Baked Pizza Pasta

This is super easy to prepare and does well when prepped ahead of time. I made it two days ahead, stuck it in my fridge, then baked it the night we wanted it. I think it would also freeze really well. The recipe is really a no-brainer, but I wanted to be sure I have it as an idea for the future!

Link to recipe

Mushroom Lasagna

WOW, this was excellent. This would be a great company meal--you can make it ahead of time and just bake it when you're ready. It also makes a great freezer meal--bake it, then wrap it well, thaw it out and heat it up. That's if it makes it to the freezer....it's so good! It's like a creamy alfredo pasta with mushrooms but layered and pretty. Norris, who as a kid declared "I don't want no basagna!" loved it. So good!!
This was one of those meals that I made on a Sunday cooking spree and tasted as I went (hey, practice what I preach at school, right??), which made me excited all day Monday about having it for dinner. The sauce, the noodles, the mushrooms, so good. I would even add some sauteed spinach next time for another flavor dimension. I just sprinkled crushed red pepper on top and it was perfect.

Mushroom Lasagna

from Ina Garten

Ingredients

salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I added this based on reviews)
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided (I used 1 stick...couldn't quite go for 1 1/2 sticks of butter in one dish)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used about 1/3 tsp)
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (I used a little over a pound of button mushrooms), stemmed and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (added this in)
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Cook the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper until they release juices and are tender, about five minutes.

For the white sauce, bring the milk and garlic to a simmer in a saucepan (I heated milk and garlic in the microwave). Set aside. Melt  butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. After working in the milk, add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.
To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8x12x2 or 9x13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni

Make this soon! It's quick to make and you can have all the dishes (except the baking dish) done while it bakes for 15 minutes! This was the best chicken parmesan I've had--loved the addition of the pepperonis and really loved the cheesy, kind of crispy sauce mixture after the baking was done. It was perfect with spicy caesar salad.

The only changes I made were to use olive oil (and about half the amount) and to reduce the amount of marinara sauce--I don't like my chicken parm completely covered with the sauce. I'll just link you to the Food & Wine recipe I found on Eat, Live, Run! (plus, she has better pictures:)

Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni

Pizza Pizza Pizza!!

We had a pizza night while Anika was visiting. We made THREE big pizzas--a turkey pepp and mushroom, a turkey pepp, and this one, which was definitely the best! Roasted red peppers, goat cheese, wilted spinach, and seasoned olive oil. Yummmmm!!

Slow Cooker Puffy Pizza Casserole

It's no secret that we love our homemade pizza in this household, but I wanted to try something new. A Year of Slow Cooking is a great resource during the school year as it has all slow cooker recipes (and so much variety!!). She cooks all gluten free, so check out her site if that applies to your family also!

Norris really loved this--he wants me to make it again tomorrow. He said it was like "pizza and dumplings" I cooked the ground beef and made the tomato sauce the night before so that all I had to do on the night I wanted to make it was to pour it all in the crockpot and turn it on! It takes 4 hours on high, which is a strange amount if you work until 5 or so and don't have a chance to go home to turn it on. But for me, it was perfect and ready at around 7:30! (a little late, but it was Norris' late class night). I would cut back on the salt a bit next time, but wouldn't make any other changes!!

Seriously, casseroles and enchiladas make the worst pictures, and they taste great!

Slow Cooker Puffy Pizza Casserole

from A Year of Slow Cooking (I wrote in my changes; click the link to see original recipe)

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

homemade spaghetti mix packet (recipe below)

1/2 tsp oregano

15 oz tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 cup AP flour

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

20 pepperoni slices

Spaghetti sauce mix:

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp dried minced onion

1 tbsp parsley flakes

1 tsp white sugar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Cook meat with onion and garlic, then drain fat. Stir in tomato sauce, oregano, water, and spaghetti sauce mix. Allow mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. (at this point I put it in the fridge until the next day)

Spray 4 quart slow cooker and pour meat sauce in bottom.

Combine flour, eggs, milk, and cheese in separate bowl, then pour on top of meat sauce. Top with pepperonis and cover with lid. Cook on high for about 4 hours, until the top becomes light golden brown and the bread layer begins to pull away from the sides.

Magic Pizza Dough

Yep, I still make pizza about once a week. Turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, and a 75% whole wheat crust. Now I have been making batches of dough, putting a portion in the freezer, and sticking it in the fridge a day before I want to use it. Then the next night after dinner, I assemble the pizza, then bake it the next day to minimize actual prep time before dinner/after soccer practice!

I found a tie for a favorite. This is from Good Things Catered, and I see why it's called Magic Pizza Dough. I made this with my kids and they got really creative with their toppings! They could not believe how good homemade pizza is. Only one of them had ever even had homemade! A lot of them put fresh jalapenos on theirs, which turned out to be my personal favorite topping choice of them all!

Here is the link to the dough: Magic Pizza Dough. Give it a try! It's so easy--drop the ingredients in your food processor, stick it in a Ziploc until the next night, assemble your pizza, and bake. Since you can pop your food processor into the dishwasher, the only thing you'll have to wash is your pizza pan! I don't have a pizza stone, so I baked them on regular pizza pans and they were excellent!

 

Magic pizza dough:

2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp honey

3/4 cup water (105-110 degrees)

scant 1/4 cup olive oil

 

In bowl of food processor, add flour, yeast, and salt. (If you're making it the same day you're using it, use 2 1/4 tsp yeast)

Turn food processor on and while running add honey and water.

Slowly add olive oil until dough just comes together around the blade.

Turn food processor off and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter.

