Ham & Tater Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• ½ TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 1 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 lb. Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and diced (approximately 4 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• dash cayenne or lemon drop pepper, more or less to taste
• 2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
• 1½ cups milk, divided
• 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cooked ham, diced small.
  

Instructions

1. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and celery and saute for 3-4 minutes until they start turning clear. Then add in the garlic and continue to saute for another minute or two.
2. Add the peeled and diced potatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot.
3. Pour the chicken broth over the potatoes and make sure that they are covered, adding additional water as needed.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender.
5. While the potatoes are boiling, pour ¼ cup of milk in a large bowl and whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour the remaining milk in the same bowl; set aside.
6. Optional: Once the potatoes are fork tender, use an immersion blender to partially blend the mixture - you want about 1/4 blended to make a creamier soup.
7. Add the milk mixture to the pot and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the sharp cheddar cheese and diced ham. Continue to simmer until the cheese is melted and ham is heated through, stirring constantly.
9. Remove from the heat. Serve immediately with additional cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon on top.

Northwest Potato Apple Soup

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon (1 oz. total), chopped

½ teaspoon olive oil

¼ cup sliced celery, plus leaves for garnish

¾ cup diced peeled Yukon Gold potato

1 medium (or two small) tart apple, peeled and chopped

½ onion, peeled and chopped

2+ cloves minced garlic

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

About 1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 cube (1 TBSP) frozen or fresh pesto

4 – 6 fresh sage leaves, minced

1½ cups apple cider or juice

1 TBSP flour stirred into 1 cup milk

3-4 oz gruyere cheese (or substitute cheddar & parmesan) shredded.

Plus some more for garnish

Optional:

Enough hot pepper to give it some bite.

Celery seed for garnish

Instructions:

In a large cast iron pan over high heat, stir bacon until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Add oil to pan; when hot, add onion, celery, apple, and garlic. Stir often over medium heat until onion is very limp and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

Add potatoes, chicken bouillon, and apple juice; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes mash easily, 25 to 30 minutes.

Add flour-milk mixture and stir in. Add the cheese and stir in. Cook, stirring often, an additional 8 or 10 minutes until cheese is entirely melted and flour is cooked. Adjust seasoning during this time.

Serve and garnish. Goes well with homemade sourdough bread.

Waffle Browns

Apparently, cooking with a waffle iron is a “thing” now. Or so I am informed by my daughter the librarian. She & I worked this out in conversation last night.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen hashbrown potatoes (feel free to use fresh)

½ cup frozen hashbrown sweet potatoes (or fresh)

⅓ cup sweet onion, sliced thin, cut into hashbrown size

3 strips bacon, cooked (not crispy), sliced to hashbrown size

1 TBSP bacon drippings

1 tsp dried oregano

1 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP honey

½ tsp dried tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter

Fry the bacon: mostly done, but not crispy. Defrost frozen things. Mix potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion together gently. Add sliced bacon, bacon drippings, spices, oil & honey. Mix together gently.

Shape into a rough patty, and place 1 pat of butter on top.

Pre-heat waffle iron. Oil bottom plate. Place the patty (with butter on top) onto waffle iron; close & press down.

When cooked through, remove from waffle iron. Serve immediately. Top with shredded cheese, a fried egg and/or drizzle with honey if you like. 

Caution: Be sure to re-oil the waffle iron before every batch!

 

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

Ingredients:

½ cup shredded sweet potato, patted dry

¾ cup shredded golden potato, patted dry

¼ cup julienned ham

4 golden cherry tomatoes, dried, reconstituted, & sliced

1 tsp dried parsley

½ tsp dried (Thai) basil

¼ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp curry powder

¼ tsp paprika

Several grinds fresh pepper, to taste

Salt to taste

 

§         Stir it all up in a mixing bowl until the spices are evenly distributed.

§         Heat a medium sized cast iron frying pan. When it’s hot, reduce heat to medium, heat ½ tsp oil, and half of the mixture. Shape the mixture to a rectangle inside the pan (easier to flip) and press down with spatula. Cook for 10 minutes or so, until it stops sizzling.

§         Flip carefully, without breaking up the patty.

§         In another pan, fry an egg.

§         Serve the egg on top of the patty, with a glass of orange juice or a cup of coffee. Honestly, this would be good with a weitzen, too. 

Siah's Grilled Taters

4 lbs red potatoes. Smaller is better.
¼ cup olive oil
¾ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large red onion.
¼ cup white wine vinegar.
2 TBSP white wine vinegar for after taters are grilled.
1 TBSP sugar.
1 cup crumbled blue cheese.
Parsley for decoration.

