Sandwiches make for a super supper for all

Generally, when one thinks of hot sandwiches, one thinks of burgers, and that's OK, but there are a lot of other options out there.

When I was a kid in Coeur d'Alene, one of my friends was hooked on grilled peanut butter and bacon sandwiches After I tried one, I was hooked, too. Whatever you get on a piece of bread is pretty much fair game for a sandwich and today we'll take a look at some great options.

We'll begin with the nearly 100-year-old tradition — hamburgers. They were introduced in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis and a cooking legend was born. Today, that simple beef on a bun has seen a multitude of changes.

Our first recipe is a good example: A hot and savory beef burger from the Tabasco people, who have cooled it down a bit with lettuce and tomato.

Tabasco-Heated Seared Burgers

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp Tabasco pepper sauce, divided

1 T steak sauce

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 T butter, melted

4 hamburger buns, split

lettuce leaves

tomato slices

Preheat the broiler or grill. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, parsley, 1 teaspoon Tabasco, steak sauce and salt. Mix well and shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Combined melted butter and remaining 1 teaspoon Tabasco.

Brush burgers with mixture and grill four to six inches from the heat source, three to four minutes on each side or to the desired doneness.

Place on buns with lettuce and tomato and a dollop of mayonnaise, if desired. Serves four.

Vegetarians will love our next adaptation.

Pinto Burgers

1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 large egg

1 medium carrot, peeled, grated

1 large green onion, minced

1/4 cup minced red bell pepper

dash of Tabasco

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

3 whole wheat rolls, split

Vegetable toppings: spinach leaves, sprouts, sliced red onions, tomatoes, etc.

In a large bowl, mash beans with a potato masher until most are crushed (or processed in a food processor). Add egg, carrot, green onion, red bell pepper, Tabsco and salt; stir until well mixed. Shape into three 3/4-inch-thick patties.

Grill on a well-oiled grate just until heated through; 3 minutes on each side — or cook in a little hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Serve on buns with favorite toppings.

Grilled cheese sandwiches are a great choice for serving with a hearty, chunky soup. They add flavor and don't take away from the variety of goodies in the soup.

This simple classic is adapted from an American Dairy Association.

All-American Grilled Cheese

4 tablespoons butter, softened

8 slices hearty white bread

8 slices (1/4 pound) Cheddar cheese

16 slices crisp, cooked bacon

8 slices Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese

Spread butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered side of four slices, lay the slices of Cheddar, then bacon, then white cheese and top with remaining slices of bread, butter side out.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and cook sandwiches for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and the cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.

Cheese is pretty much a given with most supper-style sandwiches. Melted over burgers or taking the spotlight as the main ingredient, it works well partnered with one or two of its relatives for a rich and savory melange of flavors that can make a whole meal.

Invent your own, with a big focaccia bread loaf, stuffed with three cheeses for starters, then completed with a choice of go-withs.

Consider some of the following suggestions.

Three-Cheese Focaccia

• Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella with sun-dried tomatoes in oil, Genoa salami, chopped ripe olives;

• Provolone, Havarti, and mild Cheddar with roaster red peppers in oil, pastrami slices, minced red onion, and shredded romaine;

• Gorgonzola, white Cheddar, and muenster with thin-sliced onions, sauteed slices of Portabella mushrooms, and thin-sliced sauteed eggplant;

• Cheddar, feta, and parmesan with seared tuna steaks, grilled green onions with tops, capers, and tomato slices.

You get the idea — mix and match, use your imagination.

After assembling the sandwiches, wrap them in foil and heat in the oven if you wish, or grill or broil them — whatever's easiest. Have toppings, relishes and crisp lettuces on hand for individual additions, and your job's done. It's a no-fail situation because everyone loves a sandwich.

    Valle Novak
  

Editor's note: For many years, Valle Novak wrote gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. "Weekend Gardener" and "Country Chef" became renowned for their humor, information, and common-sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. She left behind many columns to delight her many fans. This is one such column, originally published on March 20, 2001.