If you ever visit The Netherlands, I highly recommend checking out one of their snack bars. Snack bars are kind of like the Dutch version of a classic American drive-through restaurants, except without the waitresses on roller skates. And you don’t drive through; most all snack bars are eat-in. Instead of chili dogs and root beer floats, you’ll find frikandel special, bitterballen, bami ballen, kroketten, and so much more.

Basically you walk up to the counter, look into the freezer case (similar to an ice cream display case, but with savory treats instead of sweet!), pick what you want, and the helpful person behind the counter will put it in the fryer for you while you go have a seat. No, folks, snack bars are not about health food. Make sure you get an order of frietjes (fries) with mayonnaise and curry ketchup to go with your other goodies!

One of the other great Dutch snack food items are saucijzenbroodjes, or sausage rolls. These are seasoned meat (usually ground beef, despite the name sausage…) wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked to delicious, golden perfection. They make a perfect after school snack or lunch on the go! The great thing about these sausage rolls is that they are SO easy to make at home and put in the freezer…even the kids can get involved!! Have them help mix up the meat mixture, roll it into fat logs, and put it on the pastry. Then, have them help put the egg wash on.

Tips for Making Saucijzenbroodjes:

-Feel free to make the puff pastry from scratch if you want. Or, take the easy way out, and buy the packaged stuff at the store. It’s just as good, I promise!

-A leaner ground beef is going to be less greasy and there will be less of a risk of your pastry getting a little soggy.

-Saucijzenbroodjes are traditionally larger than mine are. If you would like a bigger one, just make two less cuts in the pastry to make longer rolls.

-To freeze: bake as directed, let cool, then flash freeze and put into baggies. When you want one, just take it out and stick it in the oven for about 20 minutes until heated through.

-Serve these bad boys with your favorite mustard. I recommend a good German style.

How to Make Saucijzenbroodjes:

Take your packaged puff pastry out of the freezer and lay it on the counter to defrost slightly. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, spices and seasonings, egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly (hands are the best tools here). Set aside.

Lay the the puff pastry out flat in “landscape orientation”. In other words, so the rectangles long sides are on the top and bottom. Make a cut horizontally down the middle. Make another cut down the center vertically, then cut those two vertical sections in half again, so there is a total of 8 pieces of puff pastry.

At this point, I like to go ahead and lay the pieces of puff pastry on the baking sheet spaced evenly apart. Take the meat mixture and roll into 8 evenly sized log shapes, laying each towards the top of each piece of pastry but giving yourself at least an inch of room at the top. The ends of the log should very slightly be over the edge of the puff pastry as they will shrink slightly with baking.

Beat an egg in a bowl, and with a pastry brush or your finger, put some egg wash on the top space left on the puff pastry. Then fold the rest of the pastry over the meat, matching the edges as well as you can and sealing tightly with a fork. It’s fine if they aren’t perfect! Paint each roll with egg wash, then bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve with mustard for dipping!

This post was sponsored by The Glass Barn, Indiana’s Corn and Soybean Growers, but all thoughts and opinions are my own…ya dig?

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Saucijzenbroodjes - Dutch Sausage Rolls

Dutch Sausage Rolls, or Saucijzenbroodjes, are a classic Dutch snack food that is easy to make at home with some store-bought puff pastry!

Course Appetizer, lunch, Snack

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Pigs in Blanket, Puff Pastry, Sausage Rolls