Boil potatoes until mildly tender. Drain water and half or quarter the taters. Toss taters with olive oil, salt & pepper. Grille until golden brown.

While grilling, sautee onions in 1//4 cup oil, ¼ cup vinegar and sugar (until dissolved).

Mix everything together, and add bacon, cheese & parsley.

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients
• 2 pounds boneless lean beef, cubed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 6 or 10 cloves of garlic, roasted, added whole to the soup
• 4 TBSP low sodium beef base
• 5 cups water
• 2 potatoes: washed (not peeled) and sliced into ¼"x¼"x 1" chunks.

• 4 stalks celery, chopped into ½" lengths.
• 6 carrots, chopped into ½ lengths.

• 6 green onions, chopped into ¼" lengths
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley (Do NOT get carried away!)
• 1 cup barley
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped.
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions
1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute the beef in the oil for 5 minutes, or until browned. Stir in the salt, pepper and garlic powder and place seasoned meat in a slow cooker. Deglaze with broth and add to the slow cooker.
2. Add the broth, water, celery, carrots, green onions, parsley and barley. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours, or until the vegetables and barley are tender. Add the thyme just before serving.

Homemade Chili Bread

1⅔ tsp active dry yeast
1 pkg Homestyle Creamy Butter Mashed Potatoes
3 cups white flour
2 TBSP white sugar
1½ TBSP gluten
1½ TBSP buttermilk powder
2½ TBSP butter
⅔ tsp garlic salt (the potatoes have salt as well)
1½ cups milk, lukewarm.

Spices:

1 TBSP chili powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp black pepper

Load into bread machine, set the timer, and press go.

Opinion: Looks bright, but is mild. Consider adding some dried tomato and increasing the chili, garlic & pepper components. Don't use too much liquid, or the bread will fall.

Fairly French Pizza

So, I'm going to have to turn all of my mg and liters into ounces and gallons, so please have patience with me.

This is for two medium/small pizzas or one big one.

Pizza dough:
I did have a recipe as inspiration, but I didn't use it much. If you know what dough (bread dough) should feel/look like, make sure your Flour/Water mix feels like that. The rest is about right.


Flour, 500g (3 cups)
I always mix whole wheat flour with white flourWater, 300mL (1¼ cups)
this is going to be harder than I thought....Fresh Yeast, 20g (0.70 oz)
Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons
Basil, Oregano, Thyme, and Cumin (¼ cup)
some salt, (1 tsp)
a little bit of sugar (1½ TBSP)

Pizza dressing:

Ground beef, 500g (one pound)
Spoonful of Paprika, Chilis, Herbs of Provence
(is that right? It's just a mix of Tarragon leaves, Rosemary, Thyme, and Oregano)Bell pepper, red
2-3 medium sized red Onions
(or normal Onions, but red Onions are sooooo much better!)1-2 Garlic cloves
Roquefort or Bleu Cheese... or just Gouda, if you don't like stinky cheese.
1-2 cooked/boiled Eggs
The dough works like every other dough (for people without Bread machines):
You mix all the bread dough ingredients together in a big bowl, and then knead it until you have a regular bread dough ball. Roll it out on a baking sheet/tray and let it sit in a warm place for about 30 min.

While you're waiting for the dough, you can start pre-heat the oven to 200C (or 392 F) and start working on the dressing:

Mix the ground beef until it has the same consistency as mashed potatoes and then add all the spices. This is your sauce. When the dough is ready, you can distribute the meat-sauce like you would tomato-sauce. Use a fork to poke holes in the meat-covered-dough, so it will bake evenly later.

Cut up the Bell Pepper, Onions, and Garlic as finely as possible. If you like lots of Herbs, you can add more of the French Herbs to this mix. If not, you don't need it. I added more Chili. Distribute this finely cut mix all over the pizza.

Slice the boiled eggs thinly and place them on the pizza. If you decided to go with the Gouda instead of the stinky cheese, I highly recommend putting bacon on top instead of Eggs. Because Bacon might not be French, but it's wonderful!

The Germans have a phrase, "Das Auge isst mit", which kinda means "your eyes eat with you". Ok, it sounds weird when I translate it directly, but it just means make what you're cooking pretty, because nicely arranged foods just taste better. All that to say, decorate your pizzas. Don't just throw every thing on there. I know this blog is called "Guy Foods", but even guys like nice-looking food.

Slice your choice of cheese (or shred it, depending on the cheese) to cover just about everything. Place your Pizza in the Oven for 30 min, but keep an eye on it!!!

