Teacher Mom Recipe Ideas

The Big Sandwich

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big sandwich plate

TheRoomMomMom used to make something called The Posh Nosh Sandwich; I always referred to it as The Big Sandwich. My mom would serve it when we had friends over to swim, and everyone was starving. My mom would make it for a tailgate event and warm bricks in the oven and wrap the sandwich in foil with the warmed bricks underneath until it was time to serve. Any time people needed hearty party food, The Big Sandwich was there.

I have made The Big Sandwich when we are with friends sharing a house for the weekend and needed “man food” for the group. Last night, I made The Big Sandwich for an adult backyard birthday party. It serves a crowd, covers the melted cheese criteria for yummy party food, and is easy to assemble. It can be messy to eat, so serve with lots of napkins.

big sandwich ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1/4 to 1/2 lb. thinly sliced turkey
  • 1/4 to 1/2 lb. thinly sliced ham
  • 1/4 to 1/2 lb. thinly sliced roast beef
  • 1/4 lb. thinly sliced Genoa salami (can use hard salami)
  • thinly sliced Swiss cheese (8-10 slices)
  • thinly sliced red onion rings
  • Marie’s Thousand Island dressing
  • 1 loaf of Italian bread, unsliced

Directions

  • Cut the loaf of Italian bread in half horizontally, so the bread is divided into a top and bottom. Scoop some of the squishy bread center out from both sides, so you have a little extra space for sandwich fillings inside the bread.

big sandwich bread

  • Put a layer of Swiss cheese in the top and bottom pieces of the bread. I use ~4 slices on each side.
  • Spread a layer of Thousand Island dressing on the cheese slices on both sides.

big sandwich dressing

  • On the bottom piece of bread, layer each type of meat. I like about 4 slices of each kind of meat, but you can use more or less depending on your taste.

big sandwich meat

  • After the last meat slices are added, sprinkle a layer of red onion on the bread “lid”.

big sandwich onions

  • Place the bread “lid” on the top of the sandwich to close and wrap completely in foil.

big sandwich foil

  • Bake at 350 degrees for ~45 minutes until melty and toasty.
  • Remove from the oven, unwrap from the foil, and slice with a serrated knife into 2-inch wide wedges immediately. The meat has a tendency to slip off the bread when the cheese is really melty, so you have to cut carefully.
  • Serve hot.

big sandwich sliced

Notes

  • I get the meat sliced fresh at my grocery store deli. I ask for “very thinly sliced” and like it to be just a little thicker than shaved.
  • You can spread the Thousand Island dressing on the top and bottom pieces of bread before adding the cheese slices. I like to put the cheese slices down first if I am assembling several hours before baking, so there is a protective layer between the bread and the dressing to keep the dressing from soaking into the bread too much.

big sandwich slice sample

Grown Up Kid Food

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chicken nuggets bite

TheRoomDad was reminiscing about the days when I used to prepare delicious meals most evenings. That was before we had children, and I was trying to impress him. Fast forward to today. I only get excited about preparing food for parties and school snacks. If it is bite sized food, snack food, or party dips, I am all about it. Otherwise, I don’t want to be bothered.

One recipe that I have not used in awhile is something from my childhood– a recipe for homemade chicken nuggets. They may seem like kid food at first glance, but they actually have a slightly more sophisticated taste than your average chicken nugget, and I used to make them for TheRoomDad. It is a recipe adults and kids enjoy. I was gracious enough to dust off the family cookbook and make the chicken nuggets last night. I was going to say how much healthier they are than a box of nuggets from the freezer section of the grocery store, but then I remembered that the chicken is dredged in melted butter before being coated in seasoned bread crumbs. Enjoy!

chicken nuggets ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2-3 boneless chicken breasts (or 1 pkg of chicken tenderloins, ~1 lb.)
  • 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 t. dried basil
  • 1 t. paprika
  • 1/4 t. thyme
  • 1/2 c. melted butter

Directions

  • Cut chicken into 1 1/2″ squares. If you are using the chicken tenderloins, cut each piece into 2 or 3 nugget-y pieces. The tenderloin can also be left as is to make a chicken strip.

chicken nuggets assembly

  • Mix dry ingredients in a shallow dish.

chicken nuggets coating

  • Pour melted butter in a separate shallow dish.

chicken nuggets melted butter

  • Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter and then into the dry mixture to coat.

chicken nuggets bread crumb coating

  • Arrange coated chicken pieces on a jelly roll pan (baking pan with a lip).

chicken nuggets covered

  • Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes or until browned and chicken is cooked through. If you are using larger chicken pieces, you may need to turn once while baking.

chicken nuggets cooked

Comfort Food

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taco soup and tortilla chips

It is dreary here today. We are on the fringe of all of the icy weather, so we have had solid rain with some icing. It means that bridges are closed, and school was cancelled. What do you do on a day like this? Cook soup. Since I was in my pajamas when I had this brainstorm, I sent TheRoomDad to the grocery store for Taco Soup ingredients. Not only is the soup delicious on a cold day, it is also the perfect soup for eating dinner in front of the TV and watching winter Olympics.

