Oven Baked Shrimp Po-Boys

Miss F could eat her weight in fried shrimp. I am tempted to take her to Red Lobster for their endless shrimp special just to see how many she could eat, but the problem would be that she would probably reject the shrimp they serve there. She always hates kids' menu shrimp because "there is more fried part than actual shrimp." I agree. The main issue with frying shrimp at home is that the fried shrimp smell lingers for quite a bit. I had never served a po-boy to Miss F before, but she was a huge fan! She didn't have a single topping, just shrimp and bread, but she loved it. I had all the toppings (and all the shrimp!) These po-boys are generous with the shrimp, a half pound on each sandwich. Feel free to convert the recipe to serve four half sandwiches if you are serving them alongside something else.

Oven Baked Shrimp Po-Boys

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon relish
hot sauce

¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 pound shrimp
2 sub rolls
1 tomato, sliced
½ cup chopped lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish and hot sauce to taste. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, salt and cayenne pepper. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. In a third shallow bowl, add the Panko. Grease a sheet pan with cooking spray. Peel and devein the shrimp. Dredge the shrimp in the flour, then dip in the egg-milk mixture and finally toss in the Panko. Place the shrimp on the prepared pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until shrimp is starting to brown.

Split each roll; top with half of the lettuce, then half of the tomato and half of the shrimp. Drizzle each with the sauce and serve.

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Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

Miss F loves sandwiches for dinner. As long as they are hot sandwiches, she still refuses to eat any kind of lunchmeat, which certainly makes packing lunches trying. I love any excuse to make a homemade sandwich bun (I served these on cheddar hamburger buns, one of my favorites.)  Dr. Pepper pulled pork is so incredibly easy and it's even easier with the Instant Pot.   I am using the Instant Pot so often these days, I have finally gotten the hang out it.  This was Miss F's choice for her dinner on her first day of school...second grade, where is the time going?  She also selected the tator tots.  Not shocking.

Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

4 pounds pork shoulder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup Dr Pepper

Cut the pork shoulder into 4 or 5 pieces, trimming any large pieces of fat. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Coat the pork pieces with the spice mixture and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the oil to the Instant Pot and set it to Sauté. Sauté the pork pieces 3 minutes per side until it is browned an all sides. Pour the Dr Pepper over the pork . Set the machine to cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Close up the pot. After it is done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the pork from the pot and shred with two forks, discarding any large chunks of fat. Toss the meat with the cooking liquid. Serve on hamburger buns, topped with barbecue sauce and pickle slices.

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Instant Pot Hula Chicken Sandwiches

Who all ended up with an Instant Pot from Amazon Prime Day?  I had been debating get one forever, but the hype of Amazon Prime Day forced me to finally take the plunge.  This is the first recipe I made with it and it was delicious.  But it certainly took a lot of studying to figure out how to change a regular crockpot recipe to one that works in the Instant Pot.  I may have had some operator error with the steam valve, but once I got everything figured out, it was a snap.  I wasn't expected the force of the quick pressure release at the end...that is going to take some getting used to for sure.

Instant Pot Hula Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup water
½ cup crushed pineapple and juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese

In a two cup measure, whisk together the water, pineapple, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, vinegar, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot and pour the pineapple mixture over the chicken. Close up the pot and set to Poultry for 15 minutes. After it is done cooking, release the vent and shred the chicken. Serve on sandwich rolls and top with a slice of cheese.

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Shredded Beef Torta

One of the first things I ever ordered at my favorite late night college hangout (aka La Tapatia) was a torta. Pechuga de Pollo torta with NO beans. Emphasis on the "NO." I am no fan of beans and even after 20 years of living in Texas, I still cannot stomach them.  I also learned that if I omitted the Pechuga part of the order, I would get a not as delicious shredded chicken instead of a chicken breast.  I love making bolillos and having tortas at home.  I usually have chicken or pulled pork, but I was in the mood for a shredded beef torta.  And Kroger had roasts on sale for under $2 a pound.  And the shredded beef torta was born.  And it is delicious.  Messy, but delicious.

