1/2 cup Unsalted Butter Softened
8 oz Cream Cheese Softened
1 T Pure Vanilla
1 1/2 – 2 lbs Confection Sugar.
In a mixer whip together butter and cream cheese. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add in powdered sugar to desired consistency.
My mom made roll-up sandwiches for picnics and road trips when I was growing up. Sometimes it was chicken with cream cheese other times it was lunch meat with cream cheese roll-up, but it was always with homemade roll dough. As we got other and life was busier she started using crescent rolls to save time. I also made these for my kids, but I wanted to take it up a notch in flavor by adding additional ingredients. The cheese-ball mix is great with crackers as well as in these sandwiches! This recipe can me made in large batches and be put together as a team in assembly line fashion. We often work on these as a family.
Cheese-ball Mix
1-8oz package Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Shredded Cheese
2 T Dried Onion Flakes
1 tsp Garlic
1 toothpick dip doTerra Basil*
1 toothpick dip doTerra Thyme*
1 toothpick dip doTerra Rosemary*
(optional) 2 T Bacon Bits
2-8ct Tube of Crescent Rolls
1 lb Lunch meat slices (Ham, Chicken, Turkey, Roast Beef)
Pre-heat oven to 375.
Stack 3-4 pieces of lunch meat.
Spread 2-3 T of Cheese-ball mix on to the meat.
Roll the meat.
Roll Crescent dough around the meat roll. And repeat until all 16 are complete.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Store in the refrigerator if not eating immediately.
*Toothpick method
1 toothpick dip = dip a toothpick into the essential oil and dip it once into the recipe
1 toothpick swirl = dip a toothpick into the essential oil and swirl it around in the recipe
1/2 drop – Drop an essential oil onto a spoon, then use the tip of a sharp knife to obtain the desired flavor
This is such a versatile mix. It can be eaten on its own, as a sandwich, or as a pasta dish. The inspiration for this dish comes from Musumeci’s Deli. Let me set the scene for a second. A good friend of ours that I used to work with first introduce me to Mucumeci’s Deli when we worked together. One day as we are going to lunch he suggest this little sandwich shop he knows. As we drive to the center of the city, passing by all of the big beautiful buildings he turns down an alley, and pulls into a small parking lot behind what appears to be an abandoned building. With a huge grin on his face he gets out and we walk in to the building. The lobby is full of tables and plastic lawn chairs, and to the side there is a small shop that has a line out the door and part way through the lobby. We get into the line and working our way into the shop, where my friend grabs some papers and pens off of the counter and says, “Fill this out correctly or you have to go to the back of the line.” The inside of the shop is basically a small kitchen, with microwaves, pots of boiling water, stacks of fresh sub rolls on at the back. Two men are working in the kitchen, the younger one one taking the orders and money, the older putting orders together. This turns out to be an Italian kitchen, in all that you picture with that, the two men were father and son both named Phil. The food ranged from the Musumeci Special (ham, turkey and cheese with all the fixings) to cheese manicotti with Colosimo’s Italian sausage, and everything was so good, even the Cherry Coke was adjusted to cherry perfection. Hidden in the menu was the sausage and pepper sandwich, green peppers and onions sauteed together, placed on their special sub rolls with either mild or hot Italian sausage (grilled and sliced lengthwise). No marinara or cheese added. Just the addictive goodness.
This became a standard for me and every time I would go with my friend the orders were the same One full Musumeci Special and one full Sausage and Pepper Hot. This is also where I was introduced to the savior of the lunch order quandary, “the Splitter”. Half of each sandwich swapped.
Okay so after years of going to Musumeci’s deli and being well and truly addicted to the Sausage and Pepper sandwich, the worst thing possible happened. We walk in to the deli and Pops and Phil tell us that the City informed them that they would not renew the lease for the shop and were closing them down. I took my family there one last time and said good bye to the best sandwich I have ever eaten… Until now.
Through the next few years I would get the craving and shrug it off. Then after years of getting the shakes and yearning for Sausage and Pepper, we determined that we would duplicate the recipe and like all of our recipes, many trial and errors later we came up with this. Now it is not perfect but it is really close!
We triple the recipe when we do it so we get three meals out of it. We like to do one package of HOT Italian Sausage and two packages of Mild Italian Sausage. We have also done one package HOT Italian Sausage, one package Mild Italian Sausage, and one package Sweet Italian Sausage. We Food Seal the left overs to use within 2-3 months.
3 Green Bell Peppers
2 T Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion
2 T Olive Oil
2-3 Fresh Basil Leaves chopped
1 T Italian Seasoning
1 pk Italian Sausage
1 Jar Marinara
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Slice peppers and onions.
Grill Italian Sausages.
Saute Peppers in a cast iron skillet with 2 T Olive Oil. Caramelize Onion in 2 T Olive Oil. Combine peppers and onions.
Add chopped basil to the peppers and onions and simmer for 5 minutes. Add Italian Seasoning and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Slice sausage and stir in to the pepper and onion mix.
Serve with Marinara and Grated Parmesan Cheese.
We both grew up with homemade pizza, because eating out was only for special occasions. We did pizza completely different. We have spent years trying different recipes, flours and cooking methods. We LOVE brick oven pizza in true Italian style especially when Joseph’s brother brought his portable brick oven from California. This recipe is our second favorite.
