Pesto Cheese Puff Pastries

I got this recipe about a year and a half ago when I was selling Pampered Chef. Every time I have ever made this - they have been a HUGE hit. Everyone loves them. I always get asked for the recipe and there are never any left - the plate is clean every time I make them!

I'm getting ready for the Gender Reveal Party tomorrow (woo hoo) and am getting my recipes and shopping list together and this one was a no brainer. Since I was thinking about it, I'd thought I would share it with all of you.

Remember: This is not a personal recipe it is from Pampered Chef.

Ingredients:

• 1 box frozen Puff Pastries (in frozen section, by pre-made pie crusts)
• 2 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbsp prepared Basil Pesto (buy the kind in the square looking jar, it's usually on the very top shelf by the spaghetti sauce - it's way better than the other kinds (sorry, don't know brand but I think it has a red and gold label)
• 2 ounces thinly sliced deli ham

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Now, because I'm not trying to sell you anything - I'm going to tell you how I do it instead of how they tell you to make these.
3. You need the pastry to thaw out, just a little. Enough that the dough is pliable without tearing.
4. Put down some parchment paper and flour it just a tad. Put a little flour on your fingers while you un-fold the pastry dough.
5. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough.
6. Now, I buy the tub of sour cream and then just take a spreader of some sort and spread cream cheese over the entire dough.
7. Then I spoon out some of the pre-made pesto and smooth it out over all of the cream cheese.
8. Then, I take the deli ham and lay it flatly over the pesto. I over lap some pieces so that you can't see pesto through the ham.
9. Then, I take the tub of grated Parmesan (that you can find in the deli, not the kind in the green can), and sprinkle that (liberally) over all of the ham.
10. Then, I roll it up (and use the parchment paper to cover it up, and then I put it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so. You don't have to do this, but it makes it a lot easier to cut without all the goop running out PLUS when you cut it into slices - the slices actually look like the picture, and they are pretty.
11. Then, I put them on a baking stone or baking sheet and bake them for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown.
12. I go ahead and make up both sheets of puff pastry like this, because everyone loves them!

Enjoy!

Tell Me About It Tuesday - My Favorite Christmas Recipe

With Christmas just next week, I'm sure everyone is getting out their cookbooks and making their menus and grocery lists. One thing that is always on our holiday menu is my mother's dressing. Oh, it's delicious. This year, we've opted to have a less traditional "Appetizer" lunch, so it's not likely that this will be on the table, but as delicious as it is - I'm thinking it will probably make an appearance somewhere.

It does take awhile to make, but the results are totally worth it! If you're up for it, here are the directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, start a large pot of boiling water. Add some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and about 4 chicken bouillon cubes. Take a whole fryer (chicken), and place in the boiling water. You want it to boil for a good while - until your kitchen smells like chicken. But be careful, you don't want all of that liquid to be gone - you'll need it later.

As the chicken is boiling, take 3 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix and mix those up. (I believe you need an egg and ¼ of a cup of milk for each box). Mix that up and pour into a greased baking pan or cast iron skillet. Then, stick that into your pre-heated oven.

Fill a small saucepan with water, and boil 4-5 eggs.

While your cornbread is in the oven and your eggs and chicken are boiling, chop up a medium white onion and about 8 celery sticks. Take a medium skillet and put it over medium/high heat and melt a stick of butter. Then, sautee until onions are clear and celery is tender. Set to the side.

When the cornbread comes out of the oven, you want to crumble it up, as best you can. Use a spoon or a fork, so that you don't burn yourself. Add the crumbles to a large mixing bowl. Then add the celery, onions and butter and mix together. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and sage.

Peel and chop the hardboiled eggs and add them to the cornbread. Stir until eggs are combined well.

When the chicken is finished, pull it out of the water and place it in a casserole dish to cool. Once cooled, pull the meat off the bone, in shreds and add to the cornbread/vegetable mixture. Mix all together. Add some of the chicken broth to moisten and continue to stir, until everything is combined. Once combined, spoon into a casserole dish and spread out until even. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Reserve the rest of the chicken broth to moisten dressing, as necessary.

My mother usually makes giblet gravy to go over the top of it, but I don't like giblet gravy so I'm omitting that part. The dressing is delicious and really doesn't need anything else!

Hope you'll make it and find out for yourself! Trust me, it's worth all the trouble!

Happy Cooking!