Q-tip: Quick and Easy Pizza

I love pizza. Love, love, love pizza. But I don't necessarily love restaraunt chain pizza. It's ok, but after a few pieces, the grease just sits in my gut. Bleck. I can really only eat fast-food pizza about once a month, if that.

I love homemade pizza! I love the fresh flavor, the delicious crust, the feeling of accomplishing something awesome.

Sometimes, though, I don't have time to make pizza dough.

Do you know what pizza crust is? It's essentially bread. Right?

When you think of it that way, a whole new world of pizza possibilities comes into view. I'm going to share some of my favorite bread pizza crusts.

French bread: Just slice French bread in half long wise, then into smaller sections as you see fit. Slather on some pizza sauce (this is as easy as spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings in it - you can add a dollup of tomato paste to thicken it a bit), cover with cheese and your desired toppings, then put in the oven to bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Each member of the family can decorate their own pizza with desired toppings. It's a great way to get the family involved!

English muffins: Same concept as the French bread. These are fun because the sour dough gives the pizza  different depth of flavor. Plus, the pizzas are already personal sized. Make sure the muffins are cut in half, cover with sauce and toppings. I usually put my English muffin pizzas in to broil for a few minutes - just until the cheese is melted.

Bread: Yes. A boring slice of bread can instantly become a piece of pizza. This is fun if you have a picky eater. It's obviously not as gourmet as the other two options, but it's fun to have an open cheese and pepperoni sandwich and call it pizza. Just toast a piece of bread and top it with a slice of American cheese while the bread is still hot. If the cheese doesn't melt, pop it in the microwave for 5 seconds. If you are going to top it with pepperoni, consider toasting the bread with cheese and pepperoni in a toaster over. If you don't have a toaster oven, cosider broiling for a minute or two. I think I'd probably skip the tomato sauce on thes one. Instead, I would serve it with tomato soup.

So, the next time you have no idea what to make for dinner, consider making pizza. And remember, you're not limited to kneading your own pizza dough. Pin It

Creme Brulee French Toast

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBSP corn syrup
1 loaf Texas toast bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

In a small sauce pan, melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth - stirring occasionally. Pour mixture onto a lare greased jelly roll pan (18x13x1). Spread to cover surface. Place 12 slices of Texas toast bread in a single layer to cover pan. Mix together eggs, half & half, salt and vanilla. Spoon mixture over each piece of bread. Bake uncovered at 350* for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and serve with syrup butter.

*D: This is such a delicious, SWEET treat of a breakfast! It takes a little preparation, but it's so worth it.

The "jelly roll pan" is just a cookie sheet.

We used Texas toast, but we didn't get 12 pieces to fit. Just squish in what you can. Any sides that touch will stick together. It's no big deal because you can just cut them apart with a spatula.

When the toast is done, I flip it over so the sugary side is on top and custardy side is on the bottom. My husband didn't like that the two sides were different at first, but then I explained that's why it's called creme brulee. There is custard on the bottom and a burnt sugar layer on top.

Really, this is decadent and divine. So worth trying at least once. Pin It

Syrup Butter for Creme Brulee French Toast

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups maple syrup

Melt together and serve over toast.

*D: 3 cups maple syrup?! Maybe if you're feeding an army. We only used a half a cup of butter and 1 cup of maple syrup and we had tons of leftovers. Pin It

Creamy Salsa Chicken Wraps

2-4 chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. salsa
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours OR high 3-4 hours.

Just before serving, shred chicken and mix back into sauce. Then stir in:
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Serve with warm flour tortillas and Spanish rice.

*D: This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes ever. I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the crock pot on high for 3 hours exactly (I set a timer), and it was done. The chicken was tender, so shredding with two forks was easy and only took me a few minutes.

I found that my sauce was really runny. In the future I might skip the chicken broth and just put in a tsp of chicken bouillon.

So yummy! Seriously, I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. I'm not kidding. Pin It

Minty Bells

2/3 c. brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup of butter (I have only used real butter)
1 TB water
1 c. of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 package of Andes mints

On medium heat, stirring constantly, melt brown sugar, butter and water. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool 10-15 minutes.  Then add flour, egg and baking soda.

