Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Grilled Cheese

Guess what?!  I cloned myself!  (See previous post if you're confused.)  Yeah, I cloned myself, and my second self just made me lunch!  The best lunch EVER!  Well, okay, that didn't really happen, but I was able to time naps perfectly today, which left me with a few hours to make a REAL lunch and hopefully shower (I have a holiday party tonight so if I don't fit the shower in now it will have to be later with ALL of my kids hanging in the bathroom around an iPad).

Anyway, about the sandwich.  You know those bags of pre-shredded Brussels Sprouts?  I think they're genius, and almost always have one in my fridge (especially this time of year).  So for the sandwich... heat a tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté two tablespoons of chopped onion and three tablespoons of shredded sprouts.  Season with salt and pepper, and cook until they're all brown and caramelized.  Remove, and place a piece of your favorite bread in the skillet (I of course put more butter on the bread).  Add a piece of white cheddar, then the sprouts and onions, then another piece of cheddar and top with bread (more butter).  Grill like you would a grilled cheese!  Voila!  It's really, really good.     

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Cookie Stacking and Other Things...

Hello Internet People.  I'm sorry I've been a little absent, but this has been a busy and emotional week.  Therefore, I present to you this scatterbrained post of odds and ends...

Many of you have been curious about the infamous "cookie stacking" Instagram post (infamous, really Siri?).  The origin of this layered dough can be found in this recipe for Peanut Butter Honey Cookies.  I was instantly intrigued to see if by stacking two blobs of dough on top of each other, the result would be a cookie that spread less, as suggested.  Well, perhaps I did something wrong, but my cookies just ended up looking like butts, so... delicious recipe, however.  Honey?  Peanut Butter?  Yes.

Last Thursday I was all set to appear on the Today Show, and you may have caught a glimpse of me even, however, breaking news about the Pope's whereabouts interrupted my segment.  Of course, I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was actually very exciting to witness... yet another reminder of how surreal it is to be a small part of a news institution like Today.  If you're interested in the recipes I was planning on preparing, you may click here: Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ultimate Queso Dip. 

Last night, I was very honored to be a part of the launch of Keurig Kold, a revolutionary new drinkmaker that brews perfectly chilled beverages like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and so, SO much more.  It is available for purchase today on their website... check it out!

And finally, I wanted to repost this recipe in honor of a great woman, Lucy.  If you've been following my blog for awhile then you probably know this sandwich, but to have known the woman behind it was something else.  The heavens above gained a beautiful soul.  Team Lucy forever!

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Tuna Melts: Big and Small

When we were visiting The Voice set over vacation, I discovered something FANTASTIC.  My almost-three-year-old PICKY eater will eat tuna salad!  You see, television sets are a dangerous, dangerous place for little kids.  There are scattered jars of M&M's and jelly beans and gum (so much gum!) and then trays of cookies and bars and sometimes they bring out something called Cookie Pie and serve it with ice cream and I die.  Like I said, television sets are dangerous places for grown women who write food blogs.  Anyway, I was bribing Etta to eat SOMETHING healthy before she dove into the candy jar, and tuna salad it was.  We had tried it at home before, but after eating "The Voice" tuna (weird) I realized what I had done wrong.  Mine was too chunky.  This was whipped, and fluffy... a spread-like consistency.  So when I got home, I decided to put my tuna in the food processor.  It was delicious!  Some mayo, some garlic salt, fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper...

Now we make Tiny Tuna Melts for the kids on crackers with white cheddar, and grown up versions on sourdough bread with sliced tomato and avocado.  I pop both versions under the broiler and watch until the cheese gets bubbly and slightly golden (adding the avocado for the adult sandwiches at the end).  You should definitely try the food processor trick for your tuna if you haven't already!

Tuna Salad

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

12 oz. tuna (I like solid albacore in water)

1/2 cup light mayo

Juice of half a lemon

Garlic salt

Salt and Pepper

Drain tuna, and place in food processor or blender.  Pulse until smooth.  Place in bowl, and add mayo and lemon juice.  Stir until smooth.  Add garlic salt, salt and pepper and taste until desired consistency is reached!

