Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

I was in the mood for homemade pizza last night and had found a few different recipes for cheese steak pizza so I decided to give it a try. (Just google Philly cheese steak pizza and there are a TON of options!)  I pulled a little bit from a bunch of different recipes to create ours and it was fantastic! 

Shopping List:

1 pizza crust (homemade/store bought/etc...)

1/2 cup tomato sauce (we used 6 cheese from a jar)

2 oz. cream cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups Italian cheese (any kind)

1/2 lb. roast beef (from the deli)

1 medium onion

1 green pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

Dash Worcestershire

Parmesan cheese

Oregano

Directions:

-Prepare crust, if needed and heat oven to directed temperature for crust (ours was 450 for a pre-made crust). 

-Saute chopped onion and pepper in a pan with the butter until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.  Add a dash of Worcestershire at the end.

-In a small saucepan, heat the tomato sauce, cream cheese, and garlic until melted and combined. Spread thinly over crust.

-Top pizza with 1/2 of the cheese, chopped roast beef, peppers/onions, the rest of the cheese, Parmesan, and a sprinkle of oregano.

-Follow directions on crust to determine baking time. Ours was about 10-12 minutes.

The 'sauced' crust

The finished pizza, fresh out of the oven

Ready to eat!

This was a quick and simple pizza that was MUCH cheaper than ordering in!  Now I'm ready to start thinking of new ideas for pizza. Does anyone out there have any 'out of the norm' ideas? Let me know!

Happy Eating!

Veggie Pizza

Here is a quick and simple (semi-healthy) snack that is great for parties and get-togethers.  Veggie Pizza is always a hit and you can customize it any way you wish!

Shopping List:

2 tubes Crescent Rolls (or one if you want a 9x13 pizza)

1 container Sour Cream

1 packet ranch dressing mix (hidden valley brand is what I use)

1 package mixed veggies (or whatever you choose, I use broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)

1 package shredded cheese

Directions:

-Unroll crescent dough and seam together on a large greased cookie sheet. You will probably have some dough left over depending on the size pizza you want to make.  We usually save the rest and make rolls to go with dinner!  Bake according to directions on package (usually around 8-13 minutes at 375 degrees) until golden brown. Let cool completely

-Mix sour cream with ranch dressing mix.  I usually use about 3/4 of the package, but make it according to your tastes! Spread on cooled crust.

-Chop veggies into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle generously over crust/ranch mix.  Press down slightly on veggies to make sure they are stuck in the sauce and won't fall off later.

-Finally, sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Chill until serving.

The Crust

Ranch Dressing Mix

Finished Pizza



You can make this pizza your own by changing up the toppings.  Consider using olives, peppers, radishes, cucumbers, etc... to make it one of a kind!

Happy Eating!

Philly Cooking Creme

I recently got a coupon for the new Philadelphia brand Cooking Creme.  This is a flavored cream that you can use in a variety of dished (Philly has some awesome recipes on their website for them).  The recipe I chose from the website was the Southwest Pasta Skillet.  It was pretty good so I wanted to share it with you!

Ingredients

 Shopping List:
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped (I used onion instead of the green pepper it called for)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (not in original recipe but who doesn't love them?)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups hot cooked Rotini pasta
1 container Philadelphia Santa Fe Cooking Creme
1 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
-Cook and stir chicken and onion in a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat until chicken is done and onion is soft.  Add corn, beans, tomatoes, and creme.  Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
-Add pasta and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.
-Top with remaining cheese. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand until cheese is melted.

The Veggie/Chicken Mix

The finished pasta!



As you can tell, I took a few liberties with the recipe ( onion instead of pepper and black beans!).  Feel free to do the same when you create your dish!

Happy Eating!

Pasta Pasta

I love making pasta salad. It goes great with sandwiches and is super easy to whip up for a party or BBQ. I promise you will love this one and you can even add in your own touches.

Shopping List:
1 box Pasta ( I usually use the little twisty kind, but used penne in this)
1 cucumber, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 package imitation crab meat, chopped
Shredded Cheese
Bacon Bits
1 cup mayonnaise (go a little lighter here for a less tangy salad)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Italian dressing

Directions:
-Cook pasta to al dente according to directions on box. Drain, and rinse with cold water.  Store in fridge until ready. Add all toppings to the pasta and combine.
-In a small bowl. combine the mayo, sour cream, and Italian dressing.
-Pour dressing over salad and mix well.  (Start with about half of dressing and add more as needed. )
-Store in fridge until ready to serve.

