Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts

Monday, June 8, 2015

Spaghetti Squash Frittata

Perfect Pairing:  Leftover spaghetti squash

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One food trend I am totally on board with is spaghetti squash.  My first post of 2015 was this Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole recipe.  I froze half of the recipe and was thrilled to have it on hand when I was in the midst of wedding planning and needed a healthy and filling meal. 

Next time you have leftover spaghetti squash try this frittata recipes.  Actually, just cook up some spaghetti squash so you can make this!  It was such a great breakfast, served up beautifully, and was delicious reheated. 


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There are a few different ways of cooking a spaghetti squash.  I definitely prefer roasting them and will usually do two at once to make sure I have plenty on hand.  To roast it, poke the spaghetti squash with a fork 10 times.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes (this softens the squash and makes it easier to cut in half).  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes at 400 degrees, or until completely tender, then you can shred it with a fork.  You can also cook it in the microwave.  I use this method if I just don’t have the time for roasting. 


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Cooked spaghetti squash acts as the crust of the frittata.  Try to remove any excess moisture in the squash, this is especially important if you cooked it in the microwave.  You can either squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel, pat with paper towels, or press into the bottom of a strainer.


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The filling is a mixture of sautéed vegetables, eggs, egg whites, chicken sausage, and cheese.  This recipe is totally customizable so if you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out.  If you have kale on hand, throw it in.  Would rather use swiss cheese than shredded cheddar?  Brilliant.  Do it.  I think I used a roasted red pepper chicken sausage, like this.   

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I have an exorbitant amount of spices in my kitchen, and I love all of them.  I used some crazy combination of Italian/Za’atar/Berbere/Jamaican Jerk in this (not really, but also not far off) but you could use whatever you have on hand, whether it is Mrs. Dash or Cajun.  Just be sure to check if it has salt so you can adjust that accordingly.


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One other thing to note…. Yes, this does have cottage cheese in it.  No, you cannot tell there is cottage cheese in it.  It just adds a little creaminess and bulk, but won’t freak out cottage cheese haters.  They’re out there.


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Monday, February 23, 2015

Cheeseburger Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Mix ‘n Chop

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Here in Chicago we are still smack dab in the middle of winter.  We are to the point where it is no longer charming in any way.  The snow is dirty, the cars are salty(as is my coat and, inevitably, my dark jeans), the potholes are growing, and everyone is just super ready to see some green grass and birds.  I guess if you want to see a silver lining it would be that it is still soup season!  It is a very thin silver lining.

Soup is one of my favorite winter foods because it always seems to get better leftover and it is so simple.  I think I have made a batch of soup almost every Sunday in 2015 so it can be enjoyed all week long. 

My mom first had a version  of this Cheeseburger Soup earlier this year made by a friend and she asked for the recipe.  She has probably made it 4 times since then and it quickly became a family favorite.  I made a few variations from the original recipe to lighten it up just a bit.

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It is just really darn good soup.  Kind of a nice change from your standard chili or noodle soup.  I feel like I should maybe apologize for using processed cheese.  It is not very "foodie" of me.  So, sorry about that.  All things in moderation?

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I have a lot of tools in my kitchen and some are probably (definitely) superfluous but one I really love is the Mix ‘n Chop from Pampered Chef.  It is the perfect tool for breaking up ground meat.  I’m a big fan.  If you want to purchase one here is a link to my favorite Pampered Chef consultant, Julie.





Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Roasted Caprese Salad

Perfect Pairing:  Off-season tomatoes


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While I love cold-weather comfort food sometimes I crave something fresh that reminds me of warmer days. Especially with the negative temperatures and dreary, dirty snow outside.

The perfect summer dish is a caprese salad made with garden-grown tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and sweet basil.  Now we are stuck with hothouse tomatoes that barely resemble the summer varieties that you could eat like an apple.   Roasting mediocre tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and concentrates all of the good tomato flavor. 


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I used a variety of grape and Campari tomatoes, but use whatever you have on hand or what is on sale.  


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After roasting they are topped with shards of fresh mozzarella, julienned basil, and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar.  

