Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza

Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza

Your Easter dinner was a success!

The guests ate and drank and ate and drank their fill of mimosas, honey glazed ham, twice baked cheesy potatoes, pineapple bread pudding, roasted asparagus, french silk pie and more peanut butter filled chocolate eggs than you can count.

Some of the leftover ham was sent home with your relatives, but there is still 3 pounds of the spiral cut beauty sitting in your refrigerator.  After ham sandwiches, omelets filled with ham, and split pea soup with ham, what will you make with all that ham?

Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza is what will be for dinner tonight.  Flour tortillas stand in for the crust and are topped with a spicy marinara sauce, monterey jack cheese, diced ham and pineapple and a sprinkling of herbs.  A few minutes in the oven is all that is need to melt the cheese and crisp up the crust.

Your family will never know you are serving "leftover ham," and there is no need to tell them ;)

Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza

serves 4

4 (9-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup marinara sauce
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 1/3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup diced ham
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
dried oregano
dried basil
chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place tortillas on 2 large baking sheets.  Combine the marinara and barbecue sauces and spread about 2 heaping tablespoons on top of each tortilla.  Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese on top of the sauce followed by 1/4 cup each of the ham and the pineapple.  Sprinkle with a little oregano and basil.

Bake in oven for 6 - 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown and the tortillas are crispy.  Let cool 2 - 3 minutes before cutting in pieces and sprinkle with the parsley.

Dinner #1 of the 12 Dinners of Christmas -- Barbecued Turkey Sandwiches

You have had just about all the turkey you can eat. But wait. One more recipe to use up the last of the turkey in your refrigerator.

Pulled Pork is a favorite dinner at our house. I decided to make a version of Pulled Pork using our leftover Thanksgiving turkey that we cooked on the Weber grill. Barbecued Turkey Sandwiches are quick to make and appeal to everyone in our family.

I paired the sandwiches with a Fennel, Celery and Apple Slaw instead of the traditional cole slaw I make to serve with Pulled Pork. The super crunch of the celery and fennel make a nice contrast to the soft roll and sweet and spicy turkey.

You may be making another turkey soon so you can use the leftovers for Barbecued Turkey Sandwiches.



Barbecued Turkey Sandwiches

Serves 4

4 cups of cooked and shredded turkey
3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce - I use Sweet Baby Ray's
4 soft sandwich rolls, sliced

for the Fennel, Celery, and Apple Slaw

1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 medium apple, sliced thin
2 celery stalks, sliced thin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
big pinch of salt
big pinch of pepper

Combine turkey and barbecue sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

To make the slaw, in a large bowl, combine fennel, apple, and celery. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss dressing with the fennel mixture.

To make the sandwiches, divide the barbecued turkey among the rolls and top with a heaping scoop of the slaw. Place top bun on slaw and enjoy!

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New Jersey Steak Sandwich

When I was a recent college graduate (only about 20 years ago), my first "real" job was as a commercial real estate appraiser in downtown Chicago. I was single, commuting into the city on the train, wearing sneakers with my stodgy business suits, and carrying a briefcase with not much more than a folder, pen and a few business cards in it. My daily lunch group consisted of similar college grads in similar business attire who's main noontime topic consisted of where we were going to happy hour after work. One of our frequent lunch destinations was to a Chicago dining institution - Al's Italian Beef. The only item I would order was a hoagie roll dipped in au jus and loaded with italian beef and peppers. With a side of fries and a Coke, I could feel my cholesterol rising at the young age of 22.

Being at a different point in my life (18 years of marriage, 3 kids, and far from the world of real estate appraisal) and living in another city (actually a small, northern New Jersey town), I get the occasional craving for an italian beef sandwich. I came up with the New Jersey Steak Sandwich to remind me of lunching with my co-workers while working in the Big City.

I streamlined the process of making the sandwiches by grilling up two marinated london broils earlier in the week. One was for dinner that night, and the other was wrapped in foil, placed in a resealable bag, and stored in the refrigerator until later in the week. That way when dinner time rolled around on Friday, all I had to do was saute some onions, make a simple cheddar cheese sauce, and assemble the sandwiches.

I served the sandwiches with slices of watermelon and kettle chips. No Thank You boy opted out of the cheese sauce (crazy kid), and My Oldest and My Middle One decided to top from plain pasta from the refrigerator with the cheese sauce to make their own mac and cheese to go along with the steak. I still have enough left for a few more sandwiches for lunch the next couple days. The Husband is going to be a happy man.

