Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South: #10 {Kentucky Boy Po-Boy Sandwich}

Making this Kentucky Boy Po-Boy Sandwich should come with a warning. You're gonna be shopping and cooking your heart out, making a total of 9 recipes in order to assemble this bad boy!

Ready to make a mess and drive yourself batty? Okay, here we go. I'll warn you right now, this is going to be a long post. There's lots of steps and 9 recipes, ok? 

We're going to start by preparing and making the Pulled Cubano Pork. Either start the night before or wake up early the day of because your pork needs to marinate in Jared's Pork Rub, a seasoning blend consisting of 13 special seasonings for several hours or overnight. Then it is going to roast in the oven for several hours until it's fork tender and can be pulled and sprinkled with something called Chicken Salt, which consists of salt; pepper; cayenne; and paprika. This is going to be some very well seasoned and delicious pork, and we do love our pork in Kentucky!

While the pork is in the oven let's get started on the other 6 recipes. After all, this isn't idle hour. To heck with enjoying summer break, you have work to do! 

Next I suggest making the Bourbon Barbecue Sauce because it needs about 45 minutes to cook. This is a delicious barbecue sauce that is a wonderful combination of flavors: sweet, slightly spicy, and a little zippy. It's a combination of garlic, ketchup, cola, Worcestershire, steak sauce, spices, vinegar and Bourbon. It thickens wonderfully and is great on this sandwich, but so many other things as well.

Next you need to make your Kentucky River Beer Cheese and Special Sauce because we ALWAYS need time for our sauces and beer cheese to combine so the flavors meld. If you're unfamiliary with beer cheese it's a spreadable cheese and this one is made with purchased spreadable Cheddar cheese; beer; Bourbon; hot sauce, and seasonings and spices.

The Special Sauce is a mayo-based sauce that is unlike any other mayo- based sauce I've had. It's heavy on the mayo with some Dijon, sliced green onions and a lot of Parsley. It's herbaceous and oniony.

Then you're going to make a simple cornmeal dredge for your dill pickles slices and get some Fried Pickles going.

You'll want a hearty baguette or mini baguettes and you'll be ready to assemble your sandwich. I toasted my baguette, but that was not in the recipe. This is going to be ONE LOADED SANDWICH! You're going to start with a layer of the Special Sauce, followed by a layer of thinly sliced red onion, then shredded lettuce. Then you'll add the pulled pork, the beer cheese, the barbecue sauce, and top the sandwich with the fried pickles. 

Next you'll need to pretend that you've had a long night out on the town because this is one of those sandwiches you'd probably eat in the middle of the night! There is A LOT going on and it's one of the messiest things I've ever eaten, but it is very good!

If you want a more simple sandwich I'd go with the baguette, a smear of beer cheese, pulled pork, barbecue sauce and maybe the fried pickles.

There are a lot of ways to serve this sandwich and all of them are delicious! 

 **Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook.  

*This is the last week of the Southern Summer Series! 

 Wallace Station Pulled Cubano Pork

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

3-3-1/2 pound boneless pork butt (shoulder)

1/4 cup Jared's Pork Rub (recipe follows)

Wallace Station Chicken Salt (recipe follows)

Rub pork butt with Jared's Pork Rub and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425F. Place pork butt in a baking pan and roast, uncovered, 30-40 minutes, until the rub begins to darken and char. Reduce heat to 300F. Remove roasted pork from the oven and add water to a depth of 1/2 inch in the pan. Cover and continue baking 1-1/2 - 2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 200F and the meat is very tender. Remove the roast from the liquid and cool slightly. When the meat can be handled, discard any visible fat and pull the pork into shreds using two forks. Season lightly with Wallace Station Chicken Salt. The pork can be used to make quesadillas or tacos or tossed in barbecue sauce for pulled pork sandwiches. The leftover pan juices can be chilled, causing any fat to rise to the top and solidify. After discarding the fat, the rich broth can be used as part of the stock for Whitesburg Soup Beans.

Jared's Pork Rub: Mix together 6 tablespoons light brown sugar;  6 tablespoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 3 tablespoons leaf oregano; 2 tablespoons dry mustard; 1-1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 6 tablespoons ground sweet paprika; 3 tablespoons ground cumin; and 3 tablespoons dried thyme and store tightly covered.

