Fried Green Tomato BLTs

It's summertime, and that means fresh green tomatoes. Fried green tomatoes are great on their own, but even better on a BLT. Here at Beano's, we love taking old classics and re-doing them with a surprising twist. The twist in this recipe is definitely going to make you dream about this sandwich until you stop what you're doing and make it. So are you ready to hear what it is? Keep reading this post and you will soon find out! 

First, we are going to start this recipe off by frying up a few slices of good old thick cut bacon. The reason we use thick cut for this recipe is because we really want it to to able to hold its shape in the sandwich that way the other ingredients don't cover up its flavor, but enhance it. After all, the star of the show in any dish with bacon is usually...well, the bacon. (Hint: You are going to want to reserve all of the drippings for later. Yes, I said all of it.)

While the bacon is frying, we are going to start an assembly line. We will start off with all purpose flour in one bowl seasoned with salt and pepper, 2 beaten eggs, and a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs and finely grated Parmesan cheese. 

Next we will slice up our beautiful, vibrant green tomatoes. 

Look how pretty that color is.

You're going to want to slice these babies into about 1/2 inch slices.

So, the order of dredging the green tomatoes goes like this: 

Flour, egg, breadcrumbs, repeat. 

Make sure the tomatoes get completely covered in the flour mixture before going into the egg! If not, the egg wont stick to the entire surface of the tomato and it will create holes.

Again, get the tomatoes completely covered in the breadcrumb cheese mixture like so, even if it takes a couple tries to get them covered. (Tip: to avoid getting globs of flour and egg stuck onto your fingers, try using one hand for the dry ingredients, and one hand for the wet.)

The time has finally come. You have been patiently waiting to find out what the surprising twist of this recipe is. This step is where the reserved bacon grease comes into play to give this recipe flavor that is beyond this world. I am proud to say that these green tomatoes are fried entirely in...BACON GREASE!

I know what you're thinking. This is crazy. Yes it is crazy, but a good kind of crazy. 

The bacon grease enhances the flavor of the green tomatoes, and also gives them this gorgeous crispy golden brown crust. Yum.

Once all of the green tomatoes are all fried up, you are going to spread Beano's All American Sandwich Spread all over the toasted bread. This sauce is absolutely perfect for this recipe. Buy it, you won't regret it.

And there you have it. Crispy, buttery, bacon fried green tomatoes nestled in between two pieces of soft bread, crunchy green lettuce, and salty bacon. 

Need I say more?

I'll take two.

Ingredients:

8 slices thick cut bacon2 green tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices2 eggs, beaten1 cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese2 tbsp. floursalt and pepper to taste6 pieces of green leaf lettuce
4 slices of your choice of bread, lightly toasted
Beano’s All American Sandwich Spread

Directions:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the bacon, fry until crispy and golden brown
• Set aside on a paper towel to get rid of excess grease
• In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese, and set aside
• Reserve the bacon grease for frying
• Dredge the green tomatoes into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture working in batches until all are coated
• Add the tomatoes to the reserved bacon grease and fry until crispy and golden
• To assemble the BLTs, spread Beano’s All American Sandwich Spread on the bread and then top with lettuce, fried green tomatoes, bacon, and more lettuce!

Potato Salad: Three Ways

Few sides are better companions for sandwiches than potato salad. Though, sometimes it seems almost impossible to please every single person on what type of potato salad to make. Some people don't like the mayo base in the classic potato salad, others don't like spice, and other's just plain don't like hard boiled eggs. These potato salads are so different in their own ways but they are all equally delicious. I think offering your guests different versions not only makes them feel important and special, but it also allows others to try all three and pick their favorite. Lets face it...most people love the idea of having different versions of the same thing because it is playful and well, more food. Make these potato salads and your guests will be blown away by how delicious they are, and the good news for you is that all of them are extremely simple to make!

The three versions are (drum-roll please) - Warm Honey Mustard and Bacon Potato Salad, Sriracha Potato Salad, and Jalapeno Mustard Potato Salad. YUM!

