Tomato Basil Gratin

My tomatoes are in full bloom so last night I made Tomato Basil Gratin as a side dish.  My daughter had this over the weekend made by her boyfriend's mother.  Since my daughter eats very little meat, we are always on the lookout for vegetable dishes.  This one is from David Venable on QVC.  I substituted whole wheat bread crumbs which gave it a little more of a nutty taste.

Tomato-Basil Gratin

Ingredients:
6 tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

In a 3-qt casserole or baking dish, cover the bottom with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/3 of the bread crumb mixture over the tomatoes. Repeat twice, using all the remaining ingredients.

Drizzle olive oil over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has browned.

Cheese Pop Appetizers

Happy Mother's Day to all!!  I was invited to my son's for dinner but I thought I would take an appetizer.  I had seen this on Pinterest so I modified the recipe a little and made them up.  My cheese balls are made of a combination of parmigiano-reggiano, 6 ounces of cream cheese and 6 ounces of havarti cheese.  Roll into small balls, insert lollipop stick and place in freezer to firm up for about 10 minutes.  Then roll in a mixture of chopped spinach, chopped thyme, 6 slices chopped bacon and 2 ounces of chopped pecans.  They were scrumptious and quite a hit.

Pepperoni Rolls - Easy to Make for Easter

These yummy individual pepperoni rolls are easy to make from frozen bread rolls. I buy bags of either 36 or 72 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls and make them up in an evening.  If we do not need them for a few days, I pack them in aluminum pans, with layers separated by wax paper, and covered by aluminum foil.  Then I freeze for a week or two.

For 36 rolls you need:

36 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
1 lb pizza pepperoni
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese


Defrost the rolls in the refrigerator.  If I am making them in the morning, I place the bag of frozen rolls in the refrigerator overnight.

I slice the cheese so I have approximately a 3 inch square. On a floured surface, I roll out the defrosted roll into a 4 inch circle.  Layer the circle, 4 rounds of pepperoni and a slice of cheese. If you use sandwich pepperoni you only use one slice.

Overlap one side over the other and pinch to close. Using a dab of milk makes the overlap stick better.


Now place on a parchment paper lined cooking sheet and cover with a towel.  Place in a warm area and let rise for 1/2 hour.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Serve warm or let cool completely before packing to freeze.