Tavern Grilled Cheese

When I had Asiago (my former cafe) open, we used to make this sandwich.  We probably made it as a special about every two weeks or so.  Every single time we made it we sold out.  Scouts honor.  The thing I want to point out to you is, this is a fantastic use for your leftover pot roast!  That's actually how the recipe came about in the first place.  My family ALWAYS has leftovers when I make a big roast.  I bet yours does, too.  We love the leftovers, but one day I was looking for something different to do with them.

This could not be easier.  I mean seriously, it's kicked up grilled cheese with shredded pot roast!  Some sliced tomatoes, a salad, some salty fries or something acidic on the side go well with it since it's pretty rich.  But this is definitely a hearty, filling sandwich!

#foodhack #leftovers #sandwich #familyfriendly 

#quick #easy #comfortfood #lunch

Ingredients:

• Cooked pot roast with gravy
• Havarti cheese 
• or another smooth melting creamy cheese
• Thick sliced white bread
• Butter for bread

Step-by-Step:

The first thing you need to do is to get your leftover pot roast and pull it apart.  I just use a couple of forks for this.  Oh, and you can save yourself some time by doing this ahead of time.  In case you are wondering, for a whole chuck roast (about 5 pounds or so), I could get about 14 - 16 sandwiches.  But of course that won't be the case with leftovers.  It will just depend on how much you have left. 

If you are going to divide the cooked roast ahead of time, you can put the measured meat into small baggies or reusable containers of about 1/4 cup each.

When ready to prepare sandwiches, butter the bread.  (Oddly enough, mayo works well for this job, too.  It creates a beautiful brown crust.)  There are only a few recipes that I use white bread for.  Grilled cheese is one of them.

Layer your bread with slices of creamy Havarti and a 1/4 cup scoop of warmed pot roast.  I like to warm it first to begin the process.  Cold meat does not lend itself well to good sandwich making when you are trying to melt cheese.

With buttered sides out, obviously, make your grilled cheese until GDB - golden brown and delicious!  - and melty!   It's best if you don't have your pan or griddle up too high for this.  A panini press will work great, too.

Let's also talk about that gravy that came with the roast.  Dip some of that out of the pot or tupperware or whatever you had it in.  Warm some up and serve some on the side for dipping.  Yes I did say that!  Not au jus.  This is full on GRAVY!  Yummm.  Everything about gravy says "comfort."
As a matter of fact, this whole lot does - toasted bread, roast, melty cheese, gravy... I bet you can just taste it now!

To have a look at the MenuMusings cookbook...
What a great gift for your senior about to graduate, those "moms" in your life for mother's day, your friends who just moved into their own apartment or house.  Each recipe with step-by-step photos and links back to the blog!

Bonus recipes - 
Individual White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Puddings - great for a dinner party!

Pickle Brined Fried Chicken - one of my kids' favorites!  Yes it sounds weird, but tastes suspiciously like the chicken at Chick-fil-a.

Beefy Crunch Wrap Supremes - move over Taco Bell!  Call all the kids and teenagers in for this!

Overnight Stuffed French Toast Rollups - Brunch? Sleepovers?  Breakfast in bed? 😁

Puff Pastry Breakfast Pizzas - Something for everyone.  Grownups and kidlets alike. 

Easy Family Favorite Meatloaf - a good basic recipe (oh, and gluten free as well)

Turkey Taco Salad Lunch Bowls (meal prep)

I guess I need to apologize, because this isn't really a recipe at all.  It's just a basic concept that I did for a group of my girlfriends that was super successful.  I keep telling my friends that meal prep is so much easier when each person picks a recipe and shares the responsibility.  That way you can just share what you made and enjoy the fruits of each other's labor.  A great way to enjoy friendship, get your meal prep done, eat right and save some bucks! 

I loved this recipe so much.  Of course you could totally use whatever protein you enjoy - turkey, beef, chicken, pork.  The turkey is super healthy and my kids and I enjoy it.  This salad completely hit the spot for my busy days at work when I had only a limited time to pull a lunch out of my mini fridge between classes.  I just took the cold stuff out, popped the meat into the microwave, squeezed the lime over the top, and mixed it up for a super satisfying and healthy lunch.   My daughter took a little baggie of fritos to school with hers instead of lettuce, so there's a kid friendly option if you are looking for one. 

#clean #glutenfree #lowcarb #turkey #lowsugar #lowcalorie #diabeticfriendly #lunchprep #mealprep #familyfriendly #easy #healthy #quick

Ingredients: (for 6 meals)

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (or oil of choice)
• 1 (1.25oz) Packet taco seasoning of choice
• check labels for GF.  McCormick makes one. 
• plus 1 cup water according to package instructions
• plus 2 tsp chili powder
• plus 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 6 cups shredded lettuce of choice
• 12 oz fresh pico de gallo 
• 12 oz light sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 12 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 lime, cut into wedges 
• Optional - fresh chopped cilantro to garnish 

Method:

Prepare you "taco meat" as you normally would, adding the extra seasoning if desired.  We like ours to be really flavorful.   While the meat is cooling, divide the other ingredients into containers.  These all work equally well if you chop, mix, shred them yourself or if you pick up premade/pre-shredded items at the grocery for time and convenience.   I used individual 2oz portion cups with lids for the condiments and sandwich baggies for the lettuce.   Refrigerate up to 4 days. 

This recipe allows for 1/2 cup each of ground taco meat, which seemed to be perfect in my opinion.  This recipe is also super easy to double, obviously.  

If your condiment cups don't fit sideways into your lunch containers, just squish the meat over.  Hey, you do what you need to, right?  

Flavorful, filling and healthy without leaving you feeling weighed down.  

To check out the MenuMusings cookbook - 

Bonus Recipes - 

Butterfly Snack Bags - When it's your time to be "snack mom" but want to send something healthy and cute. 

Honey Maple Granola   - snacks for the whole family that have ingredients you can pronounce and be proud of. 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa - to go along with any of your favorite Mexican meals ... or just a snack.

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli - great for busy work days!

Thai Chicken Flatbread Pizza - make ahead components for a super quick meal.