We all love bar food, don't we?

    We've all had occasions when an old friend is coming over for "a couple of beers." And I'm sure, like me, there's that friend where you know a couple of beers turns to 6, turns to 2am!  These nights make the greatest of memories. The problem seems to be at some point everyone needs to eat, but in a party atmosphere who knows when that will be? Servefood at the wrong time, and the whole vibe of the party can be ruined, or at least most may not be ready to eat.

     Here is a great sandwich that solves these issues, is creative, delicious, and is definitely "bar food". It's major components can be made ahead of time, and assembled in a snap.
This recipe makes 3 large sandwiches. They can be cut in half to feed 6.

     BAR STYLE POT ROAST SANDWICH

INGREDIENTS

1 1-2LB CHUCK ROAST

1 Small package baby carrots

1 large brown onion

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

3 12" pizza doughs

Olive oil 

Crushed garlic

Salt & pepper

1 to 1 1/2pounds mozzarella cheese, shredded

Italian flat leaf parsley

Prepared creamy horseradish

   Note: I have found it easier to buy my pizza dough from the local pizza joint. If you want to go the extra step and make your own, by all means, go for it!

HARDWARE

Crock pot

Pizza stone

Pannini maker

    At least 5 hours before you expect to eat, put roast in crock pot, with carrots. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until it shreds with a fork on high. Once done turn cockpot to "keep warm" setting if equipped. It will keep until ready to use.

    Pre heat oven to 500, or highest setting, with pizza stone in it. Roll out pizza dough to oval shape, about 1/4" thick. CAREFULLY, remove pizza stone from oven, and put dough on stone. Drizzle a little olive oil on dough. Spread crushed garlic to taste (a little goes a long way!).  Finely chop parsley. Top dough with cheese, and sprinkle on parsley to taste.  You have to work fast. Place back in oven, cook until cheese is melted.

   Remove from oven. This is the bread for one sandwich, repeat with other 2 doughs. Trim off crusts, this will hold fine covered for a couple hours.

    Dice onions and peppers to 1/4" pieces. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan, add peppers and onions. Cook on medium high heat until soft, about 8 minutes. 

   When you are ready to eat, assemble sandwiches. Put helping of pot roast on a piece of cheese bead, cheese side up, top with peppers, onions,  horseradish,  and top piece of bread cheese side down. If you don't like horseradish,  it can be substituted for something like deli mustard. You can also omit it, and enjoy with au jous, like a beef dip. The choice is yours.

    Place in pannini maker and cook until bread is toasted,  and cheese is melted. Enjoy with an ice cold beer!

Rum drizzled chocolate neapalitin cake

       Funny thing about me, I love to cook, as if that isn't obvious.  I will, and do frequently, get up at 5am to smoke a pork butt for dinner. I will spend countless dollars formulating a new, crazy idea for a recipe. I will, and do, invite people over simply so I can cook for them. I equally enjoy the work involved, and sitting down and enjoying the benifits.

       Here's the odd part, I enjoy sweets/desserts as much, if not more than the meal. Yet, for some reason, I don't really enjoy making them.  Probobly because when I do cook, the meal consumes all my time. Needless to say when I do make desserts,  it's usually not from scatch.  As I see it thats o.k., with a little creativity,  you too can make an outstanding dessert!

         INGREDIENTS:
1 Chocolate cake mix and ingredients requested on box
1 Container fresh strawberries
1 Container fresh blueberries
1 Container fresh blackberries
1 Container fresh red raspberries
1 Container cool whip
1 Bottle raspberry,  coconut,  or golden rum

        HARDWARE:
1 loaf pan

         Make cake mix as directed on box. Butter and flour loaf pan. Bake in loaf pan until done, about 20 minutes.

         After cake comes out of oven, allow to cool. Drizzle the rum over the cake. The trick 

To this is to put your thumb over the top of the bottle so you can controlbhow much comes out. Were just adding flavor here, not getting anyone drunk!!

         Elice the cake to the thickness of thin sandwich bread. Top with cool whip, and berries. Add another slice, top with a dollop of cool whip, and a few more berries.

Margarita chicken

About me

        I am just an average guy, no different than anyone who may read this. I have a wonderful wife, 4 children, and have a small home in the suburbs. Professionally, I have been a car mechanic almost all of my adult life. It is a profession that requires hard work, long hours, a world of knowledge, and a passion for cars. It is the passion, that lead me to cooking as a hobby.

    Every man is born with a natural desire to build something,  be it a hot rod, a house, a model airplane, or whatever he dreamed of as a kid. My passion was obviosly cars, and several times in my life I tried to build a cooler, faster, sexier car. The problem is building such a car is very time consuming, and VERY expensive. Hense, every time, I abandoned my project car. Thankfully I was aware enough to see the burden it put on my family.

    I remember the day I decided to start toying with cooking as a hobby. We were making spaghetti for dinner, store bought noodles, and sauce in a can. I don't know why, but I opened "Mom ans Dad's" cupboard,  grabbed a bottle of amarretto, and poured some in the sauce. At the time, it was great, we all ate dinner and talked about what we could do differnt next time.

    Now, 15 years later, cooking is still my hobby. Though not as cheap as it used to be, it still brings good times to my family and friends. I now have friends and acquaintances asking me to cook for thier parties, wich I do just for the pleasure of it.

   So, now I am going to start sharing some of the recipes I have developed over the years. Hopefully you and your family will enjoy. If you do enjoy, you should also visit my aunt Cynthia's blog, www.iamthereforeibake.com. She is a professional chef, makes amazing food, and has been the one to push and inspire me to do this.

 First recipe next weekend!!!