Beat thoroughly.  Cover and chill 1 hour. Shape in balls (I use a cookie scoop) and bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (they are better cookies soft rather than crunchy--my oven takes 10 min).  Remove from oven and while still on cookie sheet place an Andes mint (or part of one depending on how big your cookies are) on each cookie and gently press down.  Once it has melted use a knife to 'frost' each cookie with the melted mint and move to cooling racks.

Enjoy!

*D: Oh. My. Goodness. These cookies are DELICIOUS!!! You will want to double the batch - at least - every time. SO good.


Use real butter and semi-sweet chips for best results. Once the mint is melted onto the cookie, you can eat it. But, when the mint cools, it forms a bit of a hard frosting, and that is almost better.


Seriously, these are so good. Pin It

Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

AKA Jam Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter
Raisin Filling, Apple-cinnamon Filling, Apricot-Coconut Filling, 10 oz (1 1/4 cup) preserves

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Cut in margarine or butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x3 inch baking pan. Spread with desired filling. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.

Bake at 350* for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 25.

Raisin Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 water, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Add 1 cup raisins. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.

Apple-Cinnamon Filling: Peel, core and chop 2 medium apples (about 10 oz). In a medium saucepan, combine apples, 2 TBSP sugar, 2 TBSP water, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and a dash ground cloves. Bring apple mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or till apples are very tender.

Apricot-Coconut Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup snipped dried apricots and 2/4 cup water. Bring apricot mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 TBSP all-purpose flour. Stir into apricot mixture. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or til very thick. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut.

*D: If you skip making a filling and just use your favorite jam, this is about the easiest recipe in the world.

A few modifications: I greased the bottom of my pan! I also reserved about 3/4 of a cup of topping, and it worked out great.

About 2 years ago I made like a million half pints of plum jam, and I still have about 50 jars (not joking) left in my basement. This was a great way to use those! So I've had this recipe with strawberry jam and plum jam, both ways are delicious. I'm considering making a peach version as well.

Seriously, this is really easy and very delicious. It's not to heavy, so I don't feel guilty going back for seconds. :) Pin It

Six-can Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 - 15 oz can of corn, drained
2  - 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
1 - 10 oz can of chunk chicken (or 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked chicken)
1 - 14 oz can black beans
1 - 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or whatever you have)

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Cook on medium heat until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

Cook's Note: This recipe requires an oath of secrecy from the cook. Get rid of all the cans and then don't tell a soul. Your family and guests will think you've been cooking all day to create such a perfectly delicious homemade soup.

*D: This is about the easiest recipe I've ever come across. Every single one of the ingredients I keep in my food storage! It was fast, fresh and delicious. Very, very good. Mmmmm.

One thing I particularly loved about this soup was that the "canned chicken" flavor was absent. A lot of recipes seem to accentuate the fact that your chicken comes from a can. In this soup, all chicken is created equal.

We used a can of diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro. Sounds yummy, right? Well...it was, but we couldn't really taste the lime and cilantro part. So I'm not sure it really matters what flavor tomatoes you use.

We did not put cheese on top. There is only one soup I will put cheese on, and this is not it. But that might be your thing, so go for it. When serving chips with soup, you can just alternate bites between chips and soup, or you can skip the spoon and use your chip. Either way, it's yummy.

Try this out and tell me what you think. Pin It

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2/3 cup chunky salsa
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 TBSP Oregano
1 can black beans, drained
soft taco sized tortillas (about 12)
1/4 cup melted butter (or a bottle of butter spray)
2 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 5o 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. combine all ingredients except tortillas, butter, and cheese into a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated.

2. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto center of tortilla. Top with a little shredded cheese. Fold 2 sides over filling, fold ends down. Place seam side down onto a cookie sheet.

3. Brush or spray the tops with butter. Bake at 475 degrees for about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. If not golden brown by this time, put under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Top with guacamole, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and/or cheese.

*D: This is a great freezer recipe! It makes about 12 - 14 chimichangas. You can just separate the leftovers and put them in a freezer bag.

I topped them with cheese and then baked them, and it was delicious.

I did not cook my chimichangas on a cookie sheet, I did it in a glass baking dish. I think either would work fine. I made two batches. The second time I accidentally forgot to put butter on top, and they turned out ok.

