Cooking Classy

Anything that contains the word "Caprese" in the recipe title, I'm in. I love Caprese entrees and appetizers and I love a hot off the griddle grilled cheese. When the two are combined together you get an intensely delicious sandwich that you won't easily forget. Obviously you don't have to use fresh bread as I listed in the recipe, but I figure if you are going to fill a sandwich with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil then you may as well keep a good thing going. Looking for a delightfully simple and quick lunch or dinner idea? Look no further because it doesn't get much easier than grilled cheese and this is grilled cheese done right. Enjoy!   Caprese Grilled Cheese Yields 1 serving Ingredients: 2 slices fresh bread (I recommend sourdough or rustic white bread) 3 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds or grated* 4 - 6 Roma tomato slices 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh basil ribbons freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil or 1 ...

How on earth do you make a Sloppy Joe look classy? You don't =). They are just good ol' shloppy, yes sh loppy, deliciousness. Piled high and spilling over. It's impossible for any bun to fully retain all that saucy, meaty goodness. How I love a good Sloppy Joe. They may not be the fanciest meal but they are oh so scrumptiously tasty. I grew up eating them so I will always love them. These far outdo what comes in a can. Isn't everything better made fresh from scratch? Don't be scared of the long list of ingredients, other than the fresh peppers, most of them are ingredients you likely already have on hand. I kept adding a little of this and a little of that until I got this recipe just where I wanted it. If you are a cheeseburger fan, try them topped with a sprinkling of freshly grated cheddar cheese. Also, if you like a little heat feel free to add in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Enjoy! Sloppy Joes Yields about 6 servings Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs lean gro...

I'm loving the Hawaiian flavors lately. I made Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches a few days ago (which were amazing if I do say so myself =) and I had some left over fresh pineapple so I thought, why not make another Hawaiian inspired dish. These sandwiches are packed with the flavors of the Islands. I tried to think of all foods that remind me of Hawaii when making this recipe (even though sadly I've never been there, what is up with that??). Of course I thought of Hawaiian Pizza, one of my favorites with it's ham and pineapple combo. Then I'd say the first type of nut I think of when I think of Hawaii is Macadamia, and can you have a chicken salad sandwich without some kind of nut? Also, I wanted to add a bit of sweetness to the dressing (but don't worry it's not overly sweet) so I added in the honey and pineapple juice. I don't like a really thick dressing over my chicken salad but if you do you could omit the pineapple juice and add a few more table...

This should be called "The Sandwich of Summer." I made this recipe because I love pulled pork so much so I wanted something similar but entirely its own. Basically I wanted something delicious, out of the ordinary that will make people say "wow." Of course I made it a slow cooker recipe because that's what I love and that's what everyone else seems to love. This Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich is bursting with the flavors of the islands (especially when served along with fresh, glazed/grilled pineapple). It inspires me to want to host a luau party in my backyard.  Don't be scared by the long list of ingredients, most of them, if not all of them, you probably already have in your fridge and cupboard. If you are looking to try a new dish that is enticingly delicious and fully amazing your going to want to try this sandwich! Share and enjoy! Serve it with or without green onions (I liked it with): Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches Yields about 6 s...

If you like poppy seed salad dressing then this is the chicken salad of your dreams! This chicken salad is amazing and so simple! I was shopping at Sam's Club several weeks ago and taste tested some Sonoma Chicken Salad, it was delicious so I had to figure out how to make it at home. Following is the recipe I've come up with. It is my new favorite chicken salad. I'm going to start using the dressing to drizzle over green salads as well. My recommendation for the easiest way to make this is to cook the chicken in a slow cooker over night, toss it in an airtight container in the morning and refrigerate it, then by lunch time it will be cool enough to shred or chop and toss into the salad. I know this is going to be my new favorite dish for picnic lunches this summer. Just be sure after eating this chicken salad to smile real big... and check your teeth for poppy seeds =). Note: some other good substitutions for the dried cranberries would be diced apples or grapes and another...

I'm almost at a loss for words to describe this Broccoli Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich, it is just that good! I guess I will say, let the pictures tell you everything you need to know about this sandwich.   Several months ago I had, I guess the word is, "pinspiration" when I saw this utterly incredible photo of a Broccoli Grilled Cheese sandwich over at BS in the Kitchen.  It left me salivating and I never did forget about it.  I was purely inspired to make my own rendition.   If you have tried my Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe then this recipe and cooking method will be familiar to you (though this version isn't quite as healthy =). Some may say if you are going to have a grilled cheese sandwich you may as well load on the butter, use white bread and just go all out. I say otherwise, not only because it's better for you to fry with olive oil and use whole grain bread but I think it tastes better. I hope you adapt this cooking method for all your g...