Vegan Sloppy Joes Everyone Loves

Though I am not vegan, or even vegetarian at this time, I eat like one much of the time. Meatless sloppy joes were in my regular rotation when I was a vegetarian, and I made them with TVP—textured vegetable protein—back in the day. 

But I developed this recipe with lentils, for a few reasons. One, I'm not keen on TVP. Two, I don't feel the need for a meatless product to imitate meat. And three, I really like lentils. I could live on legumes!

Cooking time for lentils is shorter than for beans, but the cooking time varies depending on the variety and the age of lentils. This time, before opening a new package, I used the last of the bag of lentils that was well past its "best by" date, which meant they required longer cooking.

If you're not toasting the buns for burgers and other bun sandwiches, I hope you'll give it a try. Heat equal parts of unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil on the griddle and toast the split buns well on the cut side and lightly on the outside. Makes them soooo good.

Here's my Homemade Hamburger Buns recipe (apologies to my vegan friends because there is also meat in that post). There are a number of good vegan cheeses on the market now, which hasn't always been the case! Perfect also for those who are dairy-free.

This recipe even passes muster with Mr Delightful, who isn't as keen on legumes as I am. That means: if you're having vegans and carnivores at the same table, you can make them both happy with this recipe!

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Vegan Sloppy Joes

(Makes 8)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium (about 4 ounces/113 grams) yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium (about 4 ounces/113 grams) green or red bell pepper, finely diced

2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) tomato paste
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) lentils

2 1/2 cups (20 fluid ounces/591 ml) water
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 14.5-ounce (411 grams) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

8 buns, split and toasted
Garnishes: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, sliced dill pickles

1 In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil and cook onion for about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and tomato paste; continue cooking for about 2 minutes.

2 Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed and lentils are firm-tender (biteable, but not completely cooked).

Note: Remember that cooking times for beans and legumes can vary. 

3 Stir in paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and crushed tomatoes. Bring back up to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes more, or until the lentils are tender and the mixture is thick. 

4 I use my own Homemade Hamburger Buns or similar ones from the bakery, split and well toasted on the griddle with half organic unsalted butter and half extra virgin olive oil, and 1/2 cup of sloppy joe mixture for each.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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Tahini Chicken Tea Sandwiches - New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway

This batch of Tahini Chicken Tea Sandwiches was made for a little casual afternoon tea, but it will be on the menu at my next proper afternoon tea party, along with Cucumber Sandwiches and Sliced Egg and Dill Sandwiches. 

But before I go on (and on) about tea sandwiches, I want all of you who are not into that sort of thing to know that this knife we’re giving away is not just for tea sandwiches, so don’t click away! 

The New West KnifeWorks G-Fusion Petty Utility Knife is probably the most versatile knife in my collection. For this recipe alone, I used it for butterflying chicken breasts; chopping onion, fennel and cooked chicken; and cutting sandwiches. 

And it does so much more. It’s big enough and the right shape to use as a small chef’s knife and small enough that some cooks even use it as a paring knife. The razor-thin blade makes it great for filleting, boning and trimming silverskin.

For nearly a year, it’s been my go-to knife for shallots, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, small fruits and vegetables, chopping or chiffonading herbs, supreming citrus, cutting and trimming raw meat and carving cooked meat. But back to the tea sandwiches …

I have wasted so much tahini over the years. Love that stuff! And I use a lot of it in my Hummus and Baba Ghanoush (pardon those pictures, by the way, I was just starting out!), but then there’s always some left over. 

What else can I do with it? Mr Delightful is not a fan of dips, so I wanted to use it in a way he would enjoy, too. He likes chicken salad sandwiches, so there you go.

He’s not fussy about his sandwiches being perfectly cut, but (and now I’m talking to my Tea People) tea sandwiches must look as good as they taste. They must be cut very cleanly; squished sandwiches and ragged edges are simply not the done thing. 

So tell me, what is your favorite tea sandwich? And be sure to go to the section below the recipe for details on this very generous giveaway. If you don’t happen to need a knife, you know someone who does; and this knife would make a great and generous gift.

