Sandwich Hot Dish - Ham and Turkey

I'm without a stove top right now and I'm not even sure when we're gonna fix it.  It's been one of those months . . .with a lot of unexpected expenses.  And then my glass-top stove top cracked and that is now the the icing on the cake.  Or the cheese sauce on the sandwich.  Which ever way you want to look at it.

And now I'm reduced to relying on the oven (which still works) and the microwave . . and let's not forget about all those electronic appliances that have accumulated over the years (that I tend to complain about all the time).   You know the ones . . .the sandwich maker, the Foreman grill, etc etc.  All of them great if you are only feeding yourself and not your family.

This hot dish though - this, this is a different story.  Ooey gooey cheesy.  Yummmmmmmmmm!

Sandwich Hot Dish - Ham and Turkey

Ingredients:

10 Slices of Bread, torn in pieces

1 lb Ham Lunch Meat

1 lb Turkey Lunch Meat

10 Tablespoons of Butter

3/4 Cup Flour

3 and 1/2 Cups Milk

16 oz of Processed Cheese, Cubed (such as Velveeta)

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

2 Tomatoes, Sliced

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahreneheit.  Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Step 2:  Place bread in the bottom of the pan, layering if needed.

Step 3.  Lay the ham lunch meat on top of the bread, distributing evenly.  Do the same with the turkey lunch meat.

Step 4:  In a pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk and cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened.  Add both cheeses and stir until melted and smooth.

Step 5:  Pour the cheese mixture over the turkey layer.  Place tomato slices on top.

Step 6:  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  

Balsamic Steak with Garlic Zucchini

This recipe is originally from Everyday Food.  As with most recipes, I customized it to my families tastes:  I added onion to the zucchini and used a different cut of steak (I subbed top round instead of using skirt steak).  I also used low-sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning in addition to the salt and pepper.  All this turned out absolutely wonderful.  The only thing I would do next time - is add sliced mushrooms to the zucchini in addition to the onion and garlic.  

  

Balsamic Steak with Garlic Zucchini 

(my version)

Ingredients:

2 TB Olive Oil

5 Cloves Garlic, minced

3 Medium Zucchini, sliced thin

1 Medium Yellow Onion, sliced

1.5 pounds Steak, sliced thin

3/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Low-Sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning

Salt & Pepper

Directions:  In a large skillet, heat 1 TB of olive oil over medium-high.  Add the onion, garlic and zucchini.  Sprinkle with the steak seasoning.  Saute until the zucchini is starting brown.  Transfer to dish.

Add remaining TB of olive oil to the skillet.  Season the steak with the steak seasoning.  Add to the skillet, arranging so that each piece lays flat on the bottom of the pan.  If all the slices don't fit, you can cook the steak in batches.  Sear the steak on both sides and then transfer to a plate.  Repeat this step until all the steak is cooked.  

Once the steak is all cooked and removed from the pan, add the balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until reduced by half.  Be sure to scrape up any tasty bits of steak etc from the pan.  As well, add any accumulated juices from the steak on the plate to the pan.   

To serve, drizzle the balsamic glaze over the steak and serve the veggies on the side.