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1 Sheet Puff Pastry
• 1 lb Ground Beef Or 50/50 beef/pork blend
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Gehakt Seasoning Optional
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1/2 tsp if not using gehakt seasoning
• 1 tsp Parsley Dried or Fresh
• 2 Eggs, divided
• 2 Tbsp Bread Crumbs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Set out puff pastry to thaw/warm slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, 1 egg, bread crumbs, and spices. Using either your hands or a spoon, mix until everything is combined. Set aside.
• Lay puff pastry sheet out flat. Using a knife, cut pastry sheet horizontally across the middle, then make three evenly spaced vertical cuts, so that the pastry is divided into 8 evenly sized rectangles.
• Divide the meat mixture evenly between the 8 puff pastry rectangles. Roll meat portions into log shapes that are the same length as the puff pastry portion. Place the meat about 1/2 inch from the top of each puff pastry rectangle.
• Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the puff pastry above the meat with the egg wash to act as a glue. Then, take the bottom of each puff pastry rectangle and fold it tightly over the meat. Seal the edge by pressing with a fork.
• Paint each sausage roll with the egg wash.
• Bake sausage rolls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
• These can be eaten right way, or can be allowed to cool. They also freeze well! Serve with mustard of your choice.

The post Saucijzenbroodjes – Dutch Sausage Rolls appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Ok, I know ya’ll looked at this recipe’s title and thought, “Why in the world do I need a recipe for something as simple as a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich?” I get it. I do. Chances are you DON’T need a recipe to figure out how to put a couple of slices of toasted bread, ham, cheese, and an egg together. But, my friends, the secret is in the sauce!

(Right about now, my bad sense of humor *thanks Dad* is encouraging me to make a stupid joke about the sauce being secret, and how you shouldn’t tell anyone…but I’m resisting the impulse. Go me!)

This was another one of the recipes born of necessity when my farmer called me up late one morning asking if I had anything I could bring him for lunch. I’m thinking you’re sensing a pattern here, and you’d be right. This happens a lot in our household, mostly because he doesn’t often know what he’s going to be doing day-to-day, so planning ahead isn’t always possible.

Spring Planting

On the particular day that this sandwich was born, we had been to some sort of function just a few days earlier where someone had made those amazing baked ham and cheese sliders. You know the ones I’m talking about, right? The ones that are on the Hawaiian Bread Rolls, with a yummy mustard-mayonnaise sauce, slathered in butter, and baked? (My friend Leah has a version here!) The sauce on those little sliders is so good, and easy, that figured I could add it to a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich and have it taste just as good!

So simple. Cook enough eggs for the number of sandwiches you are wanting to make (1 per sandwich). Just put a little butter in a non-stick skillet and break an egg into it. Season with some salt and pepper. I like my eggs over easy, JW prefers his over medium/hard (so yolks totally set–which makes them much easier to eat one handed in the tractor). Give them a flip and cook until your desired done-ness.

While the eggs are going, put some bread in the toaster…whatever sandwich break you prefer. I like to use honey wheat for these because I think it stands up to the sauce a little better, but use what you like.

In a small bowl, mix together some mayo, Miracle Whip, and honey Dijon mustard. I use a ratio of 2-2-1 here (so 2 tbsp mayo, 2 tbsp Miracle Whip, and 1 tbsp mustard).

When the eggs are nearly done, put a slice of ham per sandwich in the skillet to warm it through. Put each of those slices of ham on top of an egg, then put a slice of Muenster cheese on top of that, allowing everything to warm and the cheese to start melting.

When the bread is toasted and the eggs are done, smother at least one side of bread with the sauce, and put your egg/ham/cheese stack on the bottom slice. Close your sandwich and slice, then enjoy!

Note: if you are taking these on the go, such as running them to the field, I would recommend wrapping them in foil to keep them warm, but leaving a little crack open so some steam can escape, otherwise they may get a little soggy. I’d also suggest eating them as close to making them as possible.

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Ham, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich with Secret Sauce

Looking for an easy lunch idea that has plenty of protein and is loaded with melty, cheesy goodness? Try these Ham, Cheese, and Egg Sandwiches with Mustard Secret Sauce!

