Pear, Pecan & Goat Cheese Sandwich

Day 30 - "Things are changing, my lifes gone pecans"

I wanted to make sure that I included a sandwich that consisted of some ingredients that I would have never put together and that I wouldn't have ever eaten growing up. So I created a creamy and crunchy sandwich. It only seems fitting that my sandwich includes a creamy cheese and a nut because as I look back at my 30 days of sandwiches they are frequently mentioned with nothing but delight.

Today's sandwich was on lightly toasted honey wheat bread with thinly sliced pear, goat cheese, and toasted pecans.  For an impromptu sandwich it came together so nicely. The creamy cheese with the sweet, crispy pear and nutty crunchy pecans,a wonderful dessert or snack sandwich. I will definitely be trying this one again!

Sausage Crossaintwich (Burger King)

Day 29 - "Lovin' you is more than just a dream come true"

As a kid I used to love the BK crossaintwich over every other breakfast food, including the Egg McMufiin (although I still had my share). I used to save up all of my change so that I could have one in the morning before heading to school. I can still remember my Mom handing over two handfuls of change to the person at the register. I haven't had one in probably ten years but bringing that smell into my car again brought all of those delicious memories back.

The flaky crossaint with the layers of egg, sausauge, and melted cheese served along side tator tot hashbrowns. Yum. I even had a certain way that I ate it so that I was always ensured a perfect last bite --the early foodie in me. I would eat it around the part of the crossaint where there was uncovered cheese so that the final bite would have a piece of each ingredient. Oh the joys of food! =)

Calzone (I love N.Y. Pizza)

Day 28 - "Real G's stuff pockets with cheese like calzones"

Pizza + Sandwich = Calzone.  I've probably had about ten calzones in my life but have thoroughly enjoyed them all.  I don't think I had my first one until I was a senior in high school! As a kid, my brother and I would order a stuffed crust pizza and divide the pizza between pizza and stuffed crust. I loved the crust! So naturally the calzone and I were meant to meet.

Today's calzone included ricotta, mozzarella cheese, spinach, and sausage in a soft dough covered with parsley and garlic. I like that with a calzone you have the tomato sauce separate so that you can add as much as you'd like. I'm pretty much sold on anything Italian-American...cheese =)

Cheddar Cheese & Branston Pickle

Day 27 - "Reasons to be cheerful"

Yet again another sandwich that I've never tried. I heard about this sandwich when asking friends about their favorites, this one came from a Welsh friend. Her other favorite was Brie and grapes. These are both sandwich pairings that I had never tried before and I learned that sandwiches like this probably originated in the UK from something called the 'Ploughman's lunch'.

I had never tried Branston pickle before and when I went to find it at the supermarket I had to go to the ethnic section. It's made of diced vegetables like carrots, onions, swede, cauliflower, and gerkin pickled in a sauce mixed with vinegar, tomato, apple, dates and several spices. It tastes a little sweet and spicy, but when combined with the cheddar cheese it tastes surprisingly well! I hesitated with this sandwich because of the strong smell of vinegar in the Branston pickle but I was pleasantly surprised by how the flavors tasted when combined with the cheese and bread.  Just another reason that no sandwich will go untasted.

Moist Maker

Day 26 - "Knock, knock. Who's there? Ross Gellar's lunch. Ross Gellar's lunch who" Ross Gellar's lunch, please don't take me, okay?"

Ever since watching Friends and learning about this sandwich I have always wanted to try it. So simple, moist and delicious. Today I decided to make it for the first time and it was spectacular!

The key is obviously in the extra slice of bread that has been soaked it gravy. I soaked it for about 20 minutes before I put the sandwich together. To assemble (from bottom to top) I layed a slice of Italian five grain bread, a few slices of turkey, the gravy soaked slice, and then some cranberry sauce followed by the top slice of bread. The combination of flavors is exquisite! The salty turkey and gravy with the cranberry just works so well together. It's a little messy because the moist slice does slide around a little so I think next time I'll try cutting it. But nevertheless it's a great sandwich.

Turkey Sub (Subway)

Day 25 - "Five dollar foot long"

There was no way I was going to go 30 days of eating sandwiches and not include one of my sandwich staples. I have definitely eaten several hundred subway sandwiches but this is the one that I tend to favor.

It all starts with Italian, herb and cheese bread...this is freshly baked soft bread (not your Publix sub bread) little mayo, drop of mustard, turkey, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, salt and pepper. Sometimes I pair it with some baked chips or sunchips while other times I go for the gooey barely cooked cookies which are awesome.

