Sassy Tailgate Sandwiches

This recipe was giving to me by an office mate who's wife made these for one of our office parties. They are easy and delicious!

1 pkg. (12 count) Hawaiian bread rolls
1 lb. shaved Black Forest ham
12 slices Gruyere cheese
1 tub (8 oz.) Philadelphia® Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 T dried minced onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut all rolls in half. Place roll bottoms in 9x13-inch pan.
Place equal amounts of ham on each roll bottom. Top with Gruyere.
On each of the roll tops, spread a generous amount of the cream cheese spread. Return the tops to the bottoms making sandwiches.
In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, Worcestershire sauce, onion and Parmesan cheese. Pour over your sandwiches and let sit for at lease 20 minutes. (You can make these ahead of time and allow to sit in fridge overnight.)
Place sandwiches, covered in foil, in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Enjoy! Yield: 12

NOTE: I shredded chunk Gruyere as I could not find slices. Your butter mixture will look a little curdled once together. Don't worry--it's supposed to look like that.

Butternut Squash Soup

I wanted to make some Butternut Squash Soup to go with our Tailgate Sandwiches. It was a great combination.

2 T Butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
32-oz. chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTE: I used a 16-oz. bag of frozen butternut squash and I blended in about one-half cup of sour cream after the soup had been pureed, heating through gently.