Warm Honey Mustard and Bacon Potato Salad

You will Need: 

2 lbs. Red Potatoes, quartered 

3 tsp. Beano's Honey Mustard

4 Slices of Bacon, Cooked and Chopped

3 tsp. Vinegar 

1/4 cup of Fresh Italian Parsley (garnish) 

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions: First you are going to bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, you will add in your quartered Red Potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. You need them to be able to keep their shape because if they are overcooked they will turn into mashed potato salad and we don't want that. While the potatoes are cooking, fry up the bacon until it is nice and crispy. There is absolutely nothing like the smell of bacon cooking, am I right? Once they are done, drain them and set them aside, but don't wait too long or this will turn into a COLD potato salad. In the mean time, prepare the delicious dressing for the salad. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Beano's Honey Mustard, vinegar, Parsley, and salt and pepper. Then add the quartered potatoes, chopped bacon, and gently toss together. And there you have it! A completely delicious and irresistible potato salad that your guests will love if they are not the biggest fans of Mayo. 

Spicy Sriracha Potato Salad

You will Need: 

2 lbs. of Yukon Gold Potatoes 

1 cup of Mayo

1 tbsp. Beano's Sriracha Sauce

3 tbsp. of Vinegar

2 celery stalks, diced 

6 green onions, sliced thin (garnish)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Just like before, you will prepare your potatoes exactly like you did in the recipe above. The only difference is that they are Yukon gold instead of the Red potatoes. Now, you can definitely use the red if you prefer them over the Yukon. However, I personally think that the creamy, buttery texture of the Yukon gold are a match made in heaven for this potato salad, but it is completely up to you. You are the master chef behind these recipes. Once the potatoes are fork tender, but again, still hold their shape, drain and set aside. This time, you will want to completely cool your potatoes before tossing them in the sauce. So either pop them in the fridge or set them on the counter until you are ready to serve. To make the sauce, you will combine the mayo, Beano's Sriracha Sauce, vinegar, celery and salt and pepper. Once the potatoes are cooled, add the creamy and spicy sauce and gently toss. Just like that, the second potato salad of this delectable trio is done. How easy was that? One more to go!

Jalapeno Mustard Potato Salad 

You will Need: 

2 lbs. of Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes, quartered

1 cup of Mayo

1 tbsp. Beano's Jalapeno Mustard

3 tbsp. Vinegar 

2 celery stalks, diced

6 green onions, chopped (garnish)

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: I think you are starting to see the pattern here. The reason why this is SO simple and easy is because you are pretty much repeating the steps and prep for these potato salads give or take a few new ingredients. So to your guests, it looks like you have slayed away in the kitchen all day, when the secret is that you haven't at all. This just gives you more time to taste test before the guests arrive. So to begin, prepare the potatoes like before until they are fork tender and set them aside to cool. To prepare the sauce, mix together the mayo, Beano's Jalapeno Mustard, vinegar, celery, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Once the potatoes are completely cooled, toss gently with the sauce. Done. I think the more you make the easier it gets, right? 

So there you have it. Three different takes on a classic potato salad that are impressive and so stinking easy. Don't be afraid to try these out because you have to make three versions. Like mentioned before, you are practically making the same recipe just simply switching some things around and that is it! You have to try these out and see for yourself, you will not regret it. (And neither will your guests)

Enjoy!

Home-gating Sandwiches

This time of year, as the weather gets colder, it's time to move the pre-game (and during game) festivities indoors! So, maybe instead of burgers and dogs on game day, try this instant "home-gating" classic.

What you'll need (for each batch):

Beano's Deli Mustard

Beano's Submarine Dressing

1 package of King Hawaiian dinner rolls

1 pound Isaly's chipped chopped ham

5 pieces of your favorite cheese (we used white American cheese)

Without breaking the dinner rolls apart, cut them in half long ways and put the bottom half on a slightly greased baking pan. Put the top half aside.

Spread the Isaly's chipped chopped ham out on top of the bread.

Add the Beano's Deli Mustard. You can put as much as you want, but it seemed like one good pass was the perfect amount.

Add the cheese. 

Put the top layer of the buns on top.

Top the buns with a light even coating of Beano's Submarine Dressing.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy while you cheer on your favorite team!

Have suggestions to make this recipe even better or want to share pictures of home-gating sandwiches you've made? We'd love to hear from you: beanos@conroyfoods.com

Beano's Crescent Sandwich Ring

While you're getting your menu ready for game day, you'll want to take a peek at this. Who doesn't love a good sandwich ring? Add Isaly's Chipped Chopped Ham and Beano's Submarine Dressing to the beloved sandwich ring and you'll have people begging you to make this time and time again!