Chili Cheese Dog

Day 24 - "Dog still hot like Oscar Meyer"

I contemplated buying a hot dog from somewhere but I don't have a go to hot dog place. I don't eat them that often and when I do it's usually at a barbeque. So I decided to go old school and make them at home the same way I had them growing up. When I used to have regular hot dogs my grandmother would usually buy the ones with the cheese in the center and when she bought the regular ones she would cut them in half and melt the cheese in. So needless to say I have become accustomed to some cheese with my hot dog. Not to say that I won't also eat it with some ketchup and mustard because I love that simplicity. Sometimes condiments make the food.

In Miami there is a great hot dog place called Arbetter and I believe that after having a fantastic chili cheese dog there I was inspired to start making them myself at home. I was around 11 or 12 years old so everything is pretty much just heat and add but when it all comes together it is perfection. One can of hormel chili, one jar of tostito cheese sauce, hot dogs, hot dog buns, and tator tots. Heat everything up on the stove or microwave and put it all together. Well worth the mess! I had cheese and chili all over the place tonight and it was delicious!

Nina's Creamy Sandwich

Day 23 - "Man, you hungry have this sandwich"

The inspiration for this merry month of sandwiches. I made this sandwich one morning to have for lunch at work but from the time I made it up until I ate it I was ready to devour it! I went to clock out and told my friend working at the desk about how delicious my sandwich was going to be and all about my love of sandwiches. She responded by telling me that I should write a book/blog about sandwich recipes = history.

This sandwich can be made on any bread with laughing cow spreadable cheese on each side of the sandwich bread (I chose garlic & herb this time).  Starting from the bottom, I usually have cheese (they change depending on what I have in the fridge, this time colby jack), honey roasted turkey, more cheese (cheddar), a combination of spinach and spring mix, tomatoes, and a little pepper. It's perfectly creamy, fresh, and well balanced.

BBQ Pork Sandwich

Day 22 - "I had a barbeque stain on my white shirt"

Today I had a BBQ pork sandwich. I thought about cooking the pork myself but I don't have a slow cooker or the time to cook it the right way. So I totally cheated and bought the pork already cooked at Publix, simmerin in delicious juices all day. As soon as I got home I mixed it with some Sweet Baby Rays honey barbeque sauce. This sauce is divine! My brother suggested that I add coleslaw to the top and I had every intention of doing so but they didn't have any ready made at the supermarket and I was too excited to eat to drive somewhere in search of coleslaw --which I don't even remember if I like or not.

So this became a classic BBQ sandwich. I ate it on some Italian plus five grain bread and paired it with some carrots which I actually just shoveled in my mouth, they didn't give me any real satisfaction just distracted me from the good stuff.

BLT Pita (Pita Pit)

Day 21 - "I'm cookin' MCs like a pound of bacon"

The way I feel when I see/smell bacon always reminds me of Homer Simpson drooling, that guy just gets it! The only person that seems to love bacon more than him has got to be my brother. Going to breakfast buffets as a kid I remember him coming back to the table with a mound full of bacon on his plate and always eating it with such gusto. I remember once it was only bacon. I'm not that hard core but I am a bacon lover.

I love how food is just stuffed into pitas. At pita pit it seems like you can get any kind of food smashed into one. Any 'sandwich' that can be eaten with one hand gets a high five from me (hey, I've got a free hand!) The BLT pita was great because of the star, they fried up 8 pieces of bacon for me so it was not only a good amount of meat but also fresh. The only thing I would have liked was some kind of sauce. The bites that only included lettuce and pita were a little dry so I added ranch from home and that did the trick! Yum-my!

*I thought about cutting the pita to showcase the bacon but then there was the chance of major spillage, no way.

Peanut butter & Nutella

Day 20 - "My blood type's Nutella"

2012 is the year of Nutella! I'd often heard about this nutty chocolatey spread but had never tried it. My parents didn't buy it growing up and as an adult I knew once I finally tried it that it would quickly work its way as a staple in my diet. Last month I tried it and since then I've tried all the combinations that others have suggested. Nutella with ice cream, toast, alone, with peanut butter...oh sweet peanut butter. Nutella is easily peanut butters mistress to jelly. Delightful!

I eat this sandwich in such an odd way. I like to eat the crust off first then cut the sandwich into squares. The bread to filling ratio is perfection. I like to pair it with a cool glass of milk and a smile --don't care how cheesy it sounds, this is a fact people.

Mediterranean Veggie (Panera)

Day 19 - "Mediterranean looks like aspirin  tonight."

