Quick Pizza Dough

2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
5 cups flour, divided
4 Tablespoons olive oil (2 Tablespoons per pan)

Mix warm water and yeast and let sit 5 minutes until yeast proofs.  Add 2 ½ cups flour with proofed yeast and mix well in Kitchen Aid or with a dough hook.  Add additional 2 ½ cups flour and salt, knead until smooth. Cover bowl with saran wrap. Let dough rest in a ball for 10 to 20 minutes.  Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto baking sheet or pizza pan and evenly coat bottom of baking sheet or pizza pan.  Remove dough from bowl and add more flour as needed (a little at a time) to alleviate the stickiness of the dough if needed. Split dough in half and roll each ball of dough very thin and place on greased pan.  Preheat oven to 400 F (I did 450 for a crispy bottom). Spread toppings over dough.  Bake each pizza separately at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes for pizza and 15 minutes for bread sticks or cinnamon sticks.

*I was skeptical of this recipe because of rising time, but it actually worked really well and it was super easy.

From http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/04/perfect-pizza-dough-recipe/

Sloppy Joes

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 ½ lbs. ground beef
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2/3 cup BBQ sauce
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
8 to 12 potato rolls

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is finely crumbled, the liquid boils off and the meat begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the grease off the meat and onions. Stir in the tomato paste, and keep stirring until the meat is coated. Add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. You can make the sloppy joe meat up to 2 days in advance and reheat it over low heat or in the microwave.

Wrap the rolls in aluminum foil and warm in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Serve the sloppy joes hot with the warmed rolls.

From http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/07/the-best-sloppy-joes/

Taco Casserole

2 (15 oz) cans chili
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 pkg. Frito chips
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Mix chili, soup, taco seasoning, 1 c. cheese, and ground beef together.  If freezing see directions below.  Otherwise place the meat mixture in a 9x13 pan and top with chips.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Take out of oven and top with remaining cheese.  Can also top with sour cream olives, tomatoes, salsa, etc.

Freezing directions: Place meat mixture in gallon Ziploc freezer bag and freeze.  Include a bag of Fritos (can be frozen their bag) and shredded cheese with meal.

*This was a ton for our family so I would divide in half for 8x8 pan and only use 1/2 bag of Fritos.

Creamy Bacon Carbonara

 2 eggs

1/4 cup Cream or Heavy Cream  (Whipping Cream)

1/3 cup Parmesan

Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes

Garlic powder

*(I doubled the Sauce recipe, and it was perfect)

1/2 lb. bacon

1 small onion, chopped (opt)

3 mushrooms sliced (opt)

1/2 lb. Pasta

Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl.  I just used a fork.  Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.  With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, saute the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden.  Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.  Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes.   Sprinkle bacon and fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

(http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=2094) 

California Rice

4 c. cooked rice

2 c. sour cream

1 c. cottage cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 c. shredded sharp cheese

7 oz diced green chilies

1/2 c. diced onion

Saute onion.  Mix other ingredients and put in 9x13 pan.  Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

From Alaney

Cranberry Spinach Pasta

1 box penne pasta

Craisins

Handful fresh spinach

2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (we grilled ours and then cut it into strips)

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2-2 cups heavy whipping cream or milk

1/2 of a regular container of parmesan cheese

pepper, garlic powder and salt to taste

Boil penne pasta till aldente.  Heat whipping cream or milk, butter and cheese in a saucepan until cheese and butter are melted.  In a large bowl mix pasta, crasins, chicken, and sauce. When about ready to serve mix in spinach or serve with spinach on top of pasta.

From Julie

Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.  In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.  Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.  Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)  When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end. 

(From http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/baked-lemon-pasta/)

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

3 lb pork roast
1 (16 oz) jar Salsa Verde
12 oz Dr. Pepper (Don't use Diet)
2 C brown sugar
1 Can green chiles
Water

Put roast in crockpot and add water about 1/2 way up. Cook on high for 5 hours and then remove roast. Drain all but one cup of liquid from the crockpot. Shred roast with a fork and put it back in the crockpot. If salsa is chunky puree it first and then add it to the crockpot. Add Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, and chiles and mix well. Cook on low for at least 3 more hours. I like to start the roast the night before and cook it all night. In the morning I shred it and add the other ingredients. Then I just turn the crockpot to low and cook it all day until we are ready to eat. 

(From Lyndi)

Chicken Rice Wraps

2 cups dry rice, cooked
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
2 c. salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
8 lg. flour tortillas
shredded cheese

In a large bowl combine chicken, salsa, seasonings and rice.  Spoon over tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and wrap.

To freeze: place burritos on cookie sheet and flash freeze.  After hard, wrap in Saran Wrap and then put burritos in freezer bag.  To reheat, heat 2 minutes in microwave, flipping once.

(I found this recipe online, but can't remember where exactly I found it...)

Lemon Zucchini Fettuccine

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil
1/2 lb Fettuccine (that’s just 1/2 of a normal box)
2 medium zucchini
1 C shredded parmesan cheese (about :)
5-6 cloves garlic
Fresh Basil (about 1/2 C)
Fresh Oregano (about 1/4 C) If you don’t have fresh oregano, just add a little dried.
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Prepare grill. You could also do this on the stove top in a skillet, or a grill pan.  Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one lemon, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Smoosh around and set bag aside while you get your other things ready. (If you’ve got time to spare, let the chicken marinade for 30 minutes, if you don’t, just take what you can get. I did mine for 15 min and it was great.)

