Month: September 2013

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Quick Weeknight Dinners: Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette
Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Dinner won. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, get yourself over to Willow Bird Baking’s Facebook page so you won’t miss the fun discussions we have there. This week I let you all pick whether you wanted me to post dinner or dessert first, and to my surprise, dinner won! Don’t worry, though. Dessert is soon to follow.

Tonight’s dinner suggestion comes with a WEEKNIGHT DINNER CHALLENGE. We’ve been sharing tons of fun, easy dinner ideas over on Facebook in addition to sharing our angst about those nights when our awesome dinner plans turn into Pop-Tarts and delivery pizza. If you’re anything like me, cooking dinner every single night is flippin’ hard. We’re all searching for quick new recipes to make the process easier. Enter the dinner challenge!

Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette

WEEKNIGHT DINNER CHALLENGE: Find at least 1 new recipe online to make for dinner some night this week. Snap a photo of your dinner and send an email to julie ‘at’ willowbirdbaking ‘dot’ com with:

  • The photo,
  • A “mini review” of the recipe — how’d you like it?
  • A link to the recipe

All week, I’ll be featuring your recipes on WBB’s Facebook wall. By the end of the week, we’ll all have a ton of new recipe ideas in our weeknight dinner repertoires!

Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, start with this Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette. I found this simple salad years ago on Orangette and it’s been my favorite salad since. It’s quick and easy to prepare, but the warm shallot dressing makes it divine. Molly recommends eating it with crusty bread or braised winter vegetables, which sounds fantastic. Mike and I ate it with meaty stuffed mushrooms and it was a lovely light contrast.

Need more suggestions? Some of my favorite blogs for quick (mostly healthy) dinner ideas, in addition to Orangette, are Skinnytaste, Taste and Tell, Laa Loosh, and Not Without Salt. For more indulgent dinner recipes, I love Buns In My Oven. What dinner blogs do you frequent?

One year ago: Gooey “German” Pumpkin Skillet Cake
Two years ago: Easy Sopapilla Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Three years ago: Honeybun Cake with Caramel Sauce
Four years ago: Homemade Puff Pastry and Vol-au-vents

Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette


Recipe by: Adapted from Orangette, who adapted it from The Splendid Table Weeknight Kitchen, which in turn excerpted from Fresh Food Fast: Delicious, Seasonal Vegetarian Meals in Under an Hour
Yield: 4 servings

Molly from Orangette numbers this among her “simple and unsexy” winter staples, which makes me laugh. I guess chickpeas can’t be sexy, but this warm salad is divine and satisfying in a way that’s hard to describe — you just have to make it! It’s my absolutely favorite salad in the world, sexy or not.

Ingredients:
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine shallot, vinegar, minced garlic, and salt in a large bowl and set it aside to mellow for around 10 minutes while you complete the rest of the recipe. Boil water in a medium saucepan over high heat and add chickpeas. Boil them for 2 minutes and drain. Add the carrot, parsley, olive oil, and chickpeas to the shallot mixture and toss well. Taste and season as needed. Serve immediately.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

Before now, the only time I’ve lived away from my hometown was during my sophomore year in college when I moved to Beaufort, a small town on the coast of North Carolina. I lived there for a few months before traveling for a month down the Eastern seaboard to study marine zoogeography. That semester changed my life, and I’ve continued to process the memories over the years. Periodically I’ll share stories here on Willow Bird Baking from that time.

David Fountain was an engineer, a farmer, a father, a husband, a comedian. I met him at Duke Energy, our local electric company where I worked during my high school summers. It didn’t take long for me to notice and appreciate how he brightened the office, which was otherwise filled with the daily drudgery of dry-but-crucial electrical calculations. He had an “Aw, shucks” Barney Fife sort of vibe to his personality and was a master of cheesy “dad jokes.” He was also a wise and reflective person.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

During the summer of 2003, I found out I was moving to the coast for the next semester of school. Some of you are travelers and won’t see the significance of this for me, so let me provide some context. I’d never been away from home for long. When I moved into college in 2002, in fact, I was sick with anxiety despite the fact that my parents were literally only 30 minutes away. I went to visit them every weekend without fail.