Park yourself under a heat lamp, pour a glass of sauvignon blanc, turn on some Bob Marley and it is practically summer.


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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

French Onion Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Epicurean cutting board

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Today you are getting a soup recipe.  Why?  Because it snowed in Chicago yesterday.  It was quite a bit of snow actually.  I am NOT happy about it.  I am so disgusted with winter.  That has to be the last snow.  Right?  RIGHT?!

I have always loved French onion soup.  Why not?  It is salty, cheesy, and topped with crusty bread.  It even eliminates the extra step of me dunking my bread in the soup, which I love to do.  For some reason I avoided making this at home because I assumed it would be very time consuming and perhaps difficult.  I guess I just always assume French recipes are time consuming and difficult. 

While we are on the topic of France.... I am going to France next month!  I am over the moon excited.  I am going for work but extending for fun.  The first half of the trip will be in Paris and then it is off to sunny Nice for a few days.  I can barely stand it! I studied for a semester in Nice, so I am pretty pumped to see it again as a grown-up and a foodie. 


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Anyway, like I said above, I always thought French recipes were difficult.  Good news!  French onion soup is easy!  Really, really easy.  This version tastes just like the restaurant classic.  It does take some time to get the onions cooked down but overall it is very low maintenance.  It would be great as a first course or served alongside a hearty salad. **My original draft of this said a heart salad, not hearty.  Gross.   When I made the soup I served it with this Kale Salad with Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Sesame Dressing.  It was a great cold weather meal.


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The most time consuming part of the prep is slicing the onions.  It is important to have a really sharp knife.  Invest in a great knife and you won’t be sorry.  I love my Shun knives. 

I have always used the flexible plastic cutting boards.  They are great in the beginning, but after a few runs through the dishwasher they start to fold up around the edges and cause extreme annoyance in the chef.  My mom had an Epicurean cutting board that she received after attending a Wolf oven demonstration.  I coveted it.  I assumed this was a specialty board that would be hard to find, but apparently they are all over the place.  It was at the top of my Christmas list this year.  I love this board.  It is dishwasher safe, lightweight, and comes in various sizes.  This might sound crazy but I truly enjoy cutting and chopping more on this board than any other.  Weird? 


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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Salted Roasted Pecans

Perfect Pairing:  Chocolate Sauce
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These little guys are a good thing. 

They are great to have on hand in the freezer.   I would suggest buying the pecan halves at Costco or Sam’s.  They are much cheaper in bulk.

Salted Roasted Pecans are great on their own, would be fabulous on a cheese plate, or wrapped up as a hostess gift.  I paired them here with chocolate sauce and ice cream, which is a no brainer!  I have also used them on top of a yogurt parfait, and tossed in a spinach salad with pomegranate aerils, dried cranberries, and this dressing.  Delicious!

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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Sausage Caprese Bites

Perfect Pairing:  Marinated mini bocconcini


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I am a big fan of pre cooked chicken sausage.  I use them all the time. 


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They come in a ton of flavors like apple and cheddar, cognac and cranberry, or you can keep it simple with spicy or Italian flavored.  They are all pretty healthy.  I like to get the natural varieties.  I am using them here in a quick appetizer.  Even though they are fully cooked I sauté them a bit to give them some caramelization.  Spell-check is telling me that caramelization is not a word.  I do not agree with this.

I drizzled some pesto on top, but you could certainly skip that step.  You could also add a little basil leaf to the skewer.  I used marinated mini bocconcini which were perfect in this recipe.  No need to slice up fresh mozzarella, and they just look really cute.  They are marinated in a seasoned olive oil.  I removed some of the oil by resting them on paper towels before threading them on the toothpicks.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Southwestern Chicken Slow Cooker Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Toppings!
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I am so over winter.  SO over it.  I know, I know, everyone feels the same way if they live in the Midwest or on the East coast.  It has just been brutal this year!   I think it will be May before the foot of solid ice in my yard has a chance to thaw.  I live in constant fear of pipes bursting.  I feel like I am on an obstacle course while driving in Chicago to avoid the thousands of cavernous potholes.