Course lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword Easy Lunch, Mayo, Mustard, Sandwich

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 8 Slices of Bread (White, Wheat, etc.)
• 4 Eggs
• 8 Slices of Ham
• 4 Slices of Cheese (Muenster, Gouda, etc.)
• 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Miracle Whip
• 1 Tbsp Honey Dijon Mustard
• Butter for Cooking Eggs

Instructions

• Mix together the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, and Mustard. Set aside.
• In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter and fry the eggs to your desired doneness, leaving room in the pan to heat the ham. When you flip the eggs, put the ham in the pan to warm through.
• Place the ham on top of the eggs (1-2 slices per egg), then place a slice of cheese on top of each egg.
• Toast the bread, then place the egg, ham, and cheese stack on one slice. Spread the mustard sauce on the other slice. Close sandwich and enjoy!

Notes

This sandwich is best eaten right away, but if you are taking it somewhere, wrap it in foil leaving a little crack for steam to escape. 

The post Ham, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich with Secret Sauce appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

I can’t tell you how many times JW has called me at, like, 10:30 saying, “Hey, babe, we decided to get in the fields (planting/spraying/harvesting/etc) today and am going to need some lunch. Can you bring me something?” Cue the stress of not having been to the store in a week, trying to wrangler a toddler and figure out what I’m going to do for our lunches, and knowing whatever I take him needs to travel well. Sigh. That’s exactly how this salmon salad was born.

I usually make salmon once every week or two, whether it’s Salmon Poke Bowls or Oven Roasted Salmon, and I always seem to have some leftover. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of reheating salmon in the microwave. The “fishy” flavor seems to intensify and it dries out. Fortunately on the day that I got one of those lovely, giving me plenty of notice phone calls, I had some leftover salmon from the night before. And being married to a Dutch guy means that we ALWAYS have mayonnaise in the house (it’s a thing, trust me on this). So then it hit me…salmon salad!

If you think we Americans love our mayonnaise based salad creations (chicken, tuna, egg, and so many more), you haven’t seen anything until you visit The Netherlands. The Dutch love their “salades,” and one of my husband’s all-time favorites is salmon salad, or zalm salade. I knew there was no way I could ever recreate the true Dutch version, so I decided to put my own little spin on it and make something similar to tuna salad, but that turned our way better in my opinion! A little pickle and green onion for some zesty crunch, a little dill, and a splash of pickle juice (yes, you read that right…I love using pickle juice in recipes that need a little vinegary, salty bite. There’s so much flavor in that liquid gold!), and we had a winner! Now he gets doubly excited when I make salmon for dinner because he knows the chances of him having salmon salad the next day for lunch are pretty good!

This recipe is really super easy, and I generally eyeball the ingredients simply because I never make a big batch at once. I’ve included measurements on the recipe card to help keep it simple, though. Start off with some flaked, cold salmon. You could make it specifically for this, use leftovers, canned, or the kind that comes in the pouch. It’s up to you. to that add some diced green onion, some diced pickles (I prefer the flavor of Claussen Kosher Dills, and I trim off the seeds), a splash of pickle juice, a sprinkle of dill (can be fresh or dried..whatever you have on hand), and some mayo. Give it a good mix and you’re done! You can serve it on a sandwich, in a wrap, or on crackers. Or just, you know, straight out of the mixing bowl on a fork or spoon. Whatever your little heart desires.

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Salmon Recipe

A great way to use up leftover salmon, or even to add a new twist to the typical tuna salad, this Salmon Salad is a delicious lunch any day of the week!

Course Brunch, lunch, Main, Salad

Cuisine American, Dutch

Keyword Easy Lunch, Pescatarian, Salad, salmon, Seafood

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 2 Salmon Fillets
• 3 tbsp Diced Green Onion
• 3 tbsp Diced Pickles
• 2 tbsp Pickle Juice
• 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 tsp Dill Fresh or Dried

Instructions

• Flake the cold salmon into a mixing bowl. Gently stir in the rest of the ingredients. Serve on bread, in a wrap, or with crackers.

Notes

You can also use canned or pouched salmon. 

The post Salmon Salad appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.