These had a very unique (and yummy!) flavor. They were relatively easy, and most of the ingredients are things I have on hand.

Yum! Pin It

Enchilada-zanga

2 - 3 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into small pieces (about 3 cups), divided
1 can (28 oz) or 2 cans (15 oz each) mild red enchilada sauce
1 container (8oz) sour cream
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups (8 oz pkg) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies, undrained
1 pkg (12) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 13x9 inch baking dish.

Combine enchilada sauce and sour cream in a medium bowl, set aside. Combine evaporated milk, cheese and chilies in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture on bottom of prepared baking dish. Layer with 4 tortillas, 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, 1 1/2 cups chicken, 1 cup cheese sauce; repeat layers one more time, starting with tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas, enchilada sauce and cheese sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

*D: I was intrigued by the whole lasagna meets enchiladas concept, but what really got me was the evaporated milk. What? Well, I have most, if not all, of these ingredients in my food storage, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I followed the instructions as is. I probably added about 3 cups of cheese because I wasn't sure 2 was enough. Good call on my part. I drained my chilies. I didn't have enough cooked chicken, so I had to use a can. The flavor wasn't as good, but it works in a pinch.

Here is how the layers go, starting from the bottom.

1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
4 corn tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
1 1/2 cups chicken
1 cup cheese sauce
4 corn tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
1 1/2 cups chicken
1 cup cheese sauce
4 corn tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
1 cup cheese sauce

It is always easier for me to see it in a list like that when I'm layering dishes.

I usually sprinkle cheese on top of a casserole, but since the last ingredient is cheese sauce, I did not. It turned out just fine, I thought.

This is a delicious, easy casserole that tastes just like enchiladas. Very, very good. Pin It

Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - optional
1 TBSP sugar
5 oz cold unsalted butter, cubed (9 tablespoons)
5 oz grated sharp cheese
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425*. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar. Add cold butter and rub into flour mixture with fingertips to achieve a coarse cornmeal texture. Add in cheese.

Make a well in the flour, add milk, work gently with a fork until dough pulls together.

Put onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for several minutes. Roll 1/2" thick. Cut biscuits with a 2" round floured cutter. Place on lightly floured cookie sheet and bake 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

*D: So...you've never made homemade biscuits before? Feeling...overwhelmed? Nervous? Scared? Intimidated?

Don't.

This is just about the EASIEST recipe in the history of easy recipes. I made this for the first time when I was first married (a million years ago). It was so easy, I've never looked for another biscuit recipe. You don't even need a mixer to make this. You use your fingers and then a fork. Easy. Seriously. Another thing I love is that I usually have every ingredient on hand. Biscuits are one of those foods that people are so impressed when you make them, but they're so easy you feel a little guilty accepting the praise.

Not too guilty though. You did, after all, do everything by hand.

Ok, so I have never added the cayenne pepper. I probably should just to see how the flavor is. Half a tsp is a good small amount, so if you're feeling spicy - get it? Spicy...ok. - add it in and tell me how it tastes.

I make this recipe for biscuits and gravy. When I do that, I omit the cheddar, but usually throw in some Parmesan just for kicks.

The butter measurement is a little whack. What's up with 5 oz of butter?! That is 9 tablespoons, meaning an entire stick of butter and a little sliver of another stick. It is easier to chop it up into small cubes before adding it to the flour. But when I made this last night, I forgot to chop so I just had a little more rubbing to do with my finger tips. No biggie. Also, 5 ounces of cheese? That's 5/8 of a cup. So, either make it a half or 3/4 depending on how much you love cheese. And I never have sharp on hand, so I make it with mild. I also sprinkled it on top before baking. I like cheese.

For fun you can add food coloring to the dough (I've done it for St. Patrick's day) or cut the biscuits with cookie cutters for fun shapes. Pin It

Amish Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup cooking oil
4 scant cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Cream all wet ingredients. Addy dry ingredients. Add flour until it doesn't stick to the bowl. Chill. Roll into balls, dip in sugar and softly press with fork. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. They will be very light, as if they are not done.

