Pizza Roll

Seriously Kristie, pizza again?

I know!  Even with my love for it, I may be getting a little pizza'd out.  My husband was gone, we've been out of town, and the house looks like a BOMB went off.  I needed something quick and easy, and since dough was already in the fridge it seemed like a good choice.

And it was!  "Dewicious!"

Roll out your dough into the shape of a lily pad like I did.  Actually, a circle is best, but the lily pad worked. I used this dough I made about a week ago that had been frozen and thawed.  

Put on your cheese and toppings.  Don't put sauce on, it's just too messy.  You can dip it in sauce while eating.  And that it spinach, not basil in case you're wondering.   I've got to work in at least something green!

Roll it up...

... seal the ends..  and I don't have a picture of this step, but I brushed it with an egg white & milk mixture to make it brown nicely.

Then I sprinkled on some parmesan cheese and some of this heavenly goodness- Garlic Garlic.  My Mother in Law bought this for us and it is so great on many things, pizza crust especially.

Bake at 400 for about 20 or until golden brown.

 Let it sit for a few minutes and then used a bread knife to slice into it.  I think any knife with a serrated edge would be fine though.

And there she is!  Will and I enjoyed it while watching some Christmas movies.

Tonight I will make a real meal I promise!

Also, I will be posting for Menu Monday!  

I'm not good at consistency... working on it... maybe a New Year's resolution...

~Kristie

Kristie's Famous Meatballs

That's what we call them here anyway.  Even though the recipe came from my mom.  So they should be "Sandy's Famous Meatballs", but it's my house and Mom hasn't made them in a bazillion years anyway.  

Anyway, they are delicious, worth the time, and great for cold weather.

What Ya Need:

1 lb ground beef

1 C. italian bread crumbs (or regular)

2 eggs

1/2 C. parmesan cheese (powdered kind)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 C. milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 T. dried parsley or fresh if you have it

What Ya Do:

Mix all ingredients.  Roll into 1.5 inch balls and line them up on a baking sheet.  At this point, you can just pop them in the oven at 350 for about 20 min until done.  I always brown them in a pan first just b/c I like the crispy crust that makes.  Then I put them in the oven for a bit.  Just test one of the biggest meatballs to see if they're done.

Serve with sauce & spaghetti noodles of course!  They freeze really well and are great for leftovers.  

I'll be working on two more posts to be up soon:  Thousand Island Chicken (Success!) and Balsamic Garlic Herb Chicken Thighs (FAIL!).  

Make these meatballs and stay warm today!

~Kristie

Braden's Pizza

I did not want to make dinner tonight & didn't want to go to the store b/c it's COLD out there!

So we did Dinner On Hand. What do you have in the pantry/fridge/freezer & how can you make it work? Dinner On Hand frequently requires creativity & an open mind.

Tonight we had Pizza & I let Braden pick the toppings.

Yes, his eyes really ARE that blue!

Remember that post where I decided that since I ask my kids to eat my grownup food that I can make & eat kid food sometimes?
... 

What my baby wants, my baby gets.

And tonight my baby wants pizza with Feta, Goat Cheese, Chicken Nuggets, Hard Boiled Egg, Chives, Green Onion, Lime, Lemon, & Pear.

Now, before you start thinking how gross this sounds let me show you a picture-

This is my husband IN ITALY eating a pizza w/Egg, Bacon, Capers & who knows what else on it. I don't know if they really eat obscure pizzas like this or if they just saw the Americans coming & decided to have some fun.

But, what's the worst that will happen? It's not very good. 

The absolute worst is that it's inedible & we make pb&j's.

What's the best that happens? The pizza is surprisingly delicious, my son has a sense of pride in helping me make dinner, discovers a joy of cooking, & becomes the next Wolfgang Puck.

I'm thinking the potential rewards outweigh the potential costs.

It's a calculated risk & one that I'm willing to take.

He choose all of the toppings. 

 

Adding Lime Juice 

Hot! Blow on it. (TWSS)

How Real Chefs Wash Their Hands.

Mmmm! Pizza!

Don't be afraid to try something new even if it may sound a little odd. It wasn't my favorite pizza toppings but my kids enjoyed it & Braden had FUN making it!

~Alison

Angel Chicken Pasta

Ooh Diggity!
This is a fabulous recipe.
My sister-in-love & I made this recipe together the first time we made it & it was a hit.

