Panini

Panini can be so versatile. You can add anything you want to two pieces of bread, toast it up and call it panini. Some of our favorites are pretty basic. I prefer to use day old bread for panini but it's fine with fresh stuff as well.

I use a small size George Forman grill that I got for our wedding. I can only cook one at a time. If you prefer to cook more or don't have a George Forman or Panini grill, you can heat up a griddle or a frying pan and cook them on that. Panini tend to be smashed as they are cooked so you add a weight on top as it cooks. You could do another frying pan or cast iron pan on top to smash it. You could even heat that pan up and cook both sides at the same time. I've never done it so I don't want to give advice on how to do it since I don't really know.

Panini #1

Butter two outside parts of the bread. Spread Mayonnaise on one piece of bread that will be facing the inside. I add cheese first (usually cheddar), then turkey and/or ham. I put the other piece of bread on top and stick it in a hot George Forman grill. Once the cheese is melted I take it out and take the top piece of bread off, the one that doesn't have the mayo and cheese stuck to it. I then add slices of avocado and season it with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. We've also enjoyed it with tomatoes and sprouts.

Panini #2

Butter two outside parts of bread. You could also brush with olive oil if you prefer. Add pesto to the inside part of the sandwich. Then add pieces of Fresh Mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil leaves. Grill it up and serve.

Panini #3

Mix together some mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, a little lemon juice, diced up fresh basil leaves, and granulated garlic. Spread that on one side of the sandwich. Add some lean turkey meat and sliced up tomatoes. Grill and serve.

We love to eat this with Tomato Basil Soup  or Cheddar Broccoli Soup. We use day old Crusty Artisan Bread or Sourdough Bread.

Parmesan Chicken

I used to make this when I wanted to impress someone. It is a little more time consuming but it's worth it. Lately we've just bought the Panko Breaded Chicken Tenders from Costco and called it good. This is way better and cheaper.

I start by getting my three dipping bowls ready. In bowl #1 I put flour seasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Bowl #2 has eggs. Bowl #3 is about 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup panko, and about 1 tbsp. parsley (just to make it look pretty).

If your Parmesan cheese has big shreds then I chop them up a little smaller, like so. The left is the big shreds and the right is after I've chopped.

I get my defrosted chicken and clean the fat off. This is 2 breasts from the Costco bag.

To make a little bit go a long way and to help the cooking go quicker, I fillet the chicken. You'll want to use a sharp knife while doing this.

Two pieces of chicken now become 4 pieces of chicken. 

To make it go even further I pound the chicken out a bit. It will also help the speed of cooking the chicken and make it really tender. I put plastic wrap around it so it doesn't splash chicken juices all over the kitchen and all over me. I flip it and do the other side as well.

Some of the pieces end up huge so I cut them down a little and make them even smaller for the kids.

The proper breading procedure is to dip in the seasoned flour first.

Then the egg.

Then the Panko and Parmesan mixture.

Place on a plate.

Until you are all done.

Heat up a frying pan and add some oil. You want the oil to come up about half way on your chicken. I like to use Avocado Oil because it has a high smoke point and it's a lot more healthy than canola or vegetable oil.

Once it has cooked half way, flip the chicken over and do the other side. Keep the temperature at a medium heat so you don't burn the chicken on the outside and it's raw on the inside.

Vuala! 2 pieces of chicken turned into a plate full of breaded Parmesan chicken. Everyone filled up, Brett got some for work tomorrow, and we still have some left.

We eat this with Pesto and Sourdough Bread, Crusty Artisan Bread, or Bread Sticks. Yum! You could also top this with some Mozzarella and marinara and serve over pasta.

Pesto

In the summer months I grow my own basil and make my own pesto. I usually make a bunch and freeze it. I don't have an exact recipe because I just add a little bit of this and that. For that reason I am making it this time with the Costco pesto.

My husband served his mission in Italy and this is how they would do things. It's super easy and delicious. The kids even like this so I literally make it about once a week or at least once every other week.

This is what you need: Pasta, pesto, about 2 medium sized tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella. I buy the cheese from Costco as well. I only use about 3/4 of of the loafs. I'll share other recipes to use the rest of the Mozzarella which include Pizza and panini. 

 I boil some water and cook my pasta according to directions. We usually use Penne but you can use any kind you have on hand. My other favorite is Rotini.

While the pasta is cooking I dice up my Fresh Mozzarella and tomatoes.

