Chicken Salad with Bacon & Mandarin Oranges

I love this chicken salad.

I love it's savory sweet flavors, 

I love that it's easy to make, 

and I love that is consistently a hit at any gathering I serve it. 

It's a great salad.

Like many great family recipes, it doesn't really have an exact recipe, just more of a make it how you like it kinda preparation.  

To make this salad you will need the following ingredients:

I start by baking ten slices of bacon in the oven at 400 degrees until crisp.  If you prefer to fry your bacon in a skillet--feel free ;-) Set aside to cool.

Remove meat from a whole Costco rotisserie chicken (discarding skin and bones) and place bite size pieces in a large mixing bowl.

Add desired amount of Best Foods Mayo and diced celery.

Add 1/4 tsp Onion Salt, 1/4 tsp White Pepper & 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Crumble reserved bacon in bite size pieces and stir into salad.

Drain Mandarin oranges (I use one can or half of a large plastic container) and VERY gently fold them into the chicken salad.  Be careful not to break up the orange sections.

This salad is excellent served on croissants.  If I'm hosting a party, I serve it on mini croissants.  It also tastes wonderful served up on a buttermilk biscuit. 

So Tasty.

Chicken Salad with Bacon & Mandarin Oranges

1 whole Costco rotisserie chicken, meat removed and broken into bite size pieces.

10 slices bacon, baked or fried crisp, then crumbled into bite size pieces.

Desired amount of good quality mayo, such as Best Foods

Desired amount of diced celery

1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning

1/4 tsp Onion Salt

1/4 tsp White Pepper

1 can or 1/2 large plastic container of Mandarin Oranges, drained. 

Serve on croissants

Bake ten slices of bacon in the oven at 400 degrees until crisp.  If you prefer to fry your bacon in a skillet--feel free ;-) Set aside to cool.

Remove meat from a whole Costco rotisserie chicken (discarding skin and bones) and place bite size pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add desired amount of Best Foods Mayo and diced celery. Add 1/4 tsp Onion Salt, 1/4 tsp White Pepper & 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning. (Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste). Crumble reserved bacon in bite size pieces and stir into salad. Drain Mandarin oranges (I use one can or half of a large plastic container) and VERY gently fold them into the chicken salad.  Be careful not to break up the orange sections. Serve on croissants.

Enjoy!

~The Lemonista

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Awesome Ham Hoagies --A Tailgating Favorite!

These ham hoagies totally rock. They are super easy, feed a crowd, and can even be made ahead and frozen!  My mom's been makin' them as long as I can remember and served up on a cold day, they're the quintessential hot ham sandwich. With melty Swiss cheese and tangy Dijon mustard, my mouth waters just thinking about them. Try them with salty chips and peperoncinis--Perfection.

Combine softened butter, poppy seed, onion, mustard, and Worcestershire.








Spread butter mixture on both top and bottom buns.
*The cheap hamburger buns in a bag work great for these.


Place bun bottoms in a 9X13" baking dish.


Layer on ham and cheese, then the top bun.










Wrap baking dish in foil and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (Or freeze before you bake for later use).


Serve with peperoncinis.


Joy's Ham Hoagies
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1 Tablespoon onion, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tsp. prepared mustard (such as Grey Poupon)
8 hamburger buns
8 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 lbs. shaved ham

Combine softened butter, poppy seed, onion, mustard, and Worcestershire. Spread butter mixture on both top and bottom buns. Place bun bottoms in a 9X13" baking dish. Layer on ham and cheese, then the top bun.  Wrap baking dish in foil and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  May be prepared and frozen (before baking).  Serve with peperoncinis.


This is my favorite brand of Peperoncinis. I even like to pour a little peperoncini juice on my plate and let the ham hoagie's bun soak it up. YUM!

Enjoy!

~ The Lemonista

California Reuben Sandwich

Continuing on my sandwich kick, I have another family favorite for you today.


Back in 1968, my mom and her post-college roommate decided to take a girls trip from chilly Pennsylvania to sunny Southern California. They rented a cute Volkswagen Beetle and cruised the beautiful beaches of the West coast.

Along the way, my mom fell in love with a special California Reuben Sandwich that was unlike anything she'd eaten growing up in PA.  She ordered this every place it was on the menu and when she returned from her trip, she duplicated the sandwich to make at home.  Forty-three years later my mom still makes this sandwich and so do I. 

Making this cold sandwich is simple, with fresh ingredients and good ranch dressing being the key.

California Reuben Sandwich
Thinly sliced ham from the deli counter (I like honey or brown sugar ham)
Sliced Swiss cheese
Fresh alfalfa sprouts
Sliced avocado
Rye bread
Ranch dressing

*My FAVORITE ranch dressing is made from the Hidden Valley Buttermilk Recipe Ranch Dressing packet.  I always use buttermilk and Best Foods Mayo when making my ranch.



