Pesto Chicken Pizza

A quick and easy recipe idea I found on the internet and changed it up a little to suit Doug and I. We did indeed enjoy it with a glass of Chardonnay. It doesn't make a lot, enough for 2 people or you could cut it smaller and use as an appetizer, which I think would be great.

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed or any type of pizza crust
4 tablespoons of basil pesto
1 cup of cooked, shredded or diced chicken, tossed with a little olive oil
1 cup, more or less, mozzerella cheese, shredded
parmesan cheese for sprinkling
salt and pepper to taste


Unroll puff pastry and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Squish together any cracks.

Top with pesto spreading all the way to the edges.  Feel free to add more if you would like. We love it, so the more the better!

Sprinkle chicken (I salted and peppered the chicken), then the mozzarella and finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese if you like.

Bake at 400* for 15 minutes. It should be golden brown and crust cooked. If not, give it a few more minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.

Pepperoni Pizza Dip

You are going to love and hate me for this recipe...it is sooo good, just maybe not so good for you. But seriously everything in moderation is my motto and I'm sticking to it.  Make this when you are having lots of people over, or cut the recipe in half to help curb the temptation to sit down and eat the whole dish!

8oz shredded mozzarella
8oz shredded cheddar
1 cup mayonnaise, not low fat or fat free
1 ½ cups pepperoni, I always use Turkey pepperoni, chopped
½ cup onions, diced
½ cup green pepper,diced

1 can (6oz) chopped black olives, chopped

**optional ingredients: small jar of green olives, chopped, small can of chopped mushrooms, drained 

Chop pepperoni, and dice onion, and green pepper.

In a large bowl mix all ingredients.

Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish.

Bake at 350* for 25 - 30 minutes.

Serve hot with a substantial cracker or chips. We like Wheat Thins with this recipe.

Little Pigs in a Blanket

On a rainy, fall  Saturday, when you are suppose to travel to watch the local university football team play their #1 rival on an NFL field, and you make the decision NOT to, based on the potential of severe weather, Mom better make some good treats to eat while watching said game on a pretty fuzzy internet feed. Here's a sampling of what we ate...

Little Smokie Sausages
Refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent  Rolls

Unroll crescent rolls.

Using a pizza cutter, cut rolls into long thin strips. (about 4 per roll)

Wrap strips around sausages, leaving ends exposed.

Some times my strips were too long, I just cut it in half and made 2 out of those. 

Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350* for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with ketchup, mustard, bbq, or your favorite dipping sauce...

Make these for the people in your house...

they are easy, 

taste great, 

take only 2 ingredients,

 kids love 'em, 

adults love 'em, 

and I know you will too!

Seriously though, these little babies with some mac and cheese and apple slices would make a perfect fall lunch or dinner!

Open Face Italian Sloppy Joes

 

Remember the spaghetti sauce from Pioneer Woman I posted a few weeks ago? We love it! So when I saw her do a follow up recipe using the sauce, I knew I had to try it, too. So easy to make if you already have some sauce stored away in your freezer, which I did. If not, this is a good reason to make the sauce just so you can have this dish! Very satisfying for lunch on a VERY cool fall day.

Spaghetti sauce
Frozen garlic bread
Sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese
Parmesan for sprinkling on top, if desired

Heat garlic bread in oven as directed on box.

Meanwhile, heat up meat sauce in saucepan or nuke it in the microwave.

When everything is hot, top garlic bread with desired amount of sauce and one slice of cheese.

Return pan to oven until cheese is melted.

Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving if desired.

Enjoy this guys...soooo good and soooo easy!

Source: Pioneer Woman 

Chocolate Angel Food Trifle

Want an easy dessert that looks impressive?? 

Want a dessert that kids love???

Want a dessert that's not too heavy??

Here it is....

Chocolate Angel Food Trifle

Here's all you need:

One loaf Angel food cake

One large box instant chocolate pudding

3 cups milk

One bowl Cool Whip

Using an electric knife, cube the angel food cake.

In a large mixing bowl, mix pudding and milk. Whisk until mixed.

Starting with the cake, create layers. Cake, pudding then Cool Whip. Repeat. 

I usually get three layers to fill my bowl. 

You can also make this in a 9 X 13 pan. Just spread all the cake on the bottom, top with pudding, then Cool Whip. 

I don't make this too far in advance, a couple hours at most, to avoid getting soggy cake.

I have taken this to a Pasta Feed for the football team twice and it is always eaten up! You could easily change the pudding flavor or add chopped candy bars, chocolate chips or fruit to make it more special. My crew likes it just this simple, so it's how we enjoy it!

Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Guess what?!? Caleb is in his first apartment! Yay for him! He is loving it and doing some cooking! I know he refers to the blog for many of our favorite dishes. So some of my posts may be boring for the more experienced cooks, but my purpose has always been to create a place where our boys can see how I make the dishes we have at home. I think these are the kind of recipes that are lost from one generation to the next, simply because they aren't written down.

Like this dish...I assume everyone makes simple mac and cheese like this when the occasion arises, but maybe not. My mom made it like this and this is how I make it for a quick and easy side dish. Jonah will eat a mountain of it and has always has. It's comfort food for him. Sometimes a big bowl is his entire meal. He does like it with ketchup and it used to embarrass his brothers if he ate it like that in public...isn't that what little brothers are for???

Elbow macaroni, 1 1/2 cups or however much you need to serve your crew
Water for boiling macaroni
American cheese slices, sometimes I use Velveeta if I want to change it up. 5-6 slices if I am making enough for 5 servings...you can add more if you love cheese!
Milk, 1/4 cup or so
Butter, a couple tablespoons, more or less depending on your preference
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to a rolling boil.

Add macaroni slowly to boiling water, stir to separate.

Boil as directed on package or until desired done-ness, usually 9-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking together or sticking to bottom of pan.

Drain water off of macaroni, return mac to saucepan.

Add milk, butter and cheese to hot macaroni.

Stir to melt and incorporate all ingredients. 

The heat from the hot pasta should melt the butter and the cheese, but if not just place over low heat and keep stirring until all is melted.

Salt and pepper to taste.

You can totally add more of any ingredient to satisfy your family. Maybe you love it with more butter...just add more! I make this in all different serving sizes. Sometimes I make it up for only 1, other times I make enough for all 5 of us . Don't be afraid to change it up, it's one of those recipes that has no rules! And kids love it....much more than the box!