Sunday Sandwiches

Sunday Sandwiches are a GREAT way to celebrate your favorite sport or just provide an easy dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Bacon Jack Chicken Sandwich
per sandwich:
2 slices of bacon, browned and drained
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 bun sliced (any variety of bun is fine - use your favorite)
1 slice pepper jack cheese
1 slice tomato
lettuce leaves
dill pickle slices

Rub chicken with poultry seasoning, grill six minutes per side (or until no longer pink in the center), top with bacon and cheese, return to grill until cheese melts. Serve on a bun with toppings and your favorite condiments...I like just mayonnaise, you can use whatever you wish.

Classic Ruben Sandwich
makes 4 sandwiches
8 slices pumpernickel bread
1/2 cup Russian dressing
4 Tbl butter
1 lb corned beef (thinly sliced)
8 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 lb sauerkraut (drained well)
Spread 4 bread slices with butter and 4 bread slices with Russian dressing. Use the dressing topped slices as a base and layer with Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut and another slice of Swiss, then top with buttered slice of bread. Wrap sandwich tightly in aluminum foil. Bake at 425* for 15 minutes. Super yummy, easy and almost no clean up required.

Muffuletta (from N'Awlins Ya'll)

1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, crushed
1/2 cup drained kalamata olives, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup roughly chopped pickled cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped carrot
1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained
1/4 cup marinated cocktail onions
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 (1 pound) loaves Italian bread
8 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
8 ounces sliced mortadella (spicy Italian bologna)
8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced provolone cheese

To Make Olive Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, garlic, cauliflower, capers, celery, carrot, pepperoncini, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, vinegar, olive oil and canola oil. Mix together and transfer mixture into a glass jar (or other nonreactive container). If needed, pour in more oil to cover. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least overnight.

To Make Sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts olive salad, including oil. Layer 'bottom half' of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. Replace 'top half' on each loaf and cut sandwich into quarters.

Serve immediately, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.

I like the idea of using a large round loaf of bread to make this sandwich a one feeds four idea and is a really authentic N'Awlins look. You may purchase your favorite olive salad at the deli if you'd prefer.

Grilled Pizza Sandwiches
This is a family friendly favorite. You can jazz it up for the grown ups or keep it simple for the kids.
makes 4 sandwiches
8 slices of bread
1 c marinara sauce
2 Tbl butter
4 slices Mozzerella cheese
2 ounces sliced pepperoni

Spread butter on each slice of bread. Place buttered side down on waxed paper. Spread other side of bread with 1 Tablespoon of marinara sauce, layer with pepperoni then top with a slice of Mozzerella and the other slice of bread (butter side facing out). Grill sandwich a couple of minutes on each side in skillet on medium heat (until golden brown). Slice diagonally and serve.

You can jazz this up with your favorite sliced meats and add sliced veggies for a heartier grown up version. You can even switch to Alfredo sauce and use left over grilled chicken with spinach leaves and sliced tomato or avacodo. Use your imagination but I promise, the kids will love this!