Wallace Station Chicken Salt: Mix together 1/4 cup kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; and 1/4 teaspoon ground sweet paprika and store tightly covered.

Kentucky Boy Po-Boy Sandwich

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

4 (6-inch) Po-Boy baguettes or French baguettes

1/2 cup Special Sauce*

24-28 thinly sliced red onion rings

2 cups (6 ounces) shredded iceberg lettuce

1-1/4 pound Wallace Station Pulled Cubano Pork*

1/2 cup Kentucky River Beer Cheese*

1/2 cup Bourbon Barbecue Sauce*

24 Fried Pickle slices*

For each sandwich split a baguette partway through, leaving a hinge. Open the bread and slather 2 tablespoons Special Sauce on the bottom. Cover with 6-7 onions rings; 1/2 cup shredded lettuce; 5 ounces pulled pork; 2 tablespoons warm beer cheese; 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce; and 6 warm pickle slices. Using a squeeze bottle helps distribute the barbecue sauce evenly over the sandwich ingredients. Repeat for more sandwiches. Serves 4  

Special Sauce: Place 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard; and 1/4 teaspoon white and black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. Add 1/2 bunch curly parsley, stems removed; 2 green onions, thinly sliced; 1 clove garlic, chopped; and 1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Add this to the mayonnaise and spice mixture and mix well. Chill 30 minutes before using.  

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and saute 30 seconds. Whisk in 1 cup ketchup; 1 cup cola (Coke); 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce; 1/4 cup steak sauce; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; and 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and mix well. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened. Add 2 tablespoons bourbon and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm on Po-Boys or other sandwiches. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 2-1/2 cups.

Kentucky River Beer Cheese: Immerse 2 (6-1/2 ounce) tubs spreadable Cheddar Cheese in a bowl of hot water until softened, or soften in a microwave 1 minute on 30 percent power. If the cheese is still firm, stir and continue to microwave on 30 percent power in 15-second increments until softened. In a medium bowl, with a mixer, whip cheese and 2 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale or your favorite beer; 1 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon; 2 teaspoons Crystal hot sauce; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground sweet paprika; 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Continue to whip until well blended. Taste for seasoning. Chill until ready to use. Makes 2 cups. 

Fried Pickles: Heat canola oil in a deep skillet or small kettle fryer to 350F. Drain 24 dill pickles slices slightly and dredge in 1/2 cup Weisenberger Mill Fish Batter Mix or Tyler's Cornmeal Dredge (1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika). Lower carefully into hot oil and fry for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain well. Use to garnish sandwiches or serve as a snack with remoulade for dipping.

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

Marinated Tomato BLATS {THIS IS THE BEST BLT YOU WILL EVER EAT}!!

In the summer two things are for certain: I'm going to be growing lettuce in my container garden and I'm going to be eating my lettuce in tons of BLTs! 

Now we love a BLT in my house and we practically live on them in the summer once the lettuce starts coming in. Normally I make a classic BLT using farmer's market tomatoes and my homegrown lettuce. This year I wanted to branch out and try a lot of variations on the classic BLT.

My first BLT of Summer 2025 was a classic BLT with some homemade Benedictine Spread (cream cheese and cucumber spread). I used the Benedictine Spread in place of mayo and I enjoyed this BLT, but found that I preferred mayo over the Benedictine Spread. (You can see a picture in my last post).

Then I tried a BLT with pimiento cheese and enjoyed that, but again I preferred the classic BLT to that version as well.

Then I tried this version, the Marinated Tomato BLAT and LET ME TELL YOU RIGHT NOW...THIS IS THE VERY BEST BLT YOU WILL EVER EAT! Hands down going to be one of my favorite recipes this year! I've been telling everyone I know about it and I can't recommend it enough! 

So, what is a BLAT? A BLAT is a bacon, lettuce, avocado, and marinated tomato sandwich and it's just simply the best there is! Here's what sets it apart from the rest: MARINATED TOMATOES! All you need to do is find some really good tomatoes, slice them thin, put them in a dish, marinate them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and dried Italian seasoning. You want to try and let the tomatoes marinate for at least an hour, two if possible. 

