Hot Hammie Sammies

Now, what would you expect a pasta lover to eat on National Pasta Day (which was yesterday, 10/17, by the way)?!! Probably not Hot Hammie Sammies huh? I have failed as a blogger and on National Pasta Day I failed to find a recipe to make in time. It's been hectic in our household lately and I just haven't had the time I want and need to read my food blogs and scour for new recipes to try. So I used what we had on hand and made this hot little number.

Hot Hammie Sammies are pretty freaking awesome sandwiches! They are quick, easy, delicious, and can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven when you are ready to eat. The sauce is buttery and mustardy (is that even a word?) and the bun is sweet and it really is a perfect combination. Normally I make these on little hawaiian rolls and they are great as an appetizer or to eat a couple (or 3 or 4) for a main dinner sandwich. Last night I didn't have those sweet hawaiian rolls so I just made them on kaiser rolls. And, to make sure I had something pasta related, I made a boxed pasta salad to go along with it. I never said I cook fancy food, just easy and delcious meals! ;)

Next time you have a party or need an easy dinner, try these out and let me know what you thought!

Hot Hammie Sammies

Source: Tee, a friend

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 stick of butter

1.5 tbsps of yellow mustard

1 tbsp of minced onion

1/2 tsp of Worchestershire sauce

Poppy seeds

Sammies:

1 1b. ham

1 lb. swiss cheese (or about that much)

Buns or rolls (hawaiian rolls if you can find them or any small to medium sized roll that is sweeater)

Aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Once melted, add mustard, onion and Worchestershire.

2. Slice rolls in half. Spread some sauce on each side of the bun (I used a spoon and spread it around). Sprinkle poppy seeds on one or both sides of bun to your liking. 

3. Layer cheese and ham on bottom bun and replace the top bun.

4. Wrap each sammie in foil and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm!

**You can also leave them wrapped in the foil and they will stay warm for quite some time. Or you can wrap them up and put them in the freezer instead of baking them. They last about a month in the freezer before they get hit with freezer burn. When you want to bake them I just take them out of the freezer and bake them 12-15 minutes.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta

The other night Kurt was going to be at the UW Badger football game so I had a free night where I didn't need to worry about dinner for him. And as the saying goes, "when the cat's away the mouse will play!" When Kurt is gone I usually make pasta (duh) because I honestly could eat pasta every.single.night. One of my favorite blogs is Stephanie Cooks and she is as big of a fan of pasta as I am, probably one of the reasons I like to read her blog so much! She made this delicious Pasta with Marscapone and Roasted Grape Tomatoes that I had been eyeing up and figured that, since Kurt wasn't home, it was probably a good night to make it. So I picked Riglee up from daycare and stopped by the grocery store on the way home. Well, this is not my typical grocery store and when I went in there I found pasta that would work but I could not find marscapone cheese! Sadly this store did not carry marscapone cheese and the confused worker looked at me like I was from out of space asking for this "specialty" cheese. So I improvised on this recipe and used cheeses that I had at home instead.


I was actually surprised at how yummy this turned out and I am even more excited to try the Pasta with Marscapone and Roasted Grape Tomatoes now! This dish was very creamy with an underlying tomato flavor that was just delicious! I didn't have a full pint of tomatoes and I think having the full amount of tomatoes would have really kicked it up a notch. The cream cheese made this really creamy and the goat cheese added just enough tang to the sauce. The flavors really went well together, so well in fact that I had 2 full bowls and went back for thirds only to realize I should probably stop since I've eaten over half a pound of pasta by myself! Give it a try and let me know what you think!


Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta
Source: Me, Adapted from Stephanie Cooks


Ingredients:
12 oz uncooked smaller pasta (I used Barilla tri-color rotini)
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
2 oz. goat cheese
1/4 cup white wine
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
olive oil (EVOO)
salt & pepper
garlic salt


Directions:
1. Halve tomatoes and place on a foil liked baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and add salt, pepper and garlic salt to your liking. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
2. While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add pasta and cook as directed to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain pasta.
3. When the tomatoes are done roasting, pour them and any EVOO into a big bowl. Mash them with a fork or a potato masher.
4. Add white wine to the tomatoes. Then add cream cheese and goat cheese and stir to get the cheeses to start melting. Add pasta to the pasta/cheese mixture and stir until both cheeses are completely melted and serve!


**You can add parmesan cheese to the mixture or sprinkle some on top for serving. Being as I'm from Wisconsin I firmly believe the more cheese the better!

Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi (Copycat Recipe)

My husband definitely does NOT love pasta dishes like I do. I have to limit myself to one pasta dish every week at most or else he gets sick of eating pasta. Seriously, who gets sick of eating pasta? And how did I marry such a man?!!! Luckily, he has other redeeming qualities and I can overlook this one tiny flaw.

