If you’re hankering for a tasty new sandwich then you must try this recipe. Don’t let the sweet onion marmalade scare you away because it’s an easy-to-make, sweet and savory condiment that is really delicious. Also, the marmalade can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use (it keeps for 2 weeks). For best results, rewarm the refrigerated marmalade a bit before making the sandwiches.  

I used black sourdough rye bread from Trader Joe’s as the foundation for the sandwiches. I suggest using a generous amount of the whole-grain mustard to balance out the sweetness of the onion marmalade. I used sliced Swiss cheese instead of grated (although grated will melt faster). Husband gave this recipe two thumbs up. In fact, he inhaled two whole sandwiches in one sitting. I’d say that’s a seal of approval!

Grilled Pastrami, Swiss, and Sweet Onion Marmalade on Rye
-recipe from Sunset Magazine, July 2009

Make the marmalade ahead so you can whip these babies out in just a few minutes. Leftover marmalade is terrific on pork chops and roast beef.

Onion Marmalade
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry but fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel or Grenache

Sandwiches
4 slices extra-sour rye or caraway rye bread
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
4 thin slices pastrami, uncured if available
4 ounces coarsely shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Make marmalade: Melt butter with oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and browned, about 20 minutes. Add vinegar and wine. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and onions are soft and sticky, about 10 minutes. Let marmalade cool slightly.

Make sandwiches: Evenly spread one side of each bread slice with 1/2 tbsp. butter. Spread unbuttered side of 2 slices with 1 1/2 tbsp. marmalade each, then top with pastrami and cheese. Spread mustard on unbuttered side of remaining 2 bread slices and place each, buttered side up, on pastrami- and cheese-topped slices.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes total.

Make ahead: Marmalade keeps up to 2 weeks, covered and chilled.

Tags: pastrami, rye bread, sandwich, sweet onion marmalade, swiss cheese

Here’s a hearty sandwich that is quick, easy and way more exciting than your typical ol’ turkey sandwich: pesto slathered on a sandwich roll layered with turkey, a slightly spicy tomato sauce and smoked cheese. Mmmm! It’s amazing how a few extra ingredients really jazzes things up!

The store I went to today didn’t have smoked mozzarella so I bought some sliced smoked gouda and some sliced provolone to try instead. I made the sandwiches with both cheeses—a few with the smoked gouda and a few with the provolone. The smoked gouda didn’t melt very well but it tasted good in the sandwich. The provolone (in photo) melted fine and made for a much more attractive sandwich. Next time I’ll hunt down the smoked mozzarella and try the sandwiches again.

Draining the tomatoes well before cooking them in the sauce will cut down on the cooking time. The tomato “sauce” needs to be dry chunks of tomatoes (not soupy) so that your sandwich doesn’t get soggy.  My first sandwich fell apart because the sauce was too saucy. I then cooked the remaining tomato sauce longer until the liquid was cooked off. Other than that, the sandwich is very straight forward. I served the sandwiches with salt & pepper thick-cut potato chips.

Toasted Turkey Subs with Smoked Mozzarella
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

Store-bought pesto and a quick fresh tomato sauce enliven deli turkey in these Italian dinner sandwiches. But we also envision these substantial sandwiches as perfect game-day fare. Fresh mozzarella can be substituted for the smoked mozzarella. Line your baking sheet with foil before baking the sandwiches—you’ll save yourself the hassle

Serves 4.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  
6 garlic cloves, minced 
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes  
2 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes  
2/3 cup basil pesto  
 Table salt and ground black pepper  
4 (6-inch) sub rolls  
1 1/2 pounds deli turkey , thinly sliced 
12 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese , sliced into thin rounds 

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is dry, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons pesto and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread remaining pesto on insides of each roll and layer each roll with turkey, tomato mixture, and sliced cheese. Place sandwiches on baking sheet, with open sides facing up. Bake until edges of bread are golden and cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Tags: pesto, sandwich, smoked mozzarella, subs, turkey

Oh my, these are good sandwiches! Basically, Spiedies (pronounced speedies) are marinated and grilled chicken served in a sandwich roll with a drizzle of lemony-garlicky sauce. Now I know they don’t look like much but they are really delicious and a cinch to make! The chicken is flavorful but it’s the sauce that makes the sandwich. Toasting the inside of each sandwich roll on the grill adds flavor to the roll and a crunchy texture to the sandwich. Yumm!

