Fried Rice

Ingredients
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 pound ham, diced, or about 2 cups cooked, cubed or shredded meat
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
3 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, white and green separated
1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) medley frozen corn, peas, carrots
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice 

Directions
Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the ham and cook stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onion is fragrant. Add the garlic and scallion whites and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen vegetables. Cook until just defrosted but still crisp. Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.
Return the pan to the heat and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir the eggs constantly and cook until almost set but still moist, then transfer egg to the bowl. Break the eggs up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the rice to the pan and use a spoon to break up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil. Stop stirring, and then let the rice cook undisturbed until its gets slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the scallion greens. Transfer to the bowl. Stir all the ingredients together with the rice, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1/2 Cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoon flour
1-1/2 Cup half and half
3 Cup cooked chicken
2 Cup cubed ham
1-1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Topping:
1/2 Cup  dried bread crumbs  (panko)
1 Tablespoon  melted butter
1/2 Cup  grated Swiss Cheese

Sauté onions in butter. Add flour and mix until smooth. Stir in  half and half and bring to a boil until thick, stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix together chicken, ham and cheese. Pour cooked sauce over the top and mix well. Mix together topping ingredients.  Taste for your salt/pepper preference.  Pour into 9x13 and sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

If freezing, cover with foil and freeze.

Pesto Focaccia Sandwich

Yields:  about 6 sandwiches

1 loaf of focaccia bread
1 jar of prepared pesto
½ pound thinly sliced Black Forest ham
½ pound thinly sliced roasted turkey breast
6 Provolone cheese slices
½ small red onion, thinly sliced

Cut bread in half horizontally using a serrated knife.  Spread pesto evenly over cut sides.  Layer ham, turkey, cheese and onion evenly over bottom half.  Top with remaining bread half.  Wrap in aluminum foil.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes until warmed.  Cut into six wedges.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Ingredients

1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

2/3 cup water

1 egg

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 slices white bread

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices turkey

4 slices ham

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Heat 5 inches of oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). While oil is heating, make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

 

Assemble sandwiches by placing one slice of turkey on one slice of bread, a slice of ham on another, then sandwich them with the Swiss cheese in the middle. Cut sandwiches into quarters, and secure with toothpicks.

 

Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

(from Allrecipes.com)

Ham and Cheese Sliders

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham

24 small slices Swiss cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup miracle whip

 

Poppy seed sauce

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 Tablespoon minced onion

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

 

** sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Nutty Ham and Apple Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 8 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
• 8 slices rye bread
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 1/2 pound fully cooked ham, thinly sliced
• 1 tart apple, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

• Spread mustard on each slice of bread. On four slices, layer the lettuce, tomato, cheese, ham and apple. Top with almonds and remaining bread. Yield: 4 servings.

Breakfast Pizza

This delicious recipe was inspired by this one from Our Best Bites.

French Toast Breakfast Pizzas
6 Whole Wheat English Muffins
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp. salt
10 dash's of Tabasco Sauce (optional, I have not tried it this way but have heard it adds a nice kick.)
12 thin slices of ham (sliced bite size) 10-12 slices of bacon crumbled
3/4-1 cup Cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, Swiss, or whatever you want depending on the flavor profile your looking for.
assorted chopped veggies such as mushrooms, green onions, peppers, tomatoes, olives etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray to keep the egg from sticking.  (The recipe from our best bites recommends spraying aluminum foil.  This does not work nearly as well as the parchment paper so I recommend sticking with parchment.)  In a pie plate whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and Tabasco sauce.  Soak each half of the English muffin in the egg mixture.  The muffin should hold some egg but not fall apart.  Place the English muffin cut side up on the baking sheet.   Sprinkle a small amount of cheese over each muffin then place the ham, bacon, or other choice of meat on each muffin.  Place your assorted vegetables on the meat and then top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes and serve immediately. 

These can also be individually frozen for a quick breakfast.  Be sure to let them cool completely before putting them in the freezer.  When it comes time to thaw you can microwave for about 90 sec (depending on the power of your microwave).  If you have some extra time you can thaw them for about 45 seconds and then pop them in a 400 degree oven for about  5 minutes.  They will come out crisp and delicious.

Eggs Benedict Crepes

4 eggs

4 slices of ham

1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese

4 crepes already made

Hollandaise sauce (Knorr mix)

salt and pepper to taste

Make your Hollandaise sauce. Keep it warm by putting the lid on it.

Poach eggs by pouring each one into a skillet filled with simmering water (brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer). Do this slowly by first breaking each egg into a small, tempered bowl and slowly pouring the egg into the simmering water. Swirl the egg white with a fork over the yolk so that it doesn't float away. Once all of the eggs are placed in the water, let simmer for 5 minutes, or until yolks are cooked to your preference.

Assemble crepes: Lay each crepe flat. Sprinkle half of the crepe with cheese and follow with a slice of ham. Fold over the other half. Place in a greased skillet over medium heat until cheese starts to melt. Flip over and warm the other side. It will get a slightly crisp crust. Transfer to serving plate and fold again, into quarters.

Place the poached egg on top of the folded crepe. Spoon Hollandaise sauce over the top and serve.

Variation: If you don't want to make crepes, you can serve the eggs over toasted English muffins.

Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

From cookinglight.com

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2/3 cup chopped reduced-fat ham (about 2 ounces)

1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 large egg whites

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add ham; saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add ham mixture, stirring with a whisk. Spoon mixture into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at for 20 minutes or until set.

Pizza Rolls

Favorite bread/roll dough or Rhodes Rolls
1 Jar Pizza sauce
2-3 cups Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Egg white
Favorite Pizza toppings: meat, veggies, olives, etc.
Mix sauce, cheese and favorite pizza toppings together.
Stretch dough into pizza like circles. If you’re using homemade dough, Pick up balls about the size of a Rhodes Roll. Put a scoop of toppings mixture into center of stretched dough. Fold dough over to make a p’zone or turnover type pocket. Brush with egg white and sprinkle
on Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the pockets are turning brown. Make sure that if your dough is thick in spots that those places are done through. Serve warm! You can also dip in more pizza sauce.

Orzo with Ham and Goat Cheese

1 lb. orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1/2 lb. sliced deli ham, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. mild, soft goat cheese, crumbled

5 scallions (or green onions), thinly sliced

Preheat broiler and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Cook orzo in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente (about 10 minutes). Reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water. Toss hot orzo with remaining ingredients, reserved cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl until cheese is melted. Transfer orzo mixture to baking dish and broil 2 inches from heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Eggs Benedict Squares

4 whole English muffins, split in half

2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

3 cups cooked and chopped broccoli or asparagus

1 cup chopped ham

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

8 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 recipe Hollandaise Sauce click here

Place muffin halves in a greased 9x13 -inch baking dish. Sprinkle halves with 1 cup cheddar cheese, the cooked broccoli or asparagus, chopped ham, and red pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl; stir in milk, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with Hollandaise Sauce.

Makes 8 servings