Pesto Caprese Sammy

So, I'm always looking for something quick and easy for a working lunch.  I office in the very building that I live; however, it's wicked hard to have time for a real lunch.  I'm just too busy.  Even when I do get an actual hour for lunch, it's spent taking Jagger out and kicking it with him inside.  So, I have the Pesto Caprese Sammy!

You don't need much, and it's really tasty.  I shared these with both of my offices and received mad praise.

To start, you're going to need bread.  It is a sandwich after all.  Any bread will do, but I used plain old French bread.  You will also need pesto sauce.  You can make this from scratch or pick up some at your local store.  You want to lightly coat your bread with olive oil and then start building your sandwich.

It's Italian; so, you definitely need Roma tomatoes and mozzarella.  I got lucky and stumbled onto Buffalo Mozzarella on sale at my local Kroger.  Holla!

So, you take your olive oil coated bread and top it with  a layer of tomato, a layer of mozzarella and a spoonful of pesto.

Of course, you'll need a second piece of bread too.  This turns out a bit thick; which, is definitely a mouthful.  Saran wrap it, stick it in a Pyrex dish and throw something heavy on top and refrigerate in the morning.  By lunch time, it'll actually fit in your mouth.

I forgot to pick up some sort of meat at the store, but you could definitely add salami or prosciutto and it would be delicious.  It might even be fun to add some red onion.  Get creative!  Make it your own!

Bacon! Enough Said

 I often wonder, “What can I not put bacon on?”.  The answer is really simple – NOTHING!  Bacon goes well with absolutely everything.  Including desserts.  Seriously.  I stumbled upon an article online a couple years back about this bacon revolution in which people were getting really crafty and adding it to everything. There’s a restaurant a few blocks from me that not only tops their cheeseburger with bacon, they also take the time to grind it up with the beef.  I’ve even had a maple bacon cupcake.  Bacon seriously goes well with everything!

A couple of years ago, I whipped up a batch of these bad boys for some friends and they were a hit.  Recently, I had an itching for more, and again, they were a total smash.  I know many of you will be pretty put off by the idea of Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies, but you’re just being close minded.  Open your mind and your mouth; I promise you’ll be a believer.  

I know your mouth is salivating and you're already in your kitchen with fingers crossed that you have the below ingredients:

For the candied bacon:
8 slices center cut thick bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar
For the cookies:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

To get going, you're going to need to candy the bacon.  Coat it in brown sugar, and pop it in a 350F for about 20 minutes.  

Let the bacon cool completely before chopping it up and adding it to the cookie batter.  

Mix everything up, spoon it onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 325F oven for 12-15 minutes.  

Serve up with a cold glass of milk and don't forget to invite me over too!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bacon in a single layer on a foil lined sheet.

Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon strips. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until crispy, making sure to turn bacon over after 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack for cooling. Once bacon has cooled chop it finely.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Sift flour and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, cream butter with the white and brown sugar.

Add vanilla, egg, and egg yolk to the bowl and beat until light and creamy.

Add flour mixture and mix well.

Add diced candied bacon and chocolate chips and stir until just combined.

Place golf ball sized balls of dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on the pan for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack.