Ranch Chicken Bites

Ranch Chicken Bites

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

¼ cup Ranch dressing

¾ cup shredded cheddar

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

4 oz cream cheese

1 green onion, chopped

½ cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups crushed cheez its

3 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, green onion, and taco seasoning to a large bowl. Mix until well-combined.

Add the flour, eggs, and cheez its to three separate shallow bowls. Take the chicken mixture and roll into 2 inch balls. Roll each ball in the flour, then the egg, then the cheez-its.

Place each ball on a prepared baking sheet and drizzle lightly with melted butter. Bake 15 minutes. Then turn the balls over and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.

Toasted Tortellini & Pesto Cheese Dip

Toasted Tortellini & Pesto Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

For the Tortellini:

1 lb tortellini, cooked according to package instructions

1 cup milk

3 eggs

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil cooking spray

For the Pesto Dip:

1 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

6 ounces Provolone cheese, shredded

6 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups white wine

½ cup basil pesto


Directions:

For the Tortellini:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the milk and eggs.
Dip the cooked tortellini into the egg wash. Stir to coat the tortellini.

In a food processor or blender, process the panko, Parmesan, pine nuts, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into another wide, shallow bowl.

Put the tortellini into the breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat well.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place the tortellini on. Spray them liberally with olive oil.

Cook the tortellini until toasted and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Turn the tortellini halfway through to prevent them from burning on the bottom.

For the Pesto Fondue:

Combine the cheeses and the cornstarch in a large bowl.

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add in the garlic and let it cook until fragrant.

Add in the white wine and bring it to a simmer. Add in the cheese one handful at a time, whisking as it melts. Don't add more cheese until the last batch has melted. Continue until all of the cheese has been used up. Once the cheese has entirely melted, mix in the pesto.