New Jersey Steak Sandwich

for the marinated steak -
1 london broil - about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
4 garlic cloves, mashed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the marinade. Place the london broil in a resealable bag and add the marinade. Marinate for about 4 hours. Prepare a barbecue and grill the london broil over a hot fire for about 8 minutes per side for more on the rare side. Remove from grill, let cool and then wrap in foil, place in a resealable bag and stash it in the refrigerator.

for the sandwiches --
4 tablespoons butter
1 large Vadalia onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup beef stock


Heat a large saute pan to medium high and add butter. When it begins to foam, add the sliced onions and saute for 15 - 20 minutes or until softened and browned. Add Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and beef broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes then reduce the heat to low to just keep mixture warm.

for the cheese sauce --
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan, stir the milk and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves. Heat the mixture over medium high heat until it begins a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Stir in the cheese, mustard and salt until the cheese melts and the sauce is combined. Set aside.

To assemble the sandwiches --
1 cooked london broil
1 batch of sauteed and seasoned onions
1 batch cheddar cheese sauce
6 long rolls

Remove the london broil from the refrigerator and slice into bite sized pieces.

Add the meat to the onion mixture and just heat through. Slice the rolls and top with a generous portion of the meat and onions and a large dollop of the cheese sauce. Replace the top of the roll and smash down a little. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Grilled Steak Gyros with Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa and Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce

Some foods are best when purchased from a local joint on a street corner. Philly Cheesesteaks. Chili dogs. Thin crust pizza. Cheese fries. The other day I saw one of those faded posters of a gyros as I was driving by an old restaurant. Can I make a gyros as tasty and tempting as that rundown-looking place? The challenge was on!

A gyros is pita sandwich with meat (typically pork, lamb, beef, chicken, or a combinations of meats) and tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki - a yogurt and cucumber sauce. Having grown up in Chicago, gyros were available on lots of street corners. I remember the huge skewers of lamb hanging in the windows of many a restaurants.

I like gyros because by eating one, you are covering many of the basic food groups in the Food Pyramid in a single sandwich. Meat category (beef) - check. Grain category (pita) - check. Fruit and vegetables category (tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers) - check. Dairy category (sour cream) - check. This new Food Pyramid looks different than the one I knew from 30 years ago in elementary school. What the heck?! It includes categories for Physical Activity and Discretionary Calories i.e. junk food. That is not the Food Pyramid of the 1970s. I think the gyros does a pretty good job covering the foods I need to eat relatively healthy.

My gyros dinner fit well with our evening. It was a pretty typical night at our house. Lacrosse practice at 6 p.m. Softball game at 6 p.m. When does dinner fit into that schedule? I marinated the steak earlier in the day and grilled it up right before we left for our evening’s events. Covered it with foil and headed out the door. When we got home a couple hours later, I sliced up the steak super thin, gently heated it on low power in the microwave and piled it into a pita with a fresh tomato basil salsa and cucumber sour cream sauce.


The reviews came rolling in. We all enjoyed the steak even if we had it different ways. The meal lends itself to our varying tastes. A couple kids - No Thank You Boy and My Middle One - ate just the steak with a side of fresh salsa and tortilla chips. The Husband spiced it up with a little Tabasco. My Oldest and I ate ours as traditional gyros. "Very flavorful meat. I can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow," commented The Husband. "More steak for me," said No Thank You Boy.

Full stomachs = Happy family.

Grilled Steak Gyros with Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa and Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce

serves 5 with leftovers

5 pitas
1 sirloin steak, about 2 pounds
1 large vadalia onion, chopped, about 2 cups
4 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons salt


Cucumber sour cream sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 kirby cucumber, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
dash of salt
dash of pepper


Fresh tomato basil salsa
about 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 kirby cucumbers, diced
1/4 small red onion, diced
8 – 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
drizzle of olive oil
dash of salt
dash of pepper


For the marinade, combine the onion, garlic, lemon juice, thyme, cumin, oregano, sugar, pepper, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until onion is finely diced and all ingredients are mixed well. Place steak in a large resealable bag and add marinade. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours; about 4 hours would be good.

For the cucumber sour cream sauce, combine the sour cream, cucumber, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the fresh tomato salsa, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a grill to high. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill for about 6 – 7 minutes per side or until medium rare. Remove from grill, cover with foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes. After resting period, slice steak very thinly.

For each gyros, pile a pita with the sliced steak, tomato basil salsa, and cucumber sour cream sauce. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Savory Creamy Chicken Mini Pastries

After making way more Chicken Verde than our family could possibly eat in a million tostadas, it was time to come up with some new recipes for the remaining chicken. I decided to make an appetizer for Friday afternoon. I like to have a little something special to celebrate the end of the work week. And the snack goes well with an icy beer.

Using up some premade pie crust from the freezer, I mixed the tomatillo-seasoned chicken with a little chopped onion, a couple cheeses, melted butter and sandwiched it between mini pastry circles. Savory Chicken Mini Pastries were born in my kitchen on Friday afternoon.

Lots of advice was offered by my kids while making the little pastries. One knew the best way to roll out the dough, another thought there should be more filling in each pastry, and a third wasn't too sure about the addition of seasoned bread crumbs as a topping. Lots of hands made for quick work of the snack preparation.