Shredded Beef Tortas
Makes 6 tortas

1 recipe southwest shredded beef
6 Bolillos from this recipe or purchased
12 leaves of green lettuce
2 avocados, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 recipe best ever queso or queso of your choosing

Prepare the southwest shredded beef in the crockpot. Slice the bolillos lengthwise and then cross wise. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each bottom half of the bolillo. Top each with avocado and tomato slices, then add a generous helping of the shredded beef. Top the beef with a spoonful of queso. Serve.

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Hula Chicken Sandwiches

By far my favorite use for the crockpot is to make shredded meat. It is so easy to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning and come home to perfectly tender meat by day's end.  These Hula Chicken Sandwiches were a great spin on my usual Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches.  I served them on my most favorite brioche buns along side sweet potato waffle fries, which are the only sweet potato fry that Miss F will touch.  It's nearly the same with regular fries, she doesn't love them, but she will inhale waffle fries.  This recipe was inspired by Betty Crocker.

Hula Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 cup crushed or diced pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese

In a two cup measure, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and Sriracha. Pour the mixture into a crockpot and add the pineapple. Place the chicken breasts on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken and shred, return to the crockpot and increase the heat to high. Cook, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened; if the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pineapple juice. Toast the split sandwich rolls under the broiler for 1 minute. Serve the shredded chicken on the toasted bun topped with a slice of cheese.

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Animal Style Burgers

My family loves In n Out burgers.  Every time we visit California, we make our traditional stop at In n Out on the way to the airport.  Usually this results in some sort of spill in the car, but it is totally worth it.  The sauce is what really makes the burgers.  That and the super fresh ingredients.  Texas finally has In n Out, but the closest one is a three hour drive, so I don't get to have them as much as I would like.  This is a recipe from Food Network and my only issue with it was that it made the patties a little too thick for doubling up.  I changed the recipe to halve the meat, which should produce a patty more comparable in size to what In n Out serves.

Animal Style Burgers

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 large onions, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
½ teaspoon white vinegar
1 pound ground beef chuck
4 hamburger buns, split
¼ cup sliced dill pickles
8 lettuce leaves
4 to 8 thin slices tomato
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup yellow mustard
8 slices American cheese

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and salt, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 30 minutes. (If the onions brown too quickly, reduce the heat to low.) Uncover, increase the heat to medium high and continue to cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 8 more minutes. Add ½ cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer, stirring, until the water evaporates, about 2 more minutes; transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar in a bowl; set aside. Shape the beef into 8 patties, about 4 inches wide and ½ inch thick.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat; lightly brush with vegetable oil. Toast the buns on the griddle, split-side down. Spread each toasted bun bottom with about 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture, then top with a few pickles, some lettuce, 1 or 2 slices tomato and another dollop of the mayonnaise mixture; set aside.

Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, put the patties on the griddle and cook 3 minutes. Spread about 1 ½ teaspoons mustard on the uncooked side of each patty, then flip and top each with 1 slice cheese; continue cooking about 2 more minutes for medium doneness. Top 4 of the patties with caramelized onions, then cover with the remaining patties, cheese-side up. Sandwich the double patties on the buns.

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Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteaks

I love anything "Buffalo-ed." Sndwiches, salads, chowder, etc... So when I saw this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteaks on Stick a Fork in It, I knew I would enjoy it.  C was very wary of these sandwiches.  He was pestering me in the kitchen the entire time I prepared them.  Turns out, all his worry was for not, he polished off his entire sandwich.  I made one for Miss F without the Buffalo sauce, I offered her some on the side with dinner, but she was happy with just a plain chicken cheesesteak.  Warming the whole sandwich in the oven was great, though C would have preferred his "toastier."

Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteaks

4 sub rolls
8 slices provolone cheese
2 tablespoons butter
½ sweet onion, sliced
1pound chicken breasts, sliced thin
¼ cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Slice the sub roll nearly all the way through, lay two slice of cheese in each, then place each on a large piece of foil.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter, once the butter has melted add the onions and sauté for three minutes, until golden brown. Add the chicken, salt and pepper to taste and sauté three minutes more, until the chicken is no longer pink. Pour the wing sauce over the chicken, toss well to coat.

Fill each sub roll with ¼ of the chicken, wrap each sandwich in foil and warm in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve.

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Spicy Mango Chicken Sandwiches

My friend Courtney introduced me to Pick-a-Peppa spicy mango sauce.  A few years later she discovered that she is allergic to mangoes. We were at a party with mango sorbet added to champagne and she had a nasty reaction. So, no more mangoes for her. I had a similar experience with a late in life allergic reaction (tree nuts,) so I can totally relate.  I love this sauce, the combo of spicy and sweet is perfect on these sandwiches. I used Bolillo rolls for these sandwiches, but any sub roll will work fine. Thanks to Cookaholic Wife for the inspiration.

Spicy Mango Chicken Sandwiches

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno pepper
¼ cup shredded pineapple
1 tablespoon spicy mango sauce (I use Pick-a-Peppa brand)
4 sub rolls
8 slices provolone cheese

Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan with a lid, cover with water and add the salt, jalapeno pepper and juice from the pineapple. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and shred with two forks. Slice the jalapeno. Toss the shredded chicken with the pineapple, hot sauce and jalapeno.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toast the sub rolls in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, spoon the chicken mixture in each roll and top each with two slices of cheese. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese melts. Serve.

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TexMex Pulled Pork Sandwiches

When I first moved to Texas, I had never tried queso. Once I tried it, there was no going back. Any party is made better with a crockpot, a block of Velveeta and a couple cans of Rotel. This pulled pork recipe would be equally amazing in tacos, enchiladas or burritos, but served on a bolillo roll with queso would be my top pick. I only intended to eat half of this sandwich, but I may have devoured the whole thing.  I cannot believe I didn't eat queso for nearly 20 years of my life, what was I thinking?  Imagine if I hadn't gone to college in Texas.  I wonder if I ever would have tried it.

TexMex Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 pork shoulder roast
½ cup salsa verde
1 cup of beer

1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons sour cream
juice from one lime
½ teaspoon salt

8 bolillo rolls
queso (jarred or Velveeta variety)

Combine cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and mix until combined. Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray and layer the onions over the bottom. Add pork to the crockpot and cover with the seasoning mixture. Pour the salsa and beer over the roast, then cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Shred the pork with two forks and return to the crockpot for 20 minutes more. In the mini-chop, process the avocado, sour cream, lime juice and salt until smooth. Serve on bolillo rolls smeared with the avocado sauce and topped with queso.

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Baked Crispy Chicken Sandwich

I always make sandwiches at least once a week in the summer. I am particular about sandwiches though, your regular sub sandwich with lunchmeat just doesn't cut it. I have to have a warm sandwich and crispy chicken sandwiches are one of my favorites. I hate frying things at home though, it smells like oil for days.  I used bolilo rolls for the sandwich, but any roll would work well, just make sure to cut the chicken breast to accommodate whatever roll you prefer.  Thanks to LoveKeil for the recipe inspiration.

Baked Crispy Chicken Sandwich

¼ cup buttermilk
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice of ½ lemon
4 sandwich buns
romaine lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, garlic, mustard, hot sauce and salt. Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes at room temperature. Dredge the marinated chicken in breadcrumbs. Place the chicken on a greased baking sheet. Spray the chicken with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Whisk together the mayonnaise with the lemon juice. Spread the mayonnaise on the buns, top with the chicken, lettuce and tomatoes.

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Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

We moved into a new condo in Snowmass and there is a great gas grill out on our patio that I would be happy cooking on every single night if I could. Miss F disagrees, she thinks that everything from the grill tastes burned (except corn on the cob.)  We had grilled chicken sandwiches twice during our last trip and those nights were battles at dinner time.  I thought these sandwiches were amazing, messy as can be, but it was a delicious mess.  They were inspired from these Cobb Salad Sandwiches.

Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

2 large chicken breasts
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar

1 tomato, sliced
1 cup baby spinach
1 avocado, sliced
½ cup ranch dressing
4 sandwich rolls

Cut each chicken breast into two sandwich sized pieces. Add the chicken to a tupperware container, pour over the water, salt and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for four hours.

Preheat grill to medium high heat and prep the rest of the ingredients. Grill the chicken for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove chicken from grill.

Split the sandwich roll, top with the chicken, a slice of tomato, ¼ cup of spinach, ¼ of the avocado and 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing. Top with the sandwich bun and repeat with the remaining rolls.

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California Fish Sandwich

I used to be obsessed with a California sandwich served at the café in Nordstrom. It was a chicken sandwich with avocado spread and alfalfa sprouts served on focaccia. It was amazing. And it was probably on the menu there 20 years ago. Times and tastes have changed, I still love sprouts, but I have not been able to find them anywhere.  I tried Central Market, Kroger, Trader Joes, Fiesta and Whole Foods. No sprouts at any of them.  My friend recommended ordering the seeds off Amazon and growing them yourself.  Desperate times!  The avocado spread was from BHG.

California Fish Sandwich

1 avocado, halved, seeded, and peeled
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
4 small white fish filets (I used snapper)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
4 wheat buns
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cucumber, sliced thin

In a blender or food processor combine avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, mustard, and sugar. Cover and blend until smooth; set aside.

Rub the filets with the oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add the fish to the pan skin side down and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the fish over and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes more, until the fish is cooked through.

Split the wheat buns in half and brush the inside with olive oil. Broil the buns, oil side up, for 1 minute or so, until nicely toasted.

Spread the bottom half of each bun with ¼ of the avocado spread. Top each with snapper, sliced cucumber and sprouts. Add the top of the bun and serve.

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Southwest Shrimp Po-Boys

I love a good sandwich. Especially one that involves seafood. Nothing beats a good crabcake sandwich because I am still a Maryland girl at heart, but moving south introduced me to the beauty of a good Po-Boy. So I decided to merge the traditional Cajun po-boy with all the southwest ingredients I have come to love living in Texas.  The traditional remoulade is swapped out for a rich avocado cream sauce and hints of cumin and spice are added to the fried shrimp.  What you get is a perfect shrimp sandwich.  Miss F had her shrimp plain, she doesn't get the seafood sandwich love just yet, but I know one day she will.

Southwest Shrimp Po-Boys

1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
vegetable oil, for frying

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
dash of hot sauce

4 Bolilo or small sub rolls
½ cup chopped green leaf lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk. In another shallow dish, combine the Panko, flour, cumin and cayenne pepper. Toss the shrimp in the egg and milk mixture and then dredge in the Panko mixture. Refrigerate the shrimp for 15 minutes to set the coating. Heat two inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Fry the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, remove and drain on paper towels.

Stir together the avocado, sour cream, lime juice and hot sauce.

Slice the rolls in half lengthwise, layer the lettuce, tomato and shrimp on the bottom layer. Spread the avocado cream on the top layer and place on the shrimp. Serve, slicing each in two.

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Salmon Club Sandwich

I do not like lunchmeat. I will eat ham, if forced, but I don't enjoy it. Sliced turkey is just a no go. So a club sandwich has never been an attractive sandwich for me. But I adore salmon more than any other fish.  When I saw a recipe for avocado aioli in Food & Wine, I knew the perfect use would be on a salmon club sandwich, where the boring sliced turkey is swapped out for salmon sautéed in bacon grease.  Yum!  Miss F wasn't having any part of this sandwich, she enjoyed a plain bacon sandwich instead, which is what my grandma always served to me.  And equally as good as a salmon club sandwich.