In the mood for something with a little hummus tonight. I didn't grow up eating hummus, it's something I didn't start eating until I was in college. One day a friend offered me plain hummus with some Stacy's Simply Naked Parmesan Garlic Herb pita chips and I was instantly hooked. From then on I was dipping everything in hummus, chips, pretzels, veggies, etc. So tonight while at Panera I decided to try the Mediterranean veggie, I'd never had it before but I was pretty much sold at hummus.

The sandwich included zesty Peppadew piquant peppers, feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro jalepeno hummus on tomato basil bread. I thought it was alright, probably not something I'll order again though. Safe to say that this is not one of Panera's specialties.  But they quickly won me back over with the duet cookie I had for dessert...choc-o-late =)

*I love everything else I've ever had at Panera --soup, mac & cheese, paninis, salad, sandwiches, and ah yes the bakery.

Tasty Turkey (Einstein Bros)

Day 18 - "Aye cream cheese and a bagel, have a glass of milk and an eggo"

I like any kind of bagel and every kind of cream cheese I've ever tried. And I recently heard that there is a chocolate cream cheese! I think it is just best if I don't buy this and end up eating it out of the container. It seems like it would taste like chocolate cheesecake, I can only imagine the creamy chocolatey heaven.

Today I had a tasty turkey which comes on an Asiago and cheese bagel with onion and chive schmear, turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts. Delightful. The crunchy cucmber with the turkey and cream cheese on the cheesy bread was just...tasty! I didn't pair it with anything but I did have a chocolate chip spider pretzel cookie that my kids had made, great way to end any meal!

Meatball Sub (Piesanos)

Day 17 - "On top of...warm bread...all covered with cheese"

Mmmeatballs with cheese. I don't think I have ever had a great meatball sub until today. It's not something that I have very often and the last one I had was probably from subway. Not to knock subway in ANY way because I love some Italian herb and cheese bread with pretty much anything inside but these meatballs made all the difference.

The sub included 5 meatballs (each 3-4 inches big) mixed with marianra sauce, covered with mozzarella cheese and all in a warm sub baguette. It got a little messy with meatballs and sauce everywhere and I think that added to the overall sandwich enjoyment. The sub was served with french fries which I'm not sure I would have paired together but I will never turn down a fry. I had never had anything from Piesanos other than pizza before today but that's changing now, good stuff today!And they have all these other warm subs like chicken philly and chicken italia which I'm excited to try.

Tuna Melt

Day 16 - "We get jams to make a tuna melt"

Time for something creamy. I wanted to have a sandwich with fish, hence the tuna melt. I'm someone that likes my tuna to be chilled when I eat it but I do like the occasional tuna melt.  I mean it's basically a grilled cheese sandwich and tuna salad all in some toasty bread...yum.  I don't love mayonnaise (unless it's something I'm used to having with it, ex. Burger King chicken sandwich) so when I make tuna I usually combine it with something like cream cheese or one of the laughing cow cheeses. If you haven't done this you need to try it! It adds extra flavor, it's creamy, and 35 calories.

Tonight I combined the tuna with a garlic and herb cheese wedge, a shallot, some parsley, pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese. I heated it in a pan with a little bit of butter and it was perfection.  I paired my tuna melt tonight with some carrots but I'm not set on this pairing, it's just what I had around.

Orange Cranberry Club (McAlisters)

Day 15 - "Nine eleven Porsche same color as cranberry sauce"

Another club! A little different then the one that I had from the Swamp, that was more savory with the chicken and avocado while this had a sweet kick. It's all about the sauce...orange cranberry sauce. I thought the combination of the sauce with mayo in the sandwich was divine but that said I would have liked some more on my sandwich.

The sandwich included quality ingredients and you could taste it! Butterball smoked turkey, Black forest ham, applewood smoked bacon, sharp cheddar and swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, orange cranberry sauce and lite mayo on harvest wheat bread.  And of course the classic sandwich side pickle which I have really come to love. Good rec! I'm going to try to make my own orange cranberry sauce!

Chicken Quesadilla (Moe's Southwest Grill)

Day 14 -"No lease ‘cause it’s paid fo, stack chips with my queso"

The Mexican grilled cheese sandwich. I love cheese so anyway that it's packaged is going to make me happy.Whether it's between bread, a wrap, tortilla, my hands...I really like quesadilla's because it's another 'sandwich' that involves the melted cheese stretching effect which I have admired since the first kraft singles commercial I saw it in/first mozzarella stick I had. I also like how it's cut into wedges because it's so much easier to eat then something like a taco or a sub.

