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Oh boy! I wish the picture of my sandwich did it more justice. What a deliciously serendipitous meal!
So, a while back I applied to try and get a box of this beer bread mix to review from a new small Florida based business called Boardwalk Food Company. I didn't even care what flavor they sent me, I just knew that I wanted to taste some. Which actually may surprise some people in my life because I do not drink beer. Not a fan. Except for cider beer that is. Love me some cider beer. But, cooking with beer...that I LOVE to do! Beer Cheese Soups, Beer Brats on the grill, Beer Breads, Beer Battered foods...all good stuff. When I was automatically denied to receive this fun product I was a little bummed out, but only for a few moments. My Mom's voice popped into my head saying, "The answer is always no unless you ask." So, I asked again...and was approved...obviously ;-) Yay!
Now, I had this beautiful box of Lemon Poppy Seed Beer Bread Mix and waited for some inspiration. It says right on the back of the box to add one 12 oz. bottle of beer (or soda) and bake. So easy! I already knew I wanted to use beer to really get the full intended effect of the product. I even thought about buying a bottle of Leinie's Summer Shandy but figured that may have been done by someone else already. So, I waited some more. I am very patient. It totally paid off.
Saturday afternoon, out running errands with my three littles and I pass an estate sale. Woo hoo! At the end of their driveway was a box of free stuff. Right on top...five old issues of Taste of Home magazine in perfect condition, just waiting for me to come by. Score! They ranged in dates from 2008 to 2010 but I did not care. I just like recipes. And cooking. And baking. And...you know this already. Moving on...
At home I sit and open the top issue in the stack and within just a few pages I stumble upon my unexpected inspiration. A very small section where the magazine staff tells us their favorite yummy quick bread concoctions. First idea on the list is "Lemon Poppy Seed Bread made into a chicken salad sandwich". DING! DING! DING! We have a winner. (Thank you Jan Briggs, Editor, for having such a great idea way back in the Summer of 2010) The light bulb flashed on bright in my head. I had just been grocery shopping the day before and scored two Lemon Pepper Seasoned Whole Chickens on clearance at Cub Foods for $4.29 a piece! (3.25 pounds each) I didn't have a specific plan when I purchased them but knew that I couldn't pass up such a deal. As a family of seven on one income I am always looking for great deals on food.
Saturday night I roasted one of the beautiful little birds. Mmm!
Sunday morning, after the kids were all fed and playing happily, I retreated to my "happy place" and started to "play."
Time to make some bread.
As the box says, I added one bottle of beer to the mix. We usually have beer in the garage refrigerator for guests so I went out to see what kind we had on hand. Summit Horizon Red IPA. A Minnesota beer. Even better! (Psst...I'm Minnesotan) A little bit on the darker scale of beer which was perfect because I didn't want the bread to be too sweet, as I was going to be using it for sandwiches.
Mix together until just moist, pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake it for 55 - 60 minutes at 350°.
When done baking, spread melted butter on top of the loaf and then sprinkle it with sugar. The box said to use 4 Tbsps. of butter but I only used 1 Tbsp. and it was plenty. I did not want the bread to be too soggy for my sandwich slices. At this point it smelled and looked amazing.
It sliced up perfectly! Nice top crust while being soft and warm in the middle. I tried some and it was very good. I could definitely taste the beer and can see how the possibilities would be endless with this product. Different beers and sodas would bring out so many flavor combinations. Super fun!
Now, it's time to make the Chicken & Apple Salad for the sandwich filling. Here is one of my own personal recipes I thought would pair perfectly with the Lemon Poppy Seed flavored bread.
Chicken & Apple Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 of the meat from a 3.25 lb. roasted chicken (white & dark)
1 small apple (I used a Braeburn)
1 celery stalk
1/4 of a red onion
1/2 Cup Mayo
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt & cracked pepper to taste (I used Himalayan Pink Salt)
Directions:
Rough chop the chicken into chunks.
Dice the celery nice and small. I love some crunch in my chicken salad but like to keep the pieces nice, small and fairly uniform in size.
And the red onion.
And the apple. If you are not going to use the diced apple right away, I suggest tossing them in a little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown too quickly.
Once the fruit and veggies are all in the bowl with the chicken, add the salt and pepper. Do not be afraid of the pepper. Just go right ahead and grind away.
Gently toss them all together dry and then mix in the mayo and Dijon, adding more salt and pepper if you see fit.
If you get a chance to try out these fabulous beer bread mixes from Boardwalk Food Company, I highly recommend it. Here are web links so you can get your hands on some, too:
Boardwalk Food Company website.
Follow them on Twitter!
Check them out on Instagram!
Like them on Facebook!
And don't forget about Pinterest!
Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about the giveaway! One lucky reader will win a tasty box of Beer Bread Mix for their very own. Flavors available to choose from are Original, Lemon Poppy Seed, Rosemary Sea Salt or Cornbread. Thanks you so much Boardwalk Food Company!
Good luck and thanks for reading!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I did receive one box for free in order to write an honest review.
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Love it!
ReplyDeleteI would like to try the lemon poppy seed one
ReplyDeleteUm Rosemary Sea Salt! Yummy
ReplyDeleteAlicia