I just created this tonight but it was so good that I had to run here and tell you all about it. Even Keegan, The World’s Pickiest Eater, ate all of his and asked me to make it again tomorrow. YEAH. I know. I almost fainted.

These would make a great appetizer also. I cannot tell you how much I love puff pastry. It comes out so flaky and crisp. And in this recipe, with the saltiness of the bacon and smooth richness of the cream cheese…. just YUM! Sometimes I even impress myself.

Chicken Bacon Swirls

1 package frozen Puff Pastry sheets

5 slices of bacon, diced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or some ground turkey)

1 small shallot, diced

salt, pepper, garlic powder

whatever spices make you happy. (I used Penzey’s Mural of Flavor )

a handful of spinach, chopped

2-3 roasted red peppers, chopped

a big handful of shredded Italian mix cheese

about 4 ounces of garden veggie flavor cream cheese, softened

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the bacon til crispy. Set aside. Reserve a couple Tbsp of the fat.

Grind the chicken in your food processor (or just use pre-ground chicken or turkey).

Brown the chicken together with the shallot in the bacon fat. Season til it tastes good. (What? I don’t measure anything, ever!) Probably go easy on the salt, as bacon and cheese are both pretty salty.

In a big bowl, combine chicken, spinach, roasted red peppers, shredded cheese, and whatever bacon didn’t magically disappear while you were cooking.

Spread your puff pastry sheets out. On each one, spread 2 ounces of cream cheese. Heap half of the chicken mix on each. Roll them up jelly-roll style. Pinch the free end into the roll. Slice into 2 inch pieces, place slices cut side down on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and a bit crisp. Serve hot.

This was a spin on a soup that my granny makes. She calls hers Hamburger Soup, it’s just a combination of ground beef, various veggies, potatoes, and seasoning. It’s quick, delicious, hot, and filling- a great comfort food. I decided to give it my own spin today. So basically, you could put whatever you want to in this, I’m just giving you a general idea.

Tortellini Turkey Veggie Soup

• 2 tsp olive oil
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound Italian seasoned ground turkey (or unseasoned and you can season it however you’d like)
• 5 cups chicken broth (more or less, depending on how soupy you like it. remember the tortellini will suck some of it up)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 8 oz corn (canned, drained or frozen)
• 8 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 8 oz green beans (canned, drained or frozen)
• 8 oz dried tortellini
• salt, pepper, seasonings of your choice (I used onion powder and Italian seasoning)

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot. Saute the carrot, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until soft. Add turkey and brown, breaking up with a spoon. Add chicken broth, tomato paste, corn, tomatoes, and green beans. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook til tortellini is done. Season to taste.