Put the pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, slice the zucchini in half length-wise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Press, or finely mince garlic cloves. In a small sauce pan on the stove, place 1/4 C olive oil and add garlic. Turn burner onto low-med heat. It shouldn’t be popping and frying, it should just slowly warm, infusing the oil with the garlic and removing that zing fresh garlic has.  When water boils, add pasta and a spoonful of salt  Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken, and zucchini on grill.  While chicken and zuchs are grilling and pasta is boiling, chop herbs and get out cheese. Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn’t been juiced.

When everything is done cookin’ you can throw it together! Keep an eye on that garlic. You DON’T want it to get brown and crispy. It should still look nice and white. Give it a stir. If it starts really cooking, just take it off the heat and set aside.  When zuch and chicken are done take them off the grill and chop ‘em up.  Reserve about 1/2 C pasta water. Drain pasta and immediately place in a big bowl. Place chopped zuch and chicken on top. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, herbs, and garlic-olive oil mixture.  Now take some tongs and give everything a big toss. If you feel it needs more moisture, add a little of the pasta water, or a little more olive oil. This will make 4 generous servings.  Garnish with a little more Parmesan on top and another squeeze of lemon if you have any left. 

(From ourbestbites.com)

Chicken Gyros

For the tzatziki:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1¼ lbs. chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless chicken breast halves)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.  Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.  

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.  Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I butterflied the chicken breasts and then cooked them under the broiler.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.  Heat pitas (I sprayed with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.  

(From http://www.annies-eats.com/2009/06/02/chicken-gyros)

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

12 chicken tenders (ya know, more or less…)
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Give coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as the panko pieces.  Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices. Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.  Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I give mine a teeny drizzle of olive oil on top to help them crisp nicely, but it’s optional.  Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Try not to overcook them because chicken tenders go from perfect to overcooked really fast! If your tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes so keep an eye on them. If they’re big they can take more like 25. The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Freezer Instructions: Prepare chicken fingers through coating them in the panko/coconut mixture. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze for several hours. Remove from freezer and transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or a freezer safe container. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 T reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes, or olive oil 

1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2/3 C sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese
Optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish

Place oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion,  carrot, and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring often.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and basil.(If you’re adding red pepper flakes, add them now)  Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer.  Cover pan and simmer for 30  minutes.  Remove from heat. Place soup in a blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid spills. Process for a few minutes until smooth.  You could also add cream cheese directly to the pot and use an immersion blender to combine.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste and then divide soup among bowls.  Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and a fresh basil leaf if desired.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Grilled Cheese Pizza Sandwiches

2 slices bread

2 slices mozzarella cheese (we used shredded cheese)

2 tablespoons pizza sauce

Pepperoni slices

2 teaspoons butter

Spread butter on one slice of bread.  Place butter side down in a pre-heated, non-stick skillet and spread one tablespoon of the pizza sauce on the bread.  Layer the slices of cheese on top of the pizza sauce and add pepperoni.  Spread the other tablespoon of pizza sauce on the bread, place on top the cheese and butter the top side of the bread.  Grill on each side until golden brown.

Orange Sesame Chicken

Batter-
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch cubes)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce-
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil (I just used olive oil)
the juice of ½ orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
sprinkle of garlic powder
sesame seeds


Heat oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees. In large bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.  Dip chicken pieces  into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (or you can fry in hot oil at about 325 degrees in your wok for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown).  In a bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, sugar, water, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, and sesame seeds. Pour into a wok and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Mix in a bowl with the fried chicken pieces.  Serve over rice.


(From http://blogchef.net/how-to-cook-chinese-food/)

Busy Day Casserole

1/2 lb. ground beef
3 c. macaroni, cooked according to package
1 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz shredded pizza cheese blend
Parmesan cheese, grated
Pepperoni, diced
Black olives, chopped

Brown and drain ground beef.  Combine ground beef, cooked macaroni, and spaghetti sauce.  Place in casserole dish and top with cheeses, pepperoni, and black olives.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

(From Worldwide Ward Cookbook)

Carne Asada

• 3 pounds flank steak
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
•  
• Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended (we used the blender and it really helped it mix together well), then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.  Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Serve with taco toppings in taco shells or as burritos.

*Dustin actually grilled our meat before we cut it into strips (instead of frying it in a skillet) and it was really yummy that way.

(From allrecipes.com)

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1  t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese, diced or grated
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package.  Usually it's 400 degrees.  If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8".  You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to.  Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.  (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it's for dipping after).  You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.  Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I've used both and there's not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese. 

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping. 


(From ourbestbites.com...a great kid food!)

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1 (15oz.) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnishing
1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce (use hot for really spicy enchiladas!)
8 flour tortillas
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded, plus more for garnish
Chopped tomato, lettuce, and black olives for garnish

Heat oven to 375. Cook chicken in a large skillet, then add spices and beans, cooking on medium for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in half cup sour cream.  To assemble each enchilada, spread 1 Tbsp. Sauce on tortilla, place a third cup bean mixture in center of tortilla and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in greased 13X9 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. To serve, garnish with desired toppings. 

Meatless version: use an additional can of black beans, omit chicken.
Make ahead version: Prepare as directed, cover and freeze. Bake at 375 for 60-70 minutes. Again, sprinkle cheese on at end, uncover, and bake a few more minutes.


(From Vicki's friend Robin B.)

Chick-Fil-A Chicken

1 Egg

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Flour

2 1/2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

2 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into strips or nuggets

Cooking Oil

Mix egg and milk together and pour over chicken. Let sit 5 minutes. In a seperate bowl, mix flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces into the flour mixture, put back in milk mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture a second time. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Gently drop chicken pieces in the heated oil and cook until golden brown.

(From LeAnn and Under the Table and Dreaming)