Enough whining.  I really do like to look on the bright side of things!  In winter that means looking forward to warm vacations, cozy nights by the fireplace, binge watching seasons of a new favorite show (Downton Abbey) on Netflix, and warming comfort food.  This Southwestern Slow Cooker Soup totally fits in the last category!

My cousin told me about this recipe and I am so glad she did, it is delicious.  It is also one of the easiest meals I have made in a long time.  You just fill the slow cooker with the ingredients and walk away.  You can even put the chicken in frozen!  I used spicy Ro Tel tomatoes and chipotle chili powder which made my version really spicy.  If you are sensitive to spice you might want to use the mild Ro Tel and cut back on the chili powder.  This makes a big batch so you could cut it in half easily.

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This soup just screams for toppings!   I recommend shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack), green onions, cilantro, Fritos (why do they have to be so good?), and sour cream.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Blue Cheese Puffs


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Kale Salad with Spiced Sweet Potatoes, Crispy Kale and Sweet Sesame Dressing

Perfect Pairing:  Winter salad craving

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This is my new favorite winter salad.  It was inspired by a salad I had at a great restaurant here in Chicago called Trenchermen.  I was determined to recreate the salad at home so I looked up the description on the website.  The description of their version says it includes vegetable escabeche, bagna cauda, avocado, pumpkin seed, and manchego.  Hmmm vegetable escabeche and bagna cauda?  I decided to ignore that part because I had no clue how to make those things. 

My version actually ended up being quite different.  I pretty much only kept the pumpkin seeds and one other very cool idea I got from them.  They topped the fresh kale salad with pieces of crispy fried kale.  It added great texture and a nutty flavor.  Instead of frying the kale I used my standard kale chip recipe.  My version features baked sweet potato spiced with pumpkin pie spice and a dash of cayenne, pepitos, freshly grated parmesan, and an awesome sweet sesame dressing.

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This sweet sesame dressing has become my new “go-to”.  It kind of tastes like the dressing used on the Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad.  I used to LOVE that salad.  Applebee’s was like THE place to go in high school and college. 

I hope you love this salad as much as I do!  It is the perfect fit when you have a salad craving in the winter.  I am not even going to get into the health benefits. Kale!  Sweet potatoes!  Mayonnaise?  Just make it!

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Flatbreads with Thyme, Honey, and Sea Salt

Click Read More for the recipe...

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Pesto Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese

Perfect Pairing:  Store bought pesto
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Last year I talked about my garden woes.  This year was not exactly better, different maybe.  I continued to be my overly optimistic self and planted window boxes and herbs.  I bought most of the goods at Gethsemane Nursery again.  That place is incredible. 


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I tried some new things in the window box this year.  The shade loving ferns and the mini hosta worked well.  Er, maybe not WELL.  They ended up being a little confused with one side growing twice as fast as the other side, and doing the complete opposite thing from the other window box.  Whatever, there was green stuff growing so I had to be ok with that.  

I tried impatiens AGAIN and they all died AGAIN.  I actually replanted them twice.  One batch died within two days.  That was a new record.  Then I found out that there is a rampant impatiens disease in Chicago.  I am not even kidding, google it. 

I came up with a new method for my herbs.  Instead of having them on my front patio (where there was very little sun) I moved them to the other side of my garage after getting the OK from my nice neighbor to use his plot of land.  Everything was going along swimmingly until I came home one day and found one of the pots missing and part of my basil dug up from the other pot.  I fumed on Facebook for a moment, and then went about my day.  Long story short, another neighbor thought they were being thrown out and rescued them.  Um, that probably does not say much about the state of my herbs, huh?  I got them back and continued giving them TLC.  They still died.  I am going to get a complex over this.

I think I made about two dishes from my herbs before they all went kaput.  These turkey burgers did not make the cut.  There was no chance I was getting an entire batch of pesto out of my sad basil plant…. Not from the first or the second planting (no one can say I didn’t give it a valiant effort).  Store bought pesto was perfect in this recipe.  I mixed some in with the ground turkey and added a dollop on top instead of the traditional condiments.  Add a healthy dose of goat cheese and you have a pretty fantastic burger. 

