Autumn Apple Club Sandwich

     A couple of weeks ago I bought a bag of apples forgetting that I already had a full bag in my refrigerator. When I got home from the store and realized that I had about 30 apples I thought to myself, “When life hands you apples… make anything you can possibly think of so that they wont be wasted.” Some I ate daily so as to stave away that pesky doctor, with some I made apple cake, and with some I created the Autumn Apple Club! The spread is so sweet and delicious, a nice compliment to the apples. It is a little unexpected but I think you will find this a hearty, healthful sandwich you will make more than once. Happy autumn, and happy apple eating!

Ingredients:

1 oz Reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 T. light mayo

2 t. brown sugar

1/8 t. cinnamon

Sandwich thins or whole grain bread

Thinly sliced apple

Deli ham

Bacon, cooked

Sharp cheddar cheese

1. Combine first four ingredients until smooth and spread evenly on two slices of bread.

2. On one slice of bread, layer ham, 2 pieces bacon, 3-4 apple slices, and cheese.

3. Top with other slice of bread. Spread can be multiplied to make more sandwiches.

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

     Andrew and I LOVE chicken Parmesan and I have a fabulous Emeril Lagasse recipe that I use on special occasions (or when we decided to completely abandon all notions of good health). It takes a ton of time and is a ton of trouble not to mention it is breaded, fried, and smothered in cheese. These chicken Parmesan sandwiches are a simple and healthy take on the classic dish. Trust me reader, I will never post a healthy dish that does not taste amazing! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb thinly sliced or pounded thin boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 breasts)

1 c. Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

½ - ¾ c. of your favorite pasta sauce (I use Prego Traditional Heart Smart)

1 c. low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese

Any thin whole wheat/whole grain buns (I use EarthGrains 100% natural, 100% whole wheat thin buns)

Your favorite buttery spread (I use Fleischmann’s Olive Oil Spread)

Garlic Salt

1. Place chicken in a large zip-closed bag with Italian dressing and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Remove chicken from bag and sprinkle both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. Cook on a grill pan or sauté pan sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat about 4 minutes per side or until cooked throughout (longer if your chicken beasts are thicker).

4. Meanwhile, spread both sides of your sandwich buns with buttery spread (about ½ tsp per side), sprinkle with garlic salt to taste (about 1/8 tsp per side), and toast under the broiler until brown and crispy.

5. Once cooked but still in the pan, spread about 1 tablespoon of sauce on top of each chicken breast (more or less to taste) and top each breast with 1-2 tablespoons of cheese. Place lid on pan to create steam to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes.

6. Spread one side (bottom) of each bun with another ½ tablespoon of sauce. Place chicken cheese side up on sauced side of bun and top with the other half of the bun.

* We ate these with homemade sweet potato fries but a salad or baked potato would compliment well too!