Now I don't share this secret family recipe with just anyone (only my closest 100 friends or so). But I have to tell you, my mother in law was the best cook in the world. She always had good food at her house--and let me assure you that when I was dating Stanley I always tried to find a way to go to his house so I could eat some of it (hmmm, should I be embarrassed at my confession?)! I loved the way that she served sandwiches. She made THE BEST pimento and cheese mix (my husband agrees with that), and she also had the best ground roast sandwiches that you have ever tasted. But, even with these great recipes, I think that she just had a flare for making a pretty sandwich. She always used Miracle Whip (which I must admit I do like better than mayo), but when she put it on the bread, she went from corner to corner--not just a lump spread in the middle of the bread. Then she would take tomato and lettuce to top it off--but always remembered to put some salt and pepper, oh my mouth is watering! So enjoy some down-home, back-in-time recipes.
So, now that you have the background, try these recipes.
Pimento and Cheese mix:
Mix grated cheese (either grate your own, or purchase those wonderful bags of already grated mild cheddar cheese) with chopped pimentos. (Do you know what pimentos are? You can find them in the aisle with the condiments. I like the "roasted peppers" and use the whole jar.)
Mix with Miracle Whip. Don't be stingy with the Miracle Whip, but you don't want it to drip either. Now comes the secret family recipe--put a little sugar in it--not much, but it seems to take any bitterness away from the mixture. Ahhh, sooooo delicious! Just don't forget that the key here is "presentation, presentation, presentation". Put a few veggies on the side with a little bit of dip and you've really got a great meal for your family.
Ground Roast mix:
Interesting, both my mother in law and my mom used this recipe. This is a personal favorite from when I was growing up. I'm sure it helped that my dad raised a beef for our use every year, but we had a Sunday roast meal every week. I think that in desperation, my mom decided to serve the roast as sandwich meat. She would take the roast and grind it up (can you remember the old grinders that attach to your kitchen counter and you twirl the handle?). After grinding it up, she would add Miracle Whip and even some finely chopped sweet pickles--you can cheat now and add sweet pickle relish. A dash of salt and pepper and you have another addition to your larder! Lettuce and tomatoes on top of the filling to go on the bread and you have a winner!