Salmon Club Sandwiches

8 slices bacon
½ pound salmon filets
6 slices sandwich bread
½ avocado
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 roma tomato, sliced
½ cup baby spinach

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through. Remove to a paper towel and drain all but two teaspoons of the bacon grease. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the salmon and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove any skin from the salmon and flake into large chunks.

Toast the sandwich bread.

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the sour cream, garlic and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon ¼ of the avocado mixture over one slice of toast. Layer ¼ of the flaked salmon over top, then two slices of bacon, then add a couple tomato slices and a layer of spinach leaves. Top with a second slice of toast, spoon ¼ of the avocado mixture, then salmon, bacon, tomato and spinach. Top with a third slice of toast. Secure with two toothpicks and slice in half. Repeat for the second sandwich.

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Mexican Red Snapper Sandwiches

One of my most favorite sandwiches is a Fishamajig from Friendly's (don't judge!) This sandwich here may overtake the Fishamajig in my heart.  Snapper is usually two or three bucks a pound at the seafood market, so it is usually my go to fish.  These sandwiches were on the table in less than 15 minutes and tasted amazing.  If your grocer doesn't have bolillo rolls, any sub roll will work.  Though if you can get your hands on bolillos, it will be best (and they only cost 25 cents!)  I always forget how much I love radishes, these add such a great crunch.  I probably should have only eaten half of the sandwich, but I devoured the whole thing.

Mexican Red Snapper Sandwiches
adapted from Rachael Ray

2 avocados, mashed
1 tablespoons minced red onion
1 jalapeno, minced
1 lime, ½ juiced and ½ cut into 4 wedges
Salt
6 radishes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 boneless, red snapper fillets, patted dry
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 bolillo rolls, split

In a medium bowl, combine the avocados, onion, jalapeno and lime juice; season with salt and set aside. Toss the radishes with the vinegar in a small bowl, set aside. Dust the fish fillets on both sides with the flour and chili powder; season with salt. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the skillet, cook until opaque around the edges, about 1 ½ minutes; turn and cook for 30seconds more. Spread the guacamole on the roll bottoms, then top with a layer of radishes and the fish fillets. Set the roll tops into place and serve with the lime wedges.

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Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

These were loosely inspired by enjoying Spicy Pineapple Chicken so much while we were in Aspen that I wanted to use more pineapple this summer and once I got home, I knew I wanted to use my crockpot while we enjoyed our day on the boat all day. We had a great time on the boat, we even saw some dolphins, and when we returned home, the pork was ready and the house smelled amazing. I just warmed some sweet potato fries in the oven and dinner was served. Miss F gobbled up the pork, no bread needed for her.  One day I will try my hand at making my own Kings' Hawaiian Rolls, but for an easy summer meal, store bought works just fine.  And the bonus is that Miss F and I have leftover pork to have once C returns to Aspen for the work week.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 pork shoulder
1 can crushed pineapple in juice (8 ounces)
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons Sriracha
½ onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed

Add the pork shoulder to the crockpot. Whisk together the pineapple, ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard and Sriracha in a 4 cup measure. Add the onions and garlic to the crockpot, pour the sauce overtop. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Shred pork 30 minutes before serving. Return shredded pork and sauce to crock pot and reduce heat to warm. Serve on Kings Hawaiian rolls.

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Crabcake Sandwiches

Growing up in Maryland, there was usually always some version of a crabcake sandwich on most menus. Even if the sandwich was just a crabcake sandwiched between two Saltine crackers. Whenever we went out, I usually ended up ordering one. Now when I moved to Texas, I got so many great new foods...queso, brisket, fresh tortillas...but I lost my beloved crabcake sandwich. They just don't exist on restaurant menus down here. You may find a crabcake appetizer, but generally they are just not good. It is a shame, since Texas blue crab is acutally quite delicious. Luckily, I can make my own perfect version of the crabcake sandwich here at home. I prefer to fry the crabcake for a sandwich instead of broiling it since it holds up better on the sandwich that way. Now if I could only get my hands on some homegrown tomatoes in Texas. The ones in my mom's garden aren't doing so hot. Feel free to add lettuce to the sandwich, but I leave it off because it makes the sandwich too slippery to eat.

