Quick Weeknight Meals

i adore meals i can get on the table in under 30 minutes.  in fact, this is primarily the type of meals i make.  this week was a whirlwind and at the end of the month, and i was scraping together what was left in the fridge and pantry.  despite this, i had some winners!  the recipes that follow are eggs benedict, bake deli sandwiches, and sausage and biscuits.

eggs benedict: on the table in under 15 minutes, this quick fix was yummy!

ingredients:

• eggs - as many as you need to serve your family; we used 6
• bread slices for toasting

mock hollandaise sauce--

• 1/2 C miracle whip or mayo
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 1 T mustard
• 2 T lemon juice
• dill and thyme to your taste
• milk to thin

preparation:

• boil a pot full of water; salt boiling water
• crack an egg into a measuring cup and very carefully pour into boiling water
• boil 2-3 eggs but make sure egg has enough room to "breathe"
• once egg floats freely, remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon
• meanwhile, add miracle whip/mayo, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, dill and thyme to another small pot, heating through; add milk to thin to your desired consistency
• toast and butter bread
• serve egg on top of toast, slather a little mock hollandaise sauce and enjoy!

baked deli sandwiches: a very quick, but delicious take on the typical deli meat and cheese sandwich.  i love reading other people's blogs and this recipe is my adaptation from karly's buns in my oven baking blog.

ingredients:

• buns 
• 4 slices of deli meat per bun (i used a combination of 2 slices turkey and 2 slices roast beef)
• cheese slices (i folded the slice into 1/4's and placed two of the small squares on top of each meat pile
• 1/2 C melted butter
• 1 t ground mustard
• 1 t poppy seeds
• 2 t onion flakes or 1 t onion powder
• 2 T worcestershire sauce

preparation:

• slice buns open and place bottoms in a pan that accommodates your number of sandwiches
• layer meat, followed by cheese
• place bun top on sandwich
• mix melted butter, mustard, poppy seeds, onion flakes/powder, sauce and pour over buns.
• cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

sausage and biscuits: my uncle gordy from omaha makes exceptional sausage and biscuits at our thanksgiving get-togethers.  no matter how much i try to reconstruct this recipe, it is never quite as good as his.  this recipe came as close as i have gotten yet, though!

sausage and gravy ingredients:

• 1/2 lb bulk pork sausage
• 1/2 lb italian pork sausage
• 1 t lawry's seasoning salt
• 1/2 t garlic salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• shake of red pepper flakes
• 2 T corn starch
• 1 1/2- 2 C milk

preparation:

• cook sausage with seasonings, draining any ridiculous amount of grease off. (i left a little grease so i wouldn't have to add butter to create the roux)
• when thoroughly cooked, add corn starch, stirring into meat
• after 30-60 seconds, add cold milk, heating on medium low until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.

biscuit ingredients:

• 2 1/4 C bisquick mix or any bisquit mix of your choice
• 2/3 C milk
• 1/2 C shredded cheese
• 1/2 t minced garlic
• 2 T butter

preparation:

• mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• drop by spoonful onto a baking sheet
• bake for 9-12 minutes in a 400 degree oven

serving suggestions:
gordy serves his sausage biscuits and gravy with hard-boiled eggs, green peppers, and onions.  adds another dimension of flavor!