Pesto Chicken Salad BLT Sandwiches

This is a perfect picnic sandwich. I've never really liked chicken salad, mainly because it just sounds like a mayo salad to me. But this chicken salad adds homemade pesto and fresh basil to the mayo, which makes quite the difference! Also, unlike typical chicken salad, I decided to roast my chicken, so that they were tender and moist. I really hate boiled chicken. The rest of the sandwich has a spread of pesto, caramelized onions, smoked crispy bacon, sun dried tomatoes, baby mixed greens, and toasted ciabatta bread. What doesn't sound good about all those ingredients? Exactly. This sandwich would be perfect on hot, sunny day. I served it along side with some brussel sprout slaw, which I'll post later on this week. So, go make this for a delightful picnic out in the park because you know I would!! Enjoy :)

Pesto Chicken Salad BLT Sandwiches 

For the Pesto Chicken Salad:

1 Roasted Chicken Breast, Shredded

¼C Mayo

¼C Pesto

1T Fresh Basil, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sandwiches:

Prepared Pesto Chicken Salad

4 Slices of Ciabatta or French Bread, Fried in Bacon Grease until Golden-Brown

4 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon, Fried until Crispy (save the bacon grease)

Spring Lettuce Mix

Sun Dried Tomatoes Halves

Caramelized Onions

Directions:

1. To Make the Chicken Salad: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, pesto, fresh basil, salt, and pepper until combined. Add in the shredded, roasted chicken breast and toss it until the chicken is completely covered. Refrigerate the chicken until chilled.
2. To Assemble the Sandwiches: Lay the bacon flat on the bottom piece of bread, and then scoop some of the chilled chicken salad on top in an even, thick layer. Then finish the sandwich by placing the sun dried tomato halves and spring lettuce mix. Spread some caramelized onions on the top slice of the bread. Eat and enjoy.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Wanna know something I am loving right now? Pizza + Salad. Together. It's delicious. We discovered this trend at Mellow Mushroom the other weekend, and we loved it. Now, I can't stop thinking of all the combinations that I want to make... cobb salad pizza, thai chopped salad pizza, and so many more. Basically it's a hot pizza with a cold, tossed salad on top. So for my Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza, I topped some dough with pesto, lots of cheese, roasted chicken, crispy pancetta, and sun dried tomatoes. Then, I piled on a salad of romaine lettuce that is dressed with homemade caesar dressing, and finally garnished it with some freshly shaved parmesan. It was absolutely wonderful. So hearty, yet you feel somewhat better because there's a salad on top. I mean instantly, it's healthy because that's involved, right? Right. That's how Southerners think anyway!! Enjoy :)

The Cold Salad Topping: Romaine Lettuce Tossed in Homemade Caesar Dressing & Fresh Parmesan

The Hot Pizza Base with Pesto, Cheese, Roasted Chicken, Pancetta, & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

For the Pizza:

1 Pizza Dough

Homemade Pesto

2C Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1C Provolone, Shredded

¼C Parmesan, Grated

Roasted Chicken, Sliced

Crispy Pancetta, Crumbled

Sun Dried Tomatoes, Julienned

For the Homemade Caesar Dressing:

1T Garlic, Minced

2T Fresh Parsley, Minced

2t Anchovy Paste

1t Dijon Mustard

2T Lemon Juice

½C Mayo

¼C Sour Cream

¼C Parmesan, Grated

  

For the Caesar Salad Topping:

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce, Roughly Chopped

Prepared Caesar Dressing

Shaved Parmesan

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Caesar Dressing: Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth and incorporated. Set it aside.
2. For the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and arrange the rack in the bottom half of the oven. Roll out the pizza dough until very thin on a pizza pan. Spread a thin layer of homemade pesto. Top with shredded mozzarella & provolone, grated Parmesan, sliced roasted chicken, crispy pancetta, and sun dried tomatoes. Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
3. While the pizza is baking, toss the romaine lettuce with the prepared Caesar dressing until coated.
4. Remove the pizza from the oven and top it with the tossed salad. Garnish the top with shaved Parmesan.
5. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Soup Sunday: Sherried Italian Tomato Soup with Sausage, Spinach, & Tortellini

