Oven Toasted Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Most of my family knows I am picky when it comes to sandwiches. I never was much of a sandwich person and usually had leftovers in my lunch as a kid. Bologna, peanut butter & jelly, salami with butter on white bread...I'd probably rather wait till the next meal :-) However, I find it hard to pass up a really good sandwich, wrap, or sub. A good sandwich with some type of protein, veggie, and cheese on whole wheat is my pick for a simple, balanced lunch. This one is a winner in my books, and I will definitely be making it again.

Oven Toasted Ham & Cheese Sandwich - yields 2 sandwiches

4 slices of bread
4 tsp mayonnaise
4 tsp Dijon mustard
4 slices (or more) ham
1 tomato, thinly sliced
2 slices cheese (use whatever cheese you prefer)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with mayonnaise and place 2 slices on greased baking sheet, dressing side down (helps it brown.) Spread with Dijon mustard, 2 slices (or more) of ham each, a slice of tomato and slice of cheese. Top with remaining bread, dressing side up. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

One Pot Homemade Mac n' Cheese

I first got this recipe idea from my cousin. This is a much healthier version of boxed mac n' cheese that's full of nasty additives. This will take you no longer to make than a boxed version. Best of all, only one pot to wash! I am still experimenting a bit with it, but here's the recipe so far.

One Pot Mac n' Cheese

1 1/2 cups whole wheat macaroni
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheese
salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Cook the macaroni in the water and milk on medium heat until tender. Stir frequently or it will get stuck to the bottom. You might need to add a splash or two of milk if it absorbs to much before the macaroni is cooked. Stir in butter and cheese until melted. Sprinkle on some paprika to taste.


*Linking up to Raising Homemakers

Menu Plan Monday (March 8)

I didn't do any baking this past week, but on Saturday I tried making homemade onion rings for a little snack when my husband got home from work in the evening. They stunk up the house like crazy, but they tasted pretty good! I also tried making a homemade London Fog drink, which was quite good. This week I plan on doing a bit more baking. I prefer to use butter instead of margarine in most of my cookies. I think it's because cookies made with butter have a better flavour, in my opinion. This next week I want to try a new recipe, White Chocolate Cranberry Squares. I'll have to see if I get around to it or not. I would also really really like to try making Maple Walnut Fudge. I have been craving fudge lately! If they are successes, I will share the recipes sometime.

Recipe Review: Last week's new recipe Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken with Veggies over Rice was really good! I will definitely be making it again. I got it from a church cookbook and modified it just a bit. Here's the recipe:

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken with Veggies

1 small onion
4 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1/2 green pepper
3-4 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cut onions, carrots, celery, and peppers into chunks. Put in casserole dish. Brown cubed chicken in frying pan with oil. Add chicken to veggies in casserole dish. Whisk together remaining ingredients, and pour over chicken and veggies. Cover and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Serve over rice.
Here's the plan for this week:

Sunday, March 7
Lemon Chicken Rice Soup (from freezer), homemade pizza pockets (from freezer)

Monday, March 8
Visiting family

Tuesday, March 9
Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, tomato sauce, caesar salad

Wednesday, March 10
Chili Lime Chicken Tostadas (new recipe)

Thursday, March 11
Leftovers

Friday, March 12
Pizza Night (Tuscan/spinach pizza & all dressed), caesar salad

Saturday, March 13
Leftover pizza, garden stuffed baked potatoes (recipe below)

Garden Stuffed Baked Potatoes (Modified a bit from the same cookbook-really good!)

4 Potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup ranch or caesar salad dressing (or sour cream)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F. Saute onions in butter. Pierce potatoes and microwave on high for 12 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes. Slice off tops. Scoop out pulp and mash pulp in a bowl. Add onions, broccoli, salad dressing, salt, pepper and cheese.Brush outside of potato skins with oil. Spoon pulp mixture back into shells. Place on baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.
*For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday, hosted by orgjunkie.com*

Homemade Pizza Pockets

About a week ago I decided to try making some homemade pizza pockets. I have always liked the idea of pizza pops, but I absolutely hate the store kind. (I feel queasy just thinking about them). But these homemade ones are sooo good and are handy to have since you just pop them from the freezer into the oven. I got the recipe here.

The dough is super simple to make (only flour, salt, butter, yogurt), which I love! I used a mix of whole wheat and white flour. I made 3 kinds - bbq chicken, spinach & feta, and pepperoni & mushroom ones (all with cheese, of course!). After I made them, I froze them on baking sheets for a few hours and then transferred them into bags and back into the freezer. Yesterday we had a chance to try them, and they were really good! I baked them from frozen on a cookie sheet at 400 F for about 30 minutes or until slightly browned.

Here's an example of a spinach & feta one before I made the pizza into a pocket.


Here's what they looked like when they were ready for the freezer

I am definitely going to made these again sometime!