Follow up to Sandwiches Galore

Okay, so I got a little excited to create some of my own recipes for the Trader Joe's recipe contest. On two different evenings I pretended I was in some fancy food magazine test kitchen and played around with lots of different melty grilled sandwich creations. The kitchen was a mess, as was my apron, and the cleanup was overwhelming. But there was something fun and satisfying about it, like I was in the cooking Olympics (only I was alone and not exercising and there was bacon involved). Anyway, I submitted two recipes to the contest because I loved them both too much to show favoritism. The grilled bacon and brie with apples and brown sugar is gooey and sweet....the smokiness of the bacon and the caramel vibe from the brown sugar perfectly balance one another. In contrast, the "carnitas pannino" has the moist shredded pork, perfectly paired with the spiciness of the jalapeno bread and green salsa.


Sweet and Smokey Grilled Cheese

• One package Trader Joe’s Naan
• One package TJ's Apple Smoked Bacon, cooked until crisp and brown
• One wedge of TJ's double or triple crème brie, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
• One Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• Brown sugar

Brush the outside of each piece of naan with a bit of olive oil. To layer sandwich: start with a piece of naan and top with a few slices of brie. Then add 3-4 slices of bacon (enough to cover the length and width of bread), a few apple slices (enough to cover the length and width of bread), sprinkle with approximately 2 TBL brown sugar, and then top with a few more slices of brie and then the remaining piece of naan. Cook in a big skillet over medium heat, approximately 3-5 minutes per side, pressing down with spatula or by placing a heavy pan on top, compressing the whole sandwich and sealing all the yummy ingredients in with the cheese. Once cheese is melted and bread is nicely browned, remove from heat and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes, cut and serve.

El Grande Carnitas Pannino

• 1 loaf TJ's jalapeno cheddar bread
• 1 package TJ's carnitas, heated according to package directions, shredded
• ½ of a 8 oz. block Monterey jack cheese, shredded (should be around 2 cups)
• Trader Joe’s Roasted Piquillo peppers
• Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde

Slice loaf in half cross-wise, creating a top and bottom of your giant sandwich. Brush the outside of each piece with a bit of olive oil. To layer sandwich, start by spreading half of the shredded cheese on the bottom. Top with the shredded carnitas – as much as you can squeeze on there without it toppling off (about half of the meat). Cut the roasted peppers in half or thirds, and lay those pieces on top of the carnitas. Sprinkle with the rest of the shredded cheese and then top with the other half of the bread loaf. Press down. Cook in a big skillet over medium heat, approximately 3-5 minutes per side, pressing down with spatula or by placing a heavy pan on top, compressing the whole sandwich and sealing all the yummy ingredients in with the cheese. Once cheese is melted and bread is nicely browned, remove from heat and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. Cut and serve with green salsa to enhance its deliciousness.