Trying Pinterest Recipes: Round One

I'm back at Syracuse for the spring semester, and this year I swapped a depressing dorm room for a three-bedroom apartment off campus. Having my own kitchen means that I'm able to cook all of my own meals, which I learned is quite a bit of work but beats eating in the dining hall. In an effort to prevent myself from making canned soup or quesadillas every night,  I've been scouring Pinterest for the best food-spiration. Most of the recipes I've tested are surprisingly tasty. I thought I'd review some of my Pinterest-inspired meals as part of a "Trying Pinterest Recipes" series, in hopes of inspiring other to break out of their boring meal routine.

Recipe 1: Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese

Original Recipe here: Closet Cooking

One word: amazing. My love for grilled cheese has been undying since I was a child. This savory combination of provolone, spinach, and pesto is mouth-watering and more sophisticated than your typical sliced-American-on-white-bread combination. The original recipe calls for graviera cheese and spinach pesto; I used provolone cheese, basil pesto, and baby spinach leaves. I also chose multigrain bread, but of course you can use whichever kind of bread you prefer. This sandwich is so easy and delicious that I've made it for lunch three days in a row now. 

Recipe 2: Italian Hero Crescent Ring

Original Recipe here: Pillsbury 

Alright, this is more like an Italian Hero Crescent Mess. The instructions call for putting lunch meat, cheese, and peppers into a Pillsbury crescent roll, assembling the roll, and baking in the oven. My boyfriend and I used salami and pepperoni, and I added provolone cheese and peppers to mine. As you can see in the picture, my cheese-filled side of the crescent roll fell apart in the oven. Maybe I'm at fault for rolling the crescents wrong. The sandwich on the left looks pretty impressive though, right? The combination of spicy lunch meat and buttery crescent roll is unique, but I quite liked it. I'm sure my boyfriend and I will make this again someday. 

Recipe 3: Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

Original Recipe here: Cooking Classy

I'm a fan of thick soups and chowders, and this recipe blew me away. I had no trouble making the chowder, even as a college student with almost no prior cooking experience. I'll admit, my version of the chowder doesn't look nearly as appetizing as the original, but I'm sure it tasted just as good. I left out the bacon and peppers in my version. Also, since I have weird taste buds, I think this chowder is amazing with hot sauce. My favorite is Cholula.

Next on my recipe radar: Greek yogurt mac n'cheese and risotto!