Indulge In {Caprese Grilled Cheese}

Thursday means two things to me, one more day till Friday and another mouth watering recipe. With the sharing of yesterday's build your own grilled cheese bar, I figured I'd share one of my favorite grilled cheese recipes of all time. There is nothing that speaks of comfort quite like a golden brown, buttery grilled cheese. This is stuffed with your average American cheese though. Filled with fresh mozzarella, chopped basil, and ripe tomatoes, this is the ultimate grown up grilled cheese. Here's the recipe…

:: Ingredients ::
2 Tablespoon Butter, divided
2 Slices Thick Bakery Bread
4 oz Fresh Mozzarella
2 Slices Vine Ripe Tomato
4 Basil Leaves, sliced

:: Directions ::
1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan over medium high heat. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on each slice of bread.
2. Layer mozzarella, tomato and basil between the two slices of bread. Cook on each side until golden brown.

Indulge In {The Perfect Cheese Board}

I would have to say this is less cheese board and more a cheese and cured meats board. Either way it's perfect. Ever since I can remember, I've been a big fan of cheese. All kinds of cheese too. It's never mattered how stinky, pungent, or soft cheese was, I would eat it. And when you pair those stinky, pungent, soft cheeses with some slices of cured meat, I'm like a kid in a candy store, unable to decide which to snack on first or which cheese/meat combination to try. So, a couple of months ago, tired of going out to find a great board, I took to making my own. Since then, I've made cheese and meat boards for every function at the house. Sometimes I make them just because it's Sunday. I like to think I've nearly perfected my ideal cheese board. It's a combination of some delicious Italian cured meats and a mix of hard and soft cheeses. While my ideal board would contain a chunk of bleu and slices of gruyere, this one is a bit more friendly for all pallets with milder, more universal cheeses. Plus, it's still amazingly delicious. So, instead of continuing to talk about my love affair with cheese, I figure I'll just share the makings of my perfect cheese board.

:: Ingredients ::
Brie Wedge
Sliced Fresh Mozzarella
Parmesan Block
Sliced Prosciutto
Sliced Capocollo
Sliced Deli Pepperoni
Peach Jam
Multi Grain Crackers

:: Directions ::
Assemble ingredients on large board and serve with cheese knives and a glass of wine.

Have a tasty Thursday!

Perfect Pairings {Wine & Cheese}

Happy Friday Dolls! I hope everyone had a very nice, relaxing Valentine's Day yesterday. I spent the evening indulging in a few of my favorite things, good red wine, smelly cheeses and thin sliced prosciutto. In my opinion, it's probably the best dinner ever. Sitting around noshing and drinking wine, how can you go wrong? Last night's dinner left me feeling more than full though. It left me curious and eager to learn about the perfect wine and cheese pairings. After a bit of research I learned that champagne pairs best with creamy, decadent cheeses while merlot is best with stiff, sharp, salty cheeses. The research really peaked an interest and has me wanting to explore different pairing options for wine, beer, and liquors to share with you. In the mean time, enjoy this chart for perfect wine and cheese pairings.

Have a great weekend!

Indulge In {Spinach & Prosciutto White Pizza}

Ever since I got my new rolling pin, I've become obsessed with making homemade pizza. It's amazing how much easier rolling out the dough has become with it. I've really enjoyed playing with different toppings and creating different flavor combinations. Once of my favorites though has been the white pizza. I love the taste of no sauce and extra cheese. With a base of olive oil and ricotta cheese and toppings of fresh chopped spinach and diced prosciutto, you can't go wrong. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
Store Bought Pizza Dough
Part-Skim Ricotta
Shredded Mozzarella
Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Chopped Spinach
Diced Prosciutto
Flour
Pan Spray

:: Directions ::
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. On a floured surface, begin rolling out your pizza dough. Once to desired thickness (I prefer a thin crust.) drizzle with olive oil and minced garlic. Spread evenly on dough.
3. Top with ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, and mozzarella.
4. Transfer to a greased pizza pan and bake for 18 minutes for until crust is golden brown.

Indulge In {Baked Caprese Bread}

I am a big believer in easy entertaining. It should be simple, fun, and delicious. A party should look you spent hours and hours throwing it together to make a big impact without actually taking all of that time out of your busy schedule. One of my favorite ways to do this is by planning a meal based on simply impressive hearty hors d'oeuvres. In most situations, they take less time to make, but everybody enjoys them more because they can nosh their way through the evening. My latest favorite to throw together is a bake caprese bread. It's simple, fast, and utterly delicious. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
1 Loaf Fresh French Bread
4 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Jar Basil Pesto
2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, sliced

:: Directions ::
(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
(2) Slice bread in half horizontally and place on cookie sheet.
(3) Spread 1/4 of the jar of pesto on each half of bread.
(4) Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded mozzarella on each half placing slices of one tomato on each piece.
(5) Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.
(6) Remove from oven, top each slice of tomato with a dollop of pesto, slice and serve.

Indulge In {Caprese Grilled Cheese}

It's Thursday which means I'm back with another indulgence. Today it's not a sweet indulgence (my favorite!) but a savory one. This past weekend, I decided to be inspired by the food truck inventions I've been loving lately. With grilled cheeses planned for a rainy Memorial Day, I figured why not kick it up a notch and grilling my favorite salad between two buttery slices of bread. Complete with fresh basil, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and savory balsamic vinegar, this is not your mama's grilled cheese. Pressed between two slices of buttery Italian bread, I couldn't ask for a tastier sandwich, and frankly I think I'm starting to catch up with those food truck treats. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients (Makes 1 Sandwich) ::

3 Leaves Fresh Basil

2 Slices Vine Ripe Tomatoes

1/2 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

Salt and Pepper to Taste

2 Slices Italian Bread

2 Tablespoons Butter

:: Directions ::

1. Spray a medium sized pan with non-stick spray and turn to medium-high heat.

2. Butter each piece of bread placing the first piece butter side down in the pan. 

3. Sprinkle half the cheese on the bread in the pan, cover till partially melted.

4. Drizzle with balsamic, salt and pepper. Place basil, tomatoes and the remaining cheese and cover with the other piece of bread.

5. Flip sandwich and cook until bread is golden and cheese is melted. Slice.

Enjoy!