My slight basil surplus turned out to be a good thing.  A very, very, good thing.

I made pesto! Basil, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, walnuts.

Not content to just toss my freshly-made pesto with some pasta, I turned to an old-favorite— twice-baked potatoes.  Seriously— is it even possible to dislike twice-baked potatoes? Yeah, didn’t think so.

I ditched the traditional sour cream/cheddar/bacon combo and went for some Italian ingredients to give these homely lil’ taters a gourmet flair.  I mashed the potatoes with some fresh mozzarella, a sprinkle of grated parmesan, and lots of ricotta.  I added some bacon (I didn’t have any pancetta. Boo.) and swirled in a few generous spoonfuls of pesto, as well as some dried oregano and rosemary. Diced tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar and Italian spices poured over the potatoes after baking served as the perfect finishing touch.

These potatoes are good ‘ol fashioned comfort food loaded (ha.) with flavor. I don’t have an exact recipe for you, because these really are made to taste, but here’s some of my notes if you’d like to make these for yourself!

Italian Twice-Baked Potatoes

Mix-In Ideas

• Cheese— I used parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta.
• Pesto. A must.
• Pancetta or Bacon
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Your favorite dried herbs— I used oregano and rosemary. Maybe try an Italian seasoning blend?
• Roasted garlic

Bake up some potatoes until they’re nice and soft on the inside.  I baked mine at 400 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes.  Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut in half. Scoop out the insides and set aside in a bowl to combine with your mix-ins. Once you’ve incorporated your mix-ins of choice, re-fill the potato skins and bake again until warmed through, and cheese has melted.  I baked mine for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Top with balsamic marinated tomatoes, or some more pesto or….both. Delicious.

Have you ever made a quesadilla with fruit inside? Me neither.  Until today.

See, I’ve been doing some soul-searching.  Up until…oh, two hours ago, I believed that peaches were meant for one thing and one thing only—dessert. Peach pie, peach cobbler, peach crisp, etc. etc. etc.  Any peach that crossed my path was destined to a sugary fate of pastry and ice cream.

No longer.  Perfectly ripe summer peaches and…sharp cheddar cheese.  I also tossed in a few slivers of caramelized onion and a few snips of chives from my ridiculously overgrown herb garden.  These quesadillas had that wonderful sweet and salty flavor goin’ on.

Here’s how to make ‘em!

Cheddar Peach Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 tortilla, cut in half
• 1  small peach, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 TB chopped red onion
• Butter/oil

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, melt a small amount of butter or oil over low/medium heat.  Stir in chopped onions and cook until soft and slightly caramelized.
2. In a separate pan, heat butter.  Add half of the tortilla.  Layer half the shredded cheese, peach slices, and caramelized onions.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese to ensure maximum gooeyness.  Place the other tortilla half on top of the cheddar peach mixture.
3. Cook on both sides—until golden brown and slightly crispy. Cut into wedges and serve with a side of plain yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy!