Smoked Turkey Sandwiches With Blue Cheese And Caramelized Onions Recipes

Steps:

• For the lemon pepper: Zest the lemon and allow to dry. Mix with the granulated garlic, pepper, salt, sugar and celery seed.
• For the brine: Add 4 cups of the water, salt, sugar and half of the lemon pepper to a saucepan. Bring this mixture to boil over high heat, and then add the remaining water.
• For the turkey breast: When the brine is cool, add the turkey and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Sprinkle the turkey with the remaining lemon pepper and place in your backyard smoker for approximately 3 hours at 250 degrees F. Use mesquite wood if available. Oak will work as a substitute (if you don't have a smoker you can use your oven).
• Slice the tomato, red onion, dill pickle and pull the leaves off the head of green leaf lettuce (don't forget to wash thoroughly).
• Toast the buns and spread mayo on both sides. Slice the turkey breast thinly and place on the bottom bun. Place leaf lettuce, tomato slices, red onion slices and dill pickle slices (in that order) on the top bun and serve open faced.

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook until just beginning to color, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add sugar and cook until onions are deep golden brown and very soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in vinegar and raisins. Season caramelized onions to taste with salt and pepper. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Arrange 4 bread slices on work surface. Top with cheese, dividing equally. Top each with 1/4 cup caramelized onions. Top with remaining bread slices to form 4 sandwiches. Spread half of butter over tops of sandwiches. Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches, buttered side down. Spread remaining butter over tops of bread. Partially cover and cook until bottoms are brown, about 3 minutes. Turn sandwiches over. Cook until second sides brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Cut each sandwich into 6 wedges.

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Separate the onion slices and add them to the skillet. Cook the onions until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions are very tender and caramelized, about 15 minutes more, stirring often. Season with the salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Remove from the heat to cool.
• Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
• In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, basil and the remaining pinch pepper.
• Lightly brush one side of each bread slice with oil. Turn all the bread slices over and spread with the mayonnaise mixture, dividing equally. Top eight of the bread slices with equal amounts of turkey, onions and cheese. Cover with the remaining eight bread slices, mayonnaise mixture side down.
• Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the sandwiches over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and serve right away.