Smoked Salmon Gruyere Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April is "Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month" and our Crazy Cooking Challenge for the May party suitingly is "Grilled Cheese Sandwiches".  I had to think about what I would like to try for a new grilled cheese sandwich, and I happened to have a hankering for smoked salmon, so a little googling and I found a recipe for a Smoked Salmon Gruyere Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which inspired me to come up with my own creation. I made mine without lemon, and it was pretty tasty! 

Here is what I used / did:

Sourdough bread

Smoked Salmon

Gruyere Cheese (we used a smoked gruyere)

Butter (Unsalted)

Butter the outside of the sourdough bread.  Place butter side down, and start to fill the sandwich with toppings.  I pulled apart the smoked salmon into small chunks and place the chunks along the bread.  Slice the cheese and place in/on/around the smoked salmon, ensuring that the cheese will melt and tocuh each side of the sandwich to help hold it together.  Place the second piece of bread on top (again, butter side out) and place on warmed grill.  Cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.  Slice and serve!

VERDICT:

What a nice treat this was!  My husband and I both felt it was a great "grown up" grilled cheese sandwich.  Very tasty indeed - an indulgence for sure!

Would love for you to "Like" Addicted to Recipes on Facebook...thanks!

Scrumptious Sunday Link Party #10

Wow, my 10th recipe link party already!  It feels like I just started yesterday...and already, 10!  Time is passing so quickly.  It really is true, time flies when you are having fun!

It's SUNDAY which means that Scrumptious Sunday is open again!  I am so excited to read all of your recipe submissions this week!  One little change, the party will close on Wednesday night rather than Thursday - this will give me an extra day to read through all the submissions and write my feature post.

THANKS so much for choosing Addicted to Recipes as one of the blogs you visit and share at....I greatly appreciate it!

Hope you enjoy the party!  Once again, here is the link!

PS - I sure would love for you to follow me on Facebook!

Scrumptious Sunday #9 - Features!

Week #9 of the Scrumptious Sunday Link Party was another great success!  Thank you so much for sharing 89 of your fabulous recipes!  You make it so tough for a girl to choose features!  If you are featured, please grab a button!

<a href="http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w519/AddictedtoRecipes/addictedbutton.jpg" width="200" height="177" border="0" alt="I was featured, I was Featured by Addicted to Recipes"></a>

Before I get to the features, just a reminder that I will post the links on my Facebook page...and NEW THIS WEEK, I will also be pinning each featured recipe on my Pinterest board!

Here are this week's features!

Dreami Kiwi Lemonade from Baking with Blondie

Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork with Bleu Cheese Coleslaw from Living Gorgeously

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from DJ's Sugar Shack

And because these look just like my favourite Starbuck's treat, Oatmeal Fudge Bars from Close to Home!

Congratulatiosn everyone!
Just a reminder the Scrumptious Sunday Link Party #10 opens on Saturday evening at 8 pm PST. I am really excited to see what you bring to next week's party!

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

My Dad will be so pleased...I made squash for dinner.  Or maybe he won't be once he reads the verdict below.  I guess we'll see!  My Dad is a big squash fan...and everytime it was prepared when we were growing up, we (me, my brother, and I am pretty sure my Mom) all turned our noses.  Ewww, squash.  I painted all squash the same.  If I didn't like one, I didn't like any of them.    But then I grew up, and occasionally at a restaurant one of the vegetable sides would be a squash of some sort.  Sometimes it was spaghetti squash.  And I sometimes tried it.  And I discovered that I like it. Fast forward a few moons and I'm reading through my pile of cookbooks and I come across a recipe for "Spaghetti Squash Casserole"...hmmm...sounds promising.  I think I'll try it.  And we did...here is the recipe:

Spaghetti Squash Casserole - from Taste of Home

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice the squash in hal lengthwise; remove and discard the seeds.  Place squash cut-side down in a baking dish.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until easily pierced.

Increase oven temperature to 375F.

Melt butter in a skillet.  Add in onion, garlic, mushrooms, herbs and seasonings.  Saute until the onion is translucent.  Add in the tomatoes and cook off most of the liquid.  Set aside.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate into strands.  Combine the squash, tomato mixture, cottage cheese, mozzarella, parsley and crumbs.  Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered at 375 for 40 minutes or until heated through and the top has started to brown.

VERDICT:
Wow, this was so good.  My husband's first reaction was "mmmmm" and he then proceeded to have three servings!  He even took leftovers to work and I think he shared a little there.  We gave some of the plain (baked) spaghetti squash to the baby, he wasn't a fan.  Our oldest son, well, we had to tell him that the spaghetti squash was noodles...which he found acceptable and he cleaned his plate.  My husband is already asking me to make this again!

Guest Post with Cups by Kim!

I have been having a great time writing guest posts for some of my blogging friends.  This week I've been working with Kim from Cups by Kim on my latest creation.  Thanks so very much Kim for hosting!!  It's another new-to-me recipe...please visit Cups by Kim for all the details!  In the meantime, here is the teaser...

Blog Swap Opportunity

If you haven't heard about this upcoming event yet...My Favorite Finds and White Lights on Wednesday are co-hosting a BLOG SWAP... check it out...click the link below...sign up (I did!!)....and HAVE FUN!  Thanks Carrie and Julie for hosting!

Here is the direct link!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

At one of my recent Scrumptious Sunday Link Parties, Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box posted her Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.  My husband loves Chinese food (I'm not a big fan) but her recipe spoke to me as one I should make as a treat for my husband. And since all the ingredients are items I normally stock in my pantry, it was easy to put together! 

Here is what I did:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (partially thawed)
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste

3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325F.

Prepare two bowls for dipping - one with cornstarch and one with the beaten eggs.

Heat vegetable oil in frying pan.

Clean chicken breasts and cut into pieces. Mandy recommended cutting the chicken while still partially frozen, which did make cutting the chicken easier.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Coat chicken in cornstarch by dipping in bowl.  After cornstarch, dip into the egg mixture, coating the chicken.  Place chicken in the heated oil and cook for a few minutes (but do not cook through).

While the chicken is cooking in the pan, prepare the sweet and sour mix.  Using a whisk, mix together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soya sauce and garlic powder.

Once the chicken is browned, place the chicken in an 8x8 baking dish.  Coat the chicken with the sauce.  Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

VERDICT:
Both my husband and oldest son were skeptical about what I was making for dinner.  We told our son that it was "plum sauce chicken" because he loves plum sauce and figured that would help to get him to eat it.  After their first bites, they both said "Yum!" My son said that the "Chicken was very good, Mommy" and my husband cleaned his plate!  We did both agree that we'd like to add a little more "crunch" to the chicken the next time we cook it, and as much I would like crushed almonds (but hunny is allergic) we both thought we should try adding panko to the recipe.