Cinnamon Sugar Crusted PB&J

 

Oh my goodnessssss... peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are love.  And while I've had many toasted before, never have I thought of giving it a cinnamon-sugar, crispy coating...until a few weeks ago.  I got the idea when I saw somebody at Bruegger's order a cinnamon sugar bagel with peanut butter and jelly, and I thought that was pure genius. This was super easy and made the classic sandwich even more amazing.   I would definitely advize you toWhen you bite into this heavenly delight, your taste buds experience a warm, rich, and gooey peanut butter and jelly mixture, but also a crispy, cinnamon sugar sweetness...causing the sandwich to be completely irresistible.  It was so good, I barely even savored the moment because I ate it so darn fast!  I would highly advise you to have a cold cup of milk handy...you'll definitely want to refresh your sticky mouth(: The picture above is the side without the cinnamon sugar, because the cinnamon sugar side didn't look too appetizing since it turned almost black...even though it wasn't burned...it was just toasted.  I promise you that it tastes way better than it looks! (But the side in the picture looks pretty, right?) The next time I make this, I'm going to try [different variations]...like peanut butter and banana, peanut butter and apple, almond butter, flutternutter...you can really take any type of nut butter sandwich and transform it into a super awesome sandwich with a cinnamon sugar crust! Yum!


Yield: 1 sandwich

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon butter, softened (preferably salted, but unsalted is fine too)
2 slices sandwich bread
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon jelly




Instructions:

Mix together the sugars and cinnamon, set aside.

Spread each slice of bread with butter, on one side. (Each slice should have about 1/2 teaspoon)

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread (side without the butter). Spread fruit spread over peanut butter. Place the bread with the peanut butter and fruit spread on it, butter side down in the skillet.

Top with remaining slice of bread, leaving the butter side out. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the bread.

Cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden. If some cinnamon sugar mixture falls off, spoon it back onto the top of the sandwich.  Remove from pan, slice if desired and enjoy.

Philly Cheese Steaks

Jersey Mikes's Philly Cheese Steak:

And mine:

so tender...so juicy...so cheesy...

Have you ever had Jersey Mikes's legendary Philly Cheese Steak??  If you haven't, then you have no idea what you're missing.  That sandwich (ordered with just steak and cheese, and some mayo if you like mayo...I don't like it with the added peppers and mushrooms) is definitely one my top 3 best sandwiches I've ever had (I can't decide if it's first, 2nd, or 3rd compared to my triple decker flutternutter found here and my classic flutternutter found here).  I received an email from America's Test Kitchen with some recipes, and this Philly Cheese Steak recipe was one of them.  I'd been wanting to make this amazing sandwich ever since my first bite into Jersey Mikes's four years ago.  Of course, there was no doubt in my mind that the America's Test Kitchen one wouldn't be incredible, since they test it so many times.  And I was right....this recipe is the bomb.  It tastes so much like the philly cheese steak at Jersey Mikes!  They only difference is the meat.  The Jersey Mikes meat is a little more tender, probably because it's marinated much longer.  This recipe has thicker cuts of meat, but it's super juicy and every bite is filled with the cheesy goodness from the white american cheese - my favorite cheese of all time.  A Philly Cheese Steak has to have white american cheese for it to be good...trust me.  I also wrapped up a left over sandwich and stuck it in the fridge to have for lunch cold the next day, and it was sooo tasty.  I know...a philly cheese steak cold???  Yeah.  It's just that good.

SERVES 4

If skirt steak is unavailable, substitute sirloin steak tips (also called flap meat). Top these sandwiches with chopped pickled hot peppers, sautéed onions or bell peppers, sweet relish, or hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 2pounds skirt steak , trimmed and sliced with grain into 3-inch-wide strips
• 4(8-inch) Italian sub rolls , split lengthwise
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/8teaspoon pepper
• 1/4cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8slices white American cheese (8 ounces)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Place steak pieces on large plate or baking sheet and freeze until very firm, about 1 hour.
2. 2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread split rolls on baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. 3. Using sharp knife, shave steak pieces as thinly as possible against grain. Mound meat on cutting board and chop coarsely with knife 10 to 20 times.
4. 4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half of meat in even layer and cook without stirring until well browned on 1 side, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until meat is no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer meat to colander set in large bowl. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sliced meat.
5. 5. Return now-empty skillet to medium heat. Drain excess moisture from meat. Return meat to skillet (discard any liquid in bowl) and add salt and pepper. Heat, stirring constantly, until meat is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle with Parmesan, and shingle slices of American cheese over meat. Allow cheeses to melt, about 2 minutes. Using heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, fold melted cheese into meat thoroughly. Divide mixture evenly among toasted rolls. Serve immediately.