Blade Length 5.5 inches, Overall Length 11 inches, Max Blade With 1.187 inches

Tahini Chicken Tea Sandwiches

(Makes 32)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
3/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons minced onion

1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup minced fennel or celery

1/2 cup unsalted tahini

2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
16 slices potato or buttermilk bread (or other soft, "wide" bread)
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, very soft

1 In dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove to 1.5-quart bowl to cool.

2 In same skillet, still hot, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken breasts and cook, loosely covered, over medium-low heat about 15 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Season each side of chicken with up to 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove to plate to cool.

Note: I used the New West KnifeWorks Petty to butterfly the chicken breasts, so they needed just 10 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool.

3 Add onion to skillet and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes, deglazing the pan with the onion juices, scraping up any brown bits. Add the onion and oil to bowl with sesame seeds.

4 Chop the cooled chicken and add it to the bowl. Stir in the carrots, fennel or celery, tahini and lemon juice. Add the curry powder and remaining salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and chill for at least an hour before assembling sandwiches.

5 Spread each slice of bread thinly with softened butter. Divide the chicken salad (about 1/4 cup each) among the 8 bottom bread slices. Top with remaining buttered bread slices. Trim off crusts and cut each sandwich into four fingers or rectangles, arranging on a plate in about three layers. 

6 Lay a good-quality un-dyed paper towel on top of the sandwiches. Wet and wring out well another paper towel; lay the damp paper towel on top of the dry paper towel. Never place the damp paper towel directly on top of the sandwiches or they will become soggy. Wrap rather snugly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. This will make your sandwiches “hold together” and keep them from drying out. Remove from refrigerator and uncover sandwiches just before serving.

New West KnifeWorks Petty Knife Giveaway

I chose the all black knife, but it comes in 7 other beautiful and unique New West color combinations you must check out. The knife comes with a beautiful leather blade protector.

This giveaway is open to readers in the US* who are 18 years of age or older. To enter, leave a comment below (one entry per person). Tell me the first thing you'd make with the knife and/or which color you'd choose. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday February 13.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone you know in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter!

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday February 14. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday February 17, a new winner will be selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: New West KnifeWorks provided a knife for review purposes and one for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Jean

Pimento Cheese - Pimiento Cheese - A Southern Classic

Pimento Cheese (pimento is pronounced puh-MIN-uh, by the way wink wink) is an iconic Southern food that's been around for over a hundred years, but my Southern grandmother never mentioned it; I had to learn it on my own! There are many variations, but it's basically shredded sharp or medium Cheddar, mayonnaise and pimientos. 

Delicious on a hamburger, hot dog or bacon sandwich, it's more often just slapped on some soft white bread for a quick sandwich, cold or toasted. Apparently, you can also stuff celery with it, spread it on crackers or dip tortilla chips in it. But I only ever seem to serve it with crudités or in tea sandwiches.

It "must" be made with real mayonnaise. Many Southern cooks swear by Duke’s mayonnaise, but I have to make do with Hellmann’s/ Best Foods or my Homemade Mayonnaise. Duke's is still made in Greenville, South Carolina, and sold throughout the South. Sticklers for authenticity can always do mail order!

Purists may not add anything to the basic ingredients, but I can't resist a little dill pickle and dill pickle juice along with black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. You can add a few chopped green olives, red wine vinegar, Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce, so I might have to give that a try in the next batch. 

Some like it blended smooth, but I'm among those who prefer it a little chunky. Does your family have a pimento cheese tradition? Would you like to start one? I’d love to hear your thoughts on pimento cheese.

Pimento Cheese (Pimiento Cheese) 

(Makes 3 cups)

1 pound medium or sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 4-ounce jar pimientos, drained and diced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle

2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 In a 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients until well blended. Leave it a little chunky, as I do, or use an immersion blender to make it as smooth as you like. Transfer to serving bowl and cover. Chill for a few hours or up to one week.

2 Serve with a crudités platter, crackers, tortillas chips or bread. Spread on hamburgers, hot dogs or bacon sandwiches. Use it to make a cold or toasted cheese sandwich or, as I have here, tea sandwiches.