Keep in mind the best dough needs to be prepared 24 – 48 hours in advance.
2 T Dry Act Yeast
1/4 cup Honey
1 cup Warm Water
1 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Hot Water
1 cup All Purpose Flour
3-4 cups 00 Flour
Combine yeast, honey, warm water, and oil. Let rest and grow for 15 minutes. Add additional ingredients until well incorporated. Let rest and grown for 30 minutes. Kneed in any additional flour needed to get the dough to the consistency that feels like your earlobe. Grease the bowl with olive oil and light coat the top of the dough with olive oil and place in the refrigerator covered to rest for 18 – 20 hours. Pound down and gently kneed every 6-8 hours. 6 hours prior to baking proof on the counter covered. As it gets to room temperature you will need to pound it down more frequently.
Lightly coat your cast iron pan with olive oil. Divide the dough in half. Make a ball with each half and press it into the pan working it gently in a circle. The dough will be very elastic. Be patient, you don’t want to rip the dough.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Makes 2 – 14 inch Pizzas
Topping SuggestionsWe make a Cheese Blend of 2 cups Mozzarella, 1 cup Colby Jack and 1 cup Medium Cheddar for 2 pizzas.
Ham & Pineapple
All Meat – Ham, Bacon, Sausage, Salami, and Pepperoni.
Alfredo Sauce, Sausage, Spinach, and Goat Cheese
Alfredo Sauce, Spinach, Chicken, Ham, Bacon, and Tomato. (Add the tomatoes for the last 5 minutes of cooking)
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Turn the pan180 degrees in the oven and back for 10 – 15 minutes until crust is golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove from pan with pizza peel and cut into 8-12 slices.
I learned this recipe from my mother-in-law. I have to admit I have increase the amount of cheese and bacon from her recipe. Who doesn’t love cheese and bacon? This is a family favorite that we enjoy year round. It can me doubled or tripled easily for a large gathering. It can easily prepare a head of time since you stir in the dressing right before serving. I do have to admit it is only good for the first 24 hours of having the dressing, but at our house there is rarely left overs.
2-3 cups Broccoli
1-2 cups Cauliflower
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 – 1 cup Bacon Bits
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Whipping Cream or Milk
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Sugar
2 T Mustard
Cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite size pieces. Add cheese and bacon bits. Stir together mayonnaise, whipping cream, lemon juice, sugar, and mustard to make dressing. Stir on dressing right before severing.
Several years ago we went on a date to McCool’s Irish Pub. We ordered Bangers and Mash and the Corned Beef Casserole. As we always do we discussed how we could improve on the meal. Our Corned Beef Casserole has become a favorite. Sometimes it is a way to re-purpose our corned beef leftovers and other times we cook the corned beef just for the casserole.
4-5 lbs Corned Beef Brisket
2 lbs Gold Potatoes
1 small head Cabbage
2 cups Medium Cheddar Cheese Shredded
1 cup Dubliner White Cheddar Cheese Shredded
1 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
6 oz Horseradish Sauce
1 cup Medium Cheddar Cheese Shredded
Boil Corned Beef as directed on package. Once cooked remove fat and shred.
Slice Potatoes 1/4 inch thick.
Chop Cabbage into 1 inch pieces.
Partially cook the potatoes.
Option 1: Steam for 2 minutes in a microwave steam cooker.
Option 2: In a large pot boil 4 qt water. Add potatoes and return to a boil.
Drain off excess water.
Partially cook cabbage by steaming for 3 minutes.
Combined mayonnaise, horseradish sauce, and the first 3 cups of cheeses to make the sauce.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 9×13 casserole pan start by lining the bottom of the pan with half of the potatoes. Dollop half the sauce over the potatoes. Cover the sauce with a layer of half of the corned beef followed by a layer of half the cabbage. Continue with the last half of the potatoes. Dollop remaining sauce over the potatoes. Cover the sauce with the remaining corned beef followed by the reaming cabbage.
Bake for 45 minutes. Top with remaining cup of cheese. Turn off oven leaving the casserole in the oven to melt the cheese melt for 5 – 10 minutes.
Remove and let cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
We grew up eating corned beef sandwiches where the corned beef was from a can. But when there is corned beef left over from a meal we love to make it in to Sandwiches the next day. You can use this recipe for both.
1 cup of corned beef shredded
1/2 cup Mayo
1 tsp horseradish sauce
1/4 cup Medium Cheese Shredded
2 T Pickle Relish
Mix all ingredients together. You may need additional mayo if the mixture is too dry. Canned corned beef often soaks in more of the moisture.
I am a dōTERRA Wellness Advocate and I love using the essential oils in my recipes. Check out the Tips for Baking with Essential Oils by Tina Yelle, Ontario, Canada
2 lb Ground Beef
1/4 cup Dehydrated Onions
2 T Minced Garlic
Brown together in a heavy or cast iron skillet.
1-8 oz can of Tomato Sauce
1-6 oz can of Tomato Paste
2 T Mustard
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Liquid Smoke
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Ketchup
Mix together in a skillet and simmer until it thickens about 10 – 15 minutes.
Beyond Food Is Art 