Caraway Kraut and Split Frank Sandwiches

Cut frankfurters lengthwise without cutting all the way through. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, lay hot dogs flat and fry 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter and keep warm; keep heat under pan. Add caraway seeds to pan and toast 30 seconds; add sauerkraut. Add small amounts of sauerkraut juice if mixture begins to stick to pan. Meantime, toast bread and spread equal amount of mustard/mayonnaise mixture on each slice. Place franks on each of six slices of bread; top each with even amounts of kraut mixture and top with remaining bread slices.

Tip: The split franks can be spread out in an oven-proof casserole dish, covered with kraut mixture and cooked in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Five minutes before serving, arrange bread on cookie sheets and toast in oven.

Confetti Kraut and Frankfurters

Image: 

confettikraut.jpg

In medium saucepan, saute onion in butter until soft. Mix in sauerkraut, raisins, carrot and apple juice. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, cover frankfurters with water and simmer 10 minutes or until heated through; drain. Place frankfurters in rolls and top with kraut mixture.

Creole Egg Salad Sandwich

Image: 

creoleeggsalad.jpg

Peel and chop eggs in medium size bowl. Add celery, onions, pickle, garlic, paprika, cayenne, vinegar, juice and mayonnaise; blend well. Add salt to taste. Rinse and dry watercress. Break smaller pieces from thick stems; set small pieces aside. Divide egg mixture among 4 bread slices; top each with small pieces of watercress and remaining bread slices.

Dilled Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Cutting these yummy sandwiches into strips or triangles makes them more fun to eat!

Using four slices of bread, layer each with a slice of cheese, three long pickle slices, and another slice of cheese. Top each with remaining bread slices. Cook over medium heat in non-stick skillet or griddle 1 to 2 minutes until bread is toasted on both sides and cheese is melted.

Greek Pickled Pita

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush baking sheet with olive oil. Separate cloves of garlic, leaving skins on, and spread on corner of baking sheet. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut each half into three flat strips. Spread on baking sheet in single layer. Cut pepper in half, remove seeds, and cut each half into three strips; place on baking sheet. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft and lightly browned.

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins directly into the bowl of a food processor. Add chickpeas and puree, adding pickle juice slowly until mixture becomes a smooth paste. Add pickles to bowl and pulse machine enough to coarsely chop pickles and blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut pitas in half and place a pinch of alfalfa sprouts in bottom of each. Add a zucchini slice, a pepper strip, and divide hummus evenly among pitas (about 1/4 cup each). Top with more sprouts and serve.

Green-Eyed Monster Burgers

Image: 

greeneyed.jpg

Mix pickle juice and onion soup mix; add ground beef and mix thoroughly. Divide into 12 thin patties. Arrange 5 to 7 dill pickle chips in the center of six patties; cover with remaining patties and seal edges well. Pan fry in non-stick fry pan or broil 5 to 6 minutes on each side.

Variation: Mold burgers into hot-dog-shaped patties and use sliced-lengthwise sandwich pickles between patties.

Grilled and Pickled Chicken Sandwich

Image: 

chickensandwich.jpg

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to obtain 4 chicken pieces. Mix together pickle juice and olive oil. Marinate chicken pieces in pickle juice mixture for 30 minutes. Cut peppers in half and remove stem and seeds; place skin side down on grill and cook until peppers are blackened and wilted. Place in paper bag to cool; remove skins, reserving any juice. Cook chicken breasts on grill until done (5 to 7 minutes per side). Toast bread slices on grill. Stir pepper juice into mayonnaise to thin slightly. Spread mayonnaise onto toasted bread slices.

Assemble sandwiches by placing lettuce leaf, 1 chicken breast, a red pepper half, 3 sliced-for-sandwiches pickles, and another lettuce leaf on top of 4 toasted bread slices. Top with remaining toasted bread slices.

Hearty Ham And Cheese Sandwich

Image: 

hamandcheese.jpg

Spread 2 slices of bread with mayonaise, if desired. Arrange arugala pieces to taste on each slice of bread. Top with equal amounts of peppers, ham, cheese and pickles in layers. Top with remaining slices of bread and server.