When I told the folks at Duke Energy that I’d be going away once school started again, I couldn’t hide how terrified I was. Thankfully, working there was like having dozens of extra moms and dads. David, in particular, was helpful to me, though I bet he doesn’t realize how important his words were.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

First, he told me about the time the company sent him to Indonesia. He knew when he took the assignment that it would be miserable and lonely (he would have to leave his family for around a year), but the money was sorely needed and he couldn’t pass it up. He said it was, indeed, a tedious and trying year. Because of the language barrier, there wasn’t much to do other than sit in his room. However, because he was working hard and spending almost nothing, he ended up saving enough money to make a huge difference to his family. Ultimately, while he hadn’t been sure what the time in Indonesia would bring, he was glad he had taken that leap.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

The story meant a lot to me, but the image of spending each night alone and miserable hit a little too close to home. I wondered if that really was what Beaufort held for me: a sad, lonely few months without family or friends. Sensing my continued fear, he added a few words that turned out to be exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve remembered them often over the past decade. He said, “Julie, God’s already there.”

He didn’t just mean God was already in Beaufort — although that was true, too. He meant that God was already in Beaufort and already in the future, already there with me. He holds not only all places in His hands, but all times. He knows all that I’ll do to disappoint Him and all the dangers I’ll face. I won’t find any place or any situation that He hasn’t already dealt with.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

I’m remembering David’s words here in Raleigh, too. It’s hard for me, a homebody who clings to routines, to go through so many changes at once. I’m in a new city, in a new apartment, working at a new place, going to a new church, living with someone instead of alone. Things are wonderful, but they’re also very different. And different means scary. Sometimes I just hug my dog, one of the only “constants” in my life lately, and ask her, “What the heck just happened?” (I’d hug my turtle, too, but he frowns on that sort of thing.)

But God’s already been here. He was in Raleigh and in this moment before I got here. I know He’s prepared this for me — and me for this.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

Another “constant” that’s kept me sane throughout the transition is baking. It’s true that baking in your new kitchen makes it feel like home. Recently, I saw that Pillsbury had new crescent roll baking sheets in the refrigerator aisle and had to try them out. They’re just like the regular tubes of crescent rolls except without perforations, so you can use them for all sorts of baking projects. Too cool.

This time around, I used them to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers: pillows stuffed with pumpkin cheesecake and baked in a mini muffin tin. They come out with the cutest little popover shape and are amazing when served warm in a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream with a caramel drizzle. Toasted pecans would be great on top, too!

How do you handle change? What major changes have you gone through?

One year ago: Vanilla Custard Soaked Pumpkin Poke Cake
Two years ago: Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread with Butter Rum Glaze
Three years ago: Assorted Donut Muffins
Four years ago: Mini-Pies: Pumpkin, Peach Crisp, and Sour Cream Apple

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 39 pillows

These little pumpkin cheesecake pillows are amazing served warm with vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. Add some toasted pecans for more delicious fall flavor. This recipe makes 39 pillows, but if you don’t need that many, just half it. To half 1 egg, lightly beat it in a small bowl and discard about 1.5 tablespoons of it before adding it to the recipe.

Ingredients:
4 cans crescent rolls
2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
5/8 cup sugar (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
1 egg
2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice*
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/2 teaspoon ginger*
powdered sugar for sprinkling
caramel sauce and ice cream for serving
*or substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for these spices.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray two mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, and beat to combine. Cover this and chill it while you prepare your dough.

Unroll one can of crescent baking sheet dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to around 9 x 12 inches. Cut it using a pizza cutter into 9 squares, roughly 3 x 4 inches each. Place the squares into wells of the mini muffin tins, skipping a well between each. Gently push the squares down into the well. Spoon a heaping spoonful of the pumpkin mixture into each well and pinch the corners of the dough together around it, twisting at the top to close.

Bake for 10-14 minutes or until browned (let them get good and golden or they’ll still be doughy in the middle.) Remove from the oven and top with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Let them cool in the pan for around 5 minutes before serving them in a bowl with heaping scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and caramel drizzle.

