So I took a look at when I last published a post on this blog and … *gasp* it’s been HOW long?

Well, my attempt at balancing work and kids and going back to school for my masters and planning a wedding all at the same time did not work out as planned.  And things got even more complicated this past spring when we all went into lock down and I was both working from home and home schooling my girls.

I still access this blog all the time, especially for recipes.  And heaven knows I’ve never stopped taking pictures of what my girls and I get up to.

But with the craziness that’s surrounding us all right now, I’ve decided to start writing again.  There aren’t suddenly more hours in the day, but I miss doing this.  Plus, it calms my anxiety (extra important in these stressful times!) and, hey, I love sharing food with you guys.

Halloween is practically around the corner – it IS August after all.  So I’m going to start by sharing Halloween recipes and ideas.

This recipe here is for an age-old favorite of mine:  open faced cheese sandwiches.

These are so much fun.  And in the fall especially, my girls wind up getting some variation of these for lunch quite a bit.

Cheese and bread make a great base for a lunch since they go with so many different sides.  I can throw these on a plate with pretty much whatever fruit is on hand and it works.

 

For the pumpkins and ghosts pictured above, I used yellow American cheese and white Provolone.  You could also substitute another white cheese like Swiss, Mozzarella, white Cheddar or Monterey Jack, depending on your family’s favorites.

I placed the cheese slices on the bread and microwaved it for about 8 or 10 seconds, just until the cheese started to melt.  This makes sure it doesn’t fall apart in their lunchboxes.  You could also try warming it in a toaster oven instead – just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

I personally like mine with crispy half-burnt cheese, but well, these aren’t for me…

Once the cheese is melted to the bread, simply use cookie cutters to cut out the shapes.  I can’t remember the brand of cutters I have, but they are similar to these and these.

I was able to get two pumpkins out of one slice with the size cookie cutters I have.  And, really, I often just save the scraps to eat as part of my own lunches.  Or, you know, midnight snack.  If they make it till midnight.

You could also use them as cheesy croutons in tomato soup.  If yours last longer than mine…

Here is a similar way I like to change it up:  Jack O Lantern Cheesy Bread

Follow my Halloween Pinterest Board for more ideas!

Happy Early Halloween :)