Romantic Dinner Inspired by Pepperoni {3 Recipes!}
This romantic dinner inspired by pepperoni, featuring recipes for Pepperoni Hummus, Antipasto Salad with Pepperoni Vinaigrette, and Pan-seared Chicken with Pepperoni and Ricotta Pureé and bacon-wrapped asparagus, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All recipes, stories, photos, and opinions are my own. (Well, the recipes are my husband’s, but ya know what I mean.) #PepItUp #CollectiveBias
I don’t know about you, but my holidays are already getting busy. Finding time to make a dinner, much less a romantic dinner, is getting to be impossible. Howard, Benjamin, and I have been going out to eat way too much and even if we don’t go out, we are ordering or picking up pizza or chicken for dinner. This past weekend was Thanksgiving and the night before we can always count on Benjamin spending the night with Granny and Papa, so Howard and I decided to stay in and have a romantic dinner together. Since we’ve been having chicken and pepperoni pizza a lot lately we felt inspired to create a dinner using these two ingredients. With Howard’s 20 years of chef experience and my taste buds for inspiration, he created these three dishes…and then said I could share them on the blog for you to enjoy as well!
I’ve learned to enjoy grocery shopping alone while the boys stay at home as long as I have a list. When I saw pepperoni on the list, I knew it had to be Hormel pepperoni. There’s just not a better pepperoni out there on the grocery shelves! Plus, you can totally save $1.00 on the purchase of any two (2) HORMEL® Pepperoni packages with this coupon!
Need even more recipe inspiration? Check out Hormel on Facebook and Twitter or search #PepItUp on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Howard knew I would need something to tide me over while he cooked (even though this was one of the quickest meals he’s ever made!) so he started with some homemade Pepperoni Hummus. You know, I always thought hummus looked and sounded disgusting until I actually tried it and now I cannot get enough of it and this was the first time he’s ever made it for me homemade. I was excited to try it!
What you’ll need:
1 can chick peas
2 tbsp. Tahini
1 package of Hormel pepperoni
1 lemon (juice)
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
What to do:
Blend until smooth
Serve with pita chips – see, easy peasy!
Next, Howard wanted to make an antipasto. He’s been craving one and there is not a restaurant in town that makes a good salad like he can make. He decided to top it with a pepperoni vinaigrette to make things even tastier.
What you’ll need (for the salad):
1 head of lettuce (or just a bag of lettuce like we did)
1 red onion
1 inch thick slice of ham (from the deli)
1 inch thick slice of salami (from the deli)
1 package of Hormel pepperoni
provolone cheese slices
mozzarella cheese slices
What you’ll need (for the vinaigrette):
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot
1 package of Hormel pepperoni
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
What to do:
Blend all the ingredients except olive oil and salt and pepper until incorporated. Slowly add in olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.
We like to do things easy around our house!
As you can tell, we like our meals quick and easy, but we have the taste buds of a fine dining experience. Now, for the main dish, we decided on chicken with pepperoni ricotta pureé, with bacon-wrapped asparagus and rice.
What you’ll need:
chicken cutlets
Italian bread crumbs
2 cups ricotta
1 package of Hormel pepperoni
1 lemon (juice)
Salt and pepper
Pick whatever sides you would like. We used pre-made bacon wrapped asparagus and 90-second rice pilaf.
What to do:
Dust the chicken with breadcrumbs and sear in hot pan. Brown the chicken on both sides and put on sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven on 400º until cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, put ricotta and pepperoni along with lemon juice and salt/pepper in the blender until smooth.
This amazing pepperoni-inspired romantic dinner is so easy and super quick. You can do this at home any night, even if the kids are around. Seriously, three dishes in less than an hour and everyone is sure to love it! So…if you feel inspired, but you’ve already planned for dinner tonight, go ahead and pin the photo below and save it for later!
Because you mentioned this Hormel Pepperoni in your blog, I bought it a while ago. I’ll definitely try these romantic dinner recipes later. Thanks for the inspiration.
The peperoni hummus looks so good!
Heather recently posted..December Bloggy Moms Blog Hop
I love these pepperoni inspired recipes! We buy Hormel pepperonis for when we make pizza at home. It’s delicious!
I need to make a nice, romantic meal for my hubs. Thanks for the inspiration!
Okay this is some amazing creativity – and how lucky are you that your husband is a Chef! Simply amazing! I thought these ideas were a little far fetched at first, but after reading everything that your husband did to make this meal – I am inspired to try it!
What a great meal! I love the antipasta salad. Yum!
Honestly, I love pepperoni. I eat it right out of the package or put it on a cracker with cheese.
I have been putting peperoni on everything lately. Thanks for some more inspiration!
Christine @Saved by Grace Blog recently posted..50+ Mason Jar Crafts
Sounds like fun recipes. I buy those packages and they’re too big, so I throw them in the freezer. They freeze really well, and I don’t worry about them going bad.
Debi @ Life Currents recently posted..How to Use Yummly
I had never thought of making hummus that way! Brilliant!
Debra recently posted..10 Fabulous DIY Christmas Wreaths
Who knew that pepperoni could be used in so many dishes! Looks like a great dinner.
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) recently posted..Potato Kale Cakes with Rouille – #glutenfree
I love the kick of spice from the pepperoni in the hummus. What a tasty idea!
Liz Mays recently posted..‘Tis the Season to #GiftSmart with RadioShack
These all look delicious! My hubby would love any of them.
Jenn recently posted..Homemade Peppermint Patties
Yum! I want to try all these. That hummus especially has my mouth watering. Thanks for sharing your date night in. #client
I love snacking on those hormel pepporoni slices. I will have to try your recipes with them.
Michelle F. recently posted..My Secret to Quick, Beautiful and Shiny Hair! + Curls!
Oh I never thought about combining pepperoni and hummus, I love hummus.
Heather recently posted..Fresh and Healthy: Simple Steps for Making Homemade Baby Food
My hubby and I love pepperoni. I think that hummus sounds AWESOME.