And secondly, avocado...hello lovely! It belongs on every BLT from now on!

Now here's the best part! This is a no fuss no muss kinda recipe that holds well in the fridge and people can make them up as they get hungry. Buy a loaf of your favorite bread, wash up your lettuce, precook some bacon, and reach in for the marinated tomato. The avocado is the only item that needs cutting right before serving. 

Toast your bread, slather it with mayo and a drizzle of that tomato marinade, add your lettuce, your deliciously marinated tomato, your bacon and your sliced avocado. The marinated tomato and the avocado is what makes this so darn delicious. It's a beauty of a sandwich and it's so fresh and juicy and delicious. We love the layers of flavor and all the textures. It's just the epitome of summer food and WE WILL BE EATING THEM ALL SUMMER! You should too!

Marinated Tomato BLATS

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2

2 ripe and fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

8 pieces sliced bacon 

lettuce, as many pieces as you'd like

1 avocado, thinly sliced, sprinkled with salt and pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 slices of your favorite bread, toasted 

Slice the tomatoes and place them in a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and seasoning until combined. Pour it over the tomatoes. Cover the dish and stick the tomatoes in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or even longer. I flip the tomato slices a few times while marinating!

Cook the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet at 375F for 12-15 minutes, or until crispy and done as you like. To assemble the sandwiches, toast your bread. If you like, you can drizzle a bit of the tomato marinade on the bread! This makes for a messier but delicious sandwich. Spread one or both bread slices with mayonnaise. Add on your lettuce. Top with a few of the marinated tomato slices. Then top with the bacon and avocado slices,. Finish with the remaining bread, cut, and serve! 

Summer Sandwiches @ IHCC!
 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #4: {Benedictine and Two Sandwiches with Benedictine} A Must-Have Kentucky Derby Spread!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we've got a Kentucky Derby Must-Have, Benedictine! If you haven't heard of Benedictine spread or sandwiches, let me elaborate. Benedictine Spread has roots in Louisville, where it was created by Jennie Benedict in, author of The Blue Ribbon Cook Book. Benedictine is a spread made with cucumbers and cream cheese invented near the 20th century. It is used for making cucumber sandwiches, but it also used as a dip or combined with meat in a sandwich. Some recipes use mayonnaise or green food coloring, but the recipe below does not include either of those. 

This recipe for Benedictine comes directly from the daughter of Jennie Benedict, Lisa Laufer and people say it is the best around. Benedictine is often served with smoked trout on hoecakes (recipe for hoecakes shared last week), or with bacon. Chef Ouita says she likes a BB&T - Benedictine, Bacon, and Tomato on white bread, but that the spread is good on crackers or crudite as well.

Today I have Benedictine two ways: the first, above, is the Benedictine spread on rounds of white bread topped with a sliced cucumber and finely minced parsley. The second, below, is a BLT sandwich with Benedictine spread. Both are equally delicious and great on a hot day! 

Benedictine

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes about 2 cups

2 large cucumbers (about 9 ounces each)

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

onion juice to taste; start with 1/2 teaspoon (see note below)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

3 - 4 dashes hot sauce

Peel cucumbers, retaining a bit of skin for color. Puree in a food processor. Squeeze cucumber puree in cheesecloth, removing as much liquid as possible. This keeps the spread from being too runny. Cucumber juice is delicious in a Bloody Mary or chilled with a splash of lemon and vodka. Combine all ingredients in a mixer or food processor and mix until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Note: For onion juice, grate one-quarter of a peeled onion on a cheese grater and squeeze out the juice using cheesecloth. 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South
 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #2: {Inside Out Hot Brown - So Delicious}!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we're delving further into Kentucky cuisine by featuring the quintessential Kentucky dish, the Hot Brown. A traditional Hot Brown is a hot, open-faced sandwich originating from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a sandwich made with a slice of white bread, turkey, (and sometimes ham). The bread and meats are covered in a rich cheesy Mornay sauce that gets all broiled and bubbly, and then topped with slices of tomato and crispy bacon. The Hot Brown is decadent and usually comes out broiled and bubbling in a casserole dish of some sort. It is an indulgent dish, very comforting, best eaten with a knife and fork. You might find a traditional Hot Brown at both fine dining establishments and your typical hole-in-the-wall.

