Pesto Loaf: Version 1

Pesto Loaf

Version 1:

½ cup pesto (see below)

½ cup feta

¼ cup goat cheese

¼ cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 6-oz can tomato paste

salt and pepper

1 lb stir fry beef, browned and diced

2 tubes Pillsbury crescent rolls

Pesto:

1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

½ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

1.     Make pesto: Blend ingredients until smooth. Season to taste.

2.     Blend cheeses, oil, and garlic.

3.     Heat oven to 375* F.

4.     Lay dough in rectangle on baking sheet.

5.     Add filling: beef, cheese, paste, pesto. Wrap in dough.

6.     Bake 20 minutes, or until dough is golden brown.

Changes I would make:

Instead of layering sauces/cheeses separately, I would rather mix them all together; maybe even cook them with the beef (if using ground beef) like Lasagna Loaf. Next time, I would even use ground beef rather than stir fry beef. Also, less oil might be best, as some of the pesto leaked a bit as it was folded and first cooking. Again, nothing horribly wrong, but I think there might be a better texture and overall balance of flavors. In sum: a success for first time experimentation with these ingredients.