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!

Pasta Fagioli

Thanks again to Pinterest for allowing me to find this wonderful recipe on Our Blissfully Domestic Life blog!  Pasta Fagioli is an Italian soup/stew and it is oh so tasty!  I know it is summer, but it has been cool this week so I decided to give it a try.  The nice part was that I now have two containers of leftovers in my freezer for the next time I want something in a flash!

Shopping List:

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

2 medium Carrots, chopped

2 stalks of Celery, chopped

2-3 cloves of Garlic, minced

1- 28 oz can of Tomatoes

1- 8 oz can Tomato Sauce

1- 15 oz can Cannelloni Beans, drained 

4 cups Beef Broth

1 & 1/2 cup Elbow Pasta

2 cups of Fresh Spinach (packed)

1 Beef Bouillon Cube (or the equivalent in Granules)

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning

4-5 dashed of Hot Sauce (Texas Pete or Tabasco)

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (for topping)

 

Directions:

-Over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until meat is no longer pink and veggies are starting to get tender. Season with salt and pepper.

-Add in the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth(i used bouillon cubes to make my broth), bouillon cube, garlic, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and turn the heat to low.  Cover.

-Let the soup simmer for as long as you can. (I let mine go for about 2 hours, but this can be as fast a 30 minutes.) Stir occasionally.

-After the tomato sauce has simmered, add the beans and keep on low/covered for 1 more hour (or long enough to heat through if you are in quick mode).

-When you are ready to eat, cook the pasta according to directions in a separate pot.  Add the spinach into the tomato mixture and stir. Add in the hot sauce as well. This does not make it spicy, just a little background flavor!

-When the pasta is finished and drained, you can add it straight to the soup or serve it on the side to be dished into individual soup bowls.  We did ours on the side so the pasta wouldn't get mushy when we froze the leftovers. Top each serving with fresh Parmesan cheese (or the shaker kind if that's all you have on hand) :(

The finished stew



Everything ready to be eaten!



It was a little time consuming, but as I mentioned you can do this in as little as an hour if you choose.  It was a fantastic meal and I can't wait to dig into the leftovers in a few weeks!

Happy Eating!

Oven Roasted Chicken

Have you ever had those pre-cooked, oven roasted chickens from the grocery store? Me neither... But I do hear they are quite tasty!  If you have, you will never purchase another one, because now you can make your own at home for a fraction of the price!

Imagine an entire chicken for about $3.00.  They are usually around $1.00/lb. and can be even cheaper when on sale!  Thanks to the wonderful Taste of Home magazine yet again for this great recipe.

Shopping List:

1 whole chicken, rinsed, packet of yuckies removed, patted dry

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried basil

6-8 small red potatoes

4 ribs celery

3 medium carrots

1 medium onion

Directions:

-Chop all veggies into bite sized portions. Set aside (in a 9x13 pan).  I usually use about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of veggies for just the two of us.

-Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease another 9x13 with cooking spray (I usually use a disposable for easy clean up). Place chicken in prepared pan.

-Whisk olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and basil together. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons for the vegetables. Brush remaining olive oil mixture onto chicken. Roast for 30 minutes.

-Toss remaining oil with veggies, spread them into a single layer (best you can) and cover with foil.

-TRICKY PART. Remove chicken from oven. Increase oven temp to 450 degrees. Baste chicken with drippings in bottom of the pan. Place both the chicken and veggies in oven when temperature is reached. ( I usually put them in a bit early because I don't want to wait).

-Roast 20 minutes. Remove foil from veggies, stir, and place back in oven uncovered. Roast 10 more minutes or until chicken is done/no longer pink! Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving.

In short:

-Prep chicken and veggies in separate pans.

-Roast chicken at 375 for 30 minutes.

-Baste chicken, up temperature to 450.

-Roast chicken and veggies for 20 minutes.

-Remove foil from veggies, roast veg and chicken for 10 minutes.

-Let stand for 10 minutes

-Eat

Chicken before roasting

Veggies before cooking

Finished Chicken

My favorite, some white meat! 

Finished Veggies



I know the directions seem a little crazy, but it is a super simple process, I promise!

Happy Eating!

Meat Loaf

I was never really a fan of meatloaf growing up.  I did, however, find a recipe recently that the husband loves (and I do too)!

Ingredients for the Loaf

Ingredients for the Sauce

 Shopping List:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 can tomato soup
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire
Salt and Pepper to taste

SAUCE:
1/2 can tomato soup
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire

Directions:
-Mix the meat ingredients together and form into loaf in a foil lined roaster (if you want to save on clean-up time).
-Combine remaining ingredients and spread a layer over the loaf. (I usually have extra leftover).
-Bake meatloaf at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Meat Loaf going into the oven:

A finished slice!

As always feel free to add your own flavors and ideas. This was adapted from my mothers recipe and added a few touches based on multiple recipes I've found in different books and online.