So first, the ingredients:

2 cans of crescent rolls

1/4 pound of genoa salami

1/4 pound of hot capicola

1/2 pound of Isaly's Chipped Chopped ham

Beano's Original Submarine Dressing

1/4 pound of pepperjack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Open the cans of crescent rolls and break into 8 rectangles

Then add the genoa salami, hot capicola, Isaly's Chipped Chopped Ham, Beano's Original Submarine Dressing, and pepperjack cheese.

Fold the crescent dough in and push it into the dough underneath the deli meats.

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

And there you have it! Easy game day sandwich ring! For a spicy twist, add banana peppers before you add the cheese.

Tee-Shirt Bag Tutorial

So, we got new tee-shirt designs made and they are FANTASTIC (tee-shirts). My old Beano's tee-shirt has seen much better days, so I looked for ways to make use of my old Beano's tee-shirt to make room for the new ones! I needed a new lunch bag and just general tote bag. I tend to throw things in a plastic grocery bag on my way out the door, so I'm thinking this will be a much better alternative.

Start with a tee-shirt. The bigger you want the bag, the bigger tee-shirt you should use. This is an adult large.

Cut the arms and the bottom seam off. Make sure you hold onto the bottom seam! This is also where you can cut the neck section away for the opening of your bag. I, apparently was very anxious to cut the fringe and didn't cut the neck until afterward, see picture below.

Place the bottom seam about 5 inches from the newly cut bottom. This will act as your fringe cutting guide. Feel free to pin it in place if you'd like!

Fringe the bottom in roughly 1 inch intervals. We still have one more use for that bottom piece of the shirt we cut off, so make sure you don't pitch it!

The cut around the neck will determine the size and shape of the opening of your bag. This is really dealer's choice. I cut it to have thick handles because I know that I carry heavier items in my lunch (bottles of juice, cans of soup, etc.).

Back to the fringe: I used the bottom part of the shirt that we cut off and used as our fringe guide to increase the strength of the base of my bag. Interlace the fringe so that one whole cut is above, the next one under, etc. For the ends, put the cut piece inside of the band.

Now, tie the fringe together! I tied one whole cut piece of fringe to the piece next to it and it's pretty sturdy! I put several items in the bag and it held up like a champ.

The final product! I have to say, I'm thinking about making several more of these and just using them as my shopping bags!

Shredded Chicken and Sriracha Chicken Melt

This open-faced sandwich is delicious AND easy to make! If you like the bold kick of Sriracha, you'll LOVE Beano's new creamy Sriracha Sandwich Sauce. It has the perfect balance of garlic and heat and goes great with everything from crab cakes to onion rings and everything in between! Also, there's an online special on it right now: http://conroyfoods.com/shop.php

All you need for this recipe for 3 full open faced sandwiches (6 pieces of bread) is:

2 1/2 cups of shredded chicken

1/2 cup Beano's Sriracha Sandwich Sauce (more or less to taste)

1/4 cup chopped green onion 

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (plus a little bit more to sprinkle on top)

6 slices of thick cut bread

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, Beano's Sriracha Sandwich Sauce, green onion, tomato, and cheese and mix together until blended. 

Distribute the mixture evenly onto the pieces of bread and put on a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little bit more cheese on top to hold everything together and put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese on top gets nice and melty!

For the brave, once the sandwiches are out of the oven, squeeze another strip of sauce on top!

This was a HUGE hit in my household! If you have spicy food lovers in your home, try this one out for them! 

Cinco De Mayo

For Cinco De Mayo this year, we're making the Mexican version of a sandwich, aka the taco! Steak tacos to be exact. Tacos are great because they are so versatile. You can add as much or as little to them as you want!

For the tacos here, you'll need:

Your favorite cut of steak. A grilled flank steak is usually the best in my opinion; however, it was too cold when I made them, so pan-fried had to do!

Some chili powder, salt, and pepper

As many toppings as you'd like. Lettuce, tomato, peppers, avocado.. this list is endless and infinite... really, anything you want.

Beano's Southwest Sauce

Flour tortillas

I cut the steak into strips, then I pan-fried it, coating the meat with a dusting of chili powder, salt, and pepper until it was medium well using a meat thermometer. I went simple with the seasoning because where you'll really get the flavor from these tacos is the Southwest Sauce. 

Chop up your toppings and assemble the tacos. Last but certainly not least, add some Beano's Southwest Sauce!

Enjoy, and have a great Cinco De Mayo!!