Sometimes I need 30 min to get the cheese all nice and crispy and brown on top, sometimes I need 20 min. I don't actually know why. Probably has something to do with the settings.

Wait for it to cool a little when it's done, and enjoy!!!

Butter & Herb Potato Bread

1½ tsp active dry yeast
1 pkg Idahoan Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes
3 cups white flour
2 TBSP white sugar
1 TBSP gluten
2 TBSP dry milk powder
2½ TBSP butter
½ tsp salt (the potatoes have salt as well)
1⅓ cups water, lukewarm.

Load into bread machine, set the timer, and press go.

This is good! Buttery, lightly seasoned, very smooth.

Steak & Tater Soup

½ pound bacon, chopped medium.

5 cloves garlic, chopped medium

1 cup sweet onion, chopped into ½” cubes

1 lb steak, cut into ½” cubes

4 medium russet potatoes, chopped into ⅜” cubes, divided.

½ tsp ground black pepper, divided

1 tsp celery seed, divided
3 dried bay leaves

1 tsp chicken bouillon concentrate, normal,

3 tsp low-sodium bouillon concentrate

½ tsp dried red peppers, chopped (pizza peppers)

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 TBSP dried buttermilk powder

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

Fry the bacon in a large cast iron frying pan. When the bacon is starting to be done, add the garlic and onions. Continue frying until the onions are starting to get transparent. Reserve excess bacon grease.

Heat half of the bacon grease you just reserved into a large cast iron Dutch oven, and add the steak (it should sizzle!). Fry over medium-high heat until brown on the sides. Reduce to medium heat. Add the ingredients from the frying pan (bacon, onions, garlic). Season with some pepper and celery seed, but no salt.

Heat the remainder of the bacon grease in the frying pan. When it’s hot, add ½ of the potatoes (they should sizzle). Season with pepper and celery seed. Fry until cooked through and brown on the outsides.

Microwave the other potatoes in 1 cup water, until cooked through.

As the steak gives off liquid, add bouillon concentrate and stir to coat all ingredients. Add cream, buttermilk powder, pizza peppers and stir. Add 2 cups water. Cover and heat to boiling again, stirring regularly. Add ½ of the boiled potatoes and their liquid. Mash the other half to release the starches (to thicken the soup) and add to the pot. Add the potatoes from the frying pan and clean the frying pan (we’re done with it). Add bay leaves. Cover and heat to boiling.

Add Parmesan cheese and stir it in well. Cover and heat to boiling. Uncover and stir regularly for 30 minutes, stirring as needed.

Serve with toasted homemade bread and a glass of good, rich stout!

Basic Guy Stew

2 pounds beef chuck, cubed

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 TBSP garlic powder

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

4 TBSP (or so) vegetable oil.

½ pound thick sliced bacon, cut into small pieces.

1 large sweet onion, medium diced

4 large potatoes, peeled and diced

4 carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 tsp beef bouillion

2½ cups boiling water.

In a cast iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.

In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Add a small handful of meat at a time and stir until well coated; brown the coated meat in hot oil, about 1 minute per side. Remove the browned meat and continue until all the meat is browned.

Lower heat to medium and add bacon. When the bacon is about half done, add onions. Brown onions on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Drain excess fat from pot; it’s up to the guy cooking to determine how much is “excess.”

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, browned meat and broth (in a word, everything). Stir all together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally.

For a thicker broth: 1/2 hour before stew is done, combine 3 tablespoons flour and water in a small bowl and mix well, then slowly stir mixture into stew.

Serve with homemade bread and either milk or dark beer. A salad would go nicely with this.

Dave & Dave’s Tater Soup

Original recipe by Dave Hayes. Modified by David McLain

Ingredients:

4-6 slices bacon, cut small

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

¾ cup chopped celery 

½ cup finely minced onion

2 tsp chicken bouillon paste

½ cup potato flakes

¼ cup nonfat dried milk.

1 cup (more or less) milk or half-and-half or cream (wouldn’t that be nice!)

Pepper and possibly a very tiny amount of salt to taste

Directions:

• Cook bacon in the bottom of a Dutch oven or stockpot.
• When the bacon is done (but not crispy), add the cube potatoes, onions and celery.
• Add water, but don't quite cover the vegetables. Less is more.
• Bring to a boil and add the bouillon paste; lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Add potato flakes to thicken the liquid a little bit. Add dried milk.
• Using a potato masher, coarsely crush the potatoes, but don't mash them. You want chunks left.
• Add enough milk (or cream) to thin to desired thickness and add salt & pepper to taste.
• Simmer for 5 or 10 minutes more, and serve.