The pasta and toppings

The dressing mix

Finished Pasta



We eat most of the same things in our house so it is all good to mix everything together ahead of time.  If you have some picky eaters, just mix the sauce with the pasta only and set up a 'create your own salad' bar so everyone can add exactly what they want.  In the past, we have also used olives, peppers, shrimp, etc.. so let your imagination run wild.

Happy Eating

Thank You Mrs. Ray!

I am a sucker for any cooking show, especially 30 minute meals! I have to admit that I rarely cook anything from the show, but this looked too good not to try! Yummy and quick calzones!

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
Kaiser Rolls (1 per person)
Thin sliced salami (about 5 slices/person)
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese (She used Romano, but this is what I had leftover from lasagna)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (forgot it in the photo)
Dash of salt and pepper
1 large tomato
1 pkg. Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (you could use regular, but fresh is glorious)
1 jar artichoke bruschetta (found in the pasta sauce section)

Directions:
-Cut Kaiser Rolls in half, being generous with the bottom side. Scoop out some of the bread on bottom to create a pocket. Line the pocket with salami slices. This will help the bread to stay crunchy when the cheese starts to melt.
-Mix together Ricotta, garlic, basil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Place 1 to 2 Tbsp. of cheese mixture on top of salami (the pocket should be almost full).
-Slice the tomato and put a piece on top of the cheese mixture (as shown below).
-Next add a slice of mozzarella (we used very thick slices, but it is all up to you).
-Finally, spread some artichoke bruschetta over the cheese and seal with the top half of the bun.
-Bake on a baking sheet at 330 degrees for 15 minutes. Check to see if the cheese is melted and bake more according to taste.

Assembly of the Calzones

The Finished Sandwich

We ate these with a light dinner salad and they were delicious. Ooey and Gooey and cheesy.

A few notes:

-Our calzones didn't seem to melt well because we had a TON of cheese in them. We ended up popping them in the microwave for 20 seconds after they came out of the oven and they were perfect.

-Rachael Ray called for plain basil leaves instead of the artichoke bruschetta. I originally wanted to make a pesto to put on top for a little something extra, but the basil at the store looked sad. This jar of bruschetta tastes kind of like pesto and I think we will use the rest of it to bake some chicken later. You can decide what will work best for you!

Happy Eating

If I had a restaurant, I would name it Soupz... My inspiration would be soups...

Yes, I've been watching America's Next Great Restaurant. Yes, I know it is terrible programming, but I'm obsessed with reality television. As Kidd Kraddick would say: Get Over It! :)


The husband wanted some grilled cheese for dinner the other night, and you can't just have grilled cheese by itself. I decided to give French Onion Soup a go! It was a first attempt, and I must say it was pretty good (considering I don't normally eat French Onion Soup).

Shopping List:
2 Large Red Onions, sliced thin ( I actually used 1 red and 1 sweet)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 cans beef broth
3 cups water
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (i also used some minced garlic)
7 slices french bread (3/4 inch slices)
1 bag mozzarella shredded cheese
1 pkg. provolone cheese slices
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
-In a Dutch Oven (or really big pot), saute onions in butter until tender. The more you caramelize the onions here, the better the soup will be. You want these onions to be melt in your mouth onions. Always remember to stir often.
-Add the broth, water, soup mix, pepper, Worcestershire, garlic powder (or real minced garlic). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
-Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet ( I lined mine with foil to avoid cheesy messes later). Sprinkle each piece with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and then top it with a slice of provolone. (feel free to use any type of cheese you like, this recipe originally called for Swiss)
-Broil 4 inches from heat source for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each with a toast slice.
-Yield: 7 servings.

Toast Slices... Yum

Finished Soup
If you really want to let your flavors develop, you can cook this soup much longer than 5 minutes. I would say between 30-45 minutes if you have the time.

I also noticed that our bread got super soggy right away. It might be good to toast the bread by itself before adding the cheese to give it a little more crunch.

Happy Eating

MMMM... Pasta!

Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce

Here is another quick and easy recipe that will feed your entire family!

The Ingredients

Shopping List:

16 oz. package frozen tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

-In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

-Stir in the whipping cream and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes or until thickened.

-Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to directions. I have found that most tortellini calls for 2-3 minutes in boiling water. You will know they are done when they all float to the top of the water! Drain the pasta. Do not rinse.

-Toss the tortellini with the sauce and heat through. At this point we also added some shredded chicken. We also considered adding shrimp! It's all up to you!

The sauce (above) and the finished product (below)!

This pasta ended up tasting great! The only change we might consider for next time is to cut the amount of spinach in half and double the tomatoes. After all, this is called Tortellini with TOMATO cream sauce!

Happy Eating!