Oct 11 2012

The “Real Best” BLT Sandwich

Posted on October 11, 2012 by thepoli3

Looking for a tasty, filling, and quick meal? Grab these staples from your fridge and throw together a delicious and for the most part healthy BLT. Want the best recipe of all? You’re in the right spot! The winningest “best” BLT recipe is here!

Note- We left the “Leftover Test” score out on this one purposely… BLT’s are always best eaten immediately!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

Each BLT was scored on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= that’s food? and 10= the best BLT that has ever entered my mouth) for overall score, the boyfriend/husband test, and the leftover test. We also provide other comments.

AllRecipes.com Super BLT

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 7

Comments: This was really good! I thought the guacamole gave it a nice creaminess and the cream cheese was an interesting way to substitute for mayo, while adding a bit of the cheese usually missing from most BLT sandwiches.

Kraft Recipe’s BLT

Overall score: 9.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 8.5

Comments: This is so simple, but it was SO good! It calls for a lot of mayonnaise (1 tbsp per sandwich), which I was initially hesitant about (mayo creeps me out.. is that normal?! Plus, it isn’t great for you), but it turned out to be the perfect amount! This was so good and easy that I made it again for dinner, and again for lunch the next day! And when I ran out of bacon, I went and bought more so I could keep making this. YUM.

Amazing Sandwiches’ BLAT

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

Comments: I know this is your basic BLT but the avocados gave it an extra good touch. This is a very good and easy for a quick lunch or light supper. Next time I would use 2 teaspoons of mayo as I felt there could have been a little more than the recipe recommended (1 teaspoon). My husband thought a slice of cheese would also enhance the flavor of this sandwich. I would make this one again for sure!

The winner:

Kraft Recipe’s BLT!

I guess this is another case where a classic is the best!

Special Diets:

While we can’t guarantee the results, here are some ideas you can use to customize the winning BLT to your dietary needs:

Gluten-free: Use a gluten free bread for this one. Make sure your other ingredients are also gluten-free! Another creative option: Use the lettuce as your “bread” (sort of like a lettuce wrap).
Vegetarian: Nix the bacon or use a bacon substitute, such as Lightlife Vegetarian Bacon-Smart Bacon.
Vegan: Nix the bacon or use a bacon substitute, as described above. You can also make your own “bacon” out of tempeh. In addition, skip the mayo.
Lower fat: Use less bacon, or use turkey bacon.
Lower sugar/calories: You can cut the calories by using some of the suggestions above.

Jul 25 2012

Oh How Pinteresting

Posted on July 25, 2012 by thepoli3

We are linking up again today with The Vintage Apple for Oh How Pinteresting Wednesdays!

Some things we found “pinteresting” this week are:

These Summer friendly Mojitos with Pineapple Rum created by Cat Cora were featured as a Healthy Cocktail on Oprah.com. Healthy, cute, and delicious- we’ll take it!

This Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans featured on RealSimple.com is a perfect weeknight meal. This one is definitely going on the ‘must make’ list!

Of course, our “Real Best” Grilled Cheese Sandwich winner had to get pinned for the Pinterest world to enjoy. We’ve made it again already! If you haven’t tried the winner, or any of the other contenders, you are missing out! They’re all so easy, cheap, quick, and delicious!

We love ourselves some coffee and this genius idea from The Peanut Butta Runna is too good not to share! Freeze coffee as ice cubes and then put into a glass of almond milk! Or, our twist, just put the coffee ice cubes in a cup of hot coffee to cool it down. PS- This is vegan friendly! Both versions sound amazing!

This recipe was on The Pioneer Woman’s website and is called My Brother’s Chicken Tacos. She also pinned it and said its a total mess to make but totally worth it. By the looks of it, we agree! This will definitely be made around here very soon!

We recently joined the amazing #SundaySupper movement and during this week’s round, we came across these delicious Salsa Chicken Quesadillas with Cilantro Chimichurri by Juanita’s Cocina. We’re definitely adding this as another “must make” recipe to our list!

Fall is slowly coming up and these Pumpkin Crunch Cakes by The Picky Apple look like the perfect snack for a cool autumn day on the porch to pair with a tasty fall latte from Starbucks. Can’t wait!

Find us on Pinterest to follow all of these pins and more!

What are some of your favorite pins this week?

Jul 22 2012

The “Real Best” Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Posted on July 22, 2012 by thepoli3

We’re back with another simple, yet classic menu item: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Who doesn’t love a gooey, warm, grilled cheese on a rainy summer day? Pair it with some tomato soup and you have yourself a bonafide meal! We tested the three top Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipes out there and came up with a winner for your next grilled cheese night!

P.S.- We’re leaving out the leftover score on this one… who in their right mind eats a grilled cheese sandwich the day after it was cooked?

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

Each grilled cheese sandwich was scored on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= that’s food? and 10= the best grilled cheese that has ever entered my mouth) for overall score, the boyfriend/husband test, and the leftover test. We also provide other comments.

Tyler Florence’s Grilled Cheese

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 9

The leftover test: N/A

Comments: YUM! This was delicious. It was gooey, salty, and the apple provided a slight tart flavor that, although, we couldn’t specifically taste it, it emphasized the flavors of the cheese and bacon. This was seriously delicious! I was very skeptical about it at first… I mean, an apple on a grilled cheese sandwich? Who knew? Even hubby loved it! Definitely slice your apple thin so it doesn’t overpower the rest of the sandwich. I will definitely be making this again and I have a good feeling it will be because hubby asks me to make it! You must try this one!

Closet Cooking’s Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 9.5

The leftover test: N/A

Comments: This was so good! My boyfriend LOVED it. It doesn’t taste a lot like traditional grilled cheese. There was a strong taste of pesto with a slight lemon-ey kick. However, this sandwich was expensive because of the Gruyere cheese and all the fresh herbs that are used to make the pesto (I used dill, mint, and parsley, as recommended).

Allrecipes: Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Overall score: 10

The boyfriend/husband test: 10

The leftover test: N/A

Comments: This is your classic grilled cheese sandwich. What can go wrong? Nothing! I had to cook the first side for about 5 mins and the flip side for only about 2 mins. This turned out perfect. Yum! And very kid friendly. NOTE: I used honey wheat bread instead of white.

The winner: It looks like all our sandwiches scored very high this time! But, there can only be one winner, and that is:

Allrecipes Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Special Diets:

While we can’t guarantee the results, here are some ideas you can use to customize the winning grilled cheese sandwich to your dietary needs:

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free bread and make sure the rest of your ingredients are also gluten-free.
Vegetarian: It already is!
Lower fat: Use low fat butter and reduced fat cheese.

Jun 6 2012

Easy, Quick, & Cheap Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Posted on June 6, 2012 by thepoli3

These are AMAZING…

Jen’s Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

They are also cheap, quick, and easy!

All you need are 3 ingredients:

1 Pre-Cooked Rotisserie Chicken
BBQ Sauce (my favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s)
Hamburger Buns

Simply pull apart shreds right off the rotisserie chicken and place into a bowl, once finished, place contents of bowl into a large saucepan over medium heat, and immediately pour in desired amount of BBQ sauce (I used about 3/4 a cup of BBQ sauce for 1 whole chicken), stir to cover chicken with sauce, and let stovetop bring to a heated temperature, stirring often. I left mine on the stovetop for about 5-7 minutes, stirring to ensure all chicken is covered in sauce. Then, wrap buns in paper towels or set on a paper towel lined plate, and microwave for about 10-15 seconds to warm. Finally, scoop desired about of pulled BBQ chicken onto a bun (I put about 3/4 a cup on each bun) and enjoy! So easy, quick, cheap, and delicious! This whole meal cost me about $10 max! Picky husband approved! Mine went back for thirds! YUM!

-Jen