Comfort Food is Life

   Comfort food is one of my most favorite things to make; basically because I get to eat it. This past week has been pretty much all about comfort food.  It wasn't intentional, but no one in the house complained about it.
   The first menu item this week was a Scooby Sandwich.  These things are fabulous and I do not think I have EVER had the same sandwich twice.  They are not cheap to make, but are certainly fun to look forward to. I'm sure you know what it is?  It's the monster sandwiches Shaggy and Scooby make most every time they find a kitchen or have serious munchies. 

These sandwiches they make come in various forms and ingredients, but all have one thing in common.  THEY ARE HUGE!  I began making these when my kids began middle school and their appetites began to seriously grow.  After some trial and error, I found the best thing to do once it was made was to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap & have it hang out in the fridge for a bit. 

This gave the time to the plastic wrap to squish the sandwich down into a manageable size for biting. This proved to be a very important step in creating the sandwich because you want ALL the flavors in every bite.  The reason for the cost being high is that it I purchase anywhere from 5-7 different types of meat from the deli and 2-3 cheeses, then bread.  The bread 99% of the time is an onion roll because we really like them. Also depending on the mood of the person eating it, it can have onions, lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup or those with a more adventurous flair, salad dressings and French Onion dip.  When I made this one, I also made a second for my lunch the next day.  

   The next day, I made Cubanos.  The recipe I use, is pretty much the one from Rachel Ray on 30 minute meals.

I only change the relish because I find I like what I make better than the one she made. I used red onion this time because I had enough left from making our Scooby Sandwiches.  My relish is a jar of roasted red peppers, an entire bunch of green onions and finely chopped dill pickles. Mix it together and let it hang out in the fridge for a while.  As for the sweet rolls she uses, I just buy regular hoagie bread, brush it with water then sprinkle it with sugar and toast it in the oven while the meat is finishing up cooking.  My biggest issue comes with the pressing of the sandwich.  My kitchen is small so I don't have lots of kitchen toys.

So, I when the sandwich is assembled, I wrap them tightly in foil then press on them until they flatten out and stick them in the oven for a bit until the cheese is melted.
   Blue Ribbon Ham Casserole original recipe by Kraft.  My changes since first making this: 1 bunch of green onions, Virginia Ham (from the deli), no green peppers,  Yukon or Russet potatoes, a decent amount of pepper to counteract the salt in the Velveeta. The recipe is a great jumping off point to make changes as you see fit.

   Friday evening, we had homemade Stromboli.  Guy's recipe for Stromboli is pretty awesome.  Of course I made changes because I don't live in an area where I can get some stuff with out the need of selling a kidney.  The best part about this is the garlic, butter, black pepper and basil on the dough before you add the meat and cheese.  I keep it simple, ham, genoa salami, sandwich pepperoni from the deli and mozzarella cheese.  Below, there is a link to see the notes and some pictures of when I made it a previous time.
   Everyone has a different thought when it comes to comfort food, as we are all comforted by different things.  I do not normally consider what we did for dinner on Wednesday comfort food, however it fits this week because I helped my mom cook then we all ate dinner together.

Sunday: Scooby Sandwiches & chips
Monday: Cubanos
Tuesday: Blue Ribbon Ham Casserole
Wednesday: Ribs, BBQ Chicken, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs
Thursday: Nana's Mexican Steak or Chicken & Easy Mexican Rice
Friday: Stromboli (my notes from making this)
Saturday: Smoked Sausage with onion & peppers, creamed potatoes