Today's Recipe: Pesto Cheese Blossoms

I don't cook the holiday meal for my family, my grandmother and mother have that duty.  So, if you are in my position you may want to take a snack for the cooks.  This is my favorite dish.  OMG!!!  It is fantasic!  I have posted as Paula Deen wrote it but I tweek for me.  I double the pesto recipe and the sun-dried tomatoes.  If I serve this at an Open House party, I make two.  They go fast and if there is any leftover, I use it in pasta.  You can add chicken or shrimp or veggies to the pasta and it is wonderful!  Enjoy :-)

Pesto Cheese Blossoms


Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package sliced provolone cheese
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature
20 pistachios, shelled
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions
Line a medium bowl with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the top. Reserving 3 slices of the provolone, line the bottom and sides of the bowl with the remaining provolone, overlapping the slices. For the cream cheese layer, process the cream cheese, pistachios, and 1 of the garlic cloves in a food processor until blended; scrape the mixture into a bowl and set aside. For the pesto layer, process the basil, parsley, pine nuts, and the remaining garlic clove in the food processor until blended. Dissolve the salt and pepper in the olive oil and mix well.



With the machine running, add the oil in a fine stream. Scrape this mixture into a second bowl and set aside. For the tomato layer, drain the tomatoes, reserving the oil. Puree the tomatoes with a small amount of the reserved oil in a food processor. Spread some of the cream cheese mixture over the cheese slices lining the bowl. Layer the pesto mixture, half of the remaining cream cheese mixture, the sun-dried tomato mixture, and then remaining cream cheese mixture in the bowl. Cover with the remaining provolone. Bring the edges of the plastic wrap together over the top and secure with a twist tie. Freeze until firm. Remove the plastic wrap and invert the mold onto a serving platter. Serve with party crackers. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Paula Deen