Jean

Italian Meatball Sandwiches

Italian meatball sandwiches make a great meal in any weather, but meatballs and sauce might be too much trouble to cook on a hot summer afternoon. No worries. I do my summer cooking in the morning.

I developed this recipe with dried herbs so that it could be what I call a Pantry Meal, a meal I can make from what's always on hand rather than having to make a grocery run. And I like to make a double batch and freeze half for another day. 

How many sandwiches this recipe makes depends on what size rolls you get. Today the bakery had some crusty French rolls that were just under four inches, so I put two meatballs on each one; so I could make eleven sandwiches. If they'd had the rolls that are just under six inches, I would have put three meatballs on each and made seven sandwiches. (Ooh, the math, my brain is smokin'!) 

Though I usually aim for perfectly round meatballs, when making them for a sandwich I like to flatten them out slightly. Some people put the meatballs straight into the sauce, but I like to brown them first, get a nice crust on them before simmering them in the sauce. But if you do it the other way, that's okay too.

Are you a meatball sandwich fan, or would you rather have your meatballs and sauce on some spaghetti? I also like to make double batches of my Spaghetti Meat Sauce and freeze it in these meal-size portions. 

Pyrex 3-Cup Rectangle Storage Containers

Italian Meatball Sandwiches

(Serves 4)

The Meatballs (Makes 22) 

2 slices good white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons very finely minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound (16 ounces/0.45 kg) very lean ground beef

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

The Sauce

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup very finely shredded carrot
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (organic fire roasted)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

The Sandwich

Crusty French rolls or homemade buns
Thinly-sliced Provolone cheese

1 In medium bowl, combine bread and milk and let stand a few minutes before mashing to a paste with a fork. Add remaining meatball ingredients, except ground beef and olive oil, in the order given. Using hands, mix in the ground beef until everything is well combined. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour, or in freezer for 5 minutes or so, to make mixture easier to handle.

2 Roll #40 scoops of meatball mixture with both hands to form meatballs. (First I scoop all of the meatball mixture and then roll all the meatballs.) 

3 In 12-inch skillet*, heat olive oil. Brown the meatballs in two batches, rolling them around, browning on all sides. Remove to a plate or bowl.

4 In same skillet, cook onion for a few minutes, add in shredded carrot, and then stir in crushed tomatoes, scraping up brown bits in the pan. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat. Add meatballs to sauce. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Sauce should be quite thick; you don't want a soggy sandwich.

5 Split rolls and line each with thin slices of Provolone. That's another thing that will prevent sogginess. Much better than putting the cheese on top. Heat the sandwiches in preheated oven, toaster oven or broiler just enough to melt the cheese. 

* I love my All-Clad 5112 Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan! AND my Pyrex 3-Cup Rectangle Storage Containers.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites.

Jean

Faux Tuna Salad

I really like a good tuna salad sandwich, but the kind of tuna I like, the solid white albacore, has even more mercury (nearly three times as much, I recently read) than the light tuna from the smaller skipjack. And sometimes I just like to eat vegetarian. So I started looking through the pantry to see if it would spark an idea for a substitute.

First thing I spotted was a can of organic garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), and I thought, hmm … chopped up and mixed with my favorite tuna salad ingredients … And, of course, it would make a delightful tea sandwich, especially when there’s a vegetarian on the afternoon tea party guest list.

Then I decided to google it. And shoooot! It’s already a “thing.” Anyway … I don’t mind. If something’s a good idea, it’s a good idea, even if somebody else already had it! And, no, it does not “taste just like tuna salad.” Similar, due to the other ingredients, but it’s not going to fool anyone. It tastes good, and that’s what counts.

But if, like Mr Delightful, you insist on the real, not faux, thing, here’s Tuna Salad. What do you think - are you ready for faux tuna salad? This sandwich was made with my Sourdough Sandwich Bread we always have on hand.

