Croque Madame

A few months ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to join my husband in Paris for a quick trip of sight-seeing and exploring the historical city!  He had traveled with his classmates to London then Paris during their final semester in obtaining their masters degrees from Auburn University.  Many of the wives were able to join them.  It was a once in a lifetime trip.

Of course, the macaroons were fabulous!  But I was so bummed when I found out they didn't ship to the US...until I found this little place in Winter Park, which I'll be sure to visit next time I'm there.

Surprisingly however, it wasn't the desserts that caught my eye on this trip.  One of the items on a Parisian menu that stuck out to me the most was a Croque Madame.  While most people were probably drooling over the fancy shoes, handbags, and jewelry in the store windows along Champs-Elysees or taking in the views from atop the Eiffel Tower, I was thinking about how I could recreate this masterpiece at home. ;)

Well, here it is!

The Croque Madame:  Basically, it is just a fancy grilled ham and cheese sandwich (a croque-monsieur) with a fried egg on top.  The egg is supposed to resemble a old-fashioned woman's hat making it a madame.

Here is how to make my version:

Croque Madame

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread

2 slices Gruyere cheese

Deli ham, sliced

Dijon mustard

Butter

1 large egg

Fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter 1 side of each bread slice.  Set one slice buttered side down in a skillet.  Top with a slice of cheese.  Place a few slices of ham over the cheese and place other piece of bread over the ham, buttered side up.  Heat skillet over medium heat.  Cook sandwich until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove sandwich and place on a plate.  Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the top of the sandwich then place a piece of cheese on top.  Put the sandwich back onto the skillet then place in the oven, cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Remove and place back onto the plate.

Spray a small skillet with nonstick spray and cook the egg sunny side up.  Turn egg over and cook 3 minutes longer for a soft-cooked egg or 5 minutes longer for a hard-cooked egg.  Place fried egg on top of the sandwich.  Season with fresh cracked black pepper.  Serves 1.

Jouir!

Source

Chili Cheese Crescent Dogs

As promised, it's time to use up some of that leftover chili!

I started with 4 hot dogs (halving the recipe I found as a guide since I was only making dinner for 2 that night) and cut a slit into each one then filled it with cheese!

Next, wrap each with a dough triangle.

Bake then top with warm chili!

Chili Cheese Crescent Dogs

Ingredients

8 hot dogs

4 slices of cheese, each cut into 6 strips (I used cheddar here but American would be good, too.)

1 can (8oz) of Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Chili

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Make a slit in each hot dog to within 1/4 inch of the ends.  Insert 3 strips of cheese into each hot dog.  Separate the dough into triangles.  Wrap a dough triangle around each hot dog.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Top with your favorite chili and serve with steamed veggies.

Enjoy!

Source: Pillsbury

Mozzarella Tomato Stack

Hi everyone!  First of all, I have to apologize.  I have been a little behind in posting but I've just returned from visiting the sweetest little newborn!  My sister had her baby girl on May 23rd.  My little guy and I were so blessed to meet her just about a 5 days after she was born.  So little yet so full of life!  We had the most wonderful time loving on her and spending some QT with the fam in Indiana.  We even made it over to Ohio to introduce my little guy to some extended family there!  It was a great trip but it's also nice to be home with my loved ones here.

As I'm gathering my thoughts between the dryer buzzing and the oven timer beeping, I'll share with you a quick way to make a simple salad a little fancier!

We love Mozzarella Tomato or Caprese Salad around here but just laying the tomato and cheese on a plate can be pretty boring.  So, we tried stacking it like you see in those ritzy restaurants and it turned out pretty cute!

Here is how I made it:

Mozzarella Tomato Stack

Ingredients:

ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

olive oil

balsamic glaze

salt and pepper

Directions:

Layer the sliced tomato and the sliced mozzarella as high as you want!  Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and balsamic glaze.  Season with salt and pepper.

We enjoyed these Mozzarella Tomato Stacks with our favorite Garden Turkey Burgers from Fresh Market and some sweet potato tortilla chips.  Yum!

Those chocolate cupcakes are just about cooled.  Time to frost!  Ta ta for now :)

Baked Cheddar Chicken

Like I said earlier this week, chicken can be so BORING but everything is better with cheese on it!  Here is a great recipe for baked cheddar chicken.  This is a hit with the whole family!  I really like this dish because I can do the prep work during the day while my little guy is napping then pop it in the oven just before we are ready for dinner.  Easy!

Baked Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder                     

1 egg                                                   

1 tablespoon skim milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I like Schwan's.)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1.  Coat a medium baking dish with the 1/4 cup of melted butter.

2.  In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  In another bowl, beat together the egg and milk.  In a third bowl, mix the cheese and both types of breadcrumbs.  One at a time, dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, dip in the egg mixture, then press in the breadcrumb mixture to coat.  Arrange in the coated baking dish.  (This is where I stop if I'm going to bake it later.  Just cover with foil and keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake it in the evening.)  Drizzle 2 tablespoons of butter evenly over the chicken.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until coating is golden brown and chicken is done inside.

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This recipe serves 6.  Since we only have 4 "big people food" eaters in our family right now, I usually have at least one chicken breast leftover.  I used to HATE leftovers, but these days the easier and faster, the better!  So bring 'em on!

I saved the extra baked cheddar chicken breast in the fridge to have on a salad later in the week.  Cut up some romaine lettuce, sprinkle on some shredded cheese, and top with the warmed chicken breast.  Add a few baby carrots on the side and drizzle with honey mustard dressing.  There you have a quick and healthy lunch!

Recipe altered from the original on allrecipes.com.