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Quick Weeknight Dinners: Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta

Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta
Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta

This cooking-family-dinner thing is no joke. I don’t know how you parents out there manage it; I can barely manage to feed myself and my husband in a reasonable way. Plenty of nights find me and Mike sitting, with a Lean Cuisine and a plate of eggs, respectively, in front of the television. We’re just so tired after working all day, so overwhelmed preparing for the next day, so over doing the dishes…

But you already know the whining part, so I’ll skip that (too late) and get to the solution part. I’ve been loading up my Pinterest boards with quick, healthy weeknight meals. To spread the love, I’ll be sharing some with you here and there throughout the weekdays. This first one, Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta, is one of our favorites so far! It has a savory, rich flavor but whips up in just around 25 minutes. Another bonus: I had most of the ingredients in my pantry and fridge.

Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta

A few time-saving tips on this recipe: use prepared ingredients if your budget allows. I love those little tubs of chopped onions and the huge jar of minced garlic. Chopping is just not what I want to spend my time on. Also, buy a tube of prepared polenta to fry up instead of making your own.

How do you manage making quick, tasty weeknight meals? Share our tips and recipes in the comments below or on WBB’s Facebook page.

One year ago: Vanilla Custard Soaked Pumpkin Poke Cake
Two years ago: Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread with Butter Rum Glaze
Three years ago: Assorted Donut Muffins
Four years ago: Mini-Pies: Pumpkin, Peach Crisp, and Sour Cream Apple

Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta


Recipe by: Adapted from Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings

This recipe only takes about 25 minutes to prepare, but it packs a LOT of flavor! Mike and I loved it and are sticking it in our regular dinner rotation.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 links Italian chicken sausage
1 link hot Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
3 heaping tablespoons sundried tomatoes in oil
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
1 tube cooked polenta (I used mushroom & onion polenta)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage (cutting it out of its casing, if it has one, and crumbling it in the pan). Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds or so, until fragrant but not burnt, before adding the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, sundried tomatoes, and wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the sausage bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring this mixture to a boil before reducing the heat and allowing it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the mixture is simmering, heat the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot and the oil is shimmering, add the slices of polenta, frying them for a few minutes on one side (until golden brown). Sprinkle them with salt and pepper before flipping them to fry, salt, and pepper the other side. When they’re almost done, sprinkle them with a little Parmesan cheese. Remove them to your serving plate.

Stir 1/4 cup of basil and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into the tomato mixture. Cook for 5 more minutes before spooning the mixture over the fried polenta, sprinkling with a little extra grated Parmesan and basil, and serving.

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Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler (and Exercise Tips for the Exercise-Haters)

Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler
Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

It may seem odd (I daresay, even a little sadistic) to write to you about exercise in a post featuring a gigantic dish of Homemade Peach Cobbler. Well, my husband would tell you that I’m nothing if not odd (and a little sadistic.)

Actually, exercise and the occasional treat pair perfectly in my mind. I don’t think I’d do the former without the latter. Indeed, there was a significant portion of my life where I didn’t do any exercise regardless of what I ate. None. My natural state is about as sedentary as a dead slug.

Currently, though, I’m proud to say that I’ve been exercising regularly for about a year and a half. I never thought I’d be able to say that! I’m excited to share some tips with you about getting active. I don’t mean fancy fitnessy stuff or advice for dedicated athletes — I mean advice for my fellow dead slugs out there. If you’re reading, don’t have a regular exercise routine, and maybe can’t imagine having a regular exercise routine, this post is for you.

Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

Here’s what helped me:

1. Find the activity you love. I used to think that learning to exercise was a matter of repeatedly doing things you hated until you didn’t hate them anymore. The problem was that it never happened like that for me. Either I did stick with an activity for a long time and still hated it (elliptical machine) or I couldn’t stand to stick with it at all (running).

Finally, I mustered the courage to try a group aerobics class. For some reason, group classes didn’t seem intolerable for me like the treadmill did. It was an epiphany: I didn’t have to keep doing things I hated. I could find something I loved. Since then, I’ve found that I love Zumba, kickboxing, step class, yoga, kayaking, and swimming. Keep trying different workouts until you find one (or several) that makes you happy.

2. Try group classes. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking some variation of: “But I’m too fat / too old / too slow / too out of shape.” You’re imagining that you won’t be able to keep up. That you’ll stand out. That everyone will be looking at you. You might be thinking of your social anxiety. You might be thinking of how heavy your breathing gets. But let me tell you: you’ve got group exercise classes all wrong! I know, because I did, too.