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One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Strawberry Pie

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Chicken Yakitori

Click "Read more" for the recipe....

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Beer Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Perfect Pairing:  Freezer meals
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I really wish I had a better picture of these suckers.  Let’s just review… they are meatloaves stuffed with a homemade beer cheese, topped with bacon and an awesome glaze and then grilled.  What could possibly be bad?  Except my picture of them, of course.  You see, I had people waiting to eat and well photography was just low on my priority list at that moment.

I made these during our family vacation this summer.  It was actually kind of a staycation since we were all at my parents’ place.  We had an absolute blast playing in and around the water, boating, relaxing, laughing, eating, swimming, floating, playing bags, tea parties, kiddo dance parties, etc.   We also had the third annual Lake House Chef Challenge, but that is another post another time.  I have to share some of my favorite photos from the week.
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My mom and I figured that we served about 400 meals that week.  If you know us you know that it was not frozen pizza and premade stuff.   We like to make things difficult apparently.  Below is the menu for the week.  You will notice that a lot of the items are featured on this site.  We had a big folder with all of the recipes so we were ready to go each day.
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In case you were wondering, this is what one of the refrigerators looked like.  I am sure my mom will be thrilled I am sharing this.
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We pretty much stuck to the menu! The lake is about 15 miles from a decent grocery store so we had to be REALLY prepared.  We also wanted to make as many things ahead of time as possible.  One of the things we made in advance was this dish.  I made the beer cheese and meatloaf mixture earlier in the month, assembled them, wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer.  I let them defrost in the fridge and then topped them with the bacon and made the glaze the day we grilled them up.  It worked out really well. 
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FYI…. The beer cheese is pretty awesome as a dip with pretzels.
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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Shrimp and Arugula Pesto Grilled Pizza

Perfect Pairing:  Grill gadgets
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This meal was something I made on a random Wednesday night.  I really didn’t intend on photographing or writing about it because it seemed a little odd and maybe a bit disjointed in my head.  I had no idea how it would turn out but I was on a happy cooking mission. 

I combined lots of things that don’t seem to make sense like, grilled scallions (fell in love with them in Mexico and they changed my life), my favorite marinade for shrimp (Italian dressing and honey), cheese (everyone says you are not supposed to combine cheese and fish), arugula pesto (contains curry paste, coconut milk, and honey roasted peanuts).  Weird, right?
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WELL, it tasted awesome and looked super pretty, so I decided I needed to share this wacky creation with the world.  It might seem like a lot of ingredients and steps but I had the whole thing done in about 40 minutes and that includes clean up.  You’ll end up with some extra pesto but I think it would be pretty fantastic on a number of other things like toast, chips, crackers, and pasta.  It won’t go to waste.
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I enjoy my share of cooking gadgets.  This is the perfect time to drag out those grilling devices like a basket for the shrimp and peppers, tongs for the scallions, and a grill safe pan for the pizza.
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Tuna Hummus Melts

Perfect Pairing: Sabra hummus
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My typical Saturday morning ritual is to clean my place with the Food Network on in the background.  If I glance up and see something interesting I will shut off the vacuum and tune in.  On one such morning I saw my favorite cook, Barefoot Contessa, make a tuna salad sandwich and she served it over a layer of homemade hummus.  Brilliant!  I loved that idea.  Of course, she made her own hummus and the tuna salad still had full fat mayonnaise in it, but it gave me a great idea.  Why not substitute hummus for mayonnaise in the salad?  Even though hummus still has some fat from the tahini it is a much healthier option. 

I made Tuna Hummus Melts for a small get together at my house and I really liked them.  You truly don’t miss the mayonnaise.  I used rye bread, a few slices of tomato, and havarti dill cheese melted on top.  My favorite brand of hummus is Sabra.  The classic variety was perfect in this recipe but you could use one of the flavored versions for an added kick.

