Patent Application
20130295234
Hotels are establishments that provide lodging, meals, entertainment, and various personal services for the public. Many modern hotels include full service restaurants, swimming pools, fitness centers, business centers, childcare, conference facilities, and social function services.
Most hotels have a restaurant. Hotel restaurants and restaurants that are not associated with hotels are constantly looking for unique and tasty food service items, either for use as entrées or appetizers. Very often, the emphasis is on inexpensive, filling food.
One popular food item is a sandwich. A sandwich typically consists of two or more slices of bread with one or more fillings between them. A sandwich can be handheld and is portable, and is easy for children and people of limited ambulation to eat.
The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
Embodiments herein are directed to a sandwich having macaroni and cheese between two slices of bread. The sandwich is cooked in a waffle iron to toast the bread and create a waffle pattern on the outer surfaces of the bread.
In embodiments, one or more slices of cheese may be added to the sandwich. For example, a slice of cheese may be added between the top slice of bread and the macaroni and cheese, and a second slice of cheese may be added between the bottom slice of bread and the macaroni and cheese. In embodiments, the cheese melts as part of the toasting process in the waffle iron.
In additional embodiments, a method of making a sandwich is provided. The method includes stacking ingredients for the sandwich, the ingredients including a top slice of bread, a bottom slice of bread, and macaroni and cheese between the top slice of bread and the bottom slice of bread. The stacked ingredients are toasted in a waffle iron so as to form a toasted waffle pattern on the top of the top slice of bread and the bottom of the bottom of slice of bread. The ingredients may also include a slice of cheese between the top slice of bread and the macaroni and cheese. If so, then the toasting can occur until the slice of cheese is at least partially melted. In addition, another slice of cheese may be included between the bottom slice of bread of the macaroni and cheese, with the toasting occurring until the bottom slice of cheese is at least partially melted.
To aid in removal of the sandwich from the waffle iron, a nonstick spray may be sprayed on the slices of bread or the waffle iron prior to toasting.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings.
In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details.
Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.
Embodiments herein are directed to a sandwich having macaroni and cheese between two slices of bread. The sandwich is toasted in a waffle iron so as to toast the bread and to provide a waffle iron pattern on the outer surface of the bread. In embodiments, one or more slices of cheese may be added to the sandwich prior to toasting so that additional cheese flavor, and calories are added to the sandwich, and to enhance the cheese flavor of the sandwich.
Between the two slices of cheese 16, 20, is positioned macaroni and cheese 18. Macaroni and cheese is a dish consisting of elbow macaroni and cheese sauce. Traditionally prepared as a casserole, macaroni and cheese is now often prepared on a stove-top or in a microwave using a packaged food mix. The dish is typically a noodle gratin with macaroni pasta in place of potatoes. In embodiments, the macaroni and cheese 18 may be any noodle and cheese mixture. The macaroni and cheese 18 may be any style, including homemade, or a packaged variety. In embodiments, the macaroni and cheese 18 is a pre-frozen macaroni and cheese. Applicants have found that Kraft brand macaroni and cheese pre-frozen 7 oz. packages work well in formation of their sandwiches. The 7 oz. packages are divided in half, with 3.5 oz. utilized on individual sandwiches. Although this pre-frozen variety is described in embodiments, other macaroni and cheese products could be used.
The macaroni and cheese 18 is prepared prior to inserting it into the sandwich ingredient stack. Preparation may involve heating prepackaged macaroni and cheese, allowing a frozen package to thaw, or cooking the macaroni and cheese on a stovetop or in a microwave, as non-limiting examples.
The assembled stack of sandwich ingredients 10 in
The waffle iron 30 shown in the drawings is a conventional Belgium waffle iron model, having a top plate 32, a bottom plate 34, a honeycomb top pattern 36 on the top plate and a honeycomb bottom pattern 38 on the bottom plate. The waffle iron 30 shown in the figure has a square cross-section, but round or other shapes could be used. In addition, other waffle irons may be used, but in embodiments, a Belgian waffle iron is utilized. A Belgian waffle iron provides deep, distinct indentations when toasting. Waffle irons having different patterns could be used. In embodiments, the waffle iron impresses a pattern into the surfaces of the bread slices 12, 14 during the toasting process.
To toast the sandwich ingredients, the waffle iron 30 is closed, allowing the top plate 32 to come into contact with the top of the top slice of bread 12. In embodiments, the weight of the top plate 32 for the waffle iron 30 is sufficient to hold the ingredients in place and provide sufficient pressure to impress a honeycomb pattern into the bread slices 12, 14 during the cooking process.
The sandwich ingredients 10 are cooked for a sufficient amount of time to at least partially toast the bread slices 12, 14 and to impress the waffle pattern 40 shown in
In embodiments, as described above, the macaroni and cheese 18 is cooked prior to the toasting process described above. However, part of the cooking, heating, or thawing process for the macaroni and cheese may occur as part of the toasting process that occurs in the waffle iron 30.
The sandwich 42 shown in
Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