Pull dough together with a few throws against the counter. If you need a little extra water or flour, add it.

Place dough into large gallon size ziploc and refrigerate overnight (or if using it the same day, put the bag in a warm spot like the top of the fridge for an hour or two)

remove dough from fridge and place on counter to come to room temp (if you used the fridge)

Roll out dough, top it, and bake for about 10 minutes in a 500 degree oven.

Weeknight Pizza

I should call this "weekLY" pizza instead of weeknight pizza, because I have made it every week for at least the last four weeks! Norris loves it, and I feel better about it since I know what I put in it. I can put it together in less than thirty minutes, most of which are just waiting time, and bake it in 20. Put a salad on the side and you're good to go--quick weeknight dinner, a lot cheaper than take out!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 package fast rising yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (bread flour is best)
1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

toppings I pretty much always use:
2% shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup or so?)
turkey pepperonis (I can normally get three pizza's worth out of the little bag)
pasta sauce (yep, the cheap stuff straight from the jar!)
mushrooms (I buy 5 from the bulk bin and it covers the whole pizza perfectly)

Dissolve yeast and sugar into water in a medium bowl. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, or until it's creamy.
Stir in flour, olive oil, and salt until smooth. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes (depending on TV commercial breaks... :) Preheat oven to 450.
Sprinkle a little cornmeal on your pizza pan and then roll out your dough. I always use a little extra flour at this point too so it doesn't stick to me. I have to press it out from the middle to get it to cover the whole pan.
Top it with whatever you want--I need to branch out here!!--and bake in the 450 oven for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

I did something out of character for me this week--went to the grocery store with no idea of what I was going to buy. I normally have a list so that I don't buy a bunch of random stuff that goes bad before I get to it, and so that I know we'll actually have enough food so that I won't have to go back to the store in a couple days! (lately trending more toward not having enough!)

I came home with a bunch of mushrooms and some whole wheat kaiser rolls, and had a random part of a jar of spaghetti sauce in the fridge, so I went for a chicken parmesan sandwich. I am sure a sandwich similar to this is available from many other sources, and I definitely know I'm not the first to come up with this. I did a quick google search just to see what other recipe sources would come up, and they are endless. I just stuck with the idea in my head, so here it is. Simple, done in less than 30 minutes, and really good! Norris loved them!

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

(makes four sandwiches)

6 chicken breast tenderloins
1/3 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
mushrooms (as many as you want), sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup or more of marinara sauce
3 slices mozzarella cheese
4 rolls or buns of your choice

Preheat oven to 375. Set up standard breading procedure--shallow bowls or plates with raw chicken, next with flour, next with beaten egg, next with breadcrumbs, then a sprayed baking sheet. Lightly coat each piece with flour, then egg (shake off excess), then breadcrumbs and spread out on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on each side.
As these are baking, heat a saute pan with the olive oil in it. Once it's ripply, saute garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add in the mushrooms and saute until done.
Heat up marinara and buns while you wait.
After the chicken is done, add the cheese to the top of the pieces (a half piece per chicken tenderloin) and stick under the broiler until bubbly on top. Assemble your sandwiches and enjoy!
(I used 1.5 chicken tenderloins per sandwich; make it even easier and just cook whole chicken breasts and use one per sandwich, obviously:)

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls

These are a variation of a recipe found here. Simple and easy to assemble within the 45 minute time constraint of our class. (I'm one of the few in the building pretty excited for block schedule next year!) This recipe makes enough for 8 hungry teenagers! We sprinkled a little extra of the shredded cheese on top, too. You could easily add meat to these--shredded chicken would be great with the white "sauce" inside.

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:

16 lasagna noodles

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 c shredded mozzarella

1/2 c shredded parmesan

1 T plus 1 t dried oregano

2 t dried thyme

Pepper to taste

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped fine

2 eggs

2 jars of pasta sauce (we used 1.5 of the "regular" sized spaghetti sauce cans)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.Cook your noodles according to directions until just slightly under cooked. They will cook more in the oven.Combine the cheese in a bowl. Measure out ¼ cup of the mixture and set aside. Mix the remaining ingredients (except for the pasta sauce), into the cheese mixture.
Remove the noodles from the water, and set on a sprayed or lined baking sheet - do not overlap or they will stick together.Prep two 8"x8" baking dishes with oil, then adding a thin layer of pasta sauce to the bottom of each.Take about 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture, and spread it over a lasagna noodle. Roll the noodle and place it in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining noodles. Top the lasagna rolls with the remainder of the pasta sauce. Then sprinkle on the reserved mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Wrap the baking dish with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden.

Pizza Pizza!

I have not had great luck at many things yeast lately. I decided to re-try the pizza dough again, and after a little work (and quite a bit of extra flour!) my dough finally came to a good consistency and it turned out tasting great. It was somewhere between a thin and thick crust, which is what we like the best. I got this recipe from a quick search on allrecipes.com and changed it a little bit according to suggestions and our own liking. Topped it with some tomato sauce mixed with Italian herbs, pepperonies, mushrooms, and cheese. (Oops, forgot that I was out of mozzarella, so my lovely husband went to the store for me...came back with the best of intentions, fat free cheese...not so great to melt over a pizza! It still tasted pretty good, just not as melty (is that a word??) as it could have been. No complaints here--just thankful he went to the store for me!!) Served with a salad, it was a hearty Saturday night meal, and a lot cheaper than ordering in!

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

(changed slightly by yours truly)

Ingredients:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45degrees C)
1 1/2 c AP flour

1 c whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t Pizza Seasoning (came in our spice rack...smells like it's similar to Italian seasoning)
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2.Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3.Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.