Chef Ouita Michel has taken a new approach to the traditional Hot Brown and created an Inside Out Hot Brown that is much easier to eat! In the video below, the chef at Wallace Station makes an Inside Out Hot Brown using two slices of bread, covering the interior of the bread with cheesy Mornay Sauce and sliced tomato, before warming the sliced turkey, city ham, and crispy bacon and placing it inside the sandwich. The sandwich gets griddled and can be eaten with your hands! This is a huge departure from the traditional Hot Brown and personally I would consider it a huge improvement. 

When I made my Inside Out Hot Brown it was all about the cheese! I grated a block of white cheddar for the Mornay Sauce and I had leftover white cheddar so I decided to use it in the sandwich. I buttered the outside of my bread, spread Mornay on both insides of bread, then covered one side of the interior in grated White Cheddar before placing some thinly sliced tomato on top of the cheese. I warmed the sliced turkey, shaved city ham, and bacon in the skillet and added it to the sandwich. I then grilled the sandwich, cut it in half, and served it with a side of delicious cheesy Mornay sauce for dipping and dunking.

Look...this is not as indulgent as the traditional version, but it is still straight up comfort food and very decadent. You've got a loaded sandwich full of meat and you're dunking and dipping away in a thick cheese sauce. It is delicious, albeit a little sinful and it's so savory and delicious. We absolutely loved this and had no trouble using up all the fixings throughout the week in sandwiches. My son liked his without tomato, but I think the tomato is absolutely necessary as it adds a little bit of acidity and freshness to an otherwise heavy sandwich. Try as I might, I could only eat one half, and I would highly suggest sharing a sandwich with someone.

This sandwich has received some of the highest ratings at my house and I know full well we will be making it again in the future. I highly suggest giving it a try!

Inside Out Hot Brown

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Serves 4

For each sandwich

8 slices white bread

1 cup White Cheddar Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)

8 tomato slices

1 pound thinly sliced roasted turkey

8 ounces thinly sliced city ham*

12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp

butter/oil for grilling (equal parts melted butter and canola oil)

extra grated White Cheddar, for sandwiches (If desired)*

White Cheddar Mornay Sauce

3 ounces butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, slightly warm

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

cayenne pepper to taste

*Note: Chef Ouita calls for city ham in this recipe and even if you're located in Kentucky you'll have trouble sourcing this. I went to one store in Lexington that was known to have it and it took about 45 minutes for them to find it in the store and slice it for me. I didn't notice a great difference with the city ham, so use any sliced ham and it will be fine. Also I had extra White Cheddar cheese after making the Mornay Sauce so I added grated White Cheddar to one side of the bread prior to grilling.

White Cheddar Mornay Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 2 minutes, stirring periodically. Whisk in milk, stirring constantly to make sure ingredients are well mixed. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Stir in shredded cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and continue to whisk until smooth.

For each sandwich: Warm turkey, city ham, and bacon in a grill pan or dry skillet. Lay out 2 slices of bread. Cover both slices with 2 tablespoons White Cheddar Mornay Sauce, then cover one with 2 slices of tomato and one-quarter of the warmed meats. Close the sandwich. Grill in butter/oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South 

 

Michael Symon's Loose Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches

 Sausage with Peppers and Onions is a real favorite in the Cleveland area. You'll find this combination in a hoagie roll at nearly every ball game, festival, fair, bazaar or public event. You can pretty much guarantee it. 

It's always been one of my favorite things to eat, reminding me of home. Problem is, a whole sausage is rather time consuming to cook and the sandwich can take a bit of time. However, this version is made with loose sausage and is therefore much quicker to make. Ten minutes tops and you can have a very flavorful and delicious version of a sausage and pepper hoagie with onions.

I enjoyed Symon's quick version and am quite sure I will be making this on repeat from now on. This version is every bit as delicious as the traditional version. 

You can enjoy this sandwich without cheese, but why on earth would you want to do that? I like to added sliced or shredded mozzarella or provolone and melt it over the top. You might even chose to add some hot peppers or red pepper flakes to your sandwich. Either way, this is delicious, quick, easy, and satisfying!

