Monster Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

October 28, 2019leftovers, lunch, salads, snacks, entreesSheri SpalloneComment

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Originally posted October 2018.

Halloween this year looks different than in years past, but if your goblins are venturing out to carve through the neighborhood on Halloween night, treat them to these irresistibly easy Monster Chicken Salad Sandwiches featuring Cherchies® Champagne Mustard.

I have always been a sucker for themed events, and Halloween, in particular, is one of those holidays that brings out the kid in me. It is purely fun and stress-free, from the decorations, the creative costumes, to the creepy food. When our kiddos were younger, they loved having their friends over hours before the big event for a Halloween potluck with all kinds of themed ghoulish treats, such as Jack-o-Lantern Dips, deviled eyeballs, Witches Cheese Brooms, and so much more! (See below for some of our favorite eerie concoctions).

Now that our children are older, it warms my heart that they still request spooky treats for Halloween; however, I prefer to extend the season and prepare ghoulish dishes weeks before Halloween. I whipped up a batch of our children’s favorite chicken salad recipe (featuring Cherchies® Champagne Mustard) the other day and had these Monster Chicken Salad Sandwiches waiting for our daughter when she came home from school, and she was terrifyingly thrilled.

Halloween is this Saturday, so if you are on the hunt for a “fang-tastic” recipe this Halloween, consider these deliciously easy Monster Chicken Salad Sandwiches, because they are “to die for”!

Ingredients

2 cups Chicken breasts, cooked (store-bought rotisserie chicken would work well too.)
1/3 cup Celery, finely chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
2/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp pepper, fresh ground
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped grapes (optional)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Slices of cheddar cheese (you could use American cheese slices)
Rolls of your choice
Romaine lettuce, washed and separated
Large olives stuffed with pimentos for the eyes
colorful toothpicks for the eyes

Preparation

I usually cook the chicken and eggs the day before, so place the cooked chicken in a food processor and pulse until the chicken is chopped. (Coarsely hand chopping the chicken will work just as well). Place the chicken into a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir. Set aside.

**Note- Grapes and pecans would be a nice addition to the chicken salad. Even though I LOVE chicken salad made that way, our children usually balk at the thought, so I leave them out. How cute would these be made into sliders? (Switch up the regular sized rolls for slider buns and use smaller olives).

Separate, wash, and pat dry the lettuce. Set aside. Place slices of cheese on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut “teeth” triangles into cheese. Save cut-outs for another recipe.

To a sliced roll, add the cheese “teeth”, the lettuce, and a generous dollop of chicken salad. That's it!

Add the top of the bun to the sandwich, then decorate the monster sandwich with the olives on toothpicks. Go ahead and have fun with your food! Enjoy!

Comment below and send us pictures of your ghoulish creations! Thank you for visiting!

Here are other ghoulish Halloween treats for you to enjoy this Halloween! For more fun Halloween themed foods, check out Halloween Foods You Must Try.

Yum

Recipe Roundup- Make it With Mustard! 30 Magnificent Recipes

October 15, 2019recipe round upSheri SpalloneComment

Do you love mustard as much as we do? Do you cook with it? If you said yes, then, today is your lucky day. We have compiled 30 of our favorite easy recipes featuring our three award-winning mustards (Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (our Flagship product), Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard, and Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard).

Who says mustard is only for hot dogs, burgers, and pretzels? Not us! Beyond the beloved wieners and sandwiches, do you know that many chefs and home cooks cleverly add some “mustard zing” to their culinary dishes? I recently spoke with one of our local chef friends and he shared some deliciously creative uses you may not have thought of in your cooking:

Use mustard as a thickener for stews.
Add mustard as an emulsifier for vinaigrette recipes.
Use as a glaze or rub for meats.
Enhance your marinades with mustard.
Use as a dip for pretzels, chicken tenders, cheese, and so much more!