I chose to get my quesadilla from Moe's today because it's affordable and I could get the chips and queso. I got my quesadilla filled with cheese, chicken, black beans and then added sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Delectable!

Chicken Parmesean Sub (Mamma Mia)

Day 13 - "I'm just tryin to keep my bread cheesy baby"

After ordering my sandwich today I sat and waited a bit for it to be prepaared. As I sat, the cook/pizza thrower comes over to tell me that it's going to be a minute because they make everything to order so the food is just being cooked. This was thrilling news! I get a fresh sandwich instead of something that's been sitting around...okay! As if the idea of a chicken parm sub wasn't exciting enough!

The bread was soft and had a hint of garlic taste which I always appreciate. The sub was so cheesy it was as if mozzarella sticks were packed into the sandwich. The chicken (actual chicken!) was breaded and cut up in the sandwich and there was the perfect amount of tomato sauce, not overwhelmingly saucy. There was just a simple balance of ingredients that worked so well. Another recommendation that did not disappoint!

Ice Cream Sandwich

Day 12 - "The ice cream man is coming!!!."

I love that sandwiches are purposely made for every meal. For today's ice cream sandwich I went with a classic klondike bar, chocolate wafer and vanilla ice cream inside. There are so many delicious variations that I couldn't choose one over another so I just went old school.

 I like my ice cream sandwiches when they have sat out for a couple minutes so that the center of the sandwich isn't so cold. The outside starts to get a bit melted and smooshed by the cookie, perfection!

Cheeseburger (Five Guys)

Day 11 - Cheeseburger in Paradise

I'd never had Five Guys before today but everyone always raves on and on about it so I had to give it a try. And I have to say....I get it people. Delectable! The cheeseburger was so juicy and the amount of fries you are given is insane. The greasy bag that you leave with is the first sign that you are in for a treat.

I decided to go traditional and ordered my cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard. I would have been happy with nothing but the cheeseburger and bread because that was so tasty all on its own but I went for a few toppings. I paired it with some Five Guys fries which I dipped in ranch but they were also great by themselves. Good stuff! If you haven't had it yet then get on it!

Open-Faced Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Sandwich

Day 10 - "Open shut them..."

There goes my extra slice of bread for the week! So yesterday I had a club sandwich including that bonus slice while today I decided on an open-faced sandwich so that there would once again be balance in the world.

Another simple sandwich.  Multi-grain bread, olive oil, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and little black pepper. It tasted so light and fresh, I could have had fifty. Then I thought 'wait I think I have'...it's basic brushetta! Delicious!

*Yum Jess!

Club Sandwich (Swamp)

Day 9 - "You can find me in the club..."

You had me at bacon...the club sandwich is another favorite of mine because you've got an extra slice of bread, it's the double decker of sandwiches. And I enjoy the way a lot of restaurants prepare them by cutting them into quarters and putting fun colorful toothpicks in them. Food is just more fun when there are accessories.

Today I chose to get my Club sandwich from 'The Swamp'. Although I'd never had this sandwich there, I only heard good things. Turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce, and tomato on toasted multigrain bread. The avocado was a nice creamy addition to the traditional club that I've had. And I chose sweet potato fries as my side because if sweet potatoes are ever an option, it's the correct one.

Grilled Cheese

Day 8 - Grilled Cheese is Looney Tunes

It's the simple sandwiches that are closest to my heart. Partly due to laziness that makes me eat them so frequently and partly to the genius that causes 3 or 4 ingredients to make me so damn happy.
I have to admit that I didn't grow up with the traditional grilled cheese sandwich. I would often see (on television) a grilled cheese sandwich and think that it was made in a toaster oven. I would get a similar cheesy effect but I was missing something so important...the butter! Once I learned how to make a proper grilled cheese there was just no turning back.

I like to use cheddar and/or cheddar and colby jack cheese for my grilled cheeses. Today I just used a couple slices of cheddar on honey wheat (it's what I already have) and buttered that bread up. I chose to pair my grilled cheese with some simple V8 tomato basil soup (all my veggie servings!) and it was so tasty! Other times I like to eat my grilled cheese with broccoli because of the broccoli and cheese marriage, those two just belong together.

Philly Cheese Steak (Firehouse Subs)

Day 7 - "In West Philadelphia..."

Steak, onions and cheese on slightly toasted white sub bread = one happy girl. Although this is not exactly a traditional philly cheese steak it was still quite delicious. I had the option of adding green peppers, onions and mushrooms to my cheese and steak and I went for it. The combination of peppers and onions with the steak and gooey provolone cheese was fantastic. Mushrooms don't have much flavor to me, so even though I added them this time I'll just skip them next time.