*D: Disclaimer: I have NO idea why these are called Amish Cookies. They might as well be called Almond cookies. Don't ask me, I just write the recipes as they come.

I made these last night and Tyler loves them. They have the consistency of a snickerdoodle, but the light cherry type flavor of almonds.

I got this recipe from a fellow volunteer in Ecuador, so this recipe is exactly how she gave it to me. I followed it, but I have a few notes. If you cream all the wet ingredients you get clumps of butter that don't cream in because the eggs and such are too slippery. What I will probably do in the future is cream the granulated sugar and butter, then add the rest of the wet ingredients, and then the dry. I added the flour last, but I don't think it's really all that necessary. I didn't add any more or less flour. Just the 4 cups, regardless of how it reacted to the edge of the bowl.

I used the cooking oil, but if someone wants to be brave and use applesauce and tell me how it is, I'd be interested to know.

I baked them for 10 minutes and pulled them out even though they didn't look done. I think 11 minutes is better, though.

Don't use too much dough. These are better smaller. They do plump a lot in the oven. Pin It

Guest Blogger: Chili Pasta Skillet

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 -- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of corn
1/2 cup dried elbow macaroni
1 -- 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
2 to 3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
A couple squirts of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese

In a large skillet, cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat.

Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, uncooked macaroni, green chiles, chili powder, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring often. Remove skillet from heat; sprinkle mixture with cheese.

*D: My sister-in-law sent this recipe to me. Her son is a picky eater and will always eat this dish! Pin It

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 chicken breasts cubed
1 stick of butter
1 pkg dry Italian Salad Dressing mix
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Put chicken, butter and dressing mix in a crock pot on low for 3 hours. Watch it, it cooks fast.

Then turn on high for half an hour. After cooking on high, add the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. Cook for another half an hour on high.

Serve over rice or noodles. (Penne or egg noodles are yummy.)

*D: This is a recipe I've served and shared with my family. My sister hounded me until I finally put it on my blog to share with the world. :)

I love this dish. It's one of my absolute favorites. I make sure to always have cream cheese and Italian Dressing mix on hand, just in case. I usually follow the directions accordingly because, hey, they're easy.

If you don't have 4 hours, this can be made on the stove top. Melt the butter and cream cheese on low in a saucepan. Add the other sauce ingredients and let it simmer for a while. The chicken can be cooked on the stove top as well. Fry it in a pan - you don't need oil. Chicken creates its own juices. Just don't let it burn. If the pan starts to brown and the chicken is not done, turn down your heat and add a little water. Pin It

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 2/3 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9 inch baked pastry shell (aka a pie crust)

Mix water, cornstarch and cocoa until smooth. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook until think in saucepan or microwave. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally, and pour into a pie crust. Top with meringue (and brown at 400*) or top with whipped cream after pie is chilled.

*D: I can only take partial credit for this pie. My husband made it yesterday and I only helped. But let me tell you, it was delicious! Tyler was sheer genius and added a few dashes of cinnamon. It was like Aztec Chocolate. Mmmm. So good.

It only took about 10 minutes on the stove top to thicken the filling to pudding consistency. In my opinion, it could have maybe even cooked a few minutes longer to make it thicker.

Use a store bought crust or this recipe for a pie shell.

After pouring the filling into a pie crust, we covered the pie with plastic wrap. That prevented it from forming a skin, and really, the plastic did not stick as bad as you'd think.

We topped it with whipped cream and thoroughly enjoyed. Pin It

Easy Pie Crust

2 1/3 cup flour
1 cup soft butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup ice water

Mix well, but don't beat. Dough may be a little sticky. Let rest 5 minutes, then roll out on a floured surface. Put in pie dish and trim extras off the edges. Poke sides and bottom with a fork and bake for 12 minutes in a 375* oven.

*D: I am not a pie crust maker. I hate making pie crust because I always think it's harder than it is and that it doesn't turn out good. This crust is rather easy and tastes really good.

Be aware that the crust will shrink about half an inch as it bakes, so make sure there is a little extra around the edges.

This recipe makes 2 pie crusts. If you only need one pie, the leftovers can be rolled in a ball and refrigerated for a few days OR you can put it in a pie pan and freeze baked or thawed. Pin It