Classic Fluffernutter Sandwich

 

Ahh the fluffernutter.  I would take this over peanut butter and jelly any day.  This has been a favorite of mine since longer than I can remember.  But what's better than a fluffernutter?  Well..my ultimateTriple Decker Nutella Banana Fluffernutter (found here) is just as amazing...or a hot flutternutter.  It's just your classic peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich, but it's nuked in the microwave for a couple seconds to get it warm and gooey and insanely delicious.  You know when you have an ice cream cone and you're standing under the sun and it melts and you have to lick it off really fast?  That's what's probably gonna happen with this sandwich after you microwave it.  The melty marshmallow and peanut butter will ooze out of the center of the sandwich...but it just makes it even more exciting to eat(:  If you've never had a flutternutter, make this sandwich. You haven't lived until you've had one.  But just a warning: you may never go back to peanut butter and jelly again.


Ingredients:
2 slices of bread (white is best)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2-3 tablespoons marshmallow fluff (depending how sweet you like it)

Directions

1. Spread the peanut butter onto one slice of bread. Spread the marshmallow creme onto the other slice. Place the bread topping-side-up onto a microwave-safe plate. Cook in the microwave on High for 30 seconds. Place the two halves together and serve.

Sloppy Joes

 

  

How can you not smile when you think "sloppy joe"? I have many childhood memories of me attempting to eat sloppy joes, and then having a tantrum because the meat would fall out the other end of the bun.  But I'd scoop it up and eat it all anyways, since it tasted so darn good! There is something wonderfully fun about getting to eat a burger/sandwich that is messy by design.  Even though this is kind of a kid food, I will always love it.  This is definitely the BEST sloppy joe recipe out their.  My family never bought the canned or packaged stuff again after making this.  It's so quick, easy, and simple, yet perfect in every way: Beefy, juicy, ketchupy, slightly sweet, flavorful, and a little bit sticky (by "sticky" I mean it holds together pretty well...it doesn't crumble apart).  I love topping mine with sharp cheddar cheese and serving it with a side of corn.  Mmm..the perfect meal.  And it's also great as a dip!  I hope this brings back some childhood memories for you, too.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

S'mores Toast/Sandwich

I think this is my best toast creation yet!!! It's even better than s'mores.  It's everything you love about s'mores, but on a piece of toast.  I guess you could say it's healthier - kind of...I did make mine on whole wheat bread...and nutella is all natural, so I guess that makes it healthy, right?  Broiling the marshmallows really makes them taste exactly like they would roasting them over a fire.  The outside gets brown and slightly crispy, and the inside is warm and gooey and oh so delicious!  Just watch very closely when broiling it because it will brown really quickly.  I caught mine just in the nick of time...and I like mine pretty toasty brown.  I wasn't sure whether to use marshmallows or fluff, so I decided to use both(:  I think the fluff tasted better, but it was SO hard to put on top of the nutella/graham cracker layer smoothly, so I just ended up blobbing it on. The marshmallows browned faster than the fluff, so the toast looked kind of funny, but I'm telling you: it was the best toast I've ever had!

Ingredients:
1 slice of bread ***
1-2 tablespoons nutella
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
handful of marshmallows and/or a few spoon fulls of marshmallow fluff


Instructions:
1. Set oven to broil.
2.  While oven is broiling, toast bread.  Spread nutella immediately over hot toast.  Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, and then marshmallows and/or plop on fluff.  
3.  Place toast in a small, ungreased pan.  Broil the toast until marshmallows brown (watch closely to prevent burning because they brown very fast!)
4.  Remove toast from pan and enjoy.


*** If making a sandwich, add a piece of toast on top of the toasted marshmallows after broiling, and add another tablespoon of nutella to that slice.

Mashed Banana Toast/Sandwiches

Do you mash or slice your bananas???


I would guess you have probably been slicing them your whole life.  Well, here's something new to try: MASH 'EM! All it does it make it creamy.  It's literally like creating your own banana spread.  Especially if the banana is really ripe...mashing a ripe banana will make it taste way better than a greenish banana (since ripe bananas have more sugar). Did you know that they sell banana peanut butter?  I don't understand why would anyone buy that when you can just make it yourself.  Anyways...instead of your usual peanut butter and sliced banana toast/sandwiches that I'm sure you've been doing for as long as you can remember, just mash the banana!  You can mix other spreads in with the banana if you want to change it up even more.  