Now that fall is headin' our way, I'm going to be making soup about once a week. Mainly because we both love soup a lot, so why not have it every week? Well, when were at the grocery store this week, I couldn't quite decide on what soup to make for this first week of Soup Sunday's... my Mountain Man wanted a hearty Italian soup and I wanted creamy tomato. We agreed to marry these two soups together to suit both of our tastes. This soup is substantial & super filling (I mean we're bustin' at the seams right now). I made a creamy tomato soup with sherry and basil, and then added in four cheese tortellini, italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, and sauteed spinach. At first, I really wanted to make homemade tortellini, but I got lazy and decided to buy store-bought, but if you're feeling extra motivated then definitely go for it! This soup is sweet, spicy, creamy, & hearty. It's really like a meal in a bowl. And it definitely was everything that we were craving for our first soup recipe of the fall. Coming up next for Soup Sunday is Homemade Chicken & Noodle Soup! Enjoy :)

Sherried Italian Tomato Soup with Sausage, Spinach, & Tortellini

Always garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

For the Sherried Tomato Soup:

6T Melted Butter

1 Whole Sweet Onion, Diced

1T Garlic, Minced

1 46oz Bottle of Tomato Juice

2 14oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes

1T Chicken Base

3-6T Sugar

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

¼t Dried Oregano & Red Pepper Flakes

Chopped Fresh Basil (to your liking)

1C Cooking Sherry

1 ½C Heavy Cream

2 Packages of 4 Cheese Tortellini, Cooked (I used store-bought)

5 Italian-Style Sausages Cut into Bite-Size Cubes

2C Baby Spinach, Wilted

1C Sun Dried Tomatoes, Julienned

Freshly Grated Parmesan, For Garnish

Directions:

1. Sauté the diced onions and garlic in the butter until translucent, and then add the canned tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken base, sugar, seasonings, & fresh basil. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a near boil, and then turn off the heat. Puree with an immersion blender, and then stir in the sherry and heavy cream. Return the pot back to medium heat and add in the cooked tortellini, chopped Italian sausage, wilted spinach, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Once the soup has cooked, season with salt and pepper to your liking. 
2. Ladle the soup into a bowl and garnish with fresh basil and some grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy it while it's hot!

source: sherried tomato soup. 

Seared Steak & Goat Cheese Polenta with Balsamic-Sun Dried Tomato Jam

Sorry for the lack of recipes the last couple days, I have been sick & not feeling so well :( But hopefully, I will start feeling better in the next few days. I have a lot of recipes that I need to share with you from this last weekend (lots of yummy tailgate food)! But before I get to those, I had to post a dinner that I made for us last week. This has been one of Mountain Man's favorite meals that I have made in a while. And I felt so fancy shmancy makin' it! Sometimes you gotta break out of your regular ole routine and make something special for your man. Well, this definitely delivered. I made some creamy goat cheese polenta, and then topped it with a sweet balsamic-sun dried tomato jam, caramelized onions, seared steak, and arugula pesto. I know this sounds like a crazy concoction, but it somehow all worked! I especially loved the Balsamic-Sun Dried Tomato Jam. It was like a sweeter, more complex ketchup. I think that the jam could really work with a bunch of different things. I'm thinking maybe some Italian mozzarella & ricotta cheese fritters would be amazing. So I'll definitely be saving this jam recipe for a rainy day :) We really loved this meal, and I know that we will be making it again! Enjoy :)

Seared Steak & Goat Cheese Polenta with Balsamic-Sun Dried Tomato Jam, Caramelized Onions, & Arugula Pesto

For the Balsamic-Sun Dried Tomato Jam:

1T Olive Oil

1 Large Shallot, Minced

1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

4oz Sun Dried Tomato Spread

3T Honey

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

¼C Water

½C Chicken Stock

1t Fresh Basil, Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste  

For the Goat Cheese Polenta:

3C Chicken Stock

1 ½C Heavy Cream

1C Polenta

2T Butter

6oz Herbed Goat Cheese

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Steak & Grits:

New York Strip Steak, Seared & Cut into Slices

Prepared Balsamic-Sun Dried Tomato Jam

Warm Goat Cheese Polenta

Caramelized Onions

Homemade Arugula Pesto

Directions:

1. To Make the Balsamic-Sun Dried Tomato Jam: Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat the oil and add in the shallot and garlic, cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in the sundried tomatoes. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, water, chicken stock, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue simmering until most of the liquid has reduced and it is the consistency of jam, about 5-10 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.    