Faux Tuna Salad

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced sweet pickle
2 teaspoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped lemon (juice is a bit too liquid for the salad)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian or vegan)
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegan substitute
2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard

1 Turn your rinsed and drained garbanzo beans out onto a cutting board and chop them coarsely with a large knife. You’ll notice the skins coming off the beans. You don’t have to, of course, but I found myself unable to resist pulling the large pieces of skin out of the pile and discarding them. And I like to put a half cup or so of the beans into a small mixing bowl and mash them up before adding the chopped ones.

Note: How finely you need to chop the garbanzos and vegetables depends on whether you are making regular sandwiches or tea sandwiches.

2 Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.

Tuna Melt - An American Diner Classic

Tuna melts were not on the menu at our house. My first one was served to me by the woman who would become my mother-in-law. The first time she set one before me, I had my doubts: 1) Hot tuna salad? 2) Hard-cooked egg mixed with tuna? 3) Cheese on tuna? Hey, what can I say, I was very young!

I often think of that dear lady and, during a recent illness, was remembering some of the foods she used to make for me, wishing she were here now to pamper me. So I decided to make a tuna melt in her honor. I even put the egg in it. The capers and dill are my own little touches, two things I use a lot.

I used to eat nothing but solid white albacore tuna, but then I learned that chunk light has a fraction of the mercury. I choose water-packed because I like thoroughly drained tuna, and oil-packed tuna loses a lot of its omega-3 fatty acids when you drain it. You can use whatever kind of tuna you prefer; I don't like to get too dogmatic about it!

What are your favorite things to eat when you're not feeling well?

Tuna Melt Sandwiches

(Makes 4 open-face sandwiches, 2 servings)

1 5-ounce can chunk light tuna packed in water, drained
1 large hard-cooked egg, diced
2 tablespoons diced celery
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced sweet pickle
1 tablespoon minced red onion, optional
1 teaspoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon country Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
A squeeze of lemon
4 toasted slices of English Muffin Toasting Bread (or 4 toasted English muffin halves)

Sliced tomato, optional
Mayonnaise to spread on bread
1 cup shredded medium cheddar

1 In 1-quart bowl, stir together tuna, egg, vegetables, capers, mayonnaise, mustard, dill, pepper and lemon juice.

2 Toast the English muffins or bread; spread with mayonnaise. Lay on a slice or two of tomato, if you like. Top with tuna salad, then with shredded cheese.

3 Place on a foil-lined heavy-duty quarter sheet pan (everyone needs to have three or four of these handy little pans!). Heat under the broiler or in toaster oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Disclosure: Posts may include links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com, and Delightful Repast earns a few cents on the dollar if readers make a purchase, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches

It's summertime and our thoughts naturally turn to pulled pork. Well, mine do anyway! Unfortunately, my current outdoor gas grill is not up to the task; so I made my indoor version. My indoor oven-barbecued pulled pork is a variation on my braised pork shoulder (I'll post that during fall or winter). As always, I used carefully sourced pork, not from CAFOs.

I don't know about you, but I don't like to dirty up every pot and pan in the house unless I have to. So I devised this recipe to be a no-muss-no-fuss-all-in-one-pan kinda thang. It makes enough for six big sandwiches or a dozen sliders. 

If you're making big sandwiches, whip up a batch of my homemade hamburger buns. If you're making little sliders (as pictured), try my homemade slider buns. Pulled pork can be made a day ahead. Just reheat, tightly covered, at 300 degrees for an hour before serving. I like mine without any extra barbecue sauce and with coleslaw on top of the meat. My husband likes his with extra barbecue sauce and the coleslaw on the side (in a separate dish, of course--he's like Monk, doesn't want his foods touching!).

How about you? Do you have any funny little food quirks? (I have a few, but I'll save them for another post!)

Oven-Barbecued Pulled Pork

(Serves 6)

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into about 5 strips
1 1/2 teaspoons organic canola oil

Dry Rub
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Rub
1 tablespoon lower sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Braising Liquid
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 large stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lower sodium soy sauce

Sauce
1/2 cup of your favorite homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce

1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil 12-inch straight-sided skillet (Mine is the All-Clad Stainless 6-Quart Saute Pan) with the organic canola oil. In small bowl, combine ingredients for dry rub; set aside. In another small bowl, stir together ingredients for west rub; set aside.

