Dollars to Donuts posts Tagged ‘sandwich’

Mozzarella-Stuffed Burgers with Arugula Pesto

Posted by Dawn Welch

mozzarellastuffedburgersBite into this mild-mannered-looking burger and you’ll get a cheesy surprise and the big flavors of garlicky arugula pesto. My burgers come off the same grill that has been at the Rock since it first opened 70 years ago (it was the only piece of the kitchen that was unharmed from the fire), and it has probably grilled about 21⁄2 million burgers since then. I mean, off of that grill came burgers to feed our boys going off to World War II and coming home from ‘Nam. It served the hungry during the Depression. When I think of all the people who have been comforted by the food coming off of that grill, it gives me perspective and makes me happy that I can keep the Rock and its amazing history alive.

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Pesto
1 cup (about 4 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
About 2 cups arugula
1⁄2 cup toasted pine nuts
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4–1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Burgers
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons canola oil
6 hamburger buns, toasted

Make the pesto. Place the Parmesan, arugula, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a food processor and blend for 15 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, and process until the pesto is smooth, about 10 seconds more. Taste and add the salt if necessary.

Stuff the burgers. Take 1⁄3 cup meat mixture and form it into a flat circle, about 4″ in diameter. (Make the patty slightly larger or smaller depending on the width of your mozzarella cheese slice—the patty should be just slightly wider than the cheese slice.) Place a piece of cheese in the center and top with another 1⁄3 cup meat mixture, also flattened into a circle. Seal the edges shut and repeat with the remaining meat and cheese, until you have 6 filled hamburger patties.

Cook the burgers. Heat the canola oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the pan (as many as will fit), cover, and cook until browned, about 3 to 6 minutes per side. Place each burger on the bottom half of a bun, top the burger with about 2 tablespoons pesto, cover with the bun top, and serve.

Ham and Provolone Melts with Cranberry Relish

Posted by Dawn Welch

hamandprovolonePrep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min

Between you and me, my ham leftovers rarely make it into soup or a salad because my family just gobbles them up in sandwiches. I slice leftover ham and freeze it in individual portions, so anyone can defrost some for a sandwich anytime. When you consider that sliced deli ham costs upwards of $7 per pound, and your whole ham cost $2.40 per pound, you’ll feel really good about stacking a few slices on bread. This sandwich is a bit more work than your basic ham and Swiss, but it’s so much tastier.

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Cranberry Relish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3⁄4 cup orange juice
1 cup dried cranberries

Sandwiches
8 bread slices
3⁄4 pound (about 12 slices) sliced deli ham or homemade baked ham
4 slices provolone (or Swiss)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Make the relish. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and add the cranberries, bring to a simmer, cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently until the cranberries are plump and most of the juice has been absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Use an immersion blender or small food processor to pulse the cranberry mixture until it resembles jam, about 10 seconds.

Assemble the sandwiches. Heat the oven to 250°F. Spread each slice of bread with 1 heaping tablespoon of the cranberry relish. Stack the ham on 4 slices, cover each with a piece of cheese, and top with another slice of bread.

Cook the sandwiches. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches to the pan and cook, covered, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining sandwiches. Slice in half and serve immediately.

D2D
Store meat, poultry, and fish on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator toward the back of the cabinet to keep it at its freshest. that’s where it’s the coolest and where the temperature fluctuates the least.