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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Lunch, Main, Recipes
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7-Minute Grilled Pesto Pizzas

Oh how I love some grilled pizza, year-round, but especially in the summer. On Friday nights, we host a Fire Pit Friday with grilled pizza for all our friends and family. For that, we use the Trader Joe’s crusts, but when it’s just myself and hubby at the pool, we love to use a loaf of French bread, topped with pesto, mozz and cherry tomatoes. And it’s literally ready in 7 minutes!

Food poolside always feels like such a challenge to my creativity – kind of like when you’re trying to have a picnic and have to come up with something easy to eat, clean up and something that can hold up to the hotter weather.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Main, Recipes
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How to Make a Stromboli with Chorizo & Pepperoni

I’ve been working on our menu for the big game for a few weeks now, and when I asked my husband what he thought I should make, “stromboli!” was the first thing he said. Exclamation point included. I think secretly stromboli might just be his favorite food. I thought it was a great idea since stromboli is so easy to make and can be made ahead of time. So come February 2nd, I’ll be baking up a stromboli to be reheated and served again on Sunday. All about that make-ahead-party-prep!

This is yet another you do you boo situation – don’t you love those?! You really can put anything you want in a stromboli. This one I made with chorizo and pepperoni, honestly, by accident. I thought at the grocery store I grabbed a package of Italian sausage and it ended up being chorizo. It worked out, though! We loved this combination, definitely for the spice-lovers.

As long as you don’t pre-slice your stromboli, it will be really easy to reheat. You don’t want to cut it and let all of the fillings out!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes, Side Dish
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Mushroom Risotto Arancini

I have to confess to you. I was very, very nervous to make these arancini. Basically, anytime a dish requires frying, I get a little nervous. It’s a method I’m not 100% comfortable with, and really, the internal guilt of eating something fried settles in when I am making it myself. BUT, these arancini were totally worth overcoming my fear for. This recipe calls for left over risotto!

If you recall, last week I shared a recipe for my 25 minute mushroom risotto, which makes a great dish for arancini! I took the leftovers from that risotto to make these little balls of utter perfection. You can make them ahead, too, and just reheat to serve!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Menu, Recipes
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Sunday Funday Menu

So the saying goes, “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content.” I love spending our Sunday’s with friends and family. It’s such an enjoyable way to round out the week and get one last recharge in before the chaos of a new week.

Keeping Sunday entertaining easy and simple is so important, not just for you as a hostess but for your guests. You want to make them feel comfortable and like they’re getting their last dose of relaxation in before their week, too. I am loving this menu for a great Sunday lunch.

 

I’m all about casual entertaining (okay, china and a beautifully set table 100% has its place and I’m super into that, too). Keeping things casual sends a signal to your guests that they can just relax, be themselves, be comfortable. A simple menu packs a punch when all the flavors go from one dish to the next – it’s like a good playlist or a great story. Putting together this menu, I thought about each flavor in the dishes working together. I’m not a big fan of say, cheese and crackers for an appetizer and ground beef tacos for the main dish – a little jarring for my taste.

Stay casual by picking a palette – keep the colors in the same family and stack up your dishes and utensils for an easy grab. A stack of dishes to me is a little bit more like, “hey thanks for joining us for our usual dinner.” What’s better than having your friends join you for an every day kind of meal?

I have a sick stash of mason jars around the house and use them for everything – smoothies, flowers, and here, utensils. I always throw utensils in a mason jar. What could be more casual?