Mustard’s versatility is an understatement, so if you love mustard like we do and want to add extra zing to your favorite dishes, then grab a jar, make it with mustard, and make something amazing! Imagine the possibilities! Enjoy these fabulous recipes!

Comment below and let us know your favorites, or if you have new recipes to share. Thanks for stopping by and come back and visit!

Our Favorite Mustard Recipes.

Appetizers

Buttery Soft Philly Pretzels (that's a given, being from Philly;)
Sausage Bites with Cranberry Mustard Recipe
Champagne and Apple Endive Recipe

Breakfast

Salads/Sides

Grilled Champagne Vegetables Recipe

Festive Deviled Eggs Recipe -

Main Dish

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Rustic Ratatouille Recipe

September 26, 2019side dishes, lunch, entreesSheri Spallone2 Comments

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: About 2 hours and 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Today’s comforting recipe is an ode to those late summer vegetables, the beginning of Fall, and the late Julia Child. I present to you my version of Ratatouille, a swirly-twirly layered dish of fresh vegetables in a rich piperade (a fancy term for tomatoes, peppers, and onions) and fragrantly seasoned with thyme, garlic, parsley, Cherchies Basil Pizzazz, and Cherchies Garlic Seasoning. This dish is impressive in presentation, and the vibrant colors are also entirely reminiscent of Fall.

This savory French stew typically features tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onions, garlic, and herbs, and is simmered on the stovetop. This dish lends itself to creativity in the kitchen, so taking my inspiration from Julia Child (who layered the vegetables in a savory sauce and baked them in the oven), I created this family-friendly version (sans the eggplant; kiddos and hubby are not fans). I alternated the vegetables into a decorative spiral (otherwise known as a tian) and baked them in the oven.

Do not be intimidated by what seems to be endless mounds of slicing. This flavorful dish is relatively easy, especially if you have a mandolin or a food processor (one of my favorite kitchen appliances ever!). Use vegetables that are similar in size, and feel free to substitute with your preferred options. As I mentioned, I removed the eggplant and added thinly sliced sweet potatoes and yellow squash.

The result is a fragrantly delicious vegetable casserole that will please even the most discerning guests. It is comfort food in a pan. Serve this easy dish alongside your favorite meat or fish recipes and crusty bread to sop up all the wonderfully tasty juices. Or, opt for a meatless meal entirely for a fabulous Meatless Monday option.

Happy Fall!

Enjoy!

Please comment below on how you liked this dish and any substitutions you made. Thanks for stopping by:) Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Sauce (piperade) ingredients- (“Piperade” is fancy for onions, peppers, and tomatoes)

2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) good olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 red pepper, seeds, and ribs removed, chopped
1/2 green pepper, seeds, and ribs removed, chopped
3-4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) tomato paste
1 teaspoon (tsp) salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed and chopped
2 sprigs fresh chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz Seasoning
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Filling Ingredients (You will want the veggies in this dish to be similar in size, as it makes for a pretty presentation, and the cooking time will be similar)

2 small sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and thinly sliced* (you can leave the skins on if you prefer. Make sure to wash thoroughly.)
1 medium or 2 small yellow squash (pick ones that are similar in size), washed and thinly sliced*
1 zucchini, washed and thinly sliced*
3 or 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper

Preparation

Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Chop the onions, peppers, and tomatoes (reserving the juices) before cooking. (You may want to put the tomatoes into a bowl with the juices to cut down on the mess.)
Combine oil and chopped onions in a medium skillet. Cook over low heat until onions are translucent.
Add peppers, garlic, and tomatoes and juice. Stir and simmer until the peppers are soft. Add salt, tomato paste, thyme, parsley, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz, and bay leaf to the skillet. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat when finished. Add the cheese, stir, and set aside to cool.

While the piperade (sauce) simmers, prepare the filling. Using a food processor, a mandolin, or sharp knife, slice the squash, zucchini, and sweet potato. The tomatoes didn’t slice well in my food processor, so I sliced them thinly with a sharp knife. You could use a mandolin for the tomatoes if you prefer. Place sweet potatoes in a bowl of cold water and set the rest of the vegetables aside.

