Rustic Open-Faced Sandwiches

It's that time of year when delicious spicy peppers abound!  Whip up a batch or two of hearty jalapeno cheddar bread and you'll have the starting place for lots of delicious lunches.  Even my little girls enjoy the jalapeno cheddar bread when used to make open-faced sandwiches.  Enjoy!

Gluten-free Rustic Open-Faced Sandwiches made on Jalapeno-Cheddar Bread. Yum!

Rustic Open-Faced Sandwiches

Make 3 mini loaves of the Hearty Jalapeno Cheddar Bread.  Once cool, thinly slice. (This bread freezes really well after slicing, so you can make it in advance to pull together a quick dinner later!)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Or you can heat/toast these on the BBQ if you have a mesh pan so the slices don't fall through.

Arrange thinly sliced hearty jalapeno bread on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Atop each piece of bread add:
1-2 thin pieces of ham, turkey or chicken
1 thin piece high quality cheese (thin slices, since you already have cheddar in the bread)
3-4 pieces thinly sliced cherry tomatoes (in different colors, if possible)

Heat in oven ~8 minutes, until cheese is nicely melted and bread is just crisping around edges.

Serve hot.  Great with fresh arugula or other greens alongside.  Enjoy!

Delicious Hot Crepe Sandwiches

I like to think of these as a fancy take on the all-time favorite grilled cheese.  First, they're in crepes - which means you can automatically fill any extra crepes with dessert fillings.  Second, you can use a wide variety of cheese or meats in them. And lastly, they are a great way to pack in some flavorful greens like spinach or arugula.  Personally, I love the bite arugula adds to these sandwiches.   I whipped them together for a fun brunch we had with friends the other week and they were a huge hit.  They're great with a hot pepper jelly or a flavorful mustard to dip.

Gluten Free Hot Crepe Sandwiches!  Delicious hot crepe sandwich with hot pepper jelly and cucumbers on the side.

Delicious Hot Sandwich Crepes

Makes 24 10" crepes

Cook up a batch of homemade gluten-free crepes as follows:  

Preheat 10" crepe pan over medium-high heat.  Blend together with a stick blender:
4 eggs
2 cups milk (lactose-free works great)
2/3 cup cold water
3/4 cups cornstarch
3/4 cups arrowroot starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Add and blend in:
4 Tbsp butter, melted


Butter pan only for 1st crepe.  Pour ~1/4 cup batter into pan, quickly pick up and rotate the pan around so the batter spreads out thinly.


Cook until batter appears dry, then flip crepe.  Cook briefly on the other side.  Each side should be lightly browned.  They cook up quickly, so keep a close eye on things.Put on plate, then repeat.  They can be stacked right on top of one another.  

Prepare fillings: 

cheese, thinly sliced (artisan or flavorful cheeses add great flavor)

ham, turkey or chicken, thinly sliced
baby spinach
fresh arugula

Preheat frying pan over medium heat.  
Place one crepe on pan.  Layer half crepe with:
1. cheese
2. meats
3. spinach and/or arugula

Layer toppings on half the crepe so you can fold in half, then in half again.

Let cook 30 - 60 seconds and then fold empty side of crepe over.   Let cook another 30-45 seconds and (using the spatula to help) fold the crepe in half again.  Cook each side of your crepe sandwich until cheese is thoroughly melted.

Fold in half, cook briefly, then fold in half again.  Cook each side until cheese has melted.

These easy crepe sandwiches are great served with something to dip them in like:
spicy or flavorful mustard
hot pepper jelly
Enjoy!!!

Delicious Hot Crepe Sandwiches by Successfully Gluten Free!

Pizza Stuffed Rolls

These are a great and easy thing to whip up for a meal or for made-in-advance lunches!  Everyone around here loves pizza, so this is like pizza in a sandwich!  Make sure you find gluten-free pepperoni, since many are not GF.  Enjoy!

A pizza stuffed roll sliced open so you can see the fillings. Yum!

Pizza Stuffed Rolls
Makes 6 large filled rolls

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare fillings: 
Have ready:
Spaghetti Sauce
GF pepperoni slices

Slice:
~12 large slices fresh mozzarella cheese

Mix in a small bowl:
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
salt + pepper
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)

In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients (you have 2 flour options, use Kristin's GF mix for a more robust, slightly denser roll, and the other flours for a lighter, fluffier roll - I tend to make the lighter, fluffier version):
2 tsp quick-rise yeast
1 tsp salt
and
3 cups Kristin's gluten-free flour mix + 1 tsp xanthan gum
OR
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
2 tsp xanthan gum

Add:
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
4 Tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Beat 3-4 minutes at medium speed.

