For the croutons, preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil. Add Parmesan and salt, tossing well. Spread pieces on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, stirring frequently. For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, basil, and vinegar. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, avocado, and croutons. Add dressing and toss to coat. For more family-friendly salads, try this Chinese Chicken Salad, this Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad, or this Nutty Noodle Salad Recipe.
For the brownies, preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and lightly spray again. In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter and unsweetened chocolate. Melt on high heat for 1 minute, stir, and melt for 30 seconds more or until the chocolate and butter are smooth and melted. In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt, just until flour disappears. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch squares—you will only need half the batch for the cookies, so use the rest for another dessert. For the cookies, preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until well combined. On low speed, add flour mixture and chocolate chips, mixing just until flour disappears. Using ¼ cup of cookie dough at a time, place 1 brownie square in the center and enclose the dough around it, add more dough if needed to cover completely. Place 2 inches apart on to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool a few minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack.
Sloppy Joes
1½ lbs ground beef
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp herbs de Provence
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup red wine
¼ cup whole milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
Garlic Rolls
6-8 bread rolls
3 tbsp butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ricotta cheese
Provolone cheese slices
Fresh basil leaves
For the Sloppy Joe filling, in a large skillet, sauté ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook the beef for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain in a colander and set aside. Wipe out skillet and heat vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and cook stirring until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, herbs de Provence, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute and add ground beef back to the skillet, stirring well to combine. Stir in red wine and milk and cook until wine and milk are almost completely absorbed. Add chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes. For the garlic rolls, preheat broiler to high. Place bread rolls cut open on a baking sheet. In a small saucepan, melt butter with minced garlic. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Spread on both sides of bread rolls and place under broiler until lightly toasted. To assemble Sloppy Joes, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the base of each roll. Spoon meat over Parmesan, followed by a spoonful of ricotta cheese and finish with another spoonful of meat. Top with a slice of provolone cheese. Place back under the broiler briefly to melt cheese. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil leaf and the top of the roll. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8
If you prefer your chili on fries (try these Chili Cheese Fries) or vegetarian (Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili recipe), we've got you covered.
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