Tonja's Table

I want to introduce you to my friend, Tonja.  She's invited you to her table and I suggest you take her up on the offer.  Sign up for her newsletter and bring fresh ideas and inspiration to your own table this week.  You can email Tonja at tlengen@comcast.net if you want to get on her distribution list.
Bon Appetit!

Introducing Tonja's Table  Welcome to Tonja's Table. I have been inspired by many friends and family to share my recipes and love for cooking. Having had  many recipe requests over the years, I thought it would be fun to share a weekly recipe with all of you. So here is my very humble, not-too-fancy newsletter.  And while I can't guarantee it will always be healthy, low cal, low carb, low sodium, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, or 100% organic, it will hopefully be tasty and worth making for you, your family and friends.  You will get to hear what's going on in my kitchen and what I think is the latest and greatest in food. Please feel free to forward to any friends who might be interested.  If you would prefer not to receive this email, click on the unsubscribe link and you will be removed.    Mini Croque-Monsieur Sandwiches Appetizers. We have them every year for Christmas Eve. It's a tradition that my Mom started when we were young and its stuck. We love to feast on these little bite sized treats at our Christmas table. This year I made a new one and it was a hit. The béchamel sauce is so simple and worth learning how to make.  It's a base for so many sauces and so easy. These little gooey sandwiches can be made ahead of time and baked right before serving. Cut into triangles or squares. You may even want to be fancy and spear a toothpick with a pickle through the top. Set out on a pretty platter and enjoy! Mini Croque-Monsieur Sandwiches Ingredients: 1 loaf of your favorite white bread 4 tbls. unsalted butter ¼ cup of all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups of whole milk Salt and pepper to taste 8 ounces of boars head tavern ham thinly sliced 12 ounces of shredded Gruyere cheese Directions: Trim all the crust off your loaf of bread. Toast each bread slice in a toaster until pale gold.   Melt butter in a sauce-pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and whisk 30 seconds more.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.    Spread a spoonful of béchamel on 1 slice of bread. Top with 2 slices of ham and ¼ cup of cheese. Top with 1 slice of bread and then another spoonful of béchamel.  Repeat with all the remaining toasts to make the rest of the sandwiches.  When finished top all the sandwiches with any remaining cheese and wrap each individually in saran wrap. Refrigerate at least an hour ahead of time. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375. Remove from wrap and place on cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes. Turn oven to broil and bake until light golden brown and bubbly, 1-2 more minutes. Remove from oven, cut and serve immediately. Hope you have a great week! Happy Eating, Tonja Tonja's Table