After the sauce has cooled, pour into a blender and puree until desired consistency. If the liquid is still hot, make sure to cover with a towel so the blender does not explode from the hot liquids. (If you have a Blentec blender (or a blender that can can handle hot foods)), there is no need to let the sauce cool beforehand.

Pour half of the sauce (piperade) into the bottom of a shallow baking pan. Arrange the vegetables, alternating them as you go, into a spiral. Repeat until the pan is full. I prefer to use a round baking dish for presentation, but you can easily use a rectangular pan. You decide!

Season the vegetables with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and pepper. Drizzle the remaining piperade over the vegetables. Cover pan with foil and bake until vegetables are tender (about 1 and a half hours, or when easily cut by a knife). Uncover the vegetables and bake for another 30 minutes until vegetables are slightly golden. Serve warm.

Enjoy this beautiful savory dish with your favorite meat or seafood and some bread to sop up the delicious juices.

Yum

Memaw's Strawberry Cake Recipe

August 22, 2019dessertsSheri SpalloneComment

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Hi friends. Today's mood is a bit more somber than in previous posts, so instead of the silly puns, leftover magic tricks, and cooking tips, I give you a piece of my heart, and it is hurting BADLY. You see, Monday was D-day (dread day) for our family. We dropped off our baby boy, hours away, to begin his new life as a college Freshman. It was the day my heart shattered into a million pieces. For anyone who is going through this (or has gone through or is just feeling blue), I feel your pain:( I have been dreading this past Monday's events all summer (in fact, for 18 years), but inevitably, the day came (to what seemed to be a blink in time), and all I can hope is hubby, and I prepared him enough. We are so proud of the young man he has become. It was bittersweet letting him go, but seeing him so happy and confident helped make the transition for Mom a tad better, that and CARBS…lots of them, particularly cake!

Baking cheers me when I'm down, so sharing this delicious strawberry cake featuring juicy strawberries and Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread makes sense. Imagine sinking your teeth into sweet strawberry comfort in every bite. Does it make you smile? It makes me smile:)

Are you feeling the pangs of college drop-off, the end of summer, the first day of school, or a child graduating from high school, or do you want to bring a smile to someone's face? If so, then make Memaw's Strawberry cake today. This easy cake recipe is so delicious and comforting that it will chase away any blues.

Thank you for letting me share my story. Below I have posted a glimpse of the college drop-off day. Let us know if you have tried this flavorful recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products. Thank you for stopping by.

**Now, it's time to spoil our baby girl for the next two years until the next and final Freshman college drop-off. (I may be making cake every day that summer).

*Note- This tasty recipe is best made the day ahead.

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (We used Betty Crocker's Super Moist Cake Mix)
4 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup strawberries and juice, mashed
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) Cherchies Strawberry Butter Spread
1 cup oil
1 small box strawberry jello
Extra strawberries for garnish

Frosting Ingredients

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons (mashed strawberries with liquid)

* To make this cake gluten-free, simply substitute the flour and cake mix with gluten-free flour and cake mix (we tested with King Arthur Gluten-free Yellow Cake Mix and flour)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Wash, remove the ends, and roughly chop the strawberries. Place them in a medium bowl, add Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread, mash them with a potato masher, and set aside. Reserve 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) of mashed strawberries for the icing.

In a large bowl, sift the cake mix, flour, and jello together. Set aside. (I use a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to sift the ingredients together).

In another large bowl or standing mixer, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add oil and beat well. Mix in strawberries and juice (this replaces the liquid called for on the cake mix box).

Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients to the bowl with the eggs. Pour the cake batter into a 9 x 13 pan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the icing. Combine the butter, strawberries, and powdered sugar. Beat the ingredients together with a hand or standing mixer until combined. Icing should be somewhat thick. If icing is too thin, powdered sugar may need to be added until desired consistency.