Imagine my surprise when Kurt asked me to make Pesto Cavatappi like he gets at Noodles & Company! I was stoked for two reasons: 1) Kurt was asking me to make a pasta dish and 2) I got to try a new recipe! I didn't have this recipe handy so I first went to the Noodles & Co. website and saw what was in the dish which looked simple enough. Next I did what any good super sleuth would do, I googled the recipe! I found the recipe at Yahoo Answers where a former Noodles & Co. cook posted his recipe and it looked very simple (yay!). The only issue is that he posted the recipe for a one person serving, I wanted to make a whole bunch of pasta. I ended up guestimating on the quantities and was lucky because it tastes pretty much exactly like it does at Noodles & Co.!! I made a side of shrimp for Kurt to add to his dish and he said it was absolutely perfect....he even went back for thirds!! There is nothing as exciting and fulfilling as trying a new recipe and it working out beautifully! 

Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi (Copycat Recipe)

Source: Yahoo Answers

Ingredients:

3/4 box cavatappi noodles (you can use any shapes you like but use a hearty noodle)

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 pint sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 cup cream

7 oz. pesto (I used store bought but I bet it would be amazing with homemade)

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil - hellooo, Amy!)

shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pasta as directed on packaging.
2. While pasta is cooking, saute the tomatoes and mushrooms in about a tablespoon of EVOO.
3. When the pasta is almost done, add the wine to the tomatoes and mushrooms and reduce for 2 minutes. Then add the cream to the tomatoes and mushrooms and reduce for another 1-2 minutes. Add the pesto and stir well.
4. Drain pasta and add to the pesto mixture. Stir very well and let sit a minute to soak up the pesto.
5. Plate and top with shredded parmesan cheese!

Penne with Peas, Bacon & Goat Cheese

Wowza, this was amazing! Like, I think I want to make it again tonight and tomorrow night amazing! Kurt was out of town on Friday night and I spent all day at home babysitting my niece and Riglee since daycare was closed. Do you know there is really not a lot on tv during the day? Well I do now. Luckily Food Network and the Cooking Channel had a few good shows on. I caught a glimpse of a couple pieces of an Everyday Italian episode and Giada made this Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese dish. It looked pretty darn good. So at 4:00pm when I was trying to decide what to make myself for dinner I thought about this dish. I definitely did NOT want to spend an hour prepping and roasting butternut squash but I definitely DID want this goat cheese sauce she made.

I picked my brain for what might be simple and delicious to go with this creamy goat cheese penne and the first thing that came to mind was panchetta and peas! Well panchetta costs and arm and a leg so I scratched that and cheaped it down to bacon. Don't worry, the bacon was a perfect match to the dish. The bacon was perfectly salty and crunchy, the peas were a sweet pop in your mouth and the goat cheese was tangy and creamy to tie it all together. Not to bad for the first meal I've really every just "thrown" together! Not only is this Kurt approved but my sister-in-law, who swears she DOES NOT like goat cheese, couldn't get enough of this pasta!! This is a quick and easy go-to meal when you want something simple with a gourmet feel. Yum-O!!

Penne with Peas, Bacon & Goat Cheese
Source: All Me!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. mini-penne noodles
4 oz. goat cheese at room temperature
5 slices thick cut bacon (or panchetta)
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup starchy cooking water, reserved

Directions:
1. Boil the water and start cooking the penne. When penne is almost done add peas to the water to heat up.
2. While the penne is cooking, slice bacon into about half inch strips and dice the onion. Saute bacon and when bacon is halfway done add the onion to cook. When the bacon is crispy and finished cooking, remove to a plate with a couple paper towel on it to get soak up the grease.
3. Put goat cheese in the bottom of a big bowl. When the penne is done, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. Spoon penne and peas into bowl with goat cheese. Add a little cooking water (maybe 1/4 cup) to help soften the goat cheese and make it creamier.
4. Add the bacon and onion and mix until the goat cheese is creamy and coating everything. Add more starchy cooking water if the goat cheese isn't melting or you want it creamier. Serve and enjoy!

Tortilla Roll-Ups

A couple weeks ago I had to make an appetizer for a family gathering. I was at work and it was almost time to leave and I was heading to the grocery store after work. I was scouring my recipes online to see what appealed to me and I couldn't find an appetizer that was quick, easy and cheap. What's a girl to do?! Well, this girl asked her male co-workers. Luckily, my buddy Matt suggested these roll-ups and after a quick e-mail to his wife, I had the recipe in my hands!

I liked these tortilla roll-ups because they are actually really versatile and you can make them ahead of time and they are still very tasty. I'd like to try some additional add-ins and different flavors of cheese to mix it up a bit but it is yummy just the way the original recipe states. This is a great go-to appetizer when you are in a pinch!