Just looking at these photos is making my mouth water. Of course what's not to love about a sandwich slathered in cool creamy ranch. YUM!

Enjoy!

~The Lemonista

Southwestern Monte Cristo Sandwiches

I'm probably dating myself here, but do you remember the show FRIENDS?  I so miss that Thursday night escape. *sighs*  My favorite FRIENDS character was Joey.  His loyalty, his oblivious reactions, and his hysterical antics never failed to entertain, but if I had to pick one thing about Joey that really hooked me...It was his love of sandwiches.

Check out this classic episode clip of Joey & his sandwich:
http://youtu.be/VQ0x9Bt7caA

I love sandwiches.  They're easy to make and always seem to hit the spot. You can eat them hot or cold and the flavor combinations are almost endless.  Overall, I'm a pretty reserved person. Truly, it takes a lot to ruffle my feathers.  But if you want to see the claws come out...go after my sandwich. Heck, just reaching you hand across my plate would place your fingers in peril. LOL.  Seriously though, I am territorial about my food. Respect that, and we'll get along just fine. *grin*


Moving right along, I'd like to introduce to you a super tasty sandwich! Everyone, this is Southwestern Monte Cristo Sandwich.  Southwestern Monte Cristo Sandwich, this is everyone.

To make this sandwich you will need the following ingredients:


In a mixing bowl beat two eggs, add 1 tablespoon of milk and two dashes of Tabasco sauce. Set aside.


Grab two slices of sandwich bread.


Spread one side with a thin coat of good Mayo.


Spread the other with red jalepeno jelly.


Now add thinly sliced mesquite flavor turkey breast from the deli to one side and a slice of pepper jack cheese to the other.


Put your sandwich together.


Quickly roll sandwich in egg mixture (do not let it sit and soak).


Place egg coated sandwich in a skillet with melted butter over medium heat.


Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt cheese and warm the meat through.


Flip once side has browned and cook the other side.


Cut in half and serve.




I love the spicy sweet bite of this sandwich.  It's wonderful served with your favorite black bean soup or side dish, or just serve it up with some yummy chips.

Southwestern Monte Cristo Sandwich
Yields 4 sandwiches.

8 slices sandwich bread
Good Mayo
Red Jalapeno Jelly
8oz Thinly sliced mesquite turkey breast from deli counter
4 Slices pepper jack cheese (you can double this if you want)
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon milk
2 Dashes Tabasco
Butter for skillet.

In a mixing bowl beat two eggs, add 1 tablespoon of milk and two dashes of Tabasco sauce. Set aside. Grab two slices of sandwich bread. Spread one slice with a thin coat of good Mayo and the other with red jalapeno jelly. Add desired amount of turkey lunch meat to one side and a slice of pepper jack cheese to the other. Put sandwich together and quickly roll in egg mixture (do not let sandwich soak). Melt butter in a skillet and fry sandwich over medium heat until both sides have browned.  Cut in half and serve.

Hope you enjoy!

~The Lemonista

Turkey Focaccia Bread Sandwich w/ Roasted Garlic Mayo!

Oh, how I enjoy a great sandwich!

I met my husband while waiting tables at Marie Callender's in college.  One of our favorite items on the menu (besides pie!) was this tasty turkey Focaccia sandwich.  19 years later, I'm still making this sandwich.  Hope you enjoy it too!

You will need.

Roasted turkey breast, romaine lettuce, roasted red peppers, Italian Focaccia bread & roasted garlic mayo.

I start by making the roasted garlic mayo.  Slice the top off of a head of garlic and place it into a baking dish.  Drizzle the top of the garlic with olive oil, cover and bake at 400 degrees for 45 min.  The garlic should look golden brown when roasted.




To make the mayo, squeeze the roasted garlic out of its shell into a small food processor or blender, being careful not to get any of the paper skin. The heads should just pop out.




Add one cup good quality mayo, such as Best Foods brand.


Blend until combined.


Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.


Next, slice your Frocaccia bread horizontally.  I get my Frocaccia bread at the grocery store bakery.


Brush both sides with olive oil.


And toast the oiled side of bread in skillet.




Slice desired amount of romaine lettuce and roasted red peppers.




Slice desired amount of turkey breast.  I use the rotisserie turkey breast from the grocery store deli.


To assemble the sandwich, spread both sides of bread with the roasted garlic mayo.


Layer the one side with sliced turkey breast.


Layer on the sliced roasted red peppers.


Layer on the romaine lettuce.


Place other half of bread on top of sandwich.




I know it's hard to tell scale in photos, but this is a 12 inch plate, so this is a huge sandwich!
I cut the sandwich in half.


Added toothpicks and cut the sandwich in half again.


Serve this up with some chips or an Italian pasta salad! Sooooooooooooo good!


Enjoy!

~The Lemonista