Enthusiasm for my cooking and cooking in general has grown in my family since my blogging began. And not only in my family, but in our friends as well. I even receive culinary pictures on my phone from my kids' and their friends while they are eating out. Here's to endless culinary curiosity.

Savory Creamy Chicken Mini Pastries

makes 16 pastries

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used leftover Chicken Verde)
3 ounces neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons milk or cream
4 premade pie crusts
1 egg, beaten
seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Roll out one of the pie crusts and cut out 8 3-inch circles. A biscuit cutter works will for this. Place 4 of the circles on the baking sheet and top with a generous teaspoon of the chicken mixture. Top with the remaining pie crust circles. Use a fork to seal the edges of each pastry. Brush with the beaten egg and top with a sprinkle of the seasoned bread crumbs. Repeat with the remaining pie crusts.

Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes until nicely browned. Serve warm.

*Note - this recipe makes more of the chicken filling than will be used in the pastries. Heat the remainder of the chicken filling in the microwave and serve with pita or tortilla chips.

What a Meatloaf!

Meatloaf is one of those old standby recipes. I usually have the ingredients to throw one together, and it is preferred by 4 out of 5 family members. No Thank You Boy likes his beef in steak form. Before developing this recipe, my meatloaf was pretty good. Nothing to write home about, though. But, this recipe has taken my loaf to new heights. It is adapted from cooking software called Mastercook. I served it with some mashed Yukon gold potatoes and some Trader Joe's frozen green beans. A beefy gravy was poured over everything to produce a good rib-stickin' meal.

I can't wait for the leftovers that will be tomorrow's lunch....a meatloaf sandwich. Multi-grain bread, Dijon mayo (couple tablespoons Dijon mustard to about a 1/2 cup of mayo), slab o' meatloaf with melted Swiss all over. I'll be getting many meals out of the one loaf!

Magnificent Meatloaf

serves 5

1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 garlic gloves, chopped
2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, place the ground beef, pork, and veal along with the eggs and breadcrumbs.  Melt butter in saute pan and saute onion, and celery for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, spice mix, Worcestershire sauce, evaporated milk, and ketchup. Simmer until this has thickened, about 3 - 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove bay leaves and combine with meats, eggs, and breadcrumbs.

I like to make mine in a loaf pan to keep the meatloaf juicy. Also, try it in a free form loaf if you want it with a more crunchy crust. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly before slicing.

Stroganoff Meatballs

I tried a new recipe tonight for Stroganoff Meatballs. Many times a stroganoff recipe calls for thin strips of beef. Even though it is a quick method to make stroganoff, it isn't my favorite. I like meatballs. I served the stroganoff over Kluski noodles; a thin egg noodle which are a favorite from my childhood.  They are great in tomato soup. Only 2 family members were around for the Stroganoff Meatballs tonight. One loved it and had 2 servings - that would be me. The other member liked it, and had 1 serving with 2 bowls of  noodles.

Stroganoff Meatballs with Kluski Noodles

serves 5

for meatballs --
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup plain bread crumbs
4 eggs
6 stalks of celery pureed in food processor, squeeze out excess liquid
1 medium onion chopped in food processor
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

for sauce --
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

12 ounces Kluski noodles or other egg noodle, cooked and drained


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For meatballs, gently combine all ingredients in large bowl. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and bake for about 30 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cover to keep warm.

For sauce, melt butter in large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute for about 5 - 8 minutes or until softened.  Mix in broth, wine, mustard, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 - 4 minutes. Mix together the flour and water in a small bowl. Gradually add mixture to the saucepan while stirring constantly. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until the sauce slightly thickened. Stir in yogurt and salt and pepper. Taste for correct seasonings. Add in meatballs and gently heat until warmed through. Serve over noodles and top with chopped parsley.

Night of the Leftovers

The Super Bowl has come and gone. My team lost but, the party must have been a success because I have a messy house to show for it. If parties are rated on the quantity and quality of food, this one was one of the best. Pulled pork and coleslaw, italian meatballs, chicken wings, dim sum, bacon wrapped pineapple with barbecue sauce, layered taco dip, potato skins, spicy cheese dip with tortilla chips, three bean chili, hotdogs, chex mix, broccoli salad, grilled hot and sweet sausage, shrimp boiled in beer, reese peanut butter cup brownies, cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, oreo cheesecake, muddie buddies, beer, wine, margaritas, soda, -- just to name a few items on the menu last night. Needless to say, I will be handing out the leftovers around the neighborhood. I will try to refrain for doing too much cooking at home this week but, that is usually a losing cause. I did not even mention the 12 homemade pizzas waiting in the freezer that did not even make it out of the freezer. Maybe I'll scale done the menu for the next party. NOT!!!

No recipe posting today. I'll be back to cooking as soon as I digest from yesterday.