Loose Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches

Adapted from Michael Symon's 5 in 5

by Michael Symon

Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings if not bulk

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

salt

4 Italian rolls, split and toasted

*cheese, if desired

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and then the sausage and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until browned, about 2 minutes. Scott the sausage to one side of the pan. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt to the empty space and cook until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize. Stir to combine the sausage and the vegetables and cook for about 1 more minute.

Spoon the sausage and vegetable mixture onto the toasted hoagie rolls and serve. Add cheese, if you wish.

Welcome Michael Symon @ IHCC!

Ina Garten's Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 I have been wanting to make this Ina Garten Ultimate Grilled Cheese for ages. Problem is sometimes Ina makes you feel like you need everything to be the best of the best and with today's grocery prices that's hard to do!

About a week ago, I ordered a bread box called Wildgrain, filled with artisan breads that were direct shipped to my house. The bread comes already baked, but frozen, and you bake it to reheat it. This is their sourdough loaf and the quality is pretty good, so I decided to make Ina's Ultimate Grilled Cheese.

Then I procured the aged Gruyere, the extra-sharp cheddar, the Parmesan, the 1 cup of mayo (have you noticed the price of mayo lately?) and the applewood smoked bacon. I am now in the neighborhood of $30 to make some grilled cheese and I'm not even counting the artisan bread. Ina, you really know how to write some EXPENSIVE recipes.

This recipe seems a little fussy, but it's really not. We need fresh bread, cooked bacon, grated cheese, and a very tasty mayo-Dijon-Parmesan sauce. We butter the outside of the bread and then on both sides of the interior bread we dollop the mayo-Dijon-Parmesan sauce (that stuff is delicious so slather a good bit on). The we add the pieces of bacon and a good amount of the Gruyere and extra-sharp Cheddar. 

Ina uses a panini press, but I don't have one- and personally I don't want anymore kitchen appliances- so I make mine the old-fashioned way. Truth be told, this is a great grilled cheese. I love the mayo-Dijon-Parmesan spread. I love the combination of Gruyere and extra-sharp Cheddar and I love the addition of the bacon. I would recommend this if you're looking for a great grilled cheese recipe. We all loved it and You really can't go wrong here, but I just don't know if it is THE ULTIMATE. 

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Recipe adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Serves 6

12 slices thick-cut bacon, such as applewood smoked

1 cup good mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 white pullman loaf or sourdough bread, sliced 1/2" thick (12 slices)

6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

6 ounces aged Gruyere or Comte cheese

6 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 400F. Arrange the bacon on a baking rack set over a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 10-20 minutes, checking regularly until crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper twoels and cut in 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Lay 12 slices of bread on a board and spread each one lightly with butter. Flip the slices and spread each one generously withe mayonnaise mixture. Don't neglect the corners!

Grate the cheeses. Distribute the bacon evenly on half the slices of bread. Pile 1/3 cup grated cheese evenly on top of the bacon and top with the remaining bread slices, sauce side down.

Meanwhile, heat an electric panini press or a skillet. When the press is hot, cook the sandwiches for 3 to 5 minutes in batches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. If using a skillet, cook the sandwiches slowly over the lowest heat, allowing the cheese to melt. Cook until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes. Cut in half and serve warm.

Wine and Cheese @ IHCC

Rick Bayless' Egg and Bacon Torta {A Flavor Bomb Breakfast Sandwich!}

It was a big weekend with Cinco de Mayo, the coronation of King Charles, and the Kentucky Derby. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with homemade crunchwraps Friday night and these FLAVOR BOMB breakfast tortas Saturday and Sunday! 

I've made a few of Rick Bayless' tortas and they are always layered with flavor and insanely delicious! This breakfast torta is no exception. It is layered with big flavors and would be a hit for just about anyone looking to change up their breakfast game.

We begin with a toasted telera, or Mexican sub roll and we coat the bottom with a smear of blended chipotle chiles en adobo.

Then we top the chipotles en adobo with a good smear of smooth and creamy black beans.

Here's where you can feel free to change things up. The next layer of flavor is a slice or two of bacon to add some crunch and smokiness, OR you can simply go vegetarian and omit the bacon. Dare I say this torta may even be better without the bacon. There is enough flavor that it would be every bit as delicious without bacon.