Tortilla Roll-Ups
Source: Matt's wife


Ingredients:
Flour tortillas
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1 ranch packet
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped black olives
Any add-ins: jalapenos, salsa, tomatoes, beans, chicken, etc


Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Spread onto tortillas.
3. Wrap each tortilla in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. Slice and serve!

Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

I had been eyeing this recipe on Kraftfoods.com for quite some time. All the reviews were positive and it looked pretty easy to make. I think I was waiting for the berries to be in season so I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for them. For the record, I like my food quick, easy, delicious, and CHEAP! I figured that since today is our nation's Independence Day and everything is red, white, and blue, this would be a perfect day to dive in. Not to mention the blueberries and strawberries were on sale!

This is an excellent summer dessert! It is light, creamy, fruity, and refreshing on a hot summer's day. I didn't have Cool Whip so I didn't add that but the dessert was still amazing. I think the Cool Whip just makes it a more fluffy and less dense pudding. This dessert would be a great addition to any potluck or dinner party if you put it in a trifle dish to serve a crowd. After making it I was thinking about all kinds of variations of it as well. You could do chocolate pudding with brownies, you could subsitute pound cake for Nilla wafers, you could use lemon pudding instead of vanilla for a more citrusy taste....the possibilities are endless! 

Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

Source: Kraftfoods.com

Ingredients:

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 package (3.4oz) Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding

1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip whipped topping, divided

24 Nilla Wafers, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups mixed blueberries and sliced fresh strawberries

 
Directions:
1. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk.
2. Add dry pudding mix and mix well, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup Cool Whip.
3. Layer half of each of the wafers, berries and pudding mixture in parfait glasses. Repeat layers.
4. Top with a dollop of Cool Whip and garnish with berries.

Noodles & Company Macaroni & Cheese (Copycat Recipe)

If you have ever been to Noodles & Company and had their Macaroni & Cheese, then you know that this stuff is like crack-cocaine for the mac & cheese lover! When you get this at Noodles & Co. it comes in a bowl that has the cheese sauce ladeled into the bottom, then they place the noodles on top and finally sprinkle some shredded cheese over everything. When you get it you immediately mix it up so that the shredded cheese can melt and bind it all together. Finally you dig in and get a big forkful of noodles, pull it up to your mouth and watch as the cheese just strings away from the dish. That first bite is like ooey gooey goodness as it all melts in your mouth!! I seriously think that sometimes I see rainbows when I'm eating this!! **salivating**

I have tried many many times to just replicate this dish without ever using a recipe and had failed every time. Yesterday Kurt was out of town and I had a serious craving for this mac & cheese. Finally I did what every good researcher does, I Googled this dish! Duh, this should have been something I did ages ago! I found the same copycat recipe on many websites so decided that it was probably good enough to try. I was pleasantly surprised when I made it, the cheese sauce was gooey and cheesy, the noodles cooked al-dente, and the cheese on top added a little extra flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed mixing this up and watching it turn into the most yummy macaroni and cheese ever!! Oh, and did I mention that it is super easy to make?! This has now turned into my go-to recipe for macaroni & cheese.

I should note that the cheese sauce is really thick, a lot thicker than Noodles & Co.'s sauce. I cut this recipe in half when I made it (still plenty for 2 people) and I made a roux with only 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour and it was still really thick. Next time I might try just heating the half and half then adding the cheese.

Noodles & Company Macaroni & Cheese (Copycat)

Source: Yahoo Answers

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow noodles

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour
3 cups half & half
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste)
3 cups Monterey Jack or Colby Jack Cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, making a roux. Gradually whisk in half & half until thickened. Stir in salt (and pepper if you like).
3. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese melts.
4. Ladel cheese into bottom of bowl. Spoon noodles on top. Sprinkle with fancy shredded cheese (monterey jack or mild cheddar is best).

Portobello, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts

Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Just make these melts! These melts are amazing for so many reasons and you will discover all of them when you make this sandwich! These sandwiches are chock full of veggies and flavor, are super duper easy to make, and there is hardly any clean up involved! To top it off, this sandwich can be modified in so many ways, add meat, switch up the veggies, change up the cheese, make it into a panini...possibilities are endless!

I was worried Kurt would not be a huge fan of this dinner because there was no meat and Kurt is sort of your "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. He seemed a little skeptical but after the first bite all I heard was "mmmm" and a muffled "disissooogooooood" so I'm pretty sure that just about anyone will like this sandwich. If that is not enough evidence that you should make this, I gave this recipe to my co-worker who made it for her family. Her 16 year old son grumbled as she was making it and after the first sandwich he ate another sandwich and told my co-worker that this should go into the rotation (he also said that I have given so many delicious recipes I should open a restaurant - I love this kid!!)!