Serves 2

Tip: To serve as hors d'oeuvres, form into small patties and serve on saltines.

Kraut Swiss Round Dogs

Image: 

swissrounddog.jpg

Combine kraut and basil in saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes; drain. Top bun halves with cheese slices and broil 5 to 7 inches from source of heat 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.

Cut 10 deep slits in each frankfurter without cutting all the way through. Broil 5 to 7 inches from source of heat 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and broil 3 minute longer. Place frankfurters on bun bottoms; top with kraut mixture and bun tops.

Mexican Kraut Round Dogs

Sauté onion in vegetable oil until golden. Add kraut and marinara sauce; mix well. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes.

Fry tortillas in 1-inch vegetable oil until crisp; drain on paper towels. Fry green pepper rings 1 minute and drain.

Cut 7 - 10 deep parallel slits in each frankfurter without cutting all the way through. Broil 5 - 7 inches from source of heat or cook on outdoor grill 3 - 5 minutes. Turn and broil 3 minutes.

Top each tortilla with kraut, round dog, then green pepper ring. Fill center of round dogs with corn.

New Orleans Muffaletta

Image: 

neworleansmuffaletta.jpg

Combine first six ingredients in small bowl; stir to mix well.

Cut baguette in half and then each piece in half horizontally. Spread an equal amount of relish mixture on each of the bottom bread pieces. Layer on lettuce, roast beef, provolone, salami, Swiss cheese and mortadella. Top with pickle slices. Carefully place tops of breads on filling; press down gently.

Sandwiches improve in flavor if left to stand a short while. Garnish with sweet gherkin pickles.

Original Reuben Sandwich

Mix dressing with sauerkraut. Spread outside of bread slices with soft butter. Place bread, buttered side down, side by side. Place Swiss cheese on each slice of bread; place corned beef on only one slice, and the kraut dressing on the beef. Assemble the sandwich to be grilled on a sandwich grill or skillet. If a skillet is used, press down with a spatula until sandwich is browned and the cheese oozes. Serve immediately.

Pickled Pepper Pitas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With scissors, cut about a 3-inch opening along the edge of each pita; set aside. In large bowl, combine pickled peppers, sausage, cheese and pizza sauce. With a spoon, fill each pita with an equal amount of the pickled pepper mixture. Lay pitas flat on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes or until pita is crisp and heated through.

Tips: Kids will love this "inside out" pizza; for "stroganoff" style, substitute 1 cup low-fat sour cream for the pizza sauce; these sandwiches can be assembled in advance and heated up at the last minute.

Pickled Salmon Burgers With Homemade Tartar Sauce

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, fresh dill, scallions and paprika. In a separate small bowl, flake apart salmon and toss with bread crumbs. Place about 1/3 of the mayonnaise mixture into a third, medium-size bowl. Whisk in the egg and stir in the salmon mixture. Form into 4 cakes and brown in non-stick pan, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Place cakes on roll and top with a dollop of sauce.

Pork Burger With Zesty Kraut and Pineapple Salsa

Combine pork, salt, onion flakes and chopped pickled pepper rings. Form into four patties and pan fry over medium heat about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until no pink juice exude from the center. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Add pineapple rings, sauerkraut, pickled pepper rings and hot pepper flakes to pan; heat through, stirring occasionally. (Add a little pineapple or sauerkraut juice to help loosen bits of meat in pan.) Transfer the pineapple to four plates and place a burger on top of each. Top each burger with kraut mixture; serve hot.

Tip: Serve homemade nacho chips with these burgers - brush 4 small corn tortillas with oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Cut into triangles and bake at 350 degrees about 5 minutes or until crisp.

Red Kraut and Frankfurters

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the sauerkraut, soup and pepper in an oven proof dish and stir to mix well. Press frankfurters into the kraut mixture and spoon a bit of the kraut mixture over the frankfurters. Bake for 20 minutes or until mixture begins to bubble. Two minutes before serving, open buns and put on oven rack to heat through. Transfer a hot dog to each bun and mound kraut mixture on top.

