The French dip is a very popular hot sandwich. Chances are you have made them at home or had them at your favorite restaurant. With this recipe you can make your own French dips completely from scratch. This recipe does not use deli roast beef but the slow cooker method. The slow cooker does all of the cooking for you, so this recipe does not require much work. The Au Jus comes right out of the slow cooker from the cooking process and it is the highlight of this recipe for sure. I like to add a variety of vegetables into the slow cooker with the roast to add more flavors. Some of the vegetables I added were celery, carrots and onion. This recipe is perfect for dinner or a party. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
½ cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (crushed)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
20 slices French bread
provolone cheese (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: remove any visible fat from the roast and discard the fat. Place the roast into a slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, beef bouillon cube, bay leaf, black peppers corns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the roast. Add enough water to almost over the roast. Add any vegetables if you desire. Cover and cook in the slow cooker for 10 to 1 hours on low heat until the roast is very tender.
Step 2: Remove the roast from the broth (reserving the broth). Shred the roast with two forks. Place shredded beef onto sandwiches.
Step 3: Place the reserved broth into cups or small bowls for dipping.
(Makes 10 Servings)

This is a recipe to make homemade baked beans completely from scratch. I see a lot of recipes using canned baked beans but this recipe is not like that at all. These baked beans will go great with your fish fry or several other dishes. These are great for parties or cookouts and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a large crowd. They require a little work and a bit of baking time but they are well worth it. The beans are soaked overnight, boiled, mixed with a sauce and baked. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 cups navy beans
1/2lb bacon
1 onion (finely diced)
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup brown sugar

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Soak navy beans overnight in cold water. The next day simmer the beans in the same water until tender (about 1 to 2 hours). Drain and reserve the liquid. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2: Place a layer of the beans into a lightly greased casserole dish. Place a layer of bacon and onion on top of the beans. Repeat layers.
Step 3: In a saucepan combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the mixture over the beans and pour enough of the reserve bean water to cover the beans into the casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the  tinfoil halfway through cooking and add more liquid to prevent the beans from getting too dry if necessary.
(Makes 6 servings)

This recipe is perfect for chicken cordon bleu lovers. This amazing pizza combines all of your favorite chicken cordon bleu ingredients such as cheese, chicken and ham. Instead of using chicken flavored gravy I decided to go with alfredo sauce and it turned out nicely. I used a cheese combination of shredded provolone and mozzarella cheeses. For the chicken, it is covered with bread crumbs, fried in the pan and then sliced. Using a premade pizza crust saves a lot of time in my opinion but you could make your own. The pre-baking of the crust will stop it from becoming soggy on the bottom. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast
1 egg
Butter (for frying)
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
½ cup shredded provolone cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup alfredo sauce
½ cup ham steak (diced)
1 pre-made pizza crust (such as Pillsbury)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Beat an egg small bowl. In a shallow pie dish add bread crumbs. Roll the chicken breast in the bread crumbs, then dip in the egg mixture and roll in the bread crumbs again. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter. Add chicken breast and fry in the butter on both sides until golden brown and fully cooked (when the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Remove from the pan, cool, and slice into strips.
Step 2: Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out pizza crust onto a pizza pan. Place into the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the alfredo sauce over the partially baked pizza crust and top with provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, chicken and ham.
Step 3: Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

You can grill just about any vegetable and during the summer one of my favorite vegetables to grill is corn on the cob. The corn cook right in their husks so there is no need for tin foil or anything like that. It is important to soak them in water first so they don’t burn. This is perfect if you want to use the grill to cook burgers, steak, ect and then just throw the corn on afterwards. The best part about this recipe is the cilantro lime butter. I require butter on my corn on the cob and when you add cilantro and lime into the mix it’s delicious! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
8 fresh corn on the cob (in their husks)
water
Cilantro lime butter-
1 cup softened butter
¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a mixing bowl cream butter. Mix in cilantro, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2: Peel back corn husks within 1 inch of the bottom (be careful not to peel them completely off). Remove the silk from the corn. Roll the husks back up into their regular position. Soak the corn in cold water for 20 minutes, and drain.
Step 3: Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Place corn onto the grill, and grill covered for 20-25 minutes until tender. Make sure to turn the corn often to make sure it doesn’t burn. Spread with cilantro lime butter when serving.

During the summer months macaroni salad is one of my favorite dishes to prepare. It makes a great side dish to go with grilled chicken or hamburgers or it can be a meal in itself. This recipe ranks on the top of my list for cold salads. You won’t find any seafood in this one, but for those that require meat there are ham chunks in this salad. Some other notable ingredients include hard boiled eggs and celery. The best part of this salad of course is the dressing. Mayonnaise just isn’t enough, Dijon mustard, dill relish and chopped pimentos are required as well.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1lb elbow macaroni
4 ounce ham steak (cubed)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 large shallot (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Dressing-
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 (4 ounce) jar chopped pimentos (drained)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To hard boil eggs- add the eggs into a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as the water starts to boil cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Let sit in the hot water for 14 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water.  Peel the eggs and chop. Set aside.
Step 2: Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Step 3: In a large serving dish add the eggs, ham, celery, shallots, and lemon juice. Add in the macaroni and mix well. In a separate bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped pimentos. Add the dressing to the macaroni mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
(Makes 6 Servings)

