Sandwich King

I have always been a big fan of sandwiches, but ever since we crowned the new winner of Next Food Network Star, Jeff Mauro, I have been craving nothing but sandwiches! His new show Sandwich King, is looking like it is going to be a new fave for me!
Tonight, I crowned myself the Sandwich King Queen and created this little beauty:

{Chicken Club Panini}

Complete with marinated grilled chicken, sharp cheddar, bacon, homeade chipotle mayo, tomato and avocado, all piled on country bread, this sandwich is a mouthful! It was juicy, spicy, smoky, creamy and crunchy all at the same time. Too large for even this sandwich afficianato to finish, it satisfied my hunger and fed my soul at the same time.

I leave you with Jeff''s motto: "You can turn any sanwich into a meal, and any meal into a sandwich." Words to live by, indeed! 

Panini Power!

Combine getting a new panini press with the New Year and eating healthy and what do you get? A healthy panini! Where did I turn for inspiration? Why, Hungry Girl of course! I subscribe to her daily emails full if tips, recipes and news. I happen to get one last month with a recipe that I immediately printed out. It was a makeover on the Panera Bread Frontega Chicken Panini, which I eat OFTEN. Well, I was SHOCKED to found out that my favorite lunchtime delight has 860 calories! Yikes!!! Lucky for me Hungry Girl came to my rescue and made her version of it. The HG Mega-Delicious Chicken Chipotle Panini. Now do you get why I printed it out immediately??!! This past week I made up a batch of the chicken and the chipotle mayo and easily assembled one for lunch not once but FOUR times! It not only tastes exactly like the real (fattening) thing, but it is filling too!

Looks like way more than 256 calories, doesn't it? Tastes like it too!

PS You should not only subscribe to the HG emails, but check our her new show on Cooking Channel as well. Both are chock full of tips and tricks for those looking to slim down! But then again, this hungry girl adores anyone with the initials HG! ;)

I got a panini maker!!

I have been wanting a panini maker for quite some time now, and this year, Santa (IE my sister Jan) came through! Eager to try it out, we consulted our booklet from the Food Network Magazine, 50 Panini. We combined the idea of #22 and #27 and made our own Spicy Steak Fajita Panini.

Fresh Ciabatta, siracha mayonnaise, provolone, grilled flank steak, peppers and onions combined to make the perfect inaugural panini!

The spicyness of the mayo, the sweet of the peppers and onions, the grilled flavor from the steak...perfectly delicious! You can't get this at any sandwich shop!

Tailgate, take nine

The last tailgate of the year was special for a couple reasons. One, it was the day after Christmas, so everyone was happy and ready to go! Two, it was the last game of the year, so you have to savor the moments...it's a long time until the next one! And three, my adorable nephew, Dustin, was my partner in crime this time. Now, Dustin is not what you would call a foodie, so nothing life-changing here. And lucky for us, I lost the first ladder-ball tournament, so I had to do cooking! Dustin's meal of choice was a Turkey-Cheese panini, the Dustini, if you will!

These bricks sure have come in handy this year!

Nice, hearty sandwich for a chilly Miami day!
Let it be known that I won the second round of ladder ball, so Dustin had to buy the burger and fries at half-time! :)

Tailgate, Take five

I am getting pretty good at this tailgating thing, if I do say so myself! No boring burgers or dogs here! Not that there is anything wrong with them once in a while, but I think keeping it exciting is important. This week, I went with the same theme as last time and did a panini again. This time, the inspiration came from Food Network Magazine and their 50 Great Panini booklet from the October Issue. My partner in crime this week was Amanda, and we went with #20, the Steak and Gruyere Panini.

Curious about what's in that other foil??? Stay tuned! :)

Rain was definitely an issue, and I was very afraid that we would end up sad, soggy sandwiches, but we made friends with nearby tailgaters and shared their tent. I still got pretty wet, but it was worth it for this delicious pre-game treat!

Yes! That's Asparagus! At a Tailgate!! I told you I keep it exciting!

 Not pictured, chocolate croissants I baked the night before. Yes, I am that good!

Tailgate, take four

For the majority of our tailgates, I let the decisions of what to make be made by my brother, Scott. This time he did not disappoint! Inspired by a sandwich he had in a hospital cafeteria, of all places, this panini is not normal tailgate fare. Then the question was, how do you grill a panini in a parking lot? Foil covered bricks, of course!

Inside that sandwich is salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone and a good slathering of Italian dressing. A few minutes on each side, and it turned into a crusty, melty sandwich of goodness. Serve it up with some of Tammy's homemade potato salad, and that is one filling meal...enough to carry one from pre-game to post-game!

What did we name this lovely concoction??? The FININI!!!! Get it? lol!

And to wash it down? Jello shots, of course!

All in all a great tailgate! The outcome of the game was not as good, but (and I am getting tired of saying it) at least the food was good!