Mashed Banana Toast/Sandwich:


Ingredients:
1 slice of bread, toasted   (or 2 for a sandwich)
1/2 to 1 ripe banana (depending how big it is)




Instructions:
Mash the banana as chunky or creamy as you'd like.  Spread mashed banana on hot toast.


***Add a slice of bread on top to make a sandwich if you prefer.  Toasting is optional. 


Variations:  Mix into mashed banana mixture before spreading on top of bread...

• peanut butter
• nutella
• honey
• melted chocolate chips (flavor of your choice)
• cocoa powder
• cinnamon
• blueberries
• almond butter (or other nut butter of your choice)
• chopped or sliced strawberries
• crushed Nilla Wafers
• toffee bits
• coconut flakes
• dash of vanilla extract
• brown sugar (this is very sweet..but delicious)
• chopped nuts of your choice
• grape nuts (or other cereal of your choice.  Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch is really good too)
• caramel sauce
• whipped cream
• chocolate sauce/syrup
• pudding
• maple syrup
• jelly 
• yogurt

Melted chocolate chips & banana:

Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, and Banana:

Peanut Butter, Banana and Chocolate Chunks:

Mashed Banana and Nutella Sandwich:

Almond Butter and Banana:

Spread it on graham crackers!

Peanut & Apple Butter Sandwich

What's your favorite healthy snack? I can bet you apples with peanut butter is at the top of your list.  It is definitely at the top of mine. My favorite peanut butter and apple combo is a big, juicy pink lady apple sliced and dipped into Smuckers All Natural Creamy peanut butter. Mmmm...so good!  So I made this nutritious snack into a very delicious sandwich.  It's apples and peanut butter, but I also added some apple butter. The crunch from the crisp apple makes this sandwich way more exciting and appealing than your typical peanut butter sandwiches.  And if you've never had apple butter, you really should, because it's really, really good.  Especially on bread.  It has a little thinner consistency than jelly, and it's very sweet and goes perfectly with peanut butter - especially on this sandwich(:  I bet some of you are bored of your usual pb&j, so give this a try.  You won't regret it.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread  (you can toast it if you want...I did)

2 tablespoons peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

1-2 tablespoons apple butter (depends how sweet you like it)

about 1/4 of an apple, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread.  Spread the apple butter on the other half.  

2. Place enough apple slices in one even layer on one bread slice to completely cover that bread side.

3. Place filling side of opposite slice on top of the bread slice with the apple slices, cut if desired, and enjoy.

Orange Tuna Salad Sandwich

This is a very nutritious, filling, protein-packed sandwich that I have every week.  It's definitely much healthier than your typical tuna salad sandwich with mayo and cheddar cheese.  I love adding nuts to sandwich salad recipes...anything that adds a crunch is a plus in my opinion.  The orange juice adds just the right amount of sweetness, and the yogurt instead of mayo makes this sandwich very creamy as well.  I have tried his sandwich with lime and lemon juice as different substitutes for the orange, and I each of them.  However, my favorite would have to be the orange juice.  Orange also tastes the best with pecans.  This recipe is also delicious with a handful of chopped orange (or clementines, tangerines, or any other orange-like citrus fruits) slices.


Ingredients:
2 slices bread
1 container solid white tuna in water, drained well
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons (about a handful) of chopped pecans (optional)


Instructions:
1. Combine the tuna and celery
2. Add the yogurt and orange juice.  Mix well so that there are no big yogurt clumps.
3. Stir in the nuts.
4. Cut in half and enjoy.

Honey Apple Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is probably my second favorite sandwich ever, behind my signature triple decker.  I absolutely love chicken salad, but I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise (have you seen what's in that stuff!?).  Just the thought of mayonnaise grosses me out. One thing I love about a sandwich is when it has both meat and a fruit...it makes the sandwich so refreshing and the taste is perfectly balanced.  The ingredients in this recipe are so simple, and it may not sound good to you at first, but try it.  I have it every time we have leftover chicken in the refrigerator.  Honey and apple taste so good together, and the crunchiness of the celery and apple - pink ladies are the best! - make this sandwich over-the-top delicious.


Ingredients:
2 slices bread (I use Arnold 100% whole wheat, like always)
4 oz. skinless chicken breast, torn into small pieces
handful of diced apple (about 1/4 of a large apple) 
handful of chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
1 heaping tablespoon of honey greek yogurt


Instructions:
Mix together all the filling ingredients (everything but the bread) well and put it on a piece of bread.  Place the other slice on top.  Cut in half (it is kind of sloppy to eat..this makes it much easier) and enjoy.