Happy Eating

Saucy

 We recently made some pork ribs at the house, but wanted something different than the standard BBQ sauce.  We found an amazing recipe for a honey mustard sauce/marinade and fell in love.

The Ingredients:

Shopping List:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups honey

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a pan, saute the onion in oil until caramelized (about 5-10 minutes). Stir in garlic, honey, mustard, and vinegar. Season with crushed red pepper flakes,  Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool.

Boiling and Bubbling



Like i said, we used this in place of BBQ on ribs, but you could also use it as a marinade for almost any meat. We also halved this recipe and still had plenty left over. It's all up to you.

Happy Eating

It's Nuts

The hubs and I got a wok as a gift when we got married. I finally used it for the right purpose! It created a very tasty an easy stir fry dinner.

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
1 lb. chicken, chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. frozen stir fry veggies
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. corn starch
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
5 drops hot sauce
3 cups chopped cabbage
Chopped Peanuts
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
-In a large skillet or wok, stir fry chicken in oil for 2 minutes. Add vegetables, cook 4 minutes longer. Add garlic; stir fry until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are crisp tender.
-In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, and hot sauce until well blended. Pour over chicken mixture.
-Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cabbage, cook 2 minutes longer or until crisp tender. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve with rice.

The WOK

The completed dish (minus the peanuts)

This meal was glorious. Just like the Chinese restaurant, but WAY healthier I'm sure. Let me know if you give this a try.

Just as Good

Have you ever been to one of the 9 million Mexican restaurants in every town/city/area of this world? Not the national chains of fake food, but the wonderfulness of places like Mi Pueblito, El Corral, El Matador, El Caporal... If you have, then you know the salsa there is great! If not, I suggest you drop what you are doing and go NOW!.

I actually found a recipe that rivals the restaurant salsa. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman's Blog (check it out if you haven't), I have a new favorite snack.

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
28 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained
2 cans Rotel tomatoes and chilies, undrained (we got mild)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
The juice of 1/2 a lime (or a few splashes out of a bottle)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin

Directions:
-Basically throw everything in a blender or food processor and go! Naturally I added the cilantro, onion, and pepper in first to get them good and chopped up, but whatever you prefer will work.
-Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
-Yield: A TON OF SALSA, probably 3-4 cups worth?

The Salsa

This recipe was super simple and can be made year round. Again, feel free to play with the ingredients and make it just your own.

Happy Eating

Avocado Addiction

We had a quiet day around the house yesterday so I decided to make some salsa (recipe to come soon) and guacamole! Both turned out great!

Ingredients

Shopping List:
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 avocados, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

Directions:
-In a blender or food processor, pulse the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt, and cumin until well blended (depending on your taste).
-Add the avocados to the onion/pepper mix and blend again until desired consistency is achieved.
-Remove mix from blender/processor into a small bowl. Add in tomato and stir.
-Store in fridge until ready to eat. Makes 1-2 cups.

The finished GUACAMOLE

Don't be afraid of guacamole. I hear so many people ask for it to be removed at restaurants, but I'm sure they've never even tried it. It is so creamy and good for you.

Feel free to change this recipe according to your tastes. We don't really like extremely spicy things so only used 1 jalapeno. You can use 2 or even 3 if you want. This is definitely a recipe to taste as you are making it so it comes out just right.

Also, it may seem a little odd, but did you know that guacamole tastes great on a turkey dog? Seriously... Awesome. Give it a try.

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!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is a new recipe at our house! We just love the taste of this when we are out to eat, so I decided to create my own version at home. The best part about this recipe? Most of the ingredients are from a can so it is mainly a open, pour, and stir meal!

Please let me know if and when you try this in your own home!

Ingredients

The canned and packaged items

The fresh items

Shopping List

1 medium onion, diced
1 orange sweet pepper, diced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of potato soup

1 can chicken broth

1 can Rotel tomatoes and chillies, with juice

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

1/2 packet taco seasoning

1/2 packet chili seasoning

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup sour cream

Tortilla Chips

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

-Saute onion, pepper, garlic, and butter in a large pan until tender.

-Add soups and broth to onion mixture. Stir well.

-Add Rotel, corn, beans, and chicken; stir and let heat through

-Add taco and chili seasoning with 1 cup of milk. More or less milk can be used according to desired thickness. Add sour cream and heat through; stirring often.

-Spoon into individual bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

We ate our soup with a tasty grilled cheese (with turkey). Please be warned, this recipe make enough to feed an army (about 8 large bowls). We like to freeze the leftover soup in separate containers so we have a few quick meals at our fingertips later on!

I also did a little calculating because I really wanted to know how good (or bad) this soup is for you. With all of its cheesy, creamy, rich goodness I must admit I was a little afraid. However, with a serving size of 2 large ladles it only worked out to be 475 calories! I may have done a small happy dance at that revelation.

So there you have it. The first recipe of what I hope is many to come.

Happy Eating!