Round Dogs with Dilled Beans

Image: 

dogsdilledbeans.jpg

Combine kraut, beans and dill seed in saucepan. Cover and cook, slowly, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut deep slits in each frankfurter at 1 inch intervals without cutting all the way through. Place on grill or in broiler and cook 5 to 7 inches from source of heat 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook 3 minutes longer. Set each curled frankfurter on slice of bread; fill center with kraut mixture. Top with remaining bread.

Scandinavian Open-Face "Dilly" Sandwich

Spread relish on each slice of bread. Top with three slices of ham and one slice of cheese. Cut pickles lengthwise, into four strips, but not cutting through end. Put pickles on top of each sandwich, fanning "slices." Serve.

Tip: Substitute sweet gherkins, baby dills or pickled pepper rings for sliced-lengthwise-for-sandwiches dill pickles.

Smoked Turkey Tortilla With Cranberry Salsa

One at a time, heat tortillas, turning once on hot griddle or on a rack set over a deep 10-inch skillet with boiling water. Heat just until softened (10-15 seconds).

Cover a tortilla with lettuce, then one fourth of the turkey; spoon about 2 tablespoons Cranberry Salsa over turkey. Roll up jelly roll fashion and place seam side down on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until serving time. (Can be prepared 2 to 3 hours ahead.) Serve with remaining Cranberry Salsa on the side.
 

Smoked Turkey Reuben

Image: 

smokedturkeyreuben.jpg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mayonnaise and relish. Spread on each slice of bread, dividing evenly. Divide turkey and place atop each of four bread slices. Cut peppers into strips and mix with sauerkraut; place equal amount of kraut mixture on top of turkey. Add slice of cheese. Heat in oven until cheese melts, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven; top with second slice of bread and serve each with a pickle.

Tip: These sandwiches can be served "open face."

Spicy Grilled Chicken-Jalapeño Burgers

Image: 

chickenjapburger.jpg

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). In large bowl combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, carrot, scallion, jalapeño and salt. Divide mixture into four equal portions, shaping into 1-inch-thick patties.

Place patties on grill rack; grill 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until done. Place buns, split side down, on grill rack during last 3 minutes of cooking time (or until toasted). Place burgers on bottom half of toasted buns, spoon Fresh Tomato Salsa on each burger, and top with upper half of toasted bun.
 

Dogs with Kraut & Apples

Image: 

tailchasingdogs.jpg

Slit hot dogs 4 to 5 times on the diagonal, cutting about half of the way through. Bring juice to simmer in large skillet; add hot dogs. Cook until dogs curl, about 5 minutes; remove hot dogs.

Bring apple juice back to simmer; add sauerkraut and heat until juice is absorbed. Meanwhile, cut four medium horizontal slices from center of apple and set aside. Grate remaining apple pieces into heated sauerkraut; stir to blend. Set hot dogs on top of kraut mixture to stay warm.

Place one apple slice on bottom of hamburger buns. Set hot dogs on apple slices and top with apple/kraut mixture.

For grown up kids: replace juice with beer and substitute chopped pickled peppers for apples.

Super Turkey Club Reuben

Image: 

superturkeyreuben.jpg

Combine blue cheese spread and 2 tablespoons of beer; set aside. Place remaining beer and sauerkraut in a saucepan and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes; cool completely. Drain thoroughly and add radishes, parsley and pepper; toss to blend.

Assemble sandwiches by cutting entire loaf of bread horizontally into 6 slices. Spread blue cheese mixture on one side of each slice of bread. For each sandwich, use 3 slices of bread. On first slice of bread, blue cheese mixture side up, place lettuce leaf, 1/4 of kraut mixture, 1/4 of turkey slices and 1/4 of salami slices. Add second slice of bread, blue cheese mixture side down, spread blue cheese mixture on dry side of second bread slice and repeat lettuce, kraut and meat layers. Top with third slice of bread, blue cheese mixture side down. Wrap and chill about 1 hour before serving. Cut both sandwiches in half. Garnish with pickles and radishes.
 

Turkey Burger & Pickled CranRelish

Image: 

turkeyburger.jpg

Heat grill to medium. Combine turkey, relish and salt; form mixture into patties. Grill burgers about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until no pink juices run from the center. Meanwhile, stir together pickle and cranberry relish. Transfer each burger to a toasted muffin; top each with relish mixture; serve open face.