Chicken Spiedies
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

These grilled sandwiches are upstate New York’s best-kept secret. To help the marinade flavors penetrate the chicken, we pricked the raw meat all over with a fork before marinating. We next cut the chicken into small cubes to expose more surface area to the marinade. Adding lemon zest to the marinade boosted flavor. A bit of mayonnaise whisked into the dressing gave it body and helped it cling to the chicken. You will need six 12-inch metal skewers here. To prevent sticking, preheat the grill, covered, for 15 minutes (5 minutes if using charcoal) and scrape and oil the cooking grates before grilling.

Serves 6.

1/2 cup olive oil  
2 garlic cloves , minced 
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil  
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano  
2 teaspoons grated zest  plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon 
1 teaspoon salt  
1/2 teaspoon pepper  
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes  
3 tablespoons mayonnaise  
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar  
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  (about 1 1/2 pounds) 
6 (6-inch) sub rolls , slit partially open lengthwise 

MAKE SAUCES: Combine oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes in large bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons oil mixture to separate bowl and whisk in mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice; refrigerate. (Sauces can be refrigerated, covered, for 2 days.)

PREP CHICKEN: Following photos 1 to 3, prick chicken breasts all over with fork, cut into 1¼-inch chunks, and transfer to bowl with remaining oil mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

GRILL CHICKEN: Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto six 12-inch metal skewers. Grill chicken over hot fire, covered and turning frequently, until lightly charred and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to sub rolls or bread, remove skewers, and drizzle with mayonnaise mixture. Serve.

Tags: Chicken, Grilling/BBQ, sandwich, spiedies

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

I made this panini for lunch recently. Basically, a panini is just a glorified grilled cheese sandwich filled with any combination of cheeses, meats, and/or vegetables…crunchy on the outside, oozing with melted cheese on the inside. Yumm! Paninis are usually made with a panini press (electric or stove-top) but I say you can still make these delicious sandwiches without the fancy cookware just as you would a regular grilled cheese. Just cook the sandwich in a pan on both sides until golden.

I love the combination of flavors in this particular sandwich: creamy, nutty-flavored fontina with peppery salami and roasted red peppers. DELICIOUS!  I used pre-sliced sourdough bread because thicker sliced artisan bread can rip your mouth to shreds if served on a grilled sandwich. I also used regular olive oil instead of making the rosemary oil. I’m sure it’s good but I didn’t take the time to make it (too hungry). I also didn’t measure out the ingredients (1 ounce of this or that). Instead, I  just put the amount on each sandwich that looked right to me — enough cheese to cover the bread, a few slices of salami, 3-4 strips of red pepper, a drizzle of olive oil here and there, some freshly ground pepper, etc. If you can’t find fontina, I think provolone cheese would be an acceptable substitute. Serve with mixed greens and you’ve got an easy meal in minutes.

Salami, Fontina and Roasted Bell Pepper Panini
-recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Makes 1 sandwich.

There are countless combinations of delicious fillings for panini. For a vegetarian version, try grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella cheese and arugula.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Leaves of 1 rosemary sprig
2 slices sourdough bread, each 1/2 inch thick
1 oz. thinly sliced Tuscan salami
1 oz. sliced fontina cheese
1/4 cup sliced roasted red bell peppers

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the rosemary and fry until just fragrant, about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Preheat an electric panini maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Brush one side of each bread slice lightly with the rosemary oil. Lay a bread slice, oiled side down, and arrange the salami and cheese on the bread. Add the bell peppers and top with the other bread slice, oiled side up.

Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the sandwich is hot throughout, golden and crispy.

Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and cut in half. Serve immediately.

Tags: cheese, fontina, panini, Quick Cooking, roasted red peppers, salami, sandwich

Curried chicken salad is simple to make and packs a ton of flavor in every bite. This recipe calls for “commercial chutney” which is pretty vague. I always use a Major Grey’s chutney, a  type of mango chutney (not a brand) that is slightly sweet and spicy. You should be able to find it at most major grocery stores.  Trader Joe’s  has a Mango Ginger Chutney that works great, too.

