 I know that you don't really need a recipe to make a great BLT but in my defense, I had to put this yummy BLT/Grilled Cheese sandwich in my recipe index because that is my go-to reference when I do my menu planning and I definitely don't want to forget about this delectable sandwich. If you're interested in the specifics of how I plan my meals - you can check out that blog post here. Now that we're in the middle of soccer season, I'm relying on hearty sandwiches more than ever. These BLT's make concession stand hot dogs look even more unappetizing. I'm not here to bad mouth the concession stand but these hearty sandwiches are soooo much better. (AND when you pull this sandwich out of your bag, you'll be the envy of everyone sitting around you in the stands.)  The perfect combination of a melty, gooey grilled cheese and the crispy, protein packed BLT. Add a slice of cool and creamy avocado and voila - the perfect grilled sandwich.  Turkey Bacon and Avocado Grilled Cheese 4 slices hearty artisan bread 4-6 slices turkey bacon, cooked 4 slices mozzarella 1 avocado, sliced 1 ripe tomato, sliced basil leaves 1-2 tablespoons of butter
Build sandwich.
Grill each sandwich over medium heat until cheese is melted and bread is browned. 
I know what you're thinking - only I could take a perfectly good BLT and try and make it healthy(er).
I actually like turkey bacon better than regular bacon so that swap was kind of a no brainer. Oh and I LOVE avocado on almost everything so of course I added it to my BLT. I also like the brightness that the fresh basil adds to this yummy sandwich on hearty artisan wheat bread. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a "healthy" sandwich but I do love this variation on the classic BLT. I think that you will too. Ciao!
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 Thanksgiving was a week ago and I still feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things back at home. We took a road trip to Ohio for the holiday and it was a fabulous week of family time, great food and fun (wintery) adventures.
As soon as I got back, I launched into full blown holiday baking mode. Since my kitchen has been consumed by sugar cookies and cupcakes, there is no time (or space) for dinner. I've resorted to super quick and easy dinners this week.  There were no complaints about my quick and easy pizza sliders though. We liked them so much that there were some serious negoations going on over the last slider on the plate. ;)  These pizza sliders would be perfect for a children's birthday party, a tailgate party or any night that you have less than 20 minutes to get dinner on the table for your hungry family.  Pizza Sliders 1 package slider buns Pizza Sauce Sliced Provolone Cheese Pepperoni 2 Tablespoons butter 1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 Tablespoon oregano Place bottom half of slider buns in a baking dish.
Cover pan with foil and bake 15 minutes at 350.  Remove sliders from pan.
Enjoy.
 Now I think I want to experiment with other pizza toppings on my sliders. Sausage? Mushrooms? Olives? What do you think? If you come up with a yummy pizza slider variation - send me a comment. I'd love to hear your ideas.
Ciao! I traveled to Gainesville yesterday to watch my son play baseball. I wanted to leave dinner for my husband and my daughter before I left for the game so I tried a new recipe for chicken and rice bowls. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken OR turkey. It probably comes as no surprise that I end up with leftover broccoli quite a bit too. A little cheese and some brown rice gives new life to my leftovers and my family has no idea they're leftovers.  Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowl 3 cups small broccoli florets, steamed 1 cup brown rice (cooked) 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped, cooked chicken salt and pepper 1/4 cup chopped green onions 4 ounces light Velvetta cheese, cubed
Stir in rice and broccoli. Heat through.  I served the chicken rice bowls in these awesome little mugs that my sister in law got me for Christmas. They even have lids.
The verdict: They loved it! I have to admit that I was somewhat surprised that they liked it as much as they did. It was really quick to put together and the were easy to warm up in the microwave. This is a great healthy meal to keep in the frig for my hungry teenagers.
Ciao!  Our busy week continues. Did I mention how much I am loving having the kids home this week? I love these pictures of the kids enjoying their frozen yogurt during our marathon shopping trip. These two can definitely outshop me.
Having the kids home is wonderful but they are absolutely wearing me out. By the time 5:00 rolls around, I don't have any energy left to fix dinner. I am so thankful that my menu was already planned so at least I didn't have to decide what to make for dinner while in this exhausted state. Thankfully, last weekend when I was planning menus for the week, I anticipated some long days with the kids so I planned super easy dinners. Stromboli was the perfect meal to fix when I have very little energy. It requires very little effort and everyone loves it.  Stromboli 1 pizza dough 1 ounce Parmesan cheese 4 ounces salami 1 egg 4 ounces turkey 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 4 ounces provolone 4 ounces roasted red peppers Roll pizza dough into a 12x10 rectangle. Place meat and provolone over dough. Top with peppers that have been sliced and patted dry. Since the kids don't like roasted red peppers, I only put them on half of the stromboli.  Sprinkle with cheese. Roll dough, starting with long side. Place seam side down on baking sheet and brush with egg wash  Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with Pam and bake 25 minutes at 400. Remove foil and bake another 25 minutes.  Get creative with your stromboli and add different vegetables like mushrooms, olives and onions. Change out the meats and add your favorites to create a stromboli to suit your own tastes. This is also a great meal to fix when we're eating on the go. I slice the stromboli and wrap each portion in foil and then store it in an insulated cooler until we are ready to eat. It's a great little sandwich to eat while your watching your favorite game. Ciao! Missing my boy a little more than usual today. We moved Ryan back to school last weekend and I can't help but feeling like there's a piece of the Davis puzzle missing.
 Call me crazy but it makes me feel better to send Ryan to school with a few dinners to put in his freezer so I started cooking some "Ryan meals" last week. One of the things that I made was meatballs. He can add the meatballs to a jar of marinara sauce for some quick and easy protein on pasta night or eat them on a sandwich. Meatball subs make a great quick and easy dinner - perfect for soccer practice nights.  Turkey Meatball Subs 8 ounces ground turkey breast 1/4 cup parsley 3 Tablespoons panko 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup marinara sauce 1/4 cup water 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 baguettes 4 slices provolone cheese Combine turkey, parsley, panko, lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, egg, garlic and olive oil.
Divide mixture into 24 pieces and place on a greased rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet. 
Slice baguettes into subs sized pieces.  Place 3-4 meatballs on each roll. Top with provolone cheese and place back in the oven until cheese melts.
Enjoy!
Sending a child off to college is never easy but we could not be more proud of the way that he is choosing to live his life. He makes us proud every single day.
Ciao! |
