French Onion Burrito

Think of french onion soup but make it hand-held and form it into a burrito! Caramelized onions and melty fontina cheese become a meal with mushrooms, some arugula for freshness, and a grain.

This lunch is brought to you by the color: brown.

French Onion Burrito
Ingredients: (for 2-3 burritos)

1 large white onion
1 cup cooked grain (I used farro but rice/couscous/orzo would be good)
~6 mushrooms
1 cup gruyere or fontina cheese
2 tablespoons fried onions
1 cup arugula (or parsley or thyme)
2 tortillas

Directions:
Caramelize the onions – slice and cook over low heat for ~30 minutes, stirring frequently. This is helpful to do in advance, or freeze leftovers!
Cook the grain – I used farro which cooks for ~30 minutes.
Slice and sautee the mushrooms.

Lay out the tortillas and layer on 1/4 of the cheese, then the grain, then onions, arugula, and crispy onions.

Top with remaining cheese and warm a skillet.
Roll up the burrito by tucking the sides in, then rolling away from you and don’t let go. Carefully griddle the burrito with the seam side down first. Rotate to grill each side.
Enjoy!

I used farro but go for rice/cracked wheat/orzo/couscous/pilaf – whatever you have. No tortillas? No problem! Make this into a bowl!

This non-traditional burrito/hot wrap joins the others I’ve made like:
Cheeseburger burrito
Chicken, Bacon, & Ranch burrito
Thanksgiving Hot Wraps
Chicken & Broccoli Hot Wrap


Chopped BLT Sandwiches

This chopped and dressed format of a BLT is pure bliss – you get the best bite every time! A sub roll would better contain the little pieces but these small brioche ones were calling to me as the right size – smaller than a traditional one, bigger than a slider…the perfect lunch size I tell you. 

The Three Bite Rule - Chopped BLT Sandwich

Chopped BLT Sandwiches
Ingredients: (for 1-2 sandwiches)

4 strips of bacon (or rough equivalent of pancetta, prosciutto, etc)
1-2 cups lettuce
1/2 tomato
1/2 avocado
cheese (optional)
pickles (optional)
1-2 teaspoons mayo
1 teaspoon oil & red wine vinegar (or Italian dressing)
2 buns or rolls

Directions:
Chop then pan-fry the bacon (or other B replacement of the BLT). Drain and discard the drippings. 

The Three Bite Rule - Chopped BLT Sandwich

Chop the lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and cheese/pickles/anything else you’re adding. 

The Three Bite Rule - Chopped BLT Sandwich

Mix in mayo and oil and vinegar or dressing and toss well. 

The Three Bite Rule - Chopped BLT Sandwich

Serve on the rolls and spread more avocado on them or toast them, or serve them as they are. 
Enjoy! 

The Three Bite Rule - Chopped BLT Sandwich

Italian ones will be up next! Or maybe caprese! Or chicken caesar! I love that this format would easily use leftovers or be a good way to not need a whole chicken piece per person or whatever. 

The Three Bite Rule - Chopped BLT Sandwich

These would be great on-the-go with the mixture in a container and spooned into rolls when serving. I picture a sunny day when we head to the pool or beach and bring along this instant lunch/dinner! Ok, off to the pool.

Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Grilled Sandwich

All our loves together on one sandwich – chicken thighs get sprinkled with ranch, grilled, and topped with cheese and bacon, plus more ranch for good measure.

The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sandwich

I loved this. We eat grilled chicken often so putting it on a bun didn’t seem like a big variation. One kid said they’d rather it be a burger & the other ate it disassembled. Cool, cool.

Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sandwiches
Ingredients: (for 4)

3-4 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon ranch mix powder
4 brioche buns
4 slices of cheese (mine was an herb fontina)
2 bacon strips/2 tablespoons bacon crumbles
4 tablespoons ranch dressing

Directions:
Sprinkle the chicken with ranch mix and a sprinkle of pepper, on both sides.
Grill until cooked through – 170-degrees on the thermometer.
Slice cheese, buns, lettuce and get bacon crumbles and ranch dressing ready.

The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sandwich

Melt the cheese over the chicken and remove from the grill.
Assemble with ranch on each side of the buns, lettuce, the chicken, and bacon.

The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sandwich

Yum! I loved this. The littlest kiddo had hers without bacon (what?) and ate the parts separately (but mmmm’ed so that seemed fine) and big brother ate about half then wished it was a burger but finished the bun and most of the chicken.

It’d work well in a wrap too!

We had it with a side of tomato & mozzarella & pesto salad which the kids love.

What I Ate: Turkey Panini

In my effort to simplify dinner (but still keep it delicious) I figured I should throw in more sandwiches to the rotations since lately I’ve been into dinner salads. Mr. J is (rightfully) worried about getting salad-ed out.

The Three Bite Rule - Turkey Panini

I like that paninis are perfect any-time-of-the-year dinners. They’re super easy and quick (and cheap). In the summer I appreciate that they don’t heat up the whole house to make! In the winter I appreciate that it is a warm meal with a fresh factor. I also love that there aren’t any weird leftovers. I made some once when I hosted the book club and served them with a salad bar. It was a hit for a group with different tastes!

Here are some tips to take this from a “sandwich” to a “dinner-starring-panini” Continue reading

What I Ate: BBQ Ranch

Yup, I’m still trying to rock this what I ate series. Today I’m sharing a quick and easy sandwich with my bounty of the farmer’s market. Tis the season!

I couldn’t NOT buy these English muffins (as in they even brought out a double-negative from me). They were better than any I’d ever had and made good olde Thomas pale in comparison. These were fluffy and doughy and crisped nicely when toasted but still held their shape.
what i ate muffin
Add some grilled chicken, tomatoes, ahhhrugula, and bbq ranch sauce and you’ve got this sandwich!
what I ate sandwich
The BBQ ranch sauce = 2 parts bbq sauce to 1 parts ranch dressing & shake. I put this on both English muffin pieces and even may have spread a bit on the chicken too.
whatiate_bbq_ranch_590_390
These were really good on a hot night!