Also, Tuna Avocado Toast and Tuna Casserole

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Grilled Cheese with Sweet Relish

I'm trying to figure out how to start this post, but I'm extremely distracted by my own photo, because even though I just ate exactly what I'm looking at, I WANT ANOTHER.  How do you say, this is the best grilled cheese ever?  Oh, just like that.  THIS IS THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE EVER.  Of course, you have to be into the sweet and savory combo, and you have to not care that nothing about this is good for you.  Meaning, I don't think bread that is slathered in mayo and cooked in bubbly butter as a vessel for ooey, gooey cheese is diet food.  Eat some fruit with it or something, I don't care, just EAT IT.  I followed this recipe... and loved how she added the sweet relish after cooking the sandwich on the stove.  It kept it cool, which was a nice contrast to the crispy, hot sandwich.  

Bread and cheese cooking in bubbly butter... all is right in the world.

You also might like this Grilled Cheese and Pickle Panini

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Hot Ham & Cheese Party Rolls

I was trying so hard to get this post done yesterday, but instead the day was spent mostly in my pajamas, watching movies with my kids because school was cancelled, slowly cleaning up the remnants of a gigantic Super Bowl party and... there were leftovers.  Aren't you supposed to spend "Super Monday" eating light and healthy and cleansing your body of the junk you consumed the day before?  Yeah, that didn't happen.  (In fact, with three pounds of shredded cheese that was supposed to get turned into nachos and never did, I made Beer Cheese Soup.  More on that ridiculous-ness later in the week.)  Our party was insane.  It was as if we thought the snow would force us to hibernate for weeks, and therefore we needed every kind of food under the sun to keep us fed.  Shall I list off some of it?  Careful reading, you might throw up.  

Chips and salsa and guacamole and french onion dip, layered taco dip, buffalo chicken dip, nuts of every kind, freshly popped parmesan popcorn, crockpot chex mix, pretzels, homemade soft pretzels with a horseradish cheese dipping sauce, rice and beans and short ribs and empanadas, three gigantic logs of sandwiches from the deli, buffalo wings, stuffed mushrooms, swedish meatballs, italian meatballs, baked ziti, pigs 'n a blanket, fried chicken 'n a biscuit (more on that later too), a bowl of fruit and a tray of veggies (because you have to), a beef chili station, and this:

I'm probably forgetting something (and no, I did NOT make all of that you crazy people).  Of course, we all know how I feel about our friend Lucy's Ham Sandwiches, so obviously they are a staple at any large gathering.  This time, however, a friend sent me this recipe for a pizza roll version with the same sticky, delicious ingredients.  So I had to make both, duh.  They were a hit!  And a fun twist on a family favorite.  I think I will always be partial to the original sandwich, but you must try both at your next gluttonous gathering.  

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Company Pot Roast

Now that it's officially fall, with October looming around the corner (already put up Halloween decorations, yup, can't be stopped), I have been cooking more hearty meals.  After all, it's time we start thickening up our bear fur for the long winter!  Am I right, my fellow lumberjacks?  My fellow woodsmen?  Sarah Palin?  I'll stop.  Anyway, a Pot Roast is one of my favorite cooler weather meals.  And who is the queen of PERFECT comfort food?  Ina Garten, of course.

  

I love the title of this recipe.  It sounds so proper.  So Ina.  I imagine her saying to her husband, Jeffrey, "Jeffrey darling, I'm going to whip up some Pot Roast for our company, go get some good wine" and then effortlessly throwing this together in her black button-up shirt.  Well, I recently had company (my sister Hannah) so naturally I had to make this.  It was delicious, for real, I can't count the number of times Carson said, "this is good, this is really good."

  

A few notes: instead of removing half of the sauce and blending it, I used my handheld immersion blender and lightly blended everything right in the pot, making sure to leave some of the carrots in tact.  The sauce is the best part about this meal... extremely flavorful and the perfect consistency.  I made buttery egg noodles and also roasted some vegetables on the side (butternut squash, brussel sprouts and mushrooms) and served them alongside the pot roast and on top of the noodles.          

And while this meal was prepared in a Dutch oven verses a crock pot, here are some of my favorite slow cover recipes for your weekend enjoyment...

starting top left, going clockwise...

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Stew

Slow Cooker Squash Stew

Crock Pot Ribs

Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

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Slow Cooker Apple Pulled Pork

I've officially had 3 kids for 4 weeks.  Life will start to get WAY easier now, right?

Bahahahahahahaha *manic laughter* bahaha *tears* bah *face plant into computer* ha.