2 Cover pork strips with wet rub on all sides, then with dry rub. Arrange strips in single layer in oiled 12-inch straight-sided skillet. Roast 35 minutes; turn strips and continue roasting for 15 minutes, until well browned. Keep an eye (and nose!) on it. You want browned bits as the foundation of your braising liquid, but burned bits will ruin it! 

3 Transfer strips to plate; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 12 minutes. Over medium heat, add water and soy sauce and bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits.

4 Bring to boil and add strips; return to boil, cover pan tightly with foil and lid and simmer in 300 oven for 2 hours. The pork is not completely submerged in liquid, so the crispy edges formed by the initial roasting will stay that way. 

5 Transfer strips to 1.5-quart oval Corning casserole or something similar. Strain braising liquid into 2-cup glass measure, pressing out liquid from solids; discard solids. With small ladle, remove fat from top of liquid. Add water, if needed, to bring volume of sauce to 1/2 cup. Stir in barbecue sauce.

6 With two forks, shred pork in casserole, removing any large pieces of fat. Stir in sauce. Serve immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.

Italian Meatball Sandwiches - Comfort Food on a Roll

Italian meatball sandwiches make a great cool-weather meal. Meatballs and sauce freeze well, so make a double batch whenever you have time and freeze half for another cool evening when you want something warm and comforting but don't have the time or energy to cook. If you're like me, you might have the energy to cook but not to clean up (My husband sometimes calls me The Black Tornado - a reference to an old commercial for a cleaning product nicknamed The White Tornado).

BTW - I know, I know ... meatballs two weeks in a row. What can I say, I'm on a meatball kick. But Italian meatballs are entirely different from Mexican meatball soup!

I like to use fresh herbs when I have them, but developed this recipe with dried herbs so that it could be what I call a Pantry Meal - a meal I can make from what's always on hand rather than having to make a grocery run.

How many sandwiches this recipe makes depends on what size rolls you get. Today the bakery had some crusty French rolls that were just under four inches, so I put two meatballs on each one; so I could make eleven sandwiches. If they'd had the rolls that are just under six inches, I would have put three meatballs on each and made seven sandwiches. (Ooh, the math, my brain is smokin'!) Though I usually aim for perfectly round meatballs, when making them for a sandwich I like to flatten them out slightly.

Some people put the meatballs straight into the sauce, but I like to brown them first, get a nice crust on them before simmering them in the sauce. But if you do it the other way, that's okay too.  

Italian Meatball Sandwiches

(Serves 4)

The Meatballs (Makes 22)

2 slices good white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons very finely minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound very lean ground beef
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

The Sauce

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup very finely shredded carrot
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen organic fire roasted)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

The Sandwich

Crusty French rolls or homemade buns
Thinly-sliced Provolone cheese

1 In medium bowl, combine bread and milk and let stand a few minutes before mashing to a paste with a fork. Add remaining meatball ingredients, except ground beef and olive oil, in the order given. Using hands, mix in the ground beef until everything is well combined. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour, or in freezer for 5 minutes or so, to make mixture easier to handle.

2 Roll #40 scoops of meatball mixture with both hands to form meatballs. (First I scoop all of the meatball mixture and then roll all the meatballs.)

3 In 12-inch skillet*, heat olive oil. Brown the meatballs in two batches, rolling them around, browning on all sides. Remove to a plate or bowl.

4 In same skillet, cook onion for a few minutes, add in shredded carrot, and then stir in crushed tomatoes, scraping up brown bits in the pan. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat. Add meatballs to sauce. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Sauce should be quite thick; you don't want a soggy sandwich.

5 Split rolls and line each with thin slices of Provolone. That's another thing that will prevent sogginess. Much better than putting the cheese on top. Heat the sandwiches in preheated oven, toaster oven or broiler just enough to melt the cheese.

* I love my All-Clad 5112 Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan!