and you guessed it, chipotle peppers. The chipotle adds a wonderful slightly smokey flavor and just a bit of heat to the sandwich. 

I added a small clove of garlic to the mayo and used my food processor to blend all the mayonnaise ingredients together instead of just stirring them in a bowl. Also, I added some crumbled queso fresco cheese, seeded/chopped tomatoes and sliced avocado to each wrap. Instead of romaine lettuce, I used a bagged salad blend that had romaine, iceberg and red cabbage (for added color and crunch). Regular deli turkey would be good, too, if you can’t find smoked turkey.

Turkey Wraps with Chipotle Mayonnaise
-recipe from epicurious.com 

Look for canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin American foods section of the market. Serve the wraps with purchased salsa and an avocado, grapefruit and red onion salad with oil and vinegar dressing. Complete the menu with chocolate wafer cookies and coffee ice cream.

Makes 2 servings; can be doubled

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas (plain or flavored)
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey
2 romaine lettuce leaves, center rib cut away

Combine mayonnaise, cilantro, green onion, chipotle chilies and lime juice in small bowl; stir to blend. Season chipotle mayonnaise with salt. Arrange tortillas on work surface. Spread each with half of mayonnaise; top with turkey and lettuce. Roll up tortillas tightly, enclosing filling. Cut each wrap in half.

Tags: chipotle mayonnaise, sandwich, turkey, wraps