Actually, if I'm being honest, I've found myself adjusting more quickly to life after each birth.  I'm used to the chaos and zero sleep after one and then two kids.  So basically, I'm saying I could EASILY have 19 children like that Digger family.  Dagger?  Dugger?  Yeah, them.  

That said, I still have moments of pure insanity, like the other day when I tried to make this Slow Cooker Apple Pulled Pork.  A friend on Facebook sent me the basic recipe: cook 3 pounds of pork in a slow cooker for 6-7 hours on low with a bottle of BBQ sauce and a chopped apple.  Easy, right?!  Yeah, unless you're an idiot like me and you accidentally buy some sort of pork loin instead of a pork butt or shoulder.  A loin is lean.  A loin won't PULL apart in a delectable manner like a butt or shoulder will.  So basically this was a FAIL by me but we ate our lean pork anyway and enjoyed it.  Because what can go wrong when you put meat in a sweet Hawaiian roll and top it with cheddar?       

I can totally handle 11 more children.

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TODAY tonight: Lemon Pesto Shrimp Rolls

When Carson started working on The Today Show, he acquired a job perk that I'm totally not jealous of at all (nope).  Which is, EATING INCREDIBLE FOOD MADE BY INCREDIBLE CHEFS.  Not jealous!  He comes home, almost daily, and tells me he had "the best" this and "the best" that.  However, instead of pouting over this perk, I've decided to take advantage of the inspiration he offers me with these new ideas by creating a series I'm going to call "TODAY tonight."  When he raves and raves about what he ate at work, I'm going to recreate it, and I started last night with Giada De Laurentiis' Lemon Pesto Shrimp Rolls. 

As a regular contributor to the show, Giada has made many things Carson has loved, but this was a particular favorite.  This is shrimp, poached in a flavorful broth, tossed in a vibrantly fresh pesto sauce, accompanied by crunchy celery and smooth cannellini beans, served on delicious bread.  A perfect summer lunch or dinner, in our case.  She made two other meals that day (click on link above), all based on these five basic ingredients:      

  

Look at that color below!  My favorite.  The lemon and Italian parsley in this pesto made it so bright and delicious, and it came together in minutes...

Have you ever poached shrimp in a bowl on the counter?  I hadn't!  Just pour a hot poaching liquid consisting of wine, broth, oil and herbs over the fish, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit...

This is homemade bread too, by the way, that I made from store-bought pizza dough.  

I'll talk about that tomorrow : )  

Thank you Giada, thank you Carson, thank you Today Show! 

(I sound like an Alanis Morissette song).  

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Grilled Cheese and Pickle Panini

The title of this post may have you thinking, "uh oh, Siri has gone off the deep end with her pregnancy cravings."  While this may be true (all I want to do is dip salty McDonald's french fries into a soft serve vanilla cone), a child actually came up with this recipe as the lovely Catherine McCord documents on her website, Weelicious.  A brilliant child, I might add, because this sandwich is the thing dreams are made of.  No really, I had a dream last night that I was selling these at a lemonade stand with a random kid (we were also selling trumpets).  

I saw these the other day on the Weelicious instagram page and ran for the ingredients.  I only had bread & butter pickles and shredded cheddar, but I believe any kind of pickle/cheese combination would work beautifully.  And ok, fine, I buttered my bread which the recipe didn't call for but I'm pregnant and I DO WHAT I WANT.  I like butter.  It probably doesn't need butter.  

It probably needs to be in your mouth today at lunchtime. 

*And quickly, speaking of Instagram, I finally figured out how to separate my private page with my blog page, so please come follow me at siriouslydelicious for fun food-related photos.  Fun!    

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#VoiceTailgate: Homecoming Sliders + "The Carson"

This is it, my friends, tonight we find out who will make it to the Final 3 on The Voice!  I'm scurred.  Every season, I seem to get more and more attached to these contestants and I practically pee in my pants during the live eliminations.  One of my favorite parts of the Semi-Finals is watching the contestants from years past come back to perform, which is exactly what's happening tonight.  

So in honor of this "homecoming" of sorts, I made a sandwich for tonight's #VoiceTailgate that reminds me of my home.  It's one of those familiar dishes you come to expect when you get anywhere near your childhood zip code.  Everyone has one, and this is mine: deliciously sweet and savory, sticky, gooey, ham & cheese sandwiches on soft Hawaiian rolls.  I'm not kidding, make these for people in your town and you will become an instant local celebrity.  Just go to your town square, you know, the one with the gazebo from olden times, and hand them out to passer-byers.  After one bite, they will skip away, whistling a happy tune and proclaiming you the new town mayor.  In my hometown, our good friend Lucy made these famous.  What's your favorite "homecoming" dish?     