Portobella, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts
Souce: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1 bag broccoli florets (I used 1/2 bag)
1 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pint baby portobellas, sliced (I bought the pre-sliced ones)
1 jar of roasted red pepper strips (or you can make your own)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp garlic powder or fresh minced/pressed garlic
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
4 thick slices country bread
2-4 oz. muenster cheese, thinly sliced (whatever cheese you prefer works)

Directions:
1. Preheat a broiler with a rack placed 4-6 inches from the heat source. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the broccoli and mushrooms on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Broil 5-6 minutes then toss.

2. Add about 3/4 cup roasted red pepper strips to the mushrooms and broccoli. Broil another 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine the mayo and garlic in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper. Place the slices of bread on a work surface, drizzle each slice with some balsamic vinegar then spread each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-mayo mixture.

4. Top each slice of bread with the cooked veggies and then with a slice of cheese. Place the open-faced sandwiches on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

**I made this sandwich again last night only added some goat cheese and used some buns that I had and made it into a normal sandwich. After the sandwich was assembled I put it in my George Foreman and made it into a panini for us....YUM-O!!!

Layered Mocha Cheesecake



Honestly, after reading the title of this post do you really need to know why I wanted to make this cheesecake?! Well, since you are already here I might as well give you the story. For Easter this year, my in-laws got a huge suite at a hotel/water park in the Wisconsin Dells for the entire family to stay at. We were all in charge of bringing an appetizer. Well, there were going to be 4-5 appetizers so I decided I'd bring dessert. I had been eyeing a Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake from Kraftfoods.com but when I mentioned it to Kurt he said that he wanted a mocha cheesecake. I thought long and hard about what kind of cheesecake to make. In the end....I chose both!!! I am personally not a huge fan of mocha, or anything coffee flavored for that matter, but I am a sucker for my husband and love making him happy with my food. I searched a lot of websites for a good looking mocha cheesecake and, after what felt like forever, found this little gem! There was definitely more prep work involved with this cheesecake but man-alive it was totally worth it! The coffee flavor is not overpowering (which I was afraid of) and the chocolate crust with a chocolate cheesecake layer and chocolate on top.....divine! I think that next time I'd make the very top chocolate layer a ganache so it's a little creamier. Other than that, this was a perfect cheesecake!

Layered Mocha Cheesecake

Source: Food.com

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crumbled cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (better yet, use Oreo crumbs)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

2 tbsp instant coffee granules & 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules 

1 tbsp boiling water

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

4-8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Glaze:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp butter

chocolate covered coffee beans (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9 inch springform pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the coffee granules, water and cinnamon; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter in half.

4. Stir melted chocolate into one portion; pour over crust. Stir coffee mixture into the remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer.

5. Place pan on a double thickness of heavy duty foil. Securely wrap foil around pan. Place in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.

6. Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator and refrigerate overnight (this awesome trip prevents cracking!).

5. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with coffee beans if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

This is what my kitchen looked like as the cheesecake went in the oven...total disaster zone!!

Welcome Summer! Steak & Goat Cheese Salad

Today was B-E-A-UTIFUL!! Summer has finally arrived (at least for a couple days) and it was a breath of fresh air. When the weather finally gets nice here in Wisconsin, I get inspired. I am inspired because there are fresh fruits and veggies at the grocery store, the farmers market start up at the capitol and they have amazing fresh food there....and I realize that I will actually have to get into a bathing suit very soon. This morning I was sitting at work wondering what the heck I was going to make for dinner tonight (very productive, I know). I didn't want anything heavy because it was hot and humid today, I wanted something easy because I don't have much time to cook, and I wanted something different than I've been doing all winter (i.e. pasta and chicken). All of a sudden it hit me, a steak salad with goat cheese! Light, filling, and full of flavor. I did not miss the mark with this one either. Serve this with some crusty bread and a glass of red wine and you have yourself a perfet summer evening dinner!!

In case you were wondering, this was husband approved times 10! He raved and raved while eating and said that we definitely have to make it again.

Steak & Goat Cheese Salad

Source: Cristina Original

Ingredients:

2 four oz steak fillets (or whatever steak you have on hand)

1 bag romaine lettuce, or any lettuce you prefer

1/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

balsamic vinegarette to taste

Lawry's seasoned salt

Directions:

1. Preheat grill. Season steaks with Lawry's and cook steaks on grill until they reach desired doneness (ours were medium rare). Once done, leave on plate to cool to room temperature (about 5-10 minutes).

2. Add salad dressing to salad while in bag. Close bag and shake to cover all lettuce with dressing.

3. Pour salad into bowls. Sprinkle tomatoes and goat cheese on salad.

4. Slice steak into thin strips, place on salad, and serve!