J.R.-Wiches: Ooey, Gooey Party Treats

"So tangy and delish. I could see them becoming an addiction!" - F.P.

"They're slap your grandma for seconds good." - Jeremy

DallasEats was recently introduced to the greatness of J.R.-Wiches. These little beauties arrived at a small gathering in the most unassuming way (think hot celeb in ball cap and dark glasses...except with pyrex and tin foil), but soon our mouths were watering as the house was filled with the scents of melting cheese and browning butter. They emerged from the oven so golden, so tempting, that many of us risked a wicked case of pizza burn just to get to that first taste of heaven. Our courage was rewarded with what may be one of the all-time great party snacks.

J.R., a regular DallasEats blog reader, and the man behind the "Wich", has offered his recipe for these marinated, baked goodies, and we will forever remain in his debt. They're ooey, they're gooey, they're totally unique and completely delicious. Behold: J.R.-Wiches

J.R.-Wiches

1 package King's Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls

thin-sliced deli turkey

sliced Havarti cheese (with or without dill)

marinade:

1 stick butter, melted

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

generous splash of Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Make sandwiches by splitting each Hawaiian roll and generously filling with turkey and cheese. Arrange sandwiches in an oven-proof casserole dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over sandwiches. Cover and refridgerate overnight. To bake: Preheat oven to 350-degrees and bake until bread is browned and cheese is melted (time varies). You may also choose to briefly broil the sandwiches after they are baked for increased crispness and browning.

Be Your Own Italian Grandmother

I don’t have an Italian grandmother (although I wouldn't trade my grandmas for the world), but if I had a bonus grandma, I think these would be a great approximation of what she would make.

The meatballs are lightened up a bit, using turkey instead of beef or pork. Sure, I'm too lazy to peel tomatoes, so I use the canned kind, but the sauce still tastes ten times better than anything you buy in a jar. Both recipes are easy, but make for a great dinner!

And even better, both are freezable and perfect for pulling out of the oven on a busy weeknight.

Pasta Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 32 oz. can of whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoons fresh chopped fresh basil
1 32 oz. can of tomato sauce
½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
½ tablespoon dried thyme
½ tablespoon dried oregano
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 or 6 minutes until the onions are translucent.

In a food processor, combine the whole tomatoes (drained), Italian parsley, and basil, pulse several times until the tomatoes are broken up into very small pieces, but still have texture. Add to the pan with the onions and garlic, and then add the tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, fennel, thyme, oregano, and tomato paste. Bring to a bubble. Add the red wine and bring to a bubble again. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally for two hours or as long as you can take it. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes, but honestly, it tastes pretty good as soon as you add the red wine.


Turkey Meatballs

1 small onion, grated

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

3 oz (half a small can) of tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
1 teaspoon oregano

1 pound ground dark turkey meat (Don’t use the super-lean turkey or they will turn out very dry. I think if you used a mix of lean and dark it would probably turn out okay, though.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, tomato paste, parsley, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, oregano, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet covered in foil and sprinkled with the olive oil. Roll the meatballs around in the olive oil. This keeps them from sticking to the foil and helps them brown in the oven. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Bake for 10 minutes, then pull them out and turn them over. Bake another ten minutes. Add to heated pasta sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes or so until they are completely cooked through. Serve over pasta.

Winter Warmth

We love this meal for a small group on a chilly night. Post football game? Mel Brooks movie marathon? It requires only the most basic preparation, and both dishes fill the house with mouth-watering aromas as they bake. Prep in advance, if you wish, and pop the pie in the oven when your guests arrive. Do the same with the crisp when you sit down to dinner. Put out some crusty bread and soft butter on the table to round out the meal, or make individual portions of pie and curl up in front of the flat screen. Dessert continues the warming-trend, ending the evening on a sweet and comforting note.



Cottage Pie


Adapted by C&S from Irene Sax’s recipe
from The Age of Casseroles (Best Food Writing 2007)




Ingredients:

14 tbsp. butter
2 ½ lbs. beef roast, trimmed and cut into ½” cubes
1 medium white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup beef stock
1 cup dark beer
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp. dried rosemary
½ tbsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ cup whole milk

1. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add one third of the beef and season lightly with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned meat to a plate (do not line plate with paper towels), leaving fat in the pot. Repeat the process two more times, adding more butter as necessary to brown remaining meat. After last batch of meat is removed to the plate, add onion and carrots to the pot, reduce heat to medium, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until just softened, scraping up any browned bits. Return beef and juices to pot along with flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Stir in stock and beer, Worcestershire, rosemary and thyme. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beef is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 40 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in peas. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, put potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain and transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add 6 tbsp. butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Mash smooth with potato masher or electric mixer.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer stew to a large casserole dish or 4 large (or 6 small) individual oven-safe bowls. Top evenly with mashed potatoes. Cut remaining butter into small cubes and scatter over potatoes. Bake until golden brown, 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the serving dishes.

Serves 4-6




Apple and Pear Crisp

FoodiePrincess uses Ina Garten’s recipe, with the addition of ground ginger




Ingredients:


4 ripe Bosc pears
6 firm, tart apples (such as Granny Smith)
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tbsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg

For the topping:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (for serving)


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

3. Make the topping: Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

4. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Serves 6