Homecoming Ham & Cheese Sliders

(Makes 12)

Printable Recipe

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 pound sliced ham

1/2 pound sliced swiss cheese

12 Hawaiian rolls, sliced in half

Place butter, brown sugar, ground mustard, poppy seeds and Worcestershire sauce in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil for about 30 seconds, remove from heat and set aside.  

Assemble the sandwiches with the rolls, ham and cheese in a baking dish (I like using the easy, aluminum, throw-away kind).      

Pour the sauce all over the sandwiches.  I like to use a basting brush to make sure it's evenly spread.  Cover with foil and refrigerate for as long as possible, a few hours will do just fine but overnight is preferable.   

(I doubled the recipe in the photo below.)

Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 375.  Cook for 10 minutes covered and another 10 minutes uncovered.  Serve warm.

Moving on to drinks...

If we're talking about drinks that remind me of "home" - it would have to be Carson's signature cocktail.  In fact, it's so signature, that at one Voice wrap party it was actually listed on the menu as "The Carson."  It's simple, refreshing and perfect for any time of year.  We often switch up the splash of OJ for a splash of pomegranate, or blood orange, but whatever juice you fancy it's the crisp and bubbly Fresca that makes the drink so good.  Oh, and the vodka doesn't hurt.

"The Carson"

Printable Recipe

Ice

Vodka

Fresca

Orange juice

Lime

Place lots of ice in a glass.  Pour desired amount of vodka, then Fresca almost to the top and a splash of orange juice.  Squeeze in lime slice, drop in glass and stir.  

For a "mocktail" version, simply skip the vodka.  It may sound boring, but Fresca, a splash of OJ and a slice of lime in a nice glass (almost) tastes like the real deal when you're 6 months pregnant.    

So, who do you think will make it to the Final 3?!

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Egg & Cheese on a Roll

When we moved to NY, we chose to live outside of the city.  However, one of my favorite parts about NYC is breakfast.  Bagels, of course, but also the Egg & Cheese on a Roll you can get at just about EVERY deli you walk into.  There's nothing uniquely special about it - it's a fried egg (or two), melty American cheese and a soft roll.  But the combination is to die for, and I swear I could probably eat two sandwiches in one setting I KNOW, I HAVE A PROBLEM.  

This morning I decided to make them at home, substituting an English muffin for the roll.  I quickly fried up an egg (in one of those tiny pans you can buy at the drug store), melted some American cheese on top, and placed on a toasted, buttery English muffin.  Perfection in the suburbs of the city.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

The Super Bowl usually falls right around (if not on) my birthday each year.  Which means, I'm pretty blessed with excuses to eat everything I want on that day/week.  This year, I want to try frying pickles, this pizza, and these cupcakes are pretty incredible, too.  Also, the sandwich above!  If you're feeding a crowd for the big game, you must try this fantastically easy recipe from Weelicious.  I think  your family pet could throw this together, that's how simple it is.  Four bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (the butcher at the grocery store can remove the skin for you), 1 cup of good BBQ sauce and a slow cooker.  Done.  Cook on low for 2 and a half hours, shred, serve.  I had leftovers for days which we turned into pizza, quesadillas and simply picked at with our fingers.  Here's the recipe if you need further information, but your pet is making this and your pet can't read, so...

p.s. Super Bowl snack ideas from last year.

p.p.s. Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

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Spicy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

It rained in LA yesterday, and on such a rare occasion, everyone gets on board.  Girls plan their entire outfit around Hunter boots, meteorologists pull out their STORM WATCH TWENTY THIRTEEN! voices, Barnes and Nobles sells umbrellas (for real), drivers slow down a good 15 mph and... I make soup.  Coincidentally, I had just come across this recipe for a tomato soup with... grilled cheese croutons???  I would eat dirt if you topped it with grilled cheese croutons.  And these did not disappoint.  I made a few changes to the recipe - omitting the red pepper flakes so my son would eat it (also I called it "red ninja soup" - yeah), using vegetable broth instead of water, adding some minced garlic with the onions, and swapping basil with thyme (which I threw in with the onions and garlic).  It was bright, and delicious, and did I already talk about the GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS??  

Now it's a beautiful sunny day and I'm sad : (      

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