I spend WAY too many hours on Pinterest these days, but it's for a good cause - FOOD! I still love trying recipes from magazines and my cookbooks, but even my favorite cooking magazines are on Pinterest!
Over the past several months, I cooked a lot of the recipes I've pinned. Since I've pinned over 300 (and counting!), I can't say I'm close to cooking all of them, but here are some that received RAVE reviews from family and friends when I made them. If you're looking for crowd-pleasing items for a Superbowl party or a casual get-together, put these on your list. Happy eating!
1. Sweet pork love. This is my variation on a recipe from tastykitchen.com using bacon, cocktail wienies, butter, and brown sugar. Anyone who loves pork products will go crazy for these. Any guy gathering needs a batch (or two!)
2. Jalapeño-ranch dip. There's this restaurant from Austin, TX called Chuy's. On request, they will bring you a ranch-jalapeno dressing/dip for your tortilla chips. Trust me - ASK FOR SOME! It elevates ranch to new heights. I found a dip recipe on Pinterest that's very similar from the site plainchicken.com, though I change it up by making it thicker (I use fat free Greek yogurt and reduce the mayo) and add extra cilantro. Super yummy!
3. Sopapilla cheesecake bars. Golly these are good! You combine the taste of a sopapilla (those pillows of fried dough perfection topped with cinnamon and sugar) with a cheesecake filling. The best part is how easy they are to make - crescent roll dough from a can, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, butter, and cinnamon/sugar. Yoza!
4. Hawaiian roll ham sammiches. Great guy food and a nice change from traditional sandwiches. I made these over the holidays to high praise.
5. Ro-Tel chilaquiles casserole. This is a terrific brunch or breakfast dish for a crowd and almost everything is a pantry staple. Ro-tel (tomatoes with chiles), canned chili, tortilla chips, chili beans, and cheese. This is also really good for a hearty breakfast after a late night out. Definitely recommend when doing heavy shopping as it will tide you over until lunch!
I hope you have fun with my current top 5 Pinterest favorites. Let me know what your family thinks!
Showing posts with label ham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ham. Show all posts
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Friday, August 31, 2012
Quick Quesadillas for Back-to-School Dinner
Dallas-area students started back to school this week and I've seen many of my friends struggling with fitting all of evening activities into already full days. So, what do you do if family dinner is a priority? No, do NOT hit the drive thru 4 times in a week (if you can help it). Instead, whip up a meal in about 10 - 15 minutes. Yes, I said 10 minutes! :)
A great go-to meal is a quesadilla. You can make it vegetarian with refried beans or canned black beans (drained and rinsed first!), use leftover meats (bbq brisket, cooked chicken, or even ham), whatever type of cheese you like, and veggies to your liking. Served with a side of carrot and celery sticks or apple slices, you have a great meal.
But what about other types of quesadilla-inspired options? I personally love Italian food, and I frequently make a dinner panini. I thought, why not take the idea of a quesadilla, but make it Italian-style (you can go Asian, Mexican, Greek, whatever)? Instead of tortillas, I used flat bread, usually found near the deli or bakery in a grocery store. Prosciutto (Italian ham), provolone, and mozzarella combine into melty perfection and pair perfectly with crispy veggies on the side. While the sandwiches were baking, I peeled and sliced a cucumber and served it sprinkled with just salt and pepper.
No real recipe to this, just improvise with what you have. Here's what I did:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
You can warm up and slightly toast the bread (flat bread, pitas, or tortillas) by placing it in a pan over medium-high heat just until heated through and lightly browned in spots
Spread mustard, mayo, pesto or whatever you like onto one side of a flat bread.
Layer on the cheese and meat toppings (ham, salami, turkey or what you like or have around)
Fold over bread (to a half moon shape).
Place on a baking sheet, then bake until the cheese is melted and sandwich is heated through, about 5 - 8 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.
Happy eating!
A great go-to meal is a quesadilla. You can make it vegetarian with refried beans or canned black beans (drained and rinsed first!), use leftover meats (bbq brisket, cooked chicken, or even ham), whatever type of cheese you like, and veggies to your liking. Served with a side of carrot and celery sticks or apple slices, you have a great meal.
But what about other types of quesadilla-inspired options? I personally love Italian food, and I frequently make a dinner panini. I thought, why not take the idea of a quesadilla, but make it Italian-style (you can go Asian, Mexican, Greek, whatever)? Instead of tortillas, I used flat bread, usually found near the deli or bakery in a grocery store. Prosciutto (Italian ham), provolone, and mozzarella combine into melty perfection and pair perfectly with crispy veggies on the side. While the sandwiches were baking, I peeled and sliced a cucumber and served it sprinkled with just salt and pepper.
No real recipe to this, just improvise with what you have. Here's what I did:
Flat Bread Quesadilla Sandwiches
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
You can warm up and slightly toast the bread (flat bread, pitas, or tortillas) by placing it in a pan over medium-high heat just until heated through and lightly browned in spots
Spread mustard, mayo, pesto or whatever you like onto one side of a flat bread.
Layer on the cheese and meat toppings (ham, salami, turkey or what you like or have around)
Fold over bread (to a half moon shape).
Place on a baking sheet, then bake until the cheese is melted and sandwich is heated through, about 5 - 8 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.
Happy eating!
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