This BBQ chicken sandwich is more of what I would consider a BBQ chicken blt. It combines BBQ chicken breasts with bacon, lettuce and tomato.  However, make really makes this sandwich stand out is the avocado ranch dressing. The dressing is nothing more than ranch dressing and a fresh avocado blended together. The chicken can either be baked or grilled. For the bread you can use whatever you like but I prefer sour dough. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
¼ cup BBQ sauce
8 slices bacon
8 slices Swiss cheese
2 large tomatoes (sliced)
lettuce
8 slices sour dough bread (to toasted)
½ cup ranch dressing
1 small avocado (peeled, pitted, and sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with bbq sauce and place onto the baking sheet. Top each chicken breast with 2 slices of bacon.
Step 2: Bake chicken breasts for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees. During the last couple minutes of cooking top each chicken breast with 2 slices of Swiss cheese and allow it to melt. Remove from the oven. While chicken is cooking in a food processor blend together ranch dressing and diced avocado. Set aside.
Step 3: Lay down one slice of sour dough bread. Top with lettuce and 2 slices of tomato. Top the tomato with a chicken breast. Spread avocado ranch dressing onto the bottom of the top slice of bread. Place on top of the sandwich.
(Makes 4 Servings)

It should come as no surprise that hot dogs and BBQ sauce would be a great combination. During the summer hot dogs are an excellent choice for the grill. These hot dogs are brushed with BBQ sauce while grilling and then topped with homemade coleslaw and a dill pickle spear. I recommend using the all beef hot dogs as they definitely have better flavor. They are a little more expensive but well worth it. For the BBQ sauce you can either use store bought or you can make your own. These are perfect for summer cookouts. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
8 kosher beef hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
½ cup BBQ sauce
8 dill pickle spears
Coleslaw-
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ small white onion (minced)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 head cabbage (finely shredded)
1 large carrot (finely shredded)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To make coleslaw- In a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, onion, sugar, celery salt, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Heat the grill to medium high heat and lightly grease the grill grate. Place hot dogs onto the grill and brush all around with BBQ sauce while grilling. Grill until golden brown. Remove from the grill. Place hot dog buns on the grill cut side down and grill until lightly browned (about 20 seconds)
Step 3: Place a hot dog into each bun and top with a dill pickle spear and coleslaw.
(Makes 4 Servings)

During the summer one of my favorite things to grill besides hamburgers is chicken breasts. BBQ is always a good option but sometimes I like to switch things up and use honey mustard sauce. There is nothing complex about this recipe. Just brush the chicken with honey mustard sauce and grill until it’s done. It can’t get much easier than that. The sauce combines ingredients such as Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, honey, and steak sauce. This is perfect for summer cookouts. If you want even more honey mustard flavor let the chicken marinade in the sauce for awhile. Delicious! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoons teak sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a bowl combine Dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Mix well. Reserve a small amount of the money mustard for basting and dip the chicken in the remaining sauce to coat.
Step 2: Heat the grill to medium high heat and lightly grease the grill grate. Place chicken onto the grill and grill for 18 to 20 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Baste on both sides with reserved honey mustard sauce during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
(Makes 4 Servings)

If you want to try a different take on the burger, the patty melt is always a good choice. This is the classic version of the patty melt with cheese and onions. If you are not familiar with the patty melt it is basically like making a grilled cheese with a hamburger in the middle. If you want to use a different type of cheese besides Swiss you can use American or really any type of cheese you want. The bread can be switched up as well. If you are not a fan of rye bread, regular white bread is a good substitute. This recipe can be prepared indoors in a fry pan. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
8 slices Swiss cheese
1lb ground beef
Salt and black pepper
1 cup onion (sliced)
4 tablespoons butter
8 slices rye bread
butter (for spreading)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large skillet melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2: Form ground beef into 4 patties. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place into the skillet and cook hamburger patties over medium-high heat until the burgers are fully cooked (they have reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees).
Step 3: Heat another skillet to medium heat. Butter one side of the bread. Put the buttered side down on the hot skillet. Place 1 slice of cheese followed by onions, then add the cooked patty and top with another slice of cheese. Butter another slice of bread and place on top buttered side out.
Step 4: Fry until the bread is browned and crisp on the bottom and turn over and fry until the other side is browned and crisp. The cheese should be melted. Repeat until all of the patty melts are cooked.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Blueberry crumb bars are an excellent way to use up fresh blueberries. One thing that I enjoy about this recipe is that it is fairly easy to make.  The process is very simple, a dough mixture is placed into the bottom of a baking pan, topped with fresh blueberries and the remaining dough mixture is then crumbled on top. These bake for about 45 minutes and you will be enjoying them in no time.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Using a fork blend in the butter and egg until the dough is crumbly. Pat half the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 2: In a separate bowl stir together sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the fresh blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the crust in the baking dish. Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberry layer.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the top is slightly brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.