Ham and Swiss Sliders

Serve 'em up with some yummy sweet potato fries!

These little sandwiches have been all over the internet for quite a while. I have eaten them on different occasions, but have never made them until tonight. They are easy to put together, cook quickly and taste scrumptious! Here's what you need to make them for your crew...

1 package of King Hawaiian Rolls
1/2 pound shaved ham
6-8 slices of Swiss Cheese
Mayo or Miracle whip

Poppyseed Dressing:
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
3/4 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon finely diced onions
2 quick dashes of Worcestershire sauce

To make the sandwiches, slice the rolls in half. I did this with them still at attached to each other, so I had two large slices of bread to work with, a top and a bottom. You could certainly separate them if you wanted.

Spread miracle whip/mayo on bottom layer of rolls.

Evenly distribute ham over bottom of bread layer.

Top with slices of Swiss Cheese.

Spread mayo/miracle whip on cut side of top layer.

Place top layer of rolls on top of cheese, and place in baking dish.

Make poppyseed dressing by melting butter, then whisking in remaining ingredients.

Pour dressing over top of rolls.

Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes at 350* or until cheese is melted and sandwiches are heated through. Uncover last couple minutes to brown the tops.

Serve 'em up!

This is actually 1/2 of the recipe I used. I think it is plenty for most families, but if you have big eaters in your house, just double it up!

Banana Bread

A little early in the season for the baking mood to strike, but when you have overripe bananas, you either pitch them in the trash, or bake up some banana bread! I chose to bake and put it in the freezer to take to Caleb next time we see him. He likes it...a lot! It's easy to make and boy does it ever make your house smell good.

1/2 cup butter, at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2-3 overripe bananas, smashed
2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar till well incorporated.

Mash your bananas.

Add eggs, banana and vanilla, continue to mix until mixture is creamy and well combined.

Add flour, one cup at a time, along with baking soda and salt, mixing as you go until all dry ingredients are mixed well.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and transfer batter to pan. The batter will be very thick, take a knife and even it out, making sure to get in the corners.

Bake in a 350* for 1 hour or until done. Stick a knife in the center to check for done-ness. Pop back in oven for a few minutes if not completely done.

Slice it up warm for a real treat or cool completely and wrap it up  to share with someone you love!



Baking tip....

I really don't know if this serves the same purpose as sifting, but when a recipe calls for sifted flour, this is what I do....I grab my wire whisk and "whisk" the flour in the canister. It becomes much lighter and  is so much more simple than actually sifting, which I can  make a mess with! And it's kinda fun...okay, maybe I need to get out more!

Cheeseburger Salad

You and I both know the Pioneer Woman. She is one quirky, fun lovin gal who still surprises me with some of the recipes she publishes. This one really got my attention because I really want to add more salads to our menu. I thought it might appeal to the guys so I tried it out one night when it was just Doug and I. Result? It's a keeper. I even used some of the leftover meat to make sloppy joe type sandwiches for lunch the next day and they were good as well. I will definitely be making this over the summer when everyone is home. Like PW says it's kinds like taco salad and says she may like it better than taco salad, but please don't tell, she doesn't want to offend the taco salads of the world!

I never seem to follow any recipe exactly so here is her link if you want to go authentic. Below is mine with very minor changes, mostly because I didn't have exactly what she called for. Give it a try this summer!

1 pound ground chuck, browned and drained
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
2 whole hamburger buns
2-3 tablespoons melted butter
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 diced Roma tomatoes
Red onion, sliced, as much as you like
8 dill pickle spears, diced in chunks, I used hamburger pickles...it's all I had but next time will use spears I think it would be even better

After the meat is cooked and drained, add ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce.

Simmer a few minutes on low to blend the flavors.

Meanwhile, to make the croutons, cube up the buns.

Place bun cubes in a large bowl and toss it melted butter.

Spread croutons on a large baking pan and bake at 400*. Check and stir every 5-10 minutes until croutons are crispy and golden. Remove from oven, set aside.

To assemble salad, layer lettuce, meat, cheese, tomatoes, onion, pickles and croutons.

Dig in!