Summer Pesto Baguettes

Earlier this summer, I made pesto from the basil in my herb garden and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I remember my great-grandmother talking about something she had eaten once; pesto, tomato, and cheese on a baguette slice. It sounded wonderful to me, so I purchased two long, crunchy baguettes, took my fresh pesto from the fridge, picked a few red, ripe tomatoes from the garden, and set to work. It took me a few tries to perfect this little recipe, but I am quite pleased with it, and I hope you enjoy it too. This is more of "throw together" recipe, but I believe it can be replicated with great success.

 

 

Yields 10 servings 
Ingredients:
One long baguette
One or two large fresh tomatoes, cubed
1/2 C. Fresh pesto
1 C. Mozzarella cheese, cubed (use more or less cheese as desired)
Butter
Salt
Black Pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Slice your baguette into 3/4 in. slices and butter one side. Place the buttered side down on a parchment-covered pan. Lightly salt and pepper the top of the bread, and add a thin layer of pesto. Top the slice with three or four small tomato cubes; do the same with the mozzarella cheese cubes. Place the pan in the oven for about ten or fifteen minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Cheesy Garlic Bread In-A-Pan

Melted cheese, garlic, warm, toasty bread...sounds like something wonderful to me! This cheesy garlic casserole-type dish is prefect thing to serve with spaghetti, lasagna, or to eat all by itself with a side of pizza sauce. The crunchy, seasoned bread supplemented with soft mozzarella cheese is perfect in all ways.

I made this recipe up for lunch with some leftovers I had on hand. I used Wal-Mart sub buns for my bread, but feel free to substitute French bread or other white bread if you don't have these buns on hand.

 

I used nine Wal-Mart sub buns (approx. 4x2 each)

 

Butter your buns, and sprinkle them with garlic salt. 

 

Cut your buns into cubes; you should get about sixteen cubes out of each full bun by putting two halves together and cutting them in half and then into quarters.

 

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and toss the cubes and the cheese together. Dump the bowl's contents into the pan and spread the cubes evenly.

 

Cover the pan with albumin foil and place the pan in the oven for ten minutes. Remove the foil and baking for another five minutes, or until the top is getting golden brown.

 

Serve hot with a dish of heated pizza sauce.

 

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

9 Wal-Mart sub buns (approx. 4x2 each)

Softened butter

Garlic Salt

3 1/2 C. grated mozzarella cheese

 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan. Set aside.

 

Butter your buns, and sprinkle them with garlic salt. Cut your buns into cubes; you should get about sixteen cubes out of each full bun by putting two halves together and cutting them in half and then into quarters. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and toss the cubes and the cheese together. Dump the bowl's contents into the pan and spread the cubes evenly.

 

Cover the pan with albumin foil and place the pan in the oven for ten minutes. Remove the foil and baking for another five minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve hot with a dish of heated pizza sauce.

Fried Dill Pickles

I found out recently that it is a unique American trait to love pickles; therefore, it wasn't super surprising when I started finding recipes for fried pickles. Never heard of fried pickles before? Don't feel bad; I didn't until recently, but they're pretty popular and very good!

I wanted to try making fried pickles, but I couldn't really find a recipe that I liked. I went through a few recipes and picked a few elements from them, combining into my own creation. I hope you enjoy these Fried Dill Pickles!!!

 

Mix together the flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and milk in a bowl to make your batter.

 

Dip a pickle slice into the batter,

 

Coat the pickle with crumbs

 

Put the pickle into the oil. The pickle should become golden brown within 30 seconds to a minute

 

 

 

Yields 10 servings

Ingredients:

 

3 C. sliced sandwich dill pickles

1 1/4 C. Italian bread crumbs

1 C. milk

1 C. flour

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

3 C. vegetable oil (for frying; this is the amount I used; amount may vary depending on the size of your pot/fryer)

 

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.

 

Heat your oil on the stove top or in a fryer to about 375 degrees. If heating your oil on the stovetop, set the pot on medium-high heat. This process doesn't take long, so keep an eye on it.

 

Drain your pickles and mix together the flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and milk in a bowl to make your batter. Place the drained pickles in one bowl and the Italian bread crumbs in another.

 

To test the oil, dip a single pickle slice into the batter, coat it with bread crumbs, and put it into the oil. If the pickle becomes golden brown within 30 seconds to a minute, the oil is ready to use.

 

To make the fried pickles, drop about five or six pickle slices into the batter. Coat them well, and make sure to shake any extra batter from them before moving them to the crumb bowl. Cover the pickles with crumbs, and then drop them carefully into the hot oil. The pickles won't take long, only about 30-40 seconds to a minute, so make sure to watch them.

 

When the pickles have reached a nice and crispy golden brown, take them out of the pot and put them on an absorbent towel to soak up a little of the extra oil before sticking them into the oven to keep warm.

 

Continue the steps above until you have finished frying all your pickles. These are best served warm. Feel free to eat these as they are or with ranch dressing. 

The Perfect Breadstick Topping

If you are anything like me, you love breadsticks! I have yet to eat a breadstick that I don't like, and I make them every time we have pizza. As the official breadstick maker, I have experimented with the dough and the "seasoning," if you will, over the years and I think that I've finally hit perfection.

 

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Put one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on the parchment paper, and use a kitchen brush to spread the oil evenly across the paper.

 

Roll out your pizza dough on top of the oiled parchment paper, and then brush the second tablespoon of oil evenly on top of the dough.

 

Sprinkle the garlic powder on top of the dough, followed by the parmesan cheese, and then the oregano.

 

Put the pan into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

When the breadsticks are finished, remove the breadsticks from the pan. Taking a pizza cutter, cut the breadsticks into sizes that you prefer.

 

 

 

Yields 10 servings
Ingredients:

16 oz. of pizza dough

2 T. of extra virgin olive oil (divided)

3/4 t. garlic powder

1 1/2 T. parmesan cheese

1 t. oregano

 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

 

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Put one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on the parchment paper, and use a kitchen brush to spread the oil evenly across the paper. Roll out your pizza dough on top of the oiled parchment paper, and then brush the second tablespoon of oil evenly on top of the dough. Sprinkle the garlic powder on top of the dough, followed by the parmesan cheese, and then the oregano. Put the pan into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. (Mine took 15 minutes.)

 

When the breadsticks are finished, remove the breadsticks from the pan. Taking a pizza cutter, cut the breadsticks into sizes that you prefer. I cut mine nine or ten times vertically and once horizontally, in the middle.

 

You have finished making the most perfect breadsticks ever! I promise you, once you start eating these you won't be able to stop!