It's guest-worthy.

This is the recipe that I'd make if the Queen of England were coming for dinner.

I guess this is the recipe that I'd make if Kate Middleton were coming for dinner.

I'd like to think that I have a better likelihood of Kate coming over.

I mean, what would the Queen & I have to talk about?

Why would the Queen even want to come over?

But Kate...

Kate & I would have a fabulous time!

I'd ooh & aah over her stories of her honeymoon & dating a prince.

We'd laugh together about our fashion blunders of the late 80's & early 90's, which she would bring up casually in conversation, of course.

Then we'd go shopping together.

And she wouldn't for a minute think poorly of my perusing the clearance racks of Target.

And Jason & Prince William would have a lovely time, too! 
Maybe they'd play Xbox or rewire something or go to the shooting range. Or do whatever men do when they hang out. 

Here, let me share this recipe for you so that you, too, will be prepared for when Kate & William come over to your house for dinner.

Angel Chicken Pasta

adapted from allrecipes.com



This is really all you need !



4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup butter

1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

8 ounces cream cheese

1 1/4 pound angel hair pasta (I prefer linguine)

Toppings/Garnish of your choice (See under Tips for ideas!) 



Cut chicken pieces in my pampered chef baker.



Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.



Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks- I slice each breast 6 times. Arrange chicken breast pieces in a 13x9 baking dish.

2. 

Added Cream Cheese.



Melted butter & Dressing Mix



Added Wine, Broth, & Soups.



In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the package of dressing mix. Blend in wine, broth, and soups. Heat through while constantly stirring/whisking. Mix in cream cheese, and stir until smooth (be patient!). Heat through, but do not boil.

3. Pour sauce over chicken in dish.

sauce over chicken. Put in 325degree oven for 1 hour.

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. 

4. 15 minutes before the chicken is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until almost al dente, do not overcook pasta. Drain.

Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

Add toppings/garnish of your choice!

  

Must learn to take better food pics.

It doesn't look very tasty but Trust me! It is!



Warning- This recipe is not fool proof.

So I'll share my tips that I've learned by trial & error.



- Do not use Whole Wheat pasta.

- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature.

 

- Stir, stir, stir your sauce as it is heating. It will burn onto the bottom of your pot if you're not careful.

 

- Be patient when melting your cream cheese. If you still have little white lumps of unmelted cream cheese keep simmering & keep stirring. You can turn up the heat a little, too. The lumps will not dissolve while baking in the oven.



- Do not use fat free cream cheese! Neufchatel will work; regular cream cheese is best.

- Try to have your chicken & sauce be finished before your pasta is done. Pasta tends to stick together & pouring sauce onto pasta immediately after cooking & draining helps prevent this.

 

- The original recipe called for 1/2 C white wine. I prefer 1/4C white wine + 1/4 C Chicken Broth. If you do not care for wine just use 1/2 C Chicken Broth. You could try using 2T cooking sherry if you're out of wine.

  

- Consider experimenting with garnishes & toppings. I love Goat Cheese & Chives on it. I think Sun Dried Tomatoes would taste amazing. Cooked, crumbled bacon pieces? Delish! Maybe toss in some finely sliced green onions? or sauteed mushrooms, perhaps? Maybe fresh grated Parmesan Cheese & ground black pepper? Roasted sliced almonds could be good & give it an interesting crunch.  

 

Take inspiration from some of the pasta dishes you've tried at Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, Johnny Carino's, Carabbas, etc.

I hope you make this recipe. Even if Kate & William don't come over for dinner. :-)

~ Alison 

Oh, And if you make it let me know! Or if you have any other suggestions of toppings I'd love to hear them!

*** Update***

~ A Note About Leftovers ~

It seems each time I make this recipe 

I end up with a somewhat problematic 

pasta:sauce:chicken 

ratio.

This time my ratio was

chicken > sauce > pasta

What's a mama to do?

s-t-r-e-t-c-h it!

Here's what I did to get an extra meal out of my leftovers:

1. Cut up chicken pieces into small slices.

2. Add chicken broth to small saucepan. Add chicken & sauce. Heat over low heat, just enough to heat chicken & blend sauce & broth.

3. Make more pasta.

Bowtie Pasta, Stretched Sauce, Chives & grated Parmesan Cheese.