Croque Madame

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings


Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, eyeball it
2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
2 slices white bread
2 large eggs
4 slices deli ham
4 slices deli Swiss cheese
Chopped parsley leaves, chives or thyme leaves, for garnish - choose from any or all on hand


Directions

Place a small sauce pot over medium low heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter in it. Whisk in a rounded tablespoon of flour and cook 1 minute or so. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble then drop heat to low. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Dijon. When sauce coats back of a spoon, turn off heat.


Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets, both over medium low heat. When butter melts add 2 large eggs to the first skillet, keeping the whites separate from each other. To the second skillet add 2 slices bread and toast lightly on first side then turn the bread. Top turned bread liberally with sauce and 2 slices of the ham and the Swiss cheese on each slice of bread. Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the tops of the open faced sandwiches. Cover the pan with foil and turn off heat. Let pan stand 5 minutes to melt cheese and set sauce and eggs.


Top sandwiches with chopped herb or herbs of choice and serve. Spoon any leftover sauce over top of the eggs before garnishing.

From: foodnetwork.com

Reuben Mac and Cheese

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* Salt
* 1 pound cavatappi, hallow corkscrew shaped pasta or, other short cut
* 2 slices rye bread
* 3 tablespoons butter plus some for buttering toast
* A handful fresh parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup spicy brown deli mustard (recommended: Gulden's)
* 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 1 cup shredded Gruyere
* 1 cup shredded yellow Cheddar
* 3/4 pound good quality deli corned beef, sliced as thick as bacon, chopped
* 1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and
cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta cooks, toast rye bread in toaster then butter hot bread.
Coarsely chop bread and place in food processor. Add parsley and
paprika to bread and process into bread crumbs, reserve.

Heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter to pot and melt, whisk
in flour 1 minute then milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper,
thicken sauce 5 to 6 minutes then stir in mustard. Melt 2/3 of the
combined cheeses into the sauce.

Preheat broiler.

Drain pasta and return to hot pot. Toss hot pasta with chopped meat
and sauerkraut to combine, stir in cheese sauce and coat. Transfer mac
n cheese to casserole and top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.
Brown under broiler 3 to 4 minutes, serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Swiss and Bacon Dip

Cook Time: 18 min
Level: Easy

Ingredients

* 8 slices center cut bacon, chopped
* 8 ounces softened cream cheese
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
* 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, available on dairy aisle
* 3 scallions, chopped
* 1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
* Baby carrots and a selection of spiced flat breads, cocktail
sized pumpernickel or rye breads, or sliced whole grain baguettes, for
dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp
bacon bits on paper towels.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and
scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or
baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18
minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and
surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.

Variation: Swiss and Bacon Dip with Horseradish - Stir in 2 rounded
teaspoons prepared horseradish when combining cheese and bacon.

From: foodnetwork.com

French Onion Tartlets

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings, 3 tarts per person

Ingredients

* Olive oil cooking spray
* 12 very thin slices white bread, crusts trimmed (recommended:
Pepperidge Farm)
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 large onions, very thinly sliced
* 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
* 2 teaspoons ground thyme or poultry seasoning
* Salt and black pepper
* 1 pound Swiss cheese, shredded

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray both sides of bread and press bread into small 12 cup muffin
tin. If you do not own a muffin tin, disposable tins are available on
the baking aisle of market. Place bread in oven and toast until
golden, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove and reserve.

In a skillet, melt butter into oil. Add onions and bay leaf, season
with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook onions until caramel colored, 15 to
18 minutes.

Turn broiler on.

Place spoonfuls of cooked onions in toasted bread cups. Discard bay
leaf. Cover onions with cheese and set tarts under hot broiler to
bubble and brown cheese. Serve hot.

From: foodnetwork.com