B.E.S.T. Breakfast Sandwiches

I happened to have some left over bacon and was trying to think of what to use it for.  My initial thought was to use it for B.L.T's. My second thought was a bacon and egg sandwich.  Which one to choose, which one to choose...  Why not combine them both?   This is what I came up with, below.  I swapped out spinach for the lettuce as I thought spinach would go a little better with a warm egg sandwich, and it also gave me a great acronym: B.E.S.T. breakfast sandwich = Bacon, Egg, Spinach and Tomato breakfast sandwich.  That works, right?  Hope you enjoy this sandwich, which in my mind works well for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

B.E.S.T. Sandwich
Makes: 2 Sandwiches

4 slices bread or 2 English muffins
4 slices bacon
2 eggs
2 handfuls of spinach
2 slices tomato
Mayo or ketchup, optional

Cook the bacon and then drain it on paper towels while you prepare the other sandwich components.  Once it's cool, cut each slice in half.  

 

Then cook the two eggs however you wish.   I prefer my eggs over hard when making egg sandwiches. 

 

While the eggs are cooking, toast the bread slices and chop up the spinach and tomato. Once toasted, lightly spread mayo or ketchup on two of the slices, if desired.  Next layer on the bacon, eggs, spinach and tomato slices. Cut each sandwich in half, diagonally and serve. Enjoy!

 

xoxo Melissa

Cracker Candy

I've had some whole wheat saltine crackers sitting in my cupboards for a few months now and was tired of seeing them continue to sit there, uneaten.  While I was watching Trisha's Southern Kitchen on Food Network this morning, she made this recipe below.  I had the other ingredients on hand and thought I'd give it a whirl and finally get rid of some of the saltines!  I've had friends tell me about this "candy" recipe before, but have never tried it.  Let me tell you, I've been missing out!  It was not only super easy to make, but was really, really good!  I would have never guessed it was made with saltine crackers, whole wheat none the less.  It's crunchy, salty, sweet and has the added kick of chocolate.  I can see why Trisha referred to it as "crack."  This recipe is definitely a keeper and one I will definitely make again. 

Cracker Candy
Makes: 1 10x15" sheet pan

39 saltine crackers (one sleeve)
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Cover an 10x15 inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Lightly spray it with cooking spray.  Lay saltine crackers in the pan, touching each other, salt-side facing down.

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium sized saucepan, over medium-high heat.  Stir until the butter is melted.  Bring mixture to a boil and continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until it comes to a boil and turns a light caramel color - about 5 minutes.

Pour the butter mixture over the saltines.  Smooth it out with a rubber spatula so all the saltines are covered.  Put in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until mixture is bubbly. 

Remove the crackers from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over it. 

 

Let them sit for a minute and then smooth the now melted chocolate, so it covers all of the saltines.  Place pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, until candy has hardened.  Break into pieces and enjoy!

 

xoxo Melissa

Fresh Salsa

This is another one of my husband's favorite summer dishes and one he created on his own! He's quite the chef if I haven't mentioned this already.  I would confidently say chips and salsa are one of his favorite foods combos.  This recipe makes a great big bowl for hours of snacking enjoyment!  It takes a little longer to prepare than simply opening a jar of store bought salsa, but you won't regret the time it takes after tasting it!  The one word to describe this salsa is "fresh."  Feel free to enjoy it with any type of chips you like.  I like to go the baked chip route, while my husband generally wants the "full fat" version.  Try making this next time you have company over and serve with a variety of chips to suit all guests.

Fresh Salsa

2 large Beefsteak Tomatoes, diced
1 medium Onion, diced
1 Green Pepper, diced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste
large handful of Cilantro, chopped

Dice all vegetables and throw in a large bowl.  Then add the lime juice, salt and cilantro. Toss to combine and enjoy! 

xoxo Melissa