There was quite a bit of leftover tuna after the party so I made my own version of tuna noodle casserole.  I made a basic white sauce, stirred in some cheese, cooked pasta, the leftover tuna, and frozen peas.  Voila!  It was quite tasty.  Just something to keep in mind if you have some leftovers!
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Friday, April 26, 2013

Creamy Edamame and Corn Succotash

Perfect Pairing:  Chipotle Cheddar Cheese
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Airport food has come a long way.  During my youth I would fly out of the Moline International Airport.  I am not quite sure how they can call it an international airport, maybe someone went to Canada once from there.  It is a very small airport filled with very friendly employees, free parking (at least it used to be), and one baggage carrousel.  There was one restaurant option right before security that basically served diner food. They have totally remodeled the airport in recent years so I might be wrong on some of this information. 

Nowadays I fly out of O’Hare where there are endless food options.  Unfortunately, that also comes with about 10x the hassle when compared to flying out of a small airport.  San Francisco’s airport (SFO) has a new terminal that is filled with awesome options.  Cat Cora and Tyler Florence both of restaurants there, as well as an amazing candy store, and Pinkberry frozen yogurt.  You don’t mind killing time in that terminal.

I recently flew out of SFO after an amazing trip to California and had some time to kill in the new terminal.  I decided to get lunch at Tyler Florence’s restaurant.  It is a relatively casual place that serves pizza, salads, and rotisserie options.  I had a salad but I was really eyeing the creamy succotash side dish.  I decided to try my hand at it when I got home.  I think I waited a whole two days.
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Google tells me that succotash is a dish of corn and lima beans.  Well, mine has one of those things.  I subbed lima beans for edamame, added roasted red peppers, and a spicy cheese sauce.  My original plan was to use shredded pepper jack cheese in the sauce but while grocery shopping I spotted a chipotle cheddar cheese and decided to go with that.  I loved the smoky flavor of the chipotle peppers, but pepper jack would also be great in this dish.  This is a great way to spruce up your standard veggie side dish.  I loved it!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

Perfect Pairing:  Babich Sauvignon Blanc
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The first time I heard of lemon pasta I was not so sure I would like it, it just seemed a little strange.  Turns out, I love it.  So many pasta dishes are heavy and rich but Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp is light and delicious.  It is also really quick to throw together.

I used meyer lemons which are a bit sweeter and less acidic, but I think regular lemons would work well.  If you use regular lemons you may want to use less and add more to taste.  The citrus flavored pasta pairs really well with the roasted shrimp.  Roasting is my favorite way to prepare shrimp.  I first wrote about it in my recipe for quinoa with roasted shrimp, asparagus, and goat cheese.

This dish is finished off with freshly grated parmesan and fresh herbs.  You could use whatever you have on hand but I really liked the combination of tarragon, basil, and parsley.

My favorite variety of white wine is Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  It is crisp, dry, and refreshing.  It always seems to have a hint of grapefruit.  I know wine summaries have some pretty crazy descriptions that to most people are completely undetectable, but I really can pick out the grapefruit. 
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I ran across Babich Sauvignon Blanc at my local grocery store and it has been my go-to white wine ever since.  It is a great deal for under $15.  It is perfect in the sauce of this dish and served alongside.
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Thursday, March 7, 2013

Turkey Meatball Sandwiches

Perfect Pairing:  Hollowed out bread
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Dude food.   That is what I think of when I think about meatball sandwiches.  They are quite manly.  Oh, I also think of Joey Tribbiani on Friends.  He had a thing for meatball sandwiches.  I would love to cook for Joey.  I think he would like anything I put in front of him. 
Even though I made these for my cousin, who is definitely a dude, I did have to girly-up the sandwiches a little bit.  I don’t think he noticed.  I substituted lean ground turkey for beef, or whatever they use in normal meatballs.  In addition, I used a small amount of hot Italian pork sausage.  It added a ton of flavor without much added fat.
I made my own sauce with just a few ingredients, but you could easily substitute your favorite store bought sauce. 
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When I was putting the sandwiches together I realized it was a lot of bread.  I made the bread “skinny” by tearing out the soft insides to save on calories.  Thank you Potbelly’s for the idea!  You really don’t miss the extra bread and it makes the sandwich easier to handle.
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