Drain the pasta put back in pot. Add your pesto. I add about 3/4 cup of pesto, plus or minus a little. I just add until it looks good and it's all evenly covered. 

 After I have mixed it a little I add the tomatoes. This will cool it down just a tad. You don't want it too hot or else the Mozzarella will melt too much. It's really yummy melted but it's hard to serve.

Homemade pesto is a lot more intense of a green color but this still tastes pretty good. After I'm done, I put the pesto in the freezer to keep it fresh. It defrosts pretty quick for the next time. You can refrigerate it and use it on pizza or Panini.

Dish up and eat. We like to eat this with Parmesan Chicken and Crusty Artisan bread, Sourdough, or Bread Sticks.

French Toast

I know we all love Kneader's all you can eat French Toast breakfast. This isn't the same but it is delicious and full of cinnamon and goodness as well. It's best with day old Sour Dough Bread.

French Toast

4 eggs
3/4 cup cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cut day old sourdough bread into slices about 1 inch thick. Mix the ingredients together and dip day old sourdough bread. Place the dipped bread on a sheet pan and cover it. Let is soak over night to allow it to soak through.

The morning of, heat a griddle or pan and cook the bread up. Since it is so thick it does take a little bit longer to cook. I set my temperature to about 325 degrees.

Serve with Cinnamon Syrup. I love it with some fresh berries or a berry sauce, and whipped cream. Most of the time we just have strawberry jam and that's good too.

Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup cream

Mix and boil everything except the cream. Let it cook and boil for about 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before adding the cream. Add the cream and serve over french toast.


Another syrup recipe I've used and liked on other stuff is a copycat Kneader's syrup recipe. None of these are healthy in any way but they are delicious.

Kneader's Syrup

1/2 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

In a larger saucepan than you think necessary, combine butter, buttermilk, and sugars. While stirring regularly, bring to a boil. Add baking soda and vanilla. It will foam and bubble so make sure your pan is big. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. It becomes a sort of caramel sauce. Remove from heat and serve.


This is amazing for Christmas Morning. Just make sure you plan ahead.

Ranch Dressing

Who doesn't love a good ranch dressing? I hate buying the packets to make my own because they are expensive and full of MSG. Don't even get me started on the store bought, pre-made, stuff because that's just plain disgusting. This recipe is by no means healthy, but it is delicious and you know exactly what is in it.

Ranch Dressing

1 8oz pkg. cream cheese (I usually use the 1/3 less fat stuff)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

Mix cream cheese with the seasoning. I usually use a hand mixer to get it lump free. Once that is smooth add:

2 cups mayo (The light stuff makes this a weird consistency and it's pretty nasty. I would highly recommend using the full fat stuff for the best flavor.)

Mix well then add:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so. It will get really thick. You can add more milk if you like it a little more runny.

I usually half this recipe because it makes me feel better about using 1 cup of mayo compared to 2 cups.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

I love getting the soup and salad lunch at Olive Garden. Why go spend way too much $ if you can make it at home? This has some weird ingredients. I've never added the egg or egg substitute but I usually add the pectin. I'm sure it would be fine without it.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I usually do half Olive oil, half canola oil or just all olive oil)
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 1/2 tbsp grated romano cheese
2 tbsp. dry pectin
2 tbsp beaten egg or egg substitute
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
Pinch of dry oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Let it chill for at least on hour before serving.

Serve over:
Lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, olives, parmesan cheese, and croutons.

Eat with yummy bread sticks.

Sloppy Joe's

This is a pretty basic Sloppy Joe recipe. It is quick and easy to make right before dinner, or you could also let it simmer in the crock pot all day. It freezes really well too so you can make a double recipe and save some for another day. You really can't go wrong.

Sloppy Joe's

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 of an onion, diced
1/4-1/2 green pepper, diced (optional)
3/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water (1/2 cup or more if doing in crock pot)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Saute onion and green pepper with a little oil until softened. Add the ground beef and let it brown. I like to rinse my ground beef after it's been browned. I just dump it in a strainer and rinse it. You should probably catch the greases but I'm horrible and usually don't. Have hot water running down the drain with it though. Put it all back in the pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Let it simmer for 20 minutes...if there is time.

You could easily sneak in some more vegetables like diced or shredded zucchini, yellow squash or carrots. The kids won't even know.

It's super yummy with my Round Rolls or Kaiser Rolls.