2. To Make the Goat Cheese Polenta: Bring the chicken stock and heavy cream to a boil. Add in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes (adding salt & extra liquid if needed). When the polenta is done, whisk in the butter and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with the steak .

3. To Serve the Steak & Grits: Spoon the goat cheese polenta grits onto a plate, and then layer the sundried tomato jam on top. Lay the slices of steak over the jam and top with some caramelized onions. Drizzle the arugula pesto around the plate. Serve warm and enjoy!

source: sun dried tomato jam. creamy goat cheese polenta.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with Roasted Parmesan-Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli

We weren't really in the mood for unhealthy, so we decided to change it up a bit and cook a light meal for a change. I ended up making Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with Roasted Parmesan-Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli. I marinated the chicken cutlets in pesto for a day or so, and then I grilled them & topped them with a fresh bruschetta topping & a balsamic glaze. I served them along with some roasted broccoli that was tossed with sun dried tomatoes, parmesan, fresh basil, and lemon juice. The meal turned out great. It is just tastes to light & fresh, and you don't feel so "blah" after eating a lot of it! Enjoy :)

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with a Balsamic Glaze Drizzle & Roasted Parmesan-Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli

For the Pesto Chicken:

6 Chicken Cutlets

1C Pesto

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Bruschetta Topping:

2 Roma Tomatoes, Cut into Small Pieces

3T Fresh Basil, Minced

¼C Red Onion, Finely Chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1T Olive Oil

1T Pesto

Salt & Pepper To Taste

For the Balsamic Reduction:

¾C Balsamic Vinegar

¼C Brown Sugar

For the Broccoli:

4C Broccoli Florets

2 Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced

1t Grated Lemon Zest

1T Lemon Juice

¼C Parmesan Cheese

¼C Sun Dried Tomatoes

2T Olive Oil

1T Fresh Basil, Julienned

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Grilled Pesto Chicken: Put the chicken cutlets in a Ziploc bag and pour in the pesto and toss the bag around to evenly coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. The day of, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. This will help the chicken grill and not steam. Heat a grill pan (I use my George Foreman) to medium-high heat and spray with Pam. Grill each chicken cutlet for 2-3 minutes on each side, just so that they are starting to caramelize. Remove the grilled thighs and place on a baking dish lined with tin foil and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove them from the oven.

2. For the Bruschetta Topping: In a small mixing bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients until completely distributed together. Let this mixture sit together for about 30 minutes before topping the chicken.

3. For the Balsamic Reduction: Bring the vinegar to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer. When it reduces halfway, add in the brown sugar. Simmer some more until the vinegar become thick & syrupy and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. As it cools it will also thicken up. Set this aside until ready to drizzle on top of the chicken.

4. To Make the Roasted Broccoli: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with Pam and set it aside. Put the broccoli florets into a large mixing bowl and toss in the garlic and 2T olive oil until the florets are completely coated. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Pour the broccoli onto the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes, until they are crisp, but tender and some of the tips are browned. After cooking, remove from the oven and immediately toss with 2t olive oil, zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, sun dried tomatoes, and basil. 

5. After the chicken has baked, top the pesto chicken cutlets with the Bruschetta topping and drizzle with some of the balsamic reduction. Serve with roasted broccoli and whole-wheat pasta.

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches with Maple Dijon Potato Salad

We got really lucky today in that I didn't have class and Clayton didn't have work, so we decided to do a little lunch date. I obviously made Clayton a sandwich because that's his favorite meal. So I finally decided to make a Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich, which is stacked with homemade creamy caesar dressing, roasted, chicken, baby arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, crispy pancetta, and shaved parmesan (ummm, yum right?). I wasn't really feelin' the whole sandwich idea today, so I just made his sandwich into a salad and topped with pesto croutons. It was delish as well. I served Clayton's sandwich with a side of Maple Dijon Potato Salad. It's different than the classic potato salad because it is not tossed with a heavy mayo dressing, but with a sweet and tangy mustard vinaigrette, as well as roasted onions and chopped chives & fresh parsley. And shockingly enough, this meal actually filled Clayton up, which I didn't think was possible. So he's having leftovers for dinner. Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich with Maple Dijon Potato Salad

