Baked Philly Cheesesteak

    I like to find new things to make for the kids at youth group sometimes. They are all at that age where they are kind of picky eaters. It's fun to see them eat and like things I make that they wouldn't normally eat at home. I knew they'd all love crescent rolls, add meat and cheese, and we have a winner! Shhh, I didn't tell them about all those peppers and onions, they liked it anyway though.

Baked Philly Cheesesteak

Ingredients:

- 2 tubes of Pillsbury crescent rolls

- 1 tablespoon of butter

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped

- 3 tablespoons of water

- 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese

- 3/4 of a pound of deli sliced roast beef

- 8-10 slices of provolone cheese

- salt and pepper to taste

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the water, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir mixture until the cream cheese has melted and is creamy. Chop the roast beef into 1 inch pieces and stir into the cream cheese mixture. On a greased baking sheet, lay out the unrolled crescent roll triangles, overlapping them into a circle. Spread the meat/cream cheese mixture out on the dough, top with the provolone cheese, and then fold over to form a ring. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice and enjoy.

Basil Pesto Grilled Shrimp

    So, yesterday was the day. I prepped food for most of the day. We were surrounded by friends and family all evening. My brother, Stephen, leaves this weekend for deployment. It was a bittersweet celebration. It was also a Friday during Lent and my family is big on barbecue! I wanted to have an alternative to the pulled pork and ribs! Shrimp seemed like a great idea. Fresh basil and roasted pine nuts make this dish a must for special dinners!

Basil Pesto Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of fresh basil, packed

- 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

- 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 1 pound of shrimp, cleaned and deviened

    In a food processor, pulse together everything except for the shrimp to create the pesto. Cover the shrimp in the pesto mixture and let sit for several hours, up to overnight. Place the shrimp on skewers and grill them.