Place batter in a ziploc freezer bag (make sure you use a high-quality freezer bag or it will tear as you try to pipe out your dough).  Cut 1/2" off one corner.

Pipe 6 swirls of dough onto parchment-lined or silicon-lined cookie sheet.  Try to use a little less than 1/2 the dough.
Fill each roll with the following, careful to leave a bit of space near the edge of the dough so it will seal properly when you pipe on the top:
Slices of fresh mozzarella
Spoonful of spaghetti sauce
3-4 pieces of GF pepperoni
Spoonful of ricotta cheese mixture

Pipe swirls of dough on top, starting from the outside swirling inward, so you get the best seal.  You can always wet your fingers to smooth any areas if you are worried you left gaps.

Place a cookie sheet upside-down on top of your cookie sheet to cover the rolls as they rise. (Put a bit of plastic wrap around the edges of the pans if they don't fit together well)  Let rise ~45 minutes in a warm location, until puffed up.  Bake at 350F for ~35 minutes, until nicely golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.  Enjoy!!!

Yes, cheese will ooze out of these while they cook, but no worries - they'll be plenty of cheese and delicious flavors still inside! 

I like to make these, slice them in half and freeze them in snack-sized ziploc bags for easy lunches!  They've quickly become a favorite with everyone! 

Ham & Cheese-Filled Rolls

These are my latest favorite invention.  Gluten-free bread dough needs to be softer/runnier than non-GF bread dough if you want a light, soft bread at the end, so it tends to make working with it rather tricky.  As I've done in my bagel recipes, this recipe finds a work-around in piping the dough onto the pan in a swirl, adding fillings, then piping on the top!  This way, you end up with an easy-to-make and delicious stuffed sandwich!  These have gotten rave reviews from everyone who's tried them.  They freeze really well, too.   There are two options for flour in this recipe - one for a slightly denser more robust roll and another for a lighter, fluffier roll. Both have been delicious and happily eaten.  Enjoy!

A roll made with the lighter flour mix (described in the recipe below).

A roll made with Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix for a more robust roll. 

Ham & Cheese-Filled Rolls
Makes 6 large filled rolls

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.  Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients (you have 2 flour options, use Kristin's GF mix for a more robust, slightly denser roll, and the other flours for a lighter, fluffier roll - I tend to make the lighter, fluffier version):
2 tsp quick-rise yeast
1 tsp salt
and
3 cups Kristin's gluten-free flour mix + 1 tsp xanthan gum
OR
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
2 tsp xanthan gum

Add:
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
4 Tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Beat 3-4 minutes at medium speed.

Place batter in a ziploc freezer bag (make sure you use a high-quality freezer bag or it will tear as you try to pipe out your dough).  Cut 1/2" off one corner.

Pipe 6 swirls of dough onto parchment-lined or silicon-lined cookie sheet.  Try to use a little less than 1/2 the dough.

Fill each roll with the following, careful to leave a bit of space near the edge of the dough so it will seal properly when you pipe on the top: You can use more toppings than I have - I prefer less meat overall, but they'll work perfectly well with lots of ham piled on. I've made them both ways.
Slices of high-quality old cheddar cheese
Slices of ham
1-2 tsp ranch dressing on top of ham

Dough piped onto the pan, then topped with high quality cheddar cheese.

Top cheese with ham, you can use more/less as desired.  Then put a bit of ranch dressing on top of the ham.

Pipe swirls of dough on top, starting from the outside swirling inward, so you get the best seal.  You can always wet your fingers to smooth any areas if you are worried you left gaps.

You can smooth out any spots that aren't completely covered by the dough to close any gaps.

Place a cookie sheet upside-down on top of your cookie sheet to cover the rolls as they rise. (Put a bit of plastic wrap around the edges of the pans if they don't fit together well)  Let rise ~45 minutes in a warm location, until puffed up.  Bake at 350F for ~35 minutes, until nicely golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.  Enjoy!!!

Fresh from the oven and transferred to a cooling rack.  You can eat right away, let cool and then eat, or freeze for later. 

I like to make these, slice them in half and freeze them in ziploc bags for easy lunches!  They've quickly become a family favorite!  Enjoy!

Omelet-Bagel Sandwich

Sometimes we just need a fun new idea to try.  I love whipping up batches of jalapeno-cheddar bagels and everything bagels.  I slice and freeze the leftovers and typically toast them and put on some cream cheese. But sometimes it's nice to have something different. Toast up a bagel, add an omelet, and serve with some fruit sliced nicely, and your ordinary bagel breakfast turns into a fancy, restaurant-worthy meal.  Enjoy!

