SANDWICH BREAD

bread off the grill - nicely toasted and cheese melted

For the Toasted Cheese Sandwiches (you can add sliced ham as well - yummy!), I buttered the cut side surfaces and put the cheese (liberal amount of Monterey Jack) inside, with two buttered cut side surfaces facing the outside.  Bake in toasted cheese maker.  Wait quite a while - you want it nice and toasty as in the picture.  Adding ham would have added color (of course this bread does not have the side crusts so comparing it to regular bread (looks-wise) would be a bit unfair.  This is very nice though and very similar. Even one half is filling with a cup of tea or coffee, which Ian and I did this morning.  He had coffee and I had my tea.  There is no way one has any cravings afterwards.  One feels comfortable and satiated and no pressing desire to keep going back for more.  If I buy my favorite store bought bread (It is moist and dense and cake-like. Ha!), I can eat 6 slices in a sitting easily (in my defense they are smaller slices).  I always have to stop myself and then later I'll be wanting more. Needless to say that bread is very fattening for me and I won't buy it!  It is not the case with this bread.  My husband is losing weight on this gluten-free, low-carb diet and he loves having this bread available all the time.  He is able to eat one meal at lunch time (we broke that trend today) and go for hours until supper time when he has his big bowl of frozen yogurt (bananas, strawberries and yogurt and sweetener (sometimes with chopped salty peanuts on top - not overly low-carb) while watching a show.  Moderate low-carbing and gluten-free is working for him and even I have lost 4 lbs in 20 days.  I'm not a fast loser and also don't have that much to lose (keep in mind I don't ever expect or want to be ultra-skinny).  Ian has lost a ton of weight.  Low-carbing works for him as well, but he was still on the wheat gluten and his body is intolerant of gluten, so he was fighting an uphill battle.  He would get cravings and overeat too often.  I am so happy for him!!

P.S.  When Ian goes back on gluten, his blood pressure soars again.  Going gluten-free has cut the cost of blood pressure meds in half for him.  Pretty awesome!  Obviously not everyone has a problem with gluten.  I don't but I happen to enjoy eating gluten-free these days, so I don't have very much, except maybe sometimes when I visit the city and temptation abounds.

SANDWICH BREAD

CLICK PHOTOS TO SEE LARGER IMAGES

This bread is great for sandwiches, but even more wonderful toasted in a regular toaster or on the barbecue.  It has the characteristics of an English muffin where it has a more absorbent surface (cut side) for butter and peanut butter, low-sugar jam or a little honey and cheese.  Such a treat!  You can even make grilled cheese sandwiches with a toasted cheese maker.

This is the recipe I mentioned and that some of you have been waiting for.  I hope very much that you enjoy this recipe as much as what we do.  It is a staple for us and so nice to have a whole loaf of our bread in the refrigerator.  Not only that, the ingredients are so healthy - think about it - eggs (protein), almonds (heart healthy), oat flour (heart healthy) and fiber (heart healthy) and some good fats for satiety. You will not be eating too much bread as it satiates quickly and there are no cravings afterwards.

UPDATE:  This bread is a bit on the savory side, so if you would like a more neutral taste - leave out the Parmesan cheese - lower in sodium too. 

12 oz regular cream cheese, softened (375 g)

6 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)

2 cups Gluten-Free Bake Mix 1, OR Keto Bake Mix, (500 mL)

  OR Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 (1/4 cup more for Keto Bake Mix)

¹/₂ cup almond meal, OR almond flour (125 mL)

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (45 mL)

1¹/₂ tsp baking powder (7 mL)

³/₄  tsp baking soda (3 mL)

¹/₄ tsp salt (1 mL)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (500 mL)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line large cookie sheet, 14.5 x 23 inches (37 x 58 cm), with foil and grease well.  

In food processor, process cream cheese.  Add eggs and vanilla extract; process well on low speed.  In medium bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix, almond meal, OR almond flour, Parmesan cheese, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to cream cheese mixture and process until thickened.  Add cheese and process until incorporated. 

Drop batter in huge blobs on the foil.  Take a large piece of plastic wrap and press out the batter to fill the cookie sheet evenly.  Keep picking the plastic up and moving it around as needed to squish the batter.  Once the whole cookie sheet is covered, use the back of a large spoon to make sure it is as even as possible. (If you wear glasses for reading, I recommend wearing them.) Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until browning on top.  Allow to cool.  Divide the bread into 5 (for the longer side) x 3 sections.  The bread will be about the same size as a standard piece of bread from a store bought sandwich loaf.  Slice each piece into 2 slices of the same size as the original piece (just thinner) with a large serrated bread knife; that makes 30 slices of bread at 2.2 g carbs each.

Yield:   30 slices

1 serving

127.6 calories

6.1 g protein

10.2 g fat

2.2 g carbs

Helpful Hints: For the barbecue, we butter the bread on the cut sides, place thinly sliced tomato, thinly sliced onion and cheese on one unbuttered side and top with the other half, buttered side to the outside. Place above or on the grill, depending on your barbecue towards the end of the time it takes to barbecue the meat. Close lid and check on them frequently.  Use a flat, metal lifter to turn very carefully, supporting the top, to do other side.  Sometimes I add some roasted chicken (and bacon done on the grill) and mayonnaise and that makes a meal on its own. Place the slices of bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator; lasts 2 weeks. Freeze for longer storage. 

Note: After refrigeration this bread becomes more dense and less bread-like due to the cream cheese content.  Nuke one slice about 12 seconds, depending on your microwave oven, and you’re ready to make a sandwich as it becomes like freshly baked bread.  This step is not necessary before toasting the bread.