penne pasta bake

I got this recipe from our local grocery store, when they were doing this awesome Family Value Meal, all-ingredients-in-a-bag-and-ready-for-you program. Super cool. I've altered it a bit to make it even easier (I'm super lazy, ha), but the flavor is all there. Anyway, it's become a total staple in our household. Everyone loves it. Assuming you're not dairy-intolerant (ha), give this nummy recipe a try. You won't regret it.



RECIPE: Penne Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
1 (16-oz) pkg penne pasta
2 c. sour cream
6 oz provolone cheese slices
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb ground beef
1 med yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (26-oz) jars marinara sauce

2-3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Set aside a 9x13 casserole dish (or two 8x8s).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente; drain. Mix in sour cream and parm. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown diced onion, garlic, and ground beef over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti sauce and warm through.

Layer as follows: pasta, sauce, provolone, pasta, sauce. Then top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 min at 350F or until cheese melts and bubbles/browns.



**Note: This freezes wonderfully!  Bake one 8x8 and save the other. Two meals in one! Bam! Or better yet, eat one and give one to a friend! :) Also, making earlier in the day and refrigerating works great. Just keep in mind that you'll have to bake it a little longer.

pizza cups

I made these for James' school lunches. I saw the idea online and loved the make-ahead concept. Plus, what kid doesn't love pizza?! Let me know if you make them, and what you think! 

RECIPE: Pizza Cups

Ingredients:

Refrigerated pizza crust dough

Pizza sauce

Mozzerella cheese, shredded

Mini pepperoni 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450F. Grease/spray muffin tins (note: my silicone one made for much easier retrieval). Cut dough into 24 pieces (with a knife or with a cookie cutter). Press dough into muffin tins, making it go up the sides a bit. Spoon a tablespoon or so of sauce onto each dough cup. Top with cheese and pepperoni. Bake at 450F for 10-12 min. 

Best if served warm, but ideal for school lunches. Let cool (on a rack). Then pop a couple into a lunch box! Or freeze for future lunches!

grilled pizza

I'd heard a bit about grilled pizza recently, but it wasn't until I saw this post on a blog I stalk called All Buttoned Up that I got "ballsy" enough to try it. We were absolutely unprepared and had to throw it all together in a minute {literally- since we had thrown the dough down on the grill before the toppings were even chopped}. But it turned out beautifully! The crust was deliciously crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. The veggies were cooked but not too soft. The entire thing was heavenly... and oh-so-quick-and-easy. We will definitely be trying this again! Here's our general recipe in case you'd like to as well.

RECIPE: Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:

frozen pizza dough, thawed

pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)

pepperoni

bell pepper

mushrooms

mozzerella cheese

freshly ground pepper

oregano

Directions:

Before you start, remove the upper warming rack thing from your grill. You just want to work with the main rack and not have something above to and in your way. {If you forget this step, have your hubby whip out some pliers to do it while it's piping hot. I hear this works, too...} Now fire up your grill and brush it clean.

Roll out pizza dough. Prepare your toppings how you'd like (grate cheese, chop/julienne vegetables, etc.). Brush {or spread with your fingers... } olive oil on both sides of the dough. Place the dough on the grill, reducing the heat to low. Let this side cook for just about a minute, then flip it. Add your toppings and close the lid. Grill for about 5 minutes or until your toppings are done and the crust is nicely charred. {Easy, right?} Remove from the grill and eat up! :)

bbq chicken pizza

We love to make our own pizza. It feels so festive and is somehow so fulfilling. Usually we go for the supreme variety, but this time we opted for something a little different. We had some bbq sauce in the pantry and some chicken and pizza dough in the freezer. It was meant to be. And it was yummy.

PS. We used way too much sauce the first time (ie. twice as much as needed). You can see the excess gushing out the sides. Anyway, the recommended amount is listed below, so try that. Change it however you'd like. It's your pizza, after all!


RECIPE: BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
pizza dough {We buy ours frozen at Macey's for 99c.}, thawed
corn meal (optional)
1 c. bbq sauce
1 lb. chicken, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Stretch, pull, flip, roll... whatever... to get your dough into the correct shape and size for your stone. Spread a thin layer of corn meal on the stone (optional) and place dough. Using a fork, poke holes all over the dough, leaving the outer crust-area alone (this will prevent it from ballooning up; it will keep it flat). Bake dough at 400F for about 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Meanwhile, combine bbq sauce and chicken in a pan. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

Pull pizza dough out of the oven and dump sauce/chicken mixture on top, spreading it around evenly. Sprinkle the diced onion evenly, then top with mozzerella cheese. Make sure and leave a bit of a crust on the outside perimeter. Bake the whole thing again, still at 400F, until cheese is melted, bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from oven, cut into wedges and serve warm.

balsamic sourdough with mozza and roma

Derek and I were craving bruschetta when we first came up with this idea. It didn't really end up resembling that... it took more of a "marv n joe" turn before we were finished. But regardless of its resemblance, the end result was open faced godliness! Really. Humbly speaking, these little devils were amazing! I cannot wait to make these again!

RECIPE: Balsamic Sourdough with Mozza and Roma

{What the crap, right? Yeah... titling was hard.}

Ingredients:

1 loaf artisan sourdough bread, sliced (abt. 12, 1/2"slices)

{Sam's Club has these babies in packs of two, and they're fantastic!}

5 Tbsp. olive oil {EVOO}

1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. dried basil

Roma tomatoes (abt. 3, sliced the long way)

salt/pepper (freshly ground, of course, and to taste)

fresh mozzarella cheese (abt. 3/4 lb, sliced)

Directions:

Place the bread slices on a baking stone {Pampered Chef is superior by far.}. Combine EVOO, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and basil in a small bowl. Mix well. Spoon and spread mixture onto bread slices. Layer Roma tomato slices next. Then salt and pepper your tomatoes to taste. Top with mozzarella cheese. Broil in the oven until cheese is melty, bubbled and browned. Serve warm.