Exercise
I’m pretending like this is a photo of me in my exercise gear, but really this is me in my Halloween costume last year.
I was a dancer from the Gangnam Style video. Ahem.

Even for an introverted loner like me, group exercise classes are usually extremely welcoming. I’ve been to lots of them, and I’ve noticed that there are always young people, fat people, old people, skinny people, slow people, and fast people. There are dancers. There are uncoordinated people. There are people with bad knees who modify the exercises. Nobody gives anyone else a second glance. Half of us are going the wrong direction at any given time, so nobody feels weird when they mess up the exercise moves. Our teachers encourage us, “Just keep moving and have fun!” and we do! We shimmy, shake, salsa, meringue, and laugh. We laugh at ourselves; we laugh with each other.

In addition to being surprisingly comfortable, group exercise classes provide light, positive peer pressure. There’s an undercurrent of inspiration when you’re with so many other people striving for the same physical goal. You’re all quietly congratulating each other on getting to the gym and working hard. When you get tired, you don’t want to quit because others around you are still striving. I’ve found it tremendously motivating in a way working out in my living room could never be.

Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

3. Find the exercise that feels like a treat. When I’m doing something luxurious for myself, like getting a manicure, I really enjoy it. Exercise can be like that, but you have to figure out how. For me, exercise feels indulgent when I make time for it in the morning and then shower at the gym afterwards. This way I have my whole day ahead of me and I’ve set myself up to feel great. I also love going out for a healthy lunch Saturday after working hard in the gym, because I feel like I’m doing two great things for my body. For some of my friends, exercise feels indulgent when they leave their kids with a family member and make their workouts time to focus on themselves.

4. Find the exercise that gives you a sense of mastery. Find the exercise that, after you do it, makes you feel powerful and accomplished. For me, yoga is lovely for peace and mindfulness, but I don’t feel a sense of mastery after it like some people do. After a difficult cycle class, though, I feel like I just conquered the world. When you’re trying out different activities, evaluate how you feel afterwards. What gives you the “happy rush”?

5. Switch things up. I get bored doing the same exercise routine over and over. It makes things more exciting if I change up what classes I go to and what “extras” I do in the gym. I also vary the days and times that I workout. Look around for dance studios or gyms that offer a cheap membership and lots of variety. Also look for local lakes where you can rent canoes, swimming pools, rock climbing centers, hiking trails. Compile a long list of new activities to try so that you’re never bored.

Quick tip: Many gyms offer trial memberships so you can try out their classes and facilities. I took advantage of a lot of these when looking for a gym to join, and it helped me find the perfect one.

6. Just get yourself there. The other tips all sound great, but I’ve fallen back on this one more times than I can count. Even though I love the activities I’ve found (swimming, kayaking, Zumba, etc.) once I get there, making myself get ready and go to the gym is often a huge mental hurdle. So I’ve developed the mantra: “Just get yourself there.” I don’t worry about whether I have enough energy for class. I don’t think about how much I have to do at home. I don’t agonize over whether I “feel like it.” Instead, I tell myself, “Of course you don’t feel like it right now. But just get yourself there.” Once I’m in the gym with my gym clothes on, I know I’m going to be productive. I know I’ll feel even more accomplished having overcome my hurdle. So I turn other thoughts off and “just get myself there.”

Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

I hope these tips help someone out there. I know they’re not magic wands. There are those of you who can’t afford a gym membership for $15 a month, who can’t find childcare, who don’t have transportation, who have different physical abilities. But for those of you in the same place I was in over a year ago, with no exercise plan and no concept of how to begin, maybe this will inspire you a bit!

And more good news: you don’t have to stop eating peach cobbler. I still enjoy my treats each weekend. In fact, I think I enjoy them more knowing that I’ve worked hard to keep my body healthy overall.

What about you? What activities do you love? What exercise tips do you have?