taco soup

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken breast
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 32-oz. chicken broth (sometimes I use an additional 16-oz. can)
  • 1 4-oz. can mild chopped green chiles
  • 1 16-oz. can yellow corn (I like shoepeg corn)
  • 1 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 16-oz. can light rd kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 16-oz. cans diced tomatoes (drain 1 can and leave juices in 1 can)
  • 1 package original taco seasoning mix
  • 1 package dry ranch dressing mix

Toppings

  • grated Mexican cheese blend
  • sour cream
  • tortilla chips

taco soup prepping

Directions

  • Trim any fat off the chicken breasts and cut in half. Put halved chicken breasts in a large soup pot with chopped onions, garlic, and 32-oz. chicken broth.
  • Simmer until meat shreds (about an hour or so). I take the pot off the heat and with two forks, pull the chicken apart in the soup pot. If it is not pulling apart easily, cook longer.

taco soup shredding chicken

  • Add all other soup ingredients through the ranch dressing mix.

taco soup adding ingredients

  • Cook another hour or two on low heat. If you would like to thin the soup at all, add some more chicken broth.
  • Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Notes

  • This is a great crock pot recipe. Put the chicken, onions, garlic, and broth in the crock pot on low in the morning. At the end of the day (about 3:00) shred the chicken. Add the other ingredients and cook a few more hours on low.
  • The longer it sits, the better it tastes!
  • Freezes well.

taco soup bite

11 Super Bowl Snack Dip Ideas

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Which Super Bowl snack dips to prepare is a big decision for me. Do I go with a cream cheese or mayonnaise-based snack dip? Hot or cold? Do I pretend I am adding a healthy component and choose a dip that is served with raw vegetables? I went back through TheRoomMom files and photos to help me decide. I think I am going to make the hot artichoke dip because it is a favorite from childhood. The appetizer will need something on the side– The Big Sandwich perhaps?

Click on the pictures below for Super Bowl snack ideas and tips for these super party dips.

P.S. I had to look up the spelling of Super Bowl. I was not sure if it should be one word or two. Is that confusing for anybody else?

5 Hot Party Dips

If you are not adding a lot of cheese to your hot dip recipe and baking it into a melty bite, is it even worth making? All the hot snack dip ideas below use cheese as a key ingredient. I find freshly grated parmesan and sharp cheddar to be essential football watching dip ingredients. Cream cheese is always a good base too. As far as the vehicle to get the dip into your mouth, I recommend a hearty tortilla chip like the blue corn chips or scoop Fritos!
hot artichoke dip

buffalo chicken dip

pizza dip

hot vidalia onion dip

charleston cheese dip

6 Cold Snack Dips

When mixing a cold snack dip, you will find most of these fall into the mayonnaise-based family. I prefer Helmann’s real mayonnaise in my dip recipes. One of the nice options with many cold dips is the option to serve with raw vegetables. It gives the illusion of a healthy snack. However, don’t be fooled. The only reason I put those raw veggies on the plate is to serve as a vehicle to get the creamy dip into my mouth! 

dill dip in bread bowl

sun dried tomato dip

pan fried onion dip2

bacon almond cheese dip w cracker

Black Bean Salsa Dip

Mexican 7 layer dip

Actually, if I am being totally honest, I don’t need a big sports event to make party food. If it were up to me, I would fix snack food for every meal. My family knows I love appetizers for dinner. So, there is a chance you will find one of these party dips at our table on any given night.

A Classic Party Dip

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7 layer dip finished

As you may remember, I do not care about watching football, but I do care about having tasty football snacks. Today I made the classic Mexican 7-Layer Bean Dip. There are many varieties, but they generally start with a bean dip base followed by taco topping layers. I use Fritos Original Bean Dip as my base, which I think adds a little something something. I also use freshly chopped tomatoes rather than salsa, so it is a little less soupy than some I have tasted.

I have never had problems locating cans of Fritos Original Bean Dip until today’s grocery trip. To my horror, I found out that my local Publix no longer carries the bean dip because not enough people were buying it. So, I tried a few other stores and finally found two cans at the gas station convenience store. I think that probably sums up the nutritional value of this party dip, but honestly, who can refuse the stuff?

7 layer dip ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 (9-oz) cans Fritos Original Bean Dip
  • 1 container guacamole (about 10 oz.)
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 pkg mild taco seasoning
  • ~12 oz. sour cream
  • 2 c. Mexican cheese blend, grated
  • 3 green onions, chopped

7 layer dip bite

Directions

  • Scoop the 2 cans of bean dip into a 9 x 13 casserole dish and spread evenly across the bottom with a spatula.

7 layer dip bean dip layer

  • Dollop the guacamole on top of the bean dip and gently spread out using the spatula. Try not to disturb the bean dip layer. It’s kind of like frosting a cake.

7 layer dip guac layer

  • Sprinkle the chopped tomatoes on the guacamole.

7 layer dip chopped tomatoes

  • In a small bowl, mix the taco seasoning with the sour cream. Combine well. It will be a light orange color. Spread the sour cream mixture over the guac and chopped tomatoes. Gently spread with the spatula trying not to disrupt the layer beneath.

7 layer dip taco seasoning

7 layer dip sour cream layer

  • Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
  • Sprinkle the green onions over the cheese.

Mexican 7 layer dip

  • Serve with Frito scoops or tortilla chips.
  • Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

7 layer dip individualHave you seen the individual Mexican Layer Dips on Pinterest? I had some extra ingredients and made a few in ramekins. Very mini and cute.