Alfredo Hash

4 oz cooked chicken breast (leftover barbecue is excellent for this!)
4 oz cooked potato (leftover barbecued potato slices are excellent!)
Olive oil
1 tsp fresh basil and/or oregano, very finely chopped, or herbs to taste.
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Butter for frying
3 oz alfredo sauce (I like Newman’s Own)
1 egg

Uses (2) small (cast iron) skillets or frypans.

Heat a small cast iron skillet, melt some butter and fry the garlic a little; probably doesn’t need much more than just heating up.

Dice the chicken breast and potato into ¼” cubes. Drizzle with some olive oil and add salt & pepper, and the basil & oregano. Add them to the butter & garlic as the garlic is beginning to think about getting whether it ought to begin browning. Turn down to medium heat and cover; cook unmolested for 5 or 10 minutes. Stir once and re-cover to cook several more minutes.

Heat second skillet. Melt some more butter.

Add the alfredo sauce to the hash and stir well. Turn heat down to low.

Fry an egg in the second skillet: over medium (boiled to medium will also work). When it’s done, chop it into the hash. Serve with fresh hot coffee, some orange juice and a side of toast.

Barbecued Veggies

Potatoes

Take a couple of pounds of small red potatoes and quarter them lengthwise. Drop them into boiling, salted water and cook them partway – maybe to the point where they’re halfway done.

Remove from the hot water, rinse in cold water (to keep them from over-cooking) and dry them. Spread them on a baking sheet. Preheat your barbecue at this point.

Spray lightly with olive oil and season fairly heavily with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. They’re ideal if they have some good brown color on the outside, but the inside is not overly soft.

Onions

Use sweet onions if possible. Peel and slice thick, at least ¼”. Spray lightly with olive oil and season modestly with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. Do not over-cook. They’re ideal when they’re al dente like good pasta: just a bit of firmness to the bite.

Bell Peppers

Quarter the peppers lengthwise; remove all the seeds. Wash in cold water.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. Do not over-cook. They’re ideal when they’re al dente like good pasta: just a bit of firmness to the bite.

Zucchini

Use young zucchinis, before the seeds have developed. Do not peel; slice thick, at least ½”. Spray lightly with olive oil and season modestly with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. Do not over-cook. They’re ideal when they’re al dente like good pasta: just a bit of firmness to the bite.


I love to barbecue veggies any time I'm barbecuing meat: it compliments the flavor of the meat, and allows us to do all the cooking outdoors so the kitchen stays cool on hot days. Besides, my family really enjoys barbecued veggies with our barbecued meat.

Barbecued Steak Stuffed with Thyme, Ginger & Bacon

Ingredients, per serving:

1 ten-ounce sirlion steak, thick cut. (Actually any boneless steak that is of sufficient quality for barbecue is fine.)
3 strips bacon, mostly cooked (still chewy)
1 TBSP red onion jelly
1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves, washed, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely shredded
1 ounce Mozarella cheese, sliced
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
While the barbecue is pre-heating at a high heat, slice through the steak, leaving one edge connected ("butterfly fillet"). Season with salt and pepper inside and outside.

Spread Red Onion Jelly thickly on one side of the steak. Layer the shredded ginger and chopped thyme over the jelly; then the bacon and cheese.

Close the steak, and press it firmly with a spatula to keep it closed.

Place on the hot barbecue, and immediately turn the barbecue to medium-low. Cook until done in the center (at least 140 degrees). Serve with fresh veggies, baked potato, and red ale or stout.

Comment: less thyme. More jelly (double it). More ginger, or a better way to capture its flavor. Consider other cheeses: white is right, but needs more zing: Parmesan-Reggiano? Asiago? Romano? Maybe Bleu? Add some garlic. Consider food processing herbs w/ garlic (coarsely) and maybe some lime juice.

Roast Beast Hash

Serves one hungry guy, or two gentle ladies, though this is probably not really “lady food.”

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of roast beef, sliced shoestring style.
• 1 medium potato, shredded with a coarse cheese shredder.
• ¼ yellow onion, thin sliced.
• 1 egg.

Spices:

• Salt & pepper, generously.
• Cajun spice mix.
• ¾ tsp dried oregano.
• ½ tsp dried basil.
• ¼ tsp dried garlic.
• 1½ tsp chipotle pepper sauce

Directions:

Slice it all up thin. Stir it up in a large mixing bowl. Add spices. Stir it up some more.

Pre-heat a good ol' cast iron frying pan. (Lesser frypans are acceptable if you don't have a well-seasoned black iron pan. Save up your nickels and get one at Goodwill for two bucks.)