One year ago: German Chocolate Cheesecake
Two years ago: Gooey Cookies & Cream Bars
Three years ago: Bittersweet Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
Four years ago: Peach Crisp Pie

Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 6 servings

This is the easiest cobbler known to mankind and also happens to be my favorite. It’s cakey and spongey in texture (not biscuity), which is why my family called it a “peach cobbler cake” when I was growing up.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
Dash of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 large (or two regular) cans peaches in light syrup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or 12-inch cast iron skillet) with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Melt the stick of butter and pour it unceremoniously into the prepared baking dish. Mix the milk into the dry ingredients, whisk until the lumps are gone (the batter will be very liquidy), and then pour this batter over top of the melted butter in the prepared dish.

Pour can(s) of peaches over top of the batter, syrup and all. Do NOT stir this — just let the peaches fall where they falls! Bake the cobbler for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and almost set. Serve hot with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

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Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring
Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

To Whom It May Concern: I’d like to submit my application to the superhero club. The superheroes we have now are all pretty unrealistic, in my opinion, and I think the world needs a superhero it can relate to. If accepted, I’d like to be kind of like Wonder Woman. But with pants, please.

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

Qualification #1: This past week I woke up at 5:15 in the morning not once but twice to make it to the 6 a.m. cycle class at my gym. I pedaled my heart out for 45 minutes and actually increased the resistance on my bike every time the instructor told us to. Mostly.

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

After class, I went through the awkward and delicate ritual of Showering At the Gym. This includes various trials such as the Don’t-Let-the-Towel-Drop dance as you apply lotion, the Am-I-Going-to-Get-MRSA shimmy as you try to shower without touching any surface, and finally, the Lug-All-My-Toiletries-Back-to-My-Car shuffle.

Certainly cinching my admittance into the superhero club is the fact that after these shenanigans, I actually made it to work on time.

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

Qualification #2: I made dinner three nights in a row this week despite working a more-than-full-time job. Night 2 was kind of lame, but nights 1 and 3 were awesome enough to make up for it.

This Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring was night 3’s dinner, and Whoever It Concerns, I have to tell you that this was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. It trumps all regular tacos and taco rings, and even my Taco Stuffed Crescent Rolls, which is really saying something. Because those things are nuts.

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

This Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring is stuffed with a mixture of hot sausage, sweet corn, green chiles, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. The result is a creamy, savory masterpiece with a little kick — not too much for kids — that is so delicious with some crisp iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, fresh guacamole, and sour cream. Since it uses Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, it’s quick and easy to whip up.

In conclusion, despite what Edna Mode says, I will prepare my cape. Thank you for your consideration.

One year ago: Vanilla Custard Soaked Pumpkin Poke Cake
Two years ago: Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread with Butter Rum Glaze
Three years ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Cheesecake
Four years ago: Mini-Pies: Pumpkin, Peach Crisp, and Sour Cream Apple

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 5-6 portions

Forget your usual tacos and even your usual taco rings: this taco ring is an explosion of hot sausage con queso with green chiles. It’s gonna blow your mind! And it’s so easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons salsa of your choice
1 tablespoon diced green chiles
1 pound hot sausage
olive oil (if needed)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and cover a round pizza pan with foil sprayed with cooking spray (or use a pizza stone or baking sheet). Place cream cheese, cheese, salsa, and chiles in a large bowl and set aside.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage. Remove the meat to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, reserving the grease in the skillet. As soon as sausage has drained for a minute, pour it into the cream cheese bowl. Set this aside to allow the cheeses to melt.

In the meantime, pour corn kernels into the skillet over medium heat (adding a little olive oil if there’s not enough grease) and cook 5-6 minutes or until heated through. Stir in 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning towards the end of cooking. Pour the hot corn over the cream cheese and sausage mixture. Stir together until well combined (it’ll take a bit, but it’ll come together).

Carefully unroll packages of crescent rolls, separating them into long triangles. Place triangles, points out, in a sun-like ring (allowing bases of the triangles to overlap). Press down on the overlapping bases to flatten the center of the ring to a consistent thickness. (If you’d like to see a video of these steps, I loved this one). Spoon sausage mixture all around the ring (you’ll need to really pile it high) and then tuck the points up and over the mixture. Bake until golden brown (let it get really golden to avoid doughiness), around 15 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, top it with cheddar cheese. Serve with salsa, cilantro, sour cream, chips, and guacamole.

If you want a winning weeknight dinner the family will enjoy, use Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Get more recipes at http://www.Pillsbury.com.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by General Mills via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are all mine, however, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills.

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