Q.E.D: Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

It's only two weeks into the semester and things are starting to get busy already. Next week I quite literally have a meeting every single day! Time to start thinking up some Q.E.D. meals in anticipation for the weeks ahead.

Notes: I love stromboli and I've wanted to make a mini version for awhile. I had planned to use my homemade pizza dough. But I walked by the crescent dough in the store last week and decided that would be fun to use.

This is such a quick dinner to put together. It took 20 minutes from prep to plate and most of that was baking time!

I used havarti here, but you can use provolone, swiss, or muenster. Those would all work well.

I used a pizza cutter to dice the ham and slice the cheese. I find that easier than a knife for thin deli meat.

Lots of different fillings will work for this. I've made some with just pesto and cheese, and I've made some with pepperoni and cheese. The main thing is to (a) make sure you don't over stuff them and (b) make sure whatever filling you use doesn't contain too much liquid.

I made a simple salad to go with these, but you could make whatever vegetable side you want.

These would also make a great party snack.

Ingredients:
1 tube of crescent roll dough (usually 8 rolls per tube)
3-4 slices of deli ham
2 slices of havarti cheese

Directions: Heat the oven to the temperature listed on the back of the crescent roll package.

Dice the ham and divide the pieces into 8 small piles. Cut each piece of cheese into 4 triangles. Line a baking sheet with foil. Open the package of crescent dough and gently unroll and separate all the triangles.

Put a piece of cheese on each triangle. Put a little pile of ham on the wide part of the triangle. Roll up each triangle starting with the wide end. Form each piece into a crescent shape. Pinch the seams together seal everything inside the crescent.

Bake according to package directions until golden brown.

Serve with a vegetable or side salad and enjoy!

Ham, Havarti, and Chive Drop Scones

Can you tell that I'm on a scones kick recently?

Our Thanksgiving didn't quite go as planned. We were supposed to go to West Virginia to visit some friends, but the day before we were supposed to leave, I got sick. It was the worst head cold I've had in a good long time, so I spent most of the holiday on the couch watching the first season of Twin Peaks with Scott (he hadn't seen it before).

I felt better by Sunday, so we decided to do our Thanksgiving dinner then. I made meatballs (our tradition), bacon brown sugar roasted brussel sprouts, and regular old Stovetop stuffing. For breakfast, I made some new scones.

Notes: I loved these, but Scott was less crazy about them. He thought the chives were a bit overpowering (what does *he* know!? ;-)). If you have a picky eater in your house, you might want to use a little less.

I used sour cream to make these and it was a bit difficult to mix them because the sour cream was thick and cold (of course you need it cold). You might want to use a little milk to thin it out.

I divide these between two baking sheets because I like them the size of biscuits. If you like yours bigger, just make bigger handfuls.

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup shredded havarti cheese
1/2 bunch of chives
6 tablespoons of cold butter
4-5 slices of deli ham
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons of milk (more if needed)

Directions: Heat the oven to 350.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

Mince the chives and chop the ham into small pieces.

Cube the butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers. The butter should be the size of small peas.

Add the ham, cheese, and chives. Add the sour cream and milk and mix with your hand until it forms a soft sticky dough.

Drop small handfuls of dough on to a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup with Kale

Well, the snow just keeps piling up and I am OVER IT. I'm officially going on record as anti-snow. It may be pretty when it's falling, but once you've dealt with it for weeks on end, it loses its charm.

Since winter won't quit, neither will my winter comfort recipes. It was time to break out the slow cooker again for some soup.

Notes: The slow cooker is a winner again! This soup is hearty and exactly what you need on a cold winter night.

I used canned beans, but you could used dried beans as long as you soak them the night before. You can add those to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Canned beans will fall apart if you cook them for 8 hours.

On ham hocks: you'll find them in the meat section of grocery store with the large hams and ham steaks. I would have liked a smoked one, but I couldn't find one. The one I got was a "country" ham hock, so it was salted. If you get one of these, DON'T add more salt to the soup. I used 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning and my soup was a bit on the salty side. I'd err on the side of caution and use your favorite salt-free seasoning. A nice mix of cumin, paprika, and garlic powder would be a good. Use some red pepper flakes if you want some spice. You can always add salt if you need to.

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans of cranberry beans or pinto beans
1 ham hock
5-6 celery stalks
5-6 carrots
3-4 cups of unsalted chicken stock
1 onion
1 small bunch of kale (I used Lacinato)
Seasonings of choice (easy on the salt, see note)

Directions:

Peel and slice the carrots. Slice the celery. Dice the onion. Put the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the ham hock on top of them. Add in carrots, celery, and stock. Season to taste. Set the slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low.

When there is an hour left of cooking time, rinse and drain the beans and add them to the slow cooker. Remove the bones from the ham hock and break up the pieces of meat, discarding the fat and skin. Once the time is up, thinly slice the kale and stir it in. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

The slow cooker: the number one chill killer! Enjoy!