Roast Beef Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

This post could really be an advertisement for how much we love Trader Joe’s…we really do.  Although it was just thrown together with random ingredients we found in our fridge, it turned out to be an excellent meal. 

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

  

Ingredients:

·         Whole wheat bread

·         Sliced roast beef (ours was Applegate brand from Trader Joe’s)

·         Smoked Gouda cheese, sliced (also from Trader Joe’s)

·         ½ onion, sliced

·         Handful of kale, stems removed

·         Pesto

·         2 T butter

·         1 T extra virgin olive oil

·         1 tsp brown sugar

·         Salt

·         Pepper

Directions:

1. In a small skillet, melt the olive oil and 1 T butter over medium-high heat.  Add onions and a dash of salt & pepper.  Stir constantly until onions begin to brown (about 5 minutes). 

2. Stir in the brown sugar and continue to cook, stirring constantly until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes (we probably only did it for 10 so ours were only slightly caramelized...) In the last few minutes, add the kale to wilt. Remove from heat.

3. In a larger skillet, melt the remaining butter on medium heat.  Add slices of bread. 

4. When one side of the bread is toasted, flip to the other side and rub the toasted sides with pesto.  Add the cheese, roast beef, and the onion/kale mixture, and then cover with a lid.

5. Continue cooking until cheese has melted and the other side of the bread is toasted.  Put together your two halve of the sandwich & serve! 

We enjoyed ours with Charles Shaw Blend Shiraz from Trader Joe’s (aka “Two Buck Chuck).  We aren’t wine experts, but this $2 wine is actually very good in my opinion.  In this blind taste test, a sommelier tried several wines from Trader Joe’s and said a comparable wine could easily be sold for $9 to $11 dollars.  We usually grab a bottle or two whenever we shop there. 

Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crispbreads, Spanish Dry-Cured Meats & Smoked Gouda

I bought Doctor Kracker’s Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crispbreads at Publix last week as an impulse buy.  I had never heard of the company, but they looked like a tasty snack.  They are organic and a great source of protein, fiber, and whole grains.  I love that they have so many whole pumpkin seeds – they are very hearty crackers. 

Then while picking up some beers from ABC, we noticed their Campofrio Tapas were on sale for $1.75 so we decided to give it a try.  It contained a trio of traditional Spanish dry-cured meats: ham, pork loin, and chorizo sausage seasoned with smoked paprika.  I especially liked the chorizo. 

And yesterday, we stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up a few snacks.  We always get some sort of cheese while we are there – they have a huge selection and the prices are amazing for such gourmet cheeses.  This time we chose the Dutch Smoked Gouda – which is one of our favorites.  It has a smoky flavor and creamy texture. 

We put all these products together for a fancy cheese, meat, and cracker spread…probably the first time all 3 of these were combined on one plate, but they paired perfectly together!