Crabcake Sandwiches

½ cup mayo
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon pickle relish
1 tablespoon capers, minced
1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 egg
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced parsley
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Old Bay to taste (I use about 1 tablespoon)
½ pound crabmeat
½ cup crushed saltines
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 sandwich buns
1 large tomato, sliced

Make the tartar sauce by stirring together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, relish, capers and Sriracha. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mix together the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice and Old Bay. Add crab and crackers and stir gently to combine. Form into four patties and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry the crabcakes, about a minute or two per side until golden brown.

Serve on sandwich buns with sliced tomato and tartar sauce.

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SRC: Crockpot Texas Chicken Sandwiches

There were three things I hadn't eaten before moving to Texas: queso, guacamole and ranch dressing. My waistline would be better if I had never indulged in any of them, but you cannot live in Texas without those three staples. When I saw there was a recipe for Texas Chicken on Mom's Test Kitchen for this month's Secret Recipe Club, I knew it was the choice for me. I wouldn't be a true Texan if I didn't gravitate to it. And it couldn't have been easier. I decided to use the recipe in sandwiches, which made for a great weeknight meal, especially when served on my favorite brioche buns.  Next time, I will use the meat as a filling for tacos.  I may have gone back for another half sandwich hours after dinner...I really liked it!

Crockpot Texas Chicken Sandwiches

½ onion, sliced
2 chicken breasts
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1 can Dr. Pepper (12 ounces)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Brioche buns
Dill pickle slices
Ranch dressing
American cheese

Lay the onion slices in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the chicken breasts on top of the onions. Add the remaining ingredients to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred any large pieces that might still remain. Serve the chicken on toasted brioche buns with pickles, ranch dressing and cheese.

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Pulled Mango Chicken Sandwiches

My friend Courtney took a trip to Grand Cayman a bit back and she brought me back a bottle of Mango Ginger Sauce. The sauce is has a sweet, vinegary flavor and it is great on meat. I decided to make a recipe for pulled chicken based off of the flavors of the sauce.  This sandwich would also be amazing with grilled fresh mango slices on it, though I always struggle with slicing a fresh mango.  Those slippery devils are near impossible to grip!  Of course I served it on my favorite roll, Brioche Buns.

Pulled Mango Chicken

½ onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup mango nectar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mango ginger sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
½ teaspoon ginger
4 buns
1 avocado, sliced

Add the onion and ginger to the bottom of the crockpot. Lay the chicken overtop. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, nectar, oil, soy sauce, mango ginger sauce, Sriracha and ginger. Pour the broth mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the crockpot and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve on toasted buns with avocado slices.

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California Chicken Sandwiches

I am not a big burger fan. When I was a kid, I refused to eat them. I usually got a chicken sandwich instead and I still prefer it. This is my ultimate sandwich. Nordstrom Cafe used to serve a very similar sandwich on foccacia bread years ago. I have tried my best to replicate their sandwich replacing the foccacia with my favorite brioche buns. This sandwich has all my favorites: bacon, cheese and avocado. If you aren't a huge sprout fan, lettuce and tomato work just as well.  One day I will try and figure out how Nordstrom got their foccacia tall enough to slice in half for a sandwich.

California Chicken Sandwiches

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 slices bacon

4 slices provolone cheese
4 brioche buns
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup alfalfa sprouts

Cut each chicken breast in half. In a shallow dish, combine the oil, lime, garlic, Worcestershire, hot sauce and salt. Add the chicken breasts to the dish, turning to coat evenly. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through. Drain the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Remove all but on tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through. During the last minute of cooking, top each chicken piece with 3 half slices of bacon and a slice of cheese. Assemble the sandwiches on the brioche buns each with a piece of chicken, avocado, and sprouts. Serve.

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