Pepperoni Rolls

We started the move to our new home last weekend and we’re hoping to be completely moved in next weekend. So, you guys have to bear with me until after the holidays when I’ll probably have internet and my kitchen unpacked to start bringing new recipes to the blog.

I knew Friday was going to be a long and exhausting packing day so I made this easy and quick snack for us.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of crescent rolls
• pepperoni slices
• shredded or string mozzarella cheese
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• topping: Mix parmesan and italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Separate crescent rolls into triangles.
2. Mix garlic and butter together and baste onto what will be the inside of the crescent roll triangles
3. Place about 3 slices pepperoni onto each one.
4. Top with piece of string cheese about 1 inch long, and then roll up as you would for a regular crescent roll.
5. Sprinkle parmesan mix on the top of each rolls (I found basting the outside with the garlic butter helps it stick, and makes it more garlicy delicious!)
6. Bake at 375°F in a pre-heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Green Chile Turkey & Pancetta Soup

Winter is the season of soup, and in thinking about what bowl of soupy goodness I could make this week, I remembered one fantastic Green Chile Turkey soup we had years ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here’s my attempt to recreate it as best I could. I added pancetta to this recipe to give it more flavor, which a normal turkey or chicken soup can often lack; I think it really works well with the green chile!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups roasted turkey
• 1/4 cup pancetta
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Two 4 oz. cans of green chile
• 4-5 small baked baby potatoes (feel free to substitute beans, mini pasta or your favorite soupy starch)
• 4 cups chicken stock  – (We actually love Better Than Bouillon)
• Diced tomatoes (about a cup)
•  Diced sweet peppers (3 small ones of different colors)
• Frozen veggies of your choosing (1/2 cup) (corn, carrots, celery, all good choices)

Directions:

1. Add olive oil and butter to a pot on medium heat
2. Add diced onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes)
3. Add garlic and pancetta and cook about 2 minutes (until fragrant)
4. Chop turkey into bite size pieces and add to the pot, cooking for 5 minutes to brown up the the turkey a bit
5. Add green chile and diced tomatoes, cooking for 5 minutes
6. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reducing to simmer immediately after boiling
7. Add diced potato and frozen veggies, simmer another 10 minutes
8. Top with fresh herbs or some extra green chile
9. Enjoy!

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving.  We had a wonderful time with fantastic friends and of course delicious food. So we’ve been trying to find some creative ways to use all our leftover turkey.  Here’s a fun turkey-filled take on the classic shepherd’s pie that gets a little help from leftover gravy and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

Makes 2 mini pies.

• 1 cup (leftover) turkey
• 1 cup petite peas
• 1 cup mixed vegetables
• 1 cup of sweet corn
• 1/4 cup of onions
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup (leftover) gluten free turkey gravy
• 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup (leftover) mashed potato (note: reserve for topping)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven at 350F
2. Add oil to sauce pan and sautee garlic and onions until soft
3. Add all the ingredients (except mashed potatoes) and cook for 5 minutes
4. Fill ramekins with the turkey mixture and add 1/2 cup of mashed potato on top of each ramekin
5. Bake for 25 minutes. If the potatoes are not brown, bake under a broiler just until browned.
6. Enjoy!

Maple Whipped Cream

If you’ve never made homemade whipped cream, you’re missing out, and it’s a LOT easier than you might think. Here’s fun fall version of the classic whipped cream that we think is perfect for holiday desserts.  We add this maple whipped cream to hot chocolate, pies, and on top of french toast.

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
• 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp of dark maple syrup (you can use any kind really, but the darker it is, the richer the flavor will be)
• 1 tsp of a good vanilla extract (I always use Nielsen-Massey)

 Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a kitchen mixer (it is certainly possible to do this by hand, but that kinda takes the quick and easy part of it)
2. Turn the mixer on to just over 1/2 speed (on our KitchenAid that’s a 6)
3. Mix for about 5 minutes
4. When it starts forming stiff peaks whip for about 30 seconds more (you may need to turn it off or slow it down to see the peaks more easily, when it’s going too fast it may be hard to tell).
   

Pumpkin Recipe Round-Up

Okay, yes, we’ve been posting quite a few dessert recipes lately, but isn’t dessert everybody’s favorite part of the holiday season anyway? And to me nothing is more typical of Thanksgiving dessert than pumpkin.

So in the spirit of the season, here’s a round up of all the pumpkin recipes I’ve tested, tasted, and loved enough to post over the years. Each is a little out of the box compared to the typical Pumpkin Pie, but that’s what I love about them; they give a new twist on that classic Thanksgiving dessert taste! Please share your favorite holiday dessert recipe in the comments, Pumpkin or not!

Our Favorites:

Pumpkin Flan Cake

Pumpkin Tiramisu {No Bake}

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Flan

No-Bake Pumpkin Tiramisu

Pumpkin Spice Latte