What a whirlwind of a week! We had a wonderful trifecta going on here ... my baby celebrated her crossover into double digits -- 10th birthday (yikes!), out of town guests arrived in honor of said birthday girl, and gleaming beams of sunshine warmed our faces! Rolls of laughter and streams of happy tears were part of the picture perfect goings-on. It’s been a while since I laughed so heartily that I cried. Felt really good. Have to do that more often.
Since I was preparing food for a crowd (made me think about Marjie), I thought it would be fun to experiment with some one pan meals. Years ago I had a version of today’s recipe as a vegetarian appetizer. So, I thought to myself, why not turn it into a brunch meal by tossing on some meat and serving larger portions. It was a hit with my guests. All the grown ups devoured it. The kids didn’t touch it; I think my son may have even wrinkled his nose. Of course the beast had no problem sneaking bites of salami as I was prepping this meal, and the girls kept snagging cucumber slices. Does your family do that? Swipe bits of this and that as you are cooking? Still it was no biggie as I had plenty of food, and planned something else for them as this is not a gluten free meal anyway. I'm working on a gluten free version of it.
Have you seen this recipe before? It’s been featured in those mini magazines they sell at the check out line at the grocery store. Made with Pillsbury crescent roll dough and cream cheese, it couldn’t be easier. I tossed on some leftover grilled chicken plus some cubed salami, and the result made my taste buds dance. If you want dancing taste buds, check this out. Soon.Ingredients:
2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (I used the low fat ones)
1 brick cream cheese – softened
½ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
RAW veggies: 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli, ½ of a red pepper, 1 carrot shredded, ½ of a cucumber, seeded, and 3 green onions, sliced thin.
1 cup diced leftover grilled chicken, warmed up
1 cup diced thick salami
Preheat your oven to 375. Spread the crescent dough out onto a large, non stick sheet pan, pressing the seams together to form one large flat sheet of dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just lightly golden. Remove from over and let cool.
Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and the sour cream until smooth. Stir in the dill and garlic powder. Spread onto the cooled crescent dough. Top with veggies and meat. Cut into squares and serve immediately. (Be careful cutting on a non stick pan.) This can also be put in the fridge a day early and served cold.
Just look at this! It was soooo good. This little meal is bursting with texture ... crunchy veg, creamy spread, chewy crust, and flavorful meat. I just loved every bite. This would be great as an appetizer for summer potlucks as well as a great brunch dish. Totally yummy! Go ahead, try it and let your taste buds dance!