The sub can be ordered with chips and a drink but I decided to go with the larger sub and forgo the chips.  It also comes with a pickle which I assume comes with every sub but didn't pair well with this one. The sandwich is too savory to be adding this nonsense pickle to the mix. All in all, it was delicious.

Cuban Sandwich (Mi Apa)

Day 6 - 'My family is from Cuba but I'm an American...'

I would surely be a lousy Cuban/Miamian not to include some kind of Spanish inspired sandwich during my 30 days. I would eat anything on some Cuban bread.  My brother and I loved getting the ends (about 5 or 6 inches of bread), pulling out the masa (soft white bit) and filling it with scrambled eggs. No mess sandwich!

Pressed Cuban bread, lightly buttered, little yellow mustard, pork, ham, swiss cheese, and thinly sliced dill pickles. The salty meats with the cheese and the bread that had a hint of garlic taste to it was perfection. At Mi Apa they serve this sandwich with mariquitas (plantain chips) and I paired it with a mango juice which had actual fruit in it (who knew)!

Meatloaf Sandwich

Day 5 - 'I would do anything for love'

I am definitely a carnivorous eater so when a friend told me about her favorite sandwich consisting of meatloaf, bread and mayonnaise I was quite excited.  We added tomatoes because that's how her sisters eat it and I was a little weary of eating meatloaf without ketchup but honestly it held up all on its own.

No ketchup required. Words I didn't think would ever be seen in a paragraph with the words meatloaf but here we are. White bread, mayo, tomatoes and meat. Keep it simple. Another keeper to my sandwich repertoire!

*Natalie, you are a star =)

Chicken Wrap (Salad Creations)

Day 4 - 'Strawberry Fields'

There is no meal that I love more than a sandwich.  But second on the list is definitely a salad. So anytime that we can bring these two together, I'm one happy girl. Today I had a salad squeezed into a wrap, busting at the little tortilla seams. When the server handed it to me I estimated it to weigh at least 7 pounds. It wasn't until a little while later that I thought about where all those 7 pounds had gone...in my belly, well worth it!

The wrap titled 'Sophie's Strawberry Chicken' is filled with grilled chicken, spring mix, strawberries, mandarin oranges, cranberries, candied pecans and goat cheese. The recommended dressing is raspberry vinaigrette which I went along with. I figured if these people can put these ingredients together they must know something. The creamy goat cheese with the chicken, crunchy pecans, sweet strawberries and oranges...fan-tas-tic. The way the ingredients all complement each other is just magical. If you are a fan of fruity salads you need this in your life.

Chicken Sandwich (Chik-fil-a)

Day 3 - "And the pickles..."

Buttered bun, boneless chicken breaded and seasoned to perfection and of course the essence...the pickles. My brother best tested this pickle theory by mistake. He used to order his sandwich with the pickles and pull them off before he ate it. One day he orders it without the pickles...something was missing...the pickle juice. It just brings it all together. Even if you don't like pickles, you need the juice!

I'm a big Chik-fil-a supporter, I will dip anything in Chik-fil-a sauce, crumbs, paper, my finger--too far I know. I always order the number 1 with waffle fries and a soda. Classic and delicious. I especially tend to crave it on Sundays because I know I just can't have it, but don't we all.

Ultimate Sub (Publix)

Day 2 - 'Ultimate Satisfaction'

Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef & Swiss Cheese.

When it comes to subs, Publix packs on the ingredients, you leave with a sub weighing at least 5 pounds and always spring for the whole instead of the half --to 'save some for later' or gorge on the deliciousness that is a Publix sub. You know it's quality when you need to develop a strategy for unhinging your jaw to bend/maneuver a full bite of the sandwich into your mouth.

I had never tried the "Ultimate" before but it was highly recommended by a new friend and I just had to try it. Boars Head Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef and Swiss cheese with some veggies piled on top. But the key to this sub was the honey mustard which brought it all together with the little bit of sweetness and spice. Solid sandwich.

*Tara knows more than just soup. =)

PB & J

Day 1 - 'It's Peanut Butta Jelly Time!'

This had to be the first sandwich on the list because peanut butter is a major staple in my diet. I easily eat at least 5 sandwiches involving peanut butter a week. There are times that I will eat peanut butter and jelly every day for lunch and still love it. When we were younger my brother would make stacks of these with 4, 5, 6 slices of bread - yum!

I like pairing my PB & J with something salty usually (like pretzels or potato chips - original something) and a cold glass of milk.