Oct 03 2007
Back-to-school Bonding at the Grill
As back-to-school season approaches, schedules are once again overwhelmed with schoolwork and activities, limiting quality family time. Between work, school, band practice and football games, families are often left with dinnertime as the single time of the day for togetherness.
Sara Lee Chef and busy mother Jill Houk understands the importance of finding a simple and delicious dinner that involves the entire family. Her solution: the grill. Often solely associated with summer months, fall grilling allows families to capitalize on the time they have together creating an enjoyable and collaborative cooking experience.
Here are some of Chef Jill’s tips on how to make the most of grilling this back-to-school season.
1. Find a favorite recipe and make it grill-friendly. “Grilling is such a great way to infuse flavor into dinner — without heating the house,” Houk explains. Don’t just limit yourself to hotdogs and burgers this back-to-school season; find something you love to cook indoors and put it on the grill. Chef Jill took her favorite panini recipe and gave it a backyard twist.
Grilled Pesto Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 package Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Whole Grain White Bread
12 slices Sara Lee Pre-Sliced Smoked Provolone Cheese
18 slices Hillshire Farm Ultra-Thin Sliced Honey Ham
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
6 slices ripe beefsteak tomatoes
1 roll aluminum foil
Method:
Pre-heat your barbeque grill to medium heat. Split each roll. Place one slice of cheese on the bottom roll. Top with three slices ham, 1 to 2 tablespoons pesto and a tomato slice. Top with one more slice of cheese and the top half of the roll. Then wrap each sandwich individually in foil. Place them on the grill and heat 5 minutes. Turn over and grill an additional 5 minutes. Unwrap sandwiches and enjoy!
2. Make it a team effort. “At the end of a busy day, it’s essential to have the entire family pitch in with dinner,” advises Houk. Let kids help with a task that is easy and invites creativity. “When I make the grilled pesto ham and cheese sandwiches I often let my son build the sandwiches while I’m putting together our side dishes. He’s great at counting the slices of cheese and ham and loves to smear on the pesto. Just be sure that an adult handles the foil — the sharp edges are too dangerous for children.”
3. Keep one eye on the grill and one eye on the kids. If you grill with children, always supervise them near the grill. Remember that the grill can stay hot for up to two hours after, so keep kids away until you have made sure the grill is cool.
4. Skip the mess … Cooking your sandwiches, vegetables, and Ball Park Franks in tin foil virtually eliminates the unappealing grill clean-up. Foil can easily be tossed out, taking any mess with it.
5. Don’t skip dessert! You can even make delicious treats on the grill to top off your tasty meal. Cook more delicate items for dessert while your grill cools off. “Stone fruit, such as peaches, nectarines and plums, are great on the grill,” Houk recommends. “So is Sara Lee pound cake. Just slice, brush with melted butter and grill.”
For more grilling tips and Sara Lee recipes, visit www.TotalMealsOnline.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Holiday Menus
(NC)—Try making this delicious Homegrown Ontario Pulled Pork simple slow cooker recipe this holiday season and see the difference a little planning makes. Great as an appetizer served on a crostini, this savoury morsel will save you time in the kitchen while impressing your guests. More delicious appetizer recipes can be found online at [...]
(NC)—Adding new flavour to traditional foods can be fun and be a great way to get family members to try new foods. Indian flavoured products are becoming widely available and provide a great opportunity to create mouthwatering recipes for the whole family. This shrimp korma recipe is a quick and easy one for the entire [...]
(NC)—Mulligatawny soup originally became popular with the British stationed in India (employees of the East India Company) during Colonial Times. When they returned home, they brought the recipe back with them to England, and to other members of the Commonwealth. In fact Mulligatawny is the Anglicized name of two words for “pepper water,” molegoo (pepper) [...]
(NC)—Here are two easy ways to bring some excitement to your next children’s party – Wacky Waikiki or Purple Razzle Dazzle Shakes. For dozens more delicious treats to thrill your child, visit www.homebasics.ca.
Wacky Waikiki Shake
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and quartered
1 can frozen pineapple or pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed (6 oz)
1/2 cup milk
4 scoops Breyers [...]
Savor the Flavor Every Day, Every Way
(ARA) – Long overlooked, mushrooms are nature’s hidden treasure for helping those focusing on living a healthful life. To promote the nutritional benefits of fresh produce this back-to-school season, Weight Watchers continues Pick of the Season, a public health initiative spotlighting seasonal fruit and vegetables, with recipes this quarter [...]
Skyrocketing gas prices and escalating grocery costs have put getting more for a dollar top-of-mind for many consumers. Many Americans are tailoring their grocery shopping lists to ensure they get more bang for their buck. That means purchasing items that provide the best nutritional punch for their value.
Luxury items like prepackaged or single serve meals [...]
Blueberries are most abundant and least expensive in the summer, making it an ideal time to get your fill of these little blue gems. Stock the fridge and freezer with blueberries to make meals, snacks and desserts that are easy on the cook. Blueberries never need to be peeled, pitted, stemmed or chopped –just a [...]