For the chicken mixture, I always add a few tablespoons of finely chopped red onion (or scallions) and substitute roasted cashews for the walnuts. If the chutney already has raisens in it then I usually don’t add any more because I don’t want it to be too sweet. Serving the curried chicken salad on halved croissants makes the sandwich a bit fancier, but your favorite bread or pita bread works great, too. If using pita bread, soften it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to lessen the chance of it breaking apart when you fill it with the salad. Or, skip the bread all together and serve it with mixed greens.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Recipe from  foodnetwork.com

Makes 4 servings 

Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup commercial chutney
3 tablespoons mild curry powder

Sandwich:
6 bone-in chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark raisins
3/4 cups finely chopped celery
4 croissants

To make the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise with the chutney and the curry powder in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

To prepare the sandwiches: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then put them in a large skillet. Add water to cover. Put a lid on the skillet and simmer the chicken until it is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When the chicken is chilled remove the skin and cut the meat from the bones. Dice the meat and place it in a large bowl. Add the walnuts, raisins, and celery and mix well. Moisten the salad with the curry dressing. Cut the croissants in half. Fill each with chicken salad and serve.

Tags: Chicken, chicken salad, curry, sandwich

I make fried egg sandwiches all the time for my family. It’s a great protein-loaded breakfast (or snack) and can be eaten on the go. It’s really not a dish that needs a recipe but I’ve included one with handy tips on making 4 breakfast sandwiches at a time.

I’m not a fan of American cheese so I always use thin slices of cheddar (or sometimes jalapeno jack), and I like Canadian bacon because it’s lower in fat and can be quickly heated in a few seconds in the microwave. When microwaving Canadian bacon, cover it with a paper towel and check it at 15-20 second intervals (the bacon explodes quickly). When frying the eggs, I always break the yolks so that they’re hard cooked…nobody wants to take a bite of a breakfast sandwich and have soft yolk squirt out all over them (I’ve tried it and it’s messy).

Fried Egg Sandwich
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

English muffins are our favorite choice for fried egg sandwiches, but toasted bagels, biscuits, or even plain toast work fine, too. And improvise with the cheese as well: Any type of semi-soft melting cheese can be used in place of the American. If the bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon is very salty, omit the salt in step 3.

Serves 4

4 English muffins , split in half
8 slices bacon , 4 sausage patties, or 4 slices Canadian bacon (optional)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Table salt and ground black pepper
4 slices American cheese

Adjust one oven rack to the middle position and a second rack 6 inches from the broiler element. Heat the broiler. Arrange the English muffins on a baking sheet, split-side up, and toast under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Set the oven to 200 degrees and move the muffins to the middle rack to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon or sausage (if using) in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until well browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven.

Wipe the skillet clean and return it to the lowest possible heat. (If the bacon or sausage has been omitted, heat the pan for 5 minutes on the lowest possible heat before continuing.) Meanwhile, crack the eggs into two small bowls (2 eggs in each bowl). Add the butter to the hot skillet and melt, swirling to coat the pan. Add the eggs to the pan simultaneously so that all four eggs will be done at the same time. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper, cover, and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Check the eggs and, if necessary, continue to cook, covered, until the eggs have cooked through as desired, up to 3 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly assemble the sandwiches by layering the fried eggs, cheese, and bacon between the toasted muffin halves.

Tips for making a Fried Egg Sandwich:
Some recipes are so simple that they don’t seem to need a recipe. The fried egg sandwich is a case in point. Isn’t it just a fried egg and breakfast meat sandwiched between pieces of toast? Yes and no–a lot can go wrong with those simple components. We wanted to make the perfect fried egg sandwich. Here’s what we discovered:

- Cook the meat–be it bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon–before cooking the eggs. The meat can be kept warm more easily than the eggs.
- To fry the eggs, use a nonstick skillet and preheat it for five minutes over low heat so that it is evenly heated.
Crack the eggs into two bowls and then slide the eggs into the pan simultaneously. With this method, there’s little risk of the yolks cracking and the eggs will cook evenly and be done at the same time.
- Toast English muffins (our preference, although you can use bread, biscuits, or bagels) under the broiler so that they can all be cooked–and ready–at the same time.
- Keep the English muffins and meat warm in the oven while the eggs cook to ensure that the sandwich is warm through and through.

Tags: Breakfast, canadian bacon, Eggs, english muffin, sandwich