Chicken Caesar Club Salad 

For the Roasted Chicken:

2 Skin-On, Bone-In Chicken Breasts

2T Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Caesar Dressing:

1T Garlic, Chopped

2T Fresh Parsley, Chopped

2t Anchovy Paste

1t Dijon Mustard

2T Lemon Juice

½C Mayo

¼C Sour Cream

¼C Parmesan Cheese, Grated

For the Sandwiches:

1 Large Ciabatta Roll

Olive Oil

Roasted Chicken, Sliced

½C Baby Arugula

6 Slices of Thick-Cut Pancetta, Cooked

10 Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Prepared Caesar Dressing

Shaved Parmesan

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the chicken breasts and then toss them in the olive oil and salt & pepper. Roast the chicken breasts in a pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Once they have cooled, remove the skin and thinly slice the chicken, and then set aside.

2. In a food processor, add the garlic and parsley, and then pulse until it’s minced. Add in the paste, mustard, lemon juice, mayo, and Parmesan cheese. Process until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.

3. Slice the Ciabatta roll and drizzle with olive oil, and then toast in a 400-degree oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.

4. Spread each side of the bread with the homemade Caesar dressing. Place the arugula on the bottom of the bread, then top with the sundried tomatoes, roasted chicken, crispy pancetta, and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle the sandwiches with a little salt & pepper.

5. Cut the sandwich and serve with the Maple Dijon Potato Salad

For the First Maple Dijon Dressing:

1T Olive Oil

1T Cider Vinegar

2T Maple Syrup

1t Dijon Mustard

1T Grainy Mustard

1t Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Second Maple Dijon Dressing:

1T Olive Oil

1T Cider Vinegar

2T Maple Syrup

1t Dijon Mustard

1T Grainy Mustard

For the Roasted Potato Salad:

1 ½lbs Small Red Potatoes, Cut into Quarters

1 Onion, Halved & Sliced to ¼inch Thick

Prepared Maple Dijon Dressing

3T Chives, Chopped

3T Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes & onions into halves and quarters, depending on their size and place them on a sheet pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

2. In a medium-mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients in the first dressing. Whisk to combine. Pour this dressing over the prepared potatoes and onions, tossing them so that they are covered completely.

3. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes to an hour or until the potatoes are lightly browned on the outside, but tender on the inside. Make sure to flip them halfway through, so that they will brown evenly on both sides.

4. Once the potatoes and onions are done cooking, place them in a mixing bowl along with the second dressing and finish it by tossing the salad with the chopped parsley, chives, salt, & pepper. 

5. Serve along side of the Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich (we like our potato salad kind of warm, but you could easily refrigerate yours until it's cold enough to serve).

source: maple dijon roasted brussel sprouts. chicken caesar club

Jalapeno Popper Bombs

Okay, so for my second recipe, I decided to make some Jalapeno Popper Bombs. They are practically my Loaded Jalapeno Poppers, rolled into a ball, and deep-fried. I mean how can you turn that down? You can't. They are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. And they are very similar to what a fried jalapeno popper would taste like, but kicked up a notch! Hope you enjoy :)

Jalapeno Popper Bombs

For the Bombs:
5 Jalapenos, Roasted & Chopped

1 Block Cream Cheese, Softened

½C Rotel Tomatoes, Drained

½C Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

½C Spicy Ground Sausage, Cooked

4 Slices Bacon, Crumbled

1Q Peanut Oil

1T Paprika

1T Chili Powder

1T Cajun Seasoning

1T Salt

2 Eggs

¼C Buttermilk

1T Hot Sauce

2C Panko Bread Crumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the roasted peppers, cream cheese, rotel tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon and ground sausage. Roll this mixture into balls and refrigerate until hard, or about 30 minutes.

2. Heat your deep fryer to 375 with the peanut oil.  Next you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins for all of my stations. For the first station, I mix the flour & the seasonings. For the second station, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce. For the third station, pour 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs.

3. Get the balls from the refrigerator and roll them in the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally bread them with the Panko.

4. Drop them into the hot oil and fry them for 5 minutes or until golden brown, making sure that no cheese is oozing out. Drain them on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt immediately. Your Jalapeno Popper balls have officially become Jalapeno Popper Bombs (so deadly).

5. Serve immediately, but watch out because they're hot!