Next you'll add your fluffy scrambled eggs. This is the heart of the torta! 

Finally, you'll top the eggs with the cheese, which is the glue that holds the whole torta together! Bayless calls for Chiuahua cheese, but I think you could go with mozzarella or frankly, any cheese that you have on hand.  Then the torta gets wrapped in foil, baked in the oven for a few minutes, topped with avocado, and eaten! It is quite frankly simply delicious! I highly recommend it!

     Egg and Bacon Torta             

Adapted from Rick Bayless Website

by Rick Bayless

Makes 6

1 dozen large eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

10 pieces crispy bacon

1 (7.5oz) can chipotle chiles en adobo

1 (15 oz) can black beans

6 telera rolls sliced in half across the equator

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup Chiuahua cheese, shredded

1-1/2 avocados, peeled, pit discarded, thinly sliced

chipotle salsa

Preheat the oven to 350F. Whisk the eggs with the heavy cream until well combined. Set aside. 

Puree the chipotles and the adobo sauce in a food processor until smooth. Without cleaning the container, puree the black beans until smooth.

Spread a thin layer of the chiptole puree over the bottom of  each of the rolls. Top with a layer of black beans divided up equally between the tortas. Add a layer of bacon on top (1-1/2 slices on each roll).

Melt the butter in a 10" skillet set over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and gently scrape the sides and bottom of the pan. Once the eggs have formed soft curds, remove the pan from the heat and finish cooking the eggs until just set. Divide the eggs between the tortas. Sprinkle on the Chihuahua cheese and cover with the top of the roll. Wrap each torta in aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the bread is warm. Unwrap the tortas, remove the top and place the slices of avocado over the filling. Replace the top and serve immediately with a side of chipotle sauce. 

Breakfast Grilled Cheese with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Pesto

  Tieghan Gerard's newest cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Every Day, was due to be released this week but has been postponed for another month or so (probably due to covid, labor shortages, shipping issues, and who knows what else these days). I'm really excited to get my hands on the book, but I can handle waiting another month. There are certainly enough recipes on her site to keep me busy until then.

Lately I've been taking inspiration from what I have on hand when it comes to picking my recipes. A quick search through my pantry reveals an abundance of pesto, jars upon jars of basil pesto and sun-dried tomato pesto. I do a quick search for pesto-based recipes on Tieghan's site and find her Breakfast Grilled Cheese with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Pesto and the rest is history!

Tieghan makes this sandwich with the standard basil pesto, but I was in the mood for sun-dried tomato pesto. I buy the Rao's version and it is one of my favorite things on the planet to eat! If you haven't ever tried it, you should (it is heavenly with burrata on toast). 

I love a regular ol' egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, but I also love to change it up from time to time. I knew this one would be a hit before I even tasted it. I mean buttery sourdough, soft scrambled egg, sharp cheddar, and harvarti, with some of my heaven-sent sun-dried tomato pesto....it was ooey gooey deliciousness! I could start my day with this sandwich every day and be a happy camper! In fact, I have all the ingredients on hand so I just might start my day with this sandwich before work this week!

My co-workers and friends think it's funny that I wake up early enough to make myself a home-cooked breakfast every morning. They say they prefer to sleep in and grab a packaged breakfast bar or yogurt. Not me! I like to treat myself and get my day off to a good start!

 Breakfast Grilled Cheese with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Pesto

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest Blog

Serves 2

4 large eggs

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

4 slices sourdough bread

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded havarti or fontina cheese

1/2 cup basil pesto*

or

1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto*

2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives or green onion

honey, for drizzling

Whisk together the eggs and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook, undisturbed, until a thin layer of cooked egg appears around the edge of the skillet. Using a rubber spatula gently push/move the eggs around the skillet until fluffy and barely set, about 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the skillet and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.

Spread the outside of each slice of bread with butter. On the inside of half of the slices of bread, evenly layer the cheese, eggs, and pesto. Add the top piece of bread, buttered side facing up.

Place the sandwiches, one at a time, in the skillet and cook until golden on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve topped with chives, honey, and sea salt.

Celebrating w/ HBH! @ IHCC