To cook up an omelet:
Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. 
You can either butter your skillet or use a little extra light olive oil. 

Mix in a bowl:
1-2 large eggs (1 egg = 1 bagel sandwich, 2 eggs = 2 bagel sandwiches)

Pour into your skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Once you can tell the egg is beginning to become cooked, sprinkle over the top:
grated cheddar cheese

Fold in two sides of your omelet, then fold in the other two sides.  Let cook a bit more before flipping and cooking another minute or so on the other side. 

If you made a 2-egg omelet, cut it in half.  Pop onto your toasted bagel(s), serve with some fruit (like strawberries and oranges), and enjoy!

Sandwich time!

I tend to whip up double batches of my brown bread (honey whole wheat (minus the wheat) bread).  I make mini loaves and, when they're cool, I slice it nice and thin and freeze it for later.  Then, for a fun dinner for the kids, we toast up the bread and have all the toppings ready for them to make their own sandwiches.  The brown sandwich bread is particularly nice with meat and cheese, as we used here.  Enjoy!

Would you believe these lovely sandwiches were whipped together by a 7 year old? Yum!

Make a batch of the gluten-free honey whole wheat bread. Cool, slice, and toast.
Prepare toppings:
Thinly sliced roast chicken (I prefer the no-nitrate/preservative kind)
Sliced harvarti cheese (I used tomato & herb flavored havarti here)
Romaine lettuce, rinsed and broken into sandwich-sized pieces
Mustard
Mayonnaise

Pile together sandwiches as you please.  If you've got kids, they absolutely love being able to decide what to put on their sandwiches. 

Monty (7 yrs old) made these all on his own!

Gwen (2 yrs old) made her sandwich - with some extra meat on top. She was SO excited.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches (or tortillas)

BBQ beef sandwiches are one of those foods that are just so satisfying, particularly as weather gets warmer.  This recipe is great because you can eat the cooked beef as-is, which will taste nice, juicy and mild, or you can add your favorite bbq sauce to it for an extra kick.  Upon visiting my sister in Texas, I discovered that they like to eat dill pickles with their bbq sandwiches, and sometimes eat the beef and dill pickles all rolled up in tortillas - a fun and tasty option. Personally, I love the sandwiches on homemade hamburger buns! Yum! Whatever way you choose to enjoy your barbecued beef, these options for cooking will leave you with a delicious meal that everyone will enjoy!

Barbecued Beef Sandwiches

Serves 6-8

(3 lbs is great for 4-6 people, 5 lbs is great for 6-10 people)

There are two cooking options, Crock-pot and oven.  The oven method is below.  You can choose whichever works best for you!

1^st: Crock-pot Cooking

Place 3-5 lbs. beef chuck roast in a crock-pot

Combine, and then pour over beef:

½ cup ketchup

½ cup water

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 onion, chopped

Cook 5-6 hours on high. 

While cooking, you can whip up a batch or two of homemade hamburger buns or homemade corn tortillas.

homemade hamburger buns (you can make them w/out sesame seeds) AND homemade corn tortillas

 Scoop out meat and onions with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.  Remove at least half of liquid (set aside in case you need to add some back).

Break up the meat with a fork, return to crock pot.   You can let it cook on low until ready to serve.  You can also add your BBQ sauce directly to the beef while it's resting on low.

The thing I love is that this BBQ beef is full of onions. Yum!

Serve on your homemade hamburger buns with BBQ sauce.  I like to add a bit of honey BBQ sauce to add more BBQ flavor. 
You can also serve on homemade corn tortillas!  It's great wrapped in a tortilla with a dill pickle & BBQ sauce. 
Enjoy!

2^nd:  Oven Cooking

Place 3 - 5 lbs. beef chuck roast in a deep dish that is OK in the oven. Many have lids, but if not, tightly cover with 2-layers foil before cooking.

Combine, and then pour over beef:

½ cup ketchup

½ cup water

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 onion, chopped

Cook 5-6 hours at 300F/130C. 

Scoop out meat and onions with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Remove at least half of liquid (set aside in case you need to add some back).

Break up the meat with a fork. You can return it to the deep dish and add BBQ sauce now, if desired.

Serve on homemade hamburger buns with BBQ sauce. I like to add a bit of honey BBQ sauce to add more BBQ flavor.
You can also serve on homemade corn tortillas! It's great wrapped in a tortilla with a dill pickle & BBQ sauce. 
Enjoy!