Get the pan nice and hot; heat up a TBSP or so of olive oil, and add a little butter for flavor, and turn the heat down to medium. Pour in the whole concoction, and press it down firmly. Cover and let it cook until it’s medium brown on that side.

Flip it once, recover, and brown the opposite side.

When it’s done – and it should be one firm piece, like a large pancake – then add a bit of butter to the frying pan, and fry an egg to go on top of the hash.

This is pretty good if you don’t make bland. This needs to be kind of spicy. The egg on top is optional, but highly recommended.

Pork Pot Roast in Cider

¼ lb fresh bacon, in pieces

1 pork roast (I use one about 2½ or 3 pounds). Trim off the fat, all the fat.
1 TBSP olive oil.
8 - 10 cloves garlic, peeled, halved

2 cups apple cider
1 TBSP beef stock concentrate or bouillon granules
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp powdered mustard

Sauté the bacon in the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven. When done and still soft, remove the bacon and set it aside. Add 1 or 2 TBSP olive oil. Keep the Dutch oven hot.

Season the pot roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides. Add the garlic cloves to cook in and flavor the oil while the roast is searing.

While it is searing, combine: cider, beef bouillon, pepper, rosemary, mustard.

When the garlic is beginning to be browned, remove from the oil and set aside. This happens for me before the roast is completely seared.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

If you’re watching your fat content, pour off the bacon grease/oil mixture. When the roast is well browned on all sides, add the broth mixture. Bring it back to a boil and add the garlic and bacon that had been set aside earlier. When the broth is boiling again, cover the Dutch oven, and load it into the preheated oven for 70 minutes. I reach in with a spoon two or three times to ladle the liquid over the roast.

While the pot roast is simmering in the oven, prepare the veggies:

5 modest size potatoes, quartered lengthwise.
1 large yellow onion, in similar size large chunks
½ pound of small baby carrots, or five or six fresh carrots washed and cut into pieces.

1 parsnip, scrubbed, cut into pieces (optional)
Season all the veggies with salt and fresh ground pepper.

When the 70 minute timer goes off, add the veggies, and load it back into the oven, this time at 300 degrees, for another 40 minutes.

When you’re satisfied that the meat is done enough (I use a meat thermometer, looking for at least 155: it will cook a little more after removing it), pull the whole pot out of the oven. Pour the juices off into a frypan and make gravy out of them, but keep them separate from your wife’s portion of the meal. Serve while it’s hot.

Low Fat Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 beef roast (I use one about 2½ or 3 pounds). Trim off the fat, all the fat.
1 TBSP olive oil.

Season the pot roast both sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in a cast iron dutch oven. While it is searing, combine:
1 cup chicken broth (yes, chicken).
1 TBSP dried basil leaves
1 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
5 cloves garlic, peeled, whole

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

When the roast is well browned on all sides, add the broth mixture. Bring it back to a boil. When the broth is boiling, cover the dutch oven, and load it into the oven for 90 minutes. I reach in with a ladle two or three times to ladle the liquid over the roast.

While the pot roast is simmering in the oven, prepare the veggies:

5 modest size potatoes, quartered lengthwise.
1 large yellow onion, in similar size large chunks
½ pound of small baby carrots
Season all the veggies with salt and fresh ground pepper.

When the 90 minute timer goes off, add the veggies, and load it back into the oven, this time at 275 degrees, for another 90 minutes.

When you’re satisfied that the meat is done enough, pull the whole roast out of the oven. Pour the juices off into a frypan and make gravy out of them, but keep them separate from your wife’s portion of the meal. Serve while it’s hot.

Bacon Cheese & Apple Sandwiches

Start with some interesting buns. I love the Sausage Cheese Rolls for this, particularly in a long, thin shape. Think of the dimensions of a French Dip Sandwich.

Slice the sausage cheese roll lengthwise, and toast lightly (I use a toaster oven, as my rolls are too big for the toaster).

Cover one side in mayonnaise, the other in spicy brown mustard.

For each sandwich's filling:
2 strips of fresh bacon, cooked and drained
4 thin slices of apple *
2 slices of mild cheese . Mild cheddar is good. Gouda is gooder.

I put the cheese on one side and broil it for a couple of minutes to soften the cheddar. Gouda probably doesn't need that.

Assemble the sandwich. Serve with potato salad or fresh fruit. A good medium-bodied ale would go well with this.

* For the apple slices: core a whole apple. Peel the apple. Slice thin (1/8") so each slice has a hole in the center. I prefer Gala for this, but I've just discovered the new Jazz apple. That's an amazing apple, and would be glorious in this sandwich!