Product Review: Margherita Napolitana Pizza

I was lucky to be invited into a new BzzAgent Campaign for Kroger and their line of Private Selection foods.  I was able to purchase, try and review one of their frozen pizzas.  I haven't really paid any attention to or noticed their "Private Selection" line before so this was a new adventure for me.  I had to stay home with a sick child today, so I figured it was the perfect time to make their pizza.  Now, normally, Brian would be REALLY mad that I would even think about eating pizza without him, but my choices were limited at Kroger and I could only get the Margherita Napolitana Pizza or a Fire Roasted Veggie one...neither of which he would eat!  (Oh my gosh, a pizza I don't have to share!)  I am not a fan of hot or spicy foods, so I happily chose the Margherita Napolitana, although I would have preferred a pepperoni one instead if I wasn't pregnant and baby boy actually liked pepperoni!   

Anyhow, here are my thoughts on this brand/pizza.
1.  LOVE the crust!  It is a thin, flat bread crust which is super crispy!!  The directions say to cook it directly on the oven rack, but I was so afraid I'd have a mess taking it out of the oven, so I cooked it on a cookie sheet instead.  I don't think it made any difference!

2.  I was afraid I was going to pick off most of the tomatoes and little nuggets of fresh mozzarella, but they actually weren't too bad.  My only complaints are that the mozzarella didn't fully melt (that's okay though) and the freshness of the tomatoes made the pizza a little soggy.  You definitely want to eat this over a plate and with a napkin or you'll be wiping tomato juice on your sleeve. 

3.  LOVE the fresh basil in this!!  It really comes through in the pizza and was delish! (Please wait a moment, while I got fetch myself another piece.)  :)

4.  Would I make this again?  Yes, definitely! 

5.  At first, I thought this was a bit over priced.  It was on sale for $4.99 and it was a little too much in my opinion.  However, I could easily get 2 meals out of this (it says it serves 3...no way!), so 2.50 for each serving for lunch isn't bad.  And this is definitely better than the leftover soup I planned to eat for lunch today had I gone into work!

#439: Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats

After making Irish Oatmeal Brulee last weekend, I am really into eating oatmeal.  I am particularly interested in finding steel cut oat recipes to use so I can have breakfast at school in the morning.  I was looking for a recipe I could throw in my crockpot overnight and came across this recipe.  It was a snap to throw together and I LIKED this recipe, but I didn't love it.  It was a little too soft/mushy for my liking.  BUT the walnuts and craisins definitely helped give it some texture.  I would make this again though!

1 cup steel cut oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

3 cups hot water (not boiling)

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon
chopped walnut pieces

This is important:  Place a crockpot liner in your crockpot!!  (Otherwise you will be scrubbing your crockpot in the morning.

Add all ingredients to crockpot (I added the raisins, craisins and walnuts in the morning so they weren't too soft).  Turn to low setting. Cook for 8-9 hours.  Top with desired toppings: cranberries, craisins, raisins, walnuts or pecan pieces, blueberries, more brown sugar, etc.

#438: Marshmallow Pilgrim Hat Cookies

I found this recipe in my Family Fun Magazine.  It looked simple (few ingredients needed, some of which I had on hand), and ones that my extended family might actually eat.  I was supposed to make 24 cookies with this recipe, but after finishing 14, I figured that was enough for our family gathering and I gave up.  :)  I like recipe that are simple.  If I don't have an ingredient, I tend to substitute out.  This recipe required too much precision so they would turn out "pretty." 

I never did find a good way to melt the chocolate.  When I melted it in the microwave, I had to do it in small batches because the chocolate would harden.  When I tried a double boiler, if I wasn't burning myself on the chocolate or the steam (I finally just turned the water off!), my marshmallows were melting because of the heat.  (Brian says they looked like Harry Potter sorting hats instead of Pilgrim hats!). 

So, would I make this again?  Probably not.  Would I EAT these again?  DEFINITELY.  These are very yummy!  I love the chocolate and the marshmallow with the crunch of the cookie.  But in my opinion, not worth the time it took to make them.  So, next time I want these, I'll just have to find someone else to make them.  : )

24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies
12-ounce package of chocolate chips
24 marshmallows
tube of yellow decorators' frosting

Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.  Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.  One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.  Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.  Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

#437: Mozzarella Garlic Biscuits

Photo taken before dipping in melted butter (that is a MUST)

This is a slight deviation from the original recipe I found on a blog called "Stick a fork in it" that made Cheddar and Herb Biscuits.  Well, I was making this to go with our Slow Cooker Lasagna, so I figured I substitute the cheddar cheese and use an Italian Blend (of cheese) instead. 

This was really, really easy to make.  In fact, I threw it together in about 10 minutes after coming home from church one night.  We all thought these were good, and Brian even took the leftovers for lunch with him for a few days this week too.  (I halved the recipe and got about 14 biscuits out of it.  The recipe below is the FULL recipe).

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk (I didn't have time to make this, so I used skim)1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used Italian Blend)
Buttery Topping:
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes (I omitted)3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.  Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed.  Lightly mix in grated cheese.  Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok - the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed).

Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden.  While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixture over the biscuits evenly.

#436: Cranberry Jello Salad

Many people may not be a fan of Jello recipes, but as long as it's mixed with cool whip or cream cheese, or some other thickener, I highly enjoy it!  So I came across this recipe for Strawberry Jello Salad and figured I'd just change the strawberry flavor to cranberry jello and make it more Thanksgiving-like. 

I LOVED this.  I ate the leftovers for lunch this week and I plan to make it again this weekend for my nephew's birthday (but I'll try cherry flavored jello instead).  The texture is fantastic and this is sweet, but not too sweet.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!
3 oz pkg strawberry Jello
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 - 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1 pint fresh whipping cream, whipped (not cool whip)
1/2 cup pecan pieces

Mix water, sugar and pineapple over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the dry jello and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool for twenty to thirty minutes. While the mixture cools whip the whipping cream and place it in the refrigerator. When the jell-o mixture is cool add the pecans and fold in the whipped whipping cream. Add the mini marshmallows last. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

#435: Slow Cooker Lasagna

A day of putting up the Christmas tree and avoiding the grocery store on black Friday (while doing all of my shopping online!) = an easy homemade dinner with ingredients on hand!
This was really, really yummy!  We ALL enjoyed this one and I will definitely be making it again!

1 pound bulk Italian sausage (I used 3/4 lb cooked ground turkey)

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

3 cans (15 ounces each) Italian-style tomato sauce (I used 1 1/4 jars of prepared spaghetti sauce)

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves (I omitted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

15 uncooked lasagna noodles

Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.
Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks). 

Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture. (I just kept layering until it didn't fit in the crockpot...I didn't get as many layers out of this one as it said).

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 hours or until noodles are tender.  Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.  (I omitted) Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

#434: Hash Brown Cups

We are a hash brown loving family.  It's an easy, quick side dish to make and it pretty much goes with anything.  So when I saw this recipe, I was instantly drawn to it.  The only deterrent for me was the cooking time.  So since we are home all day over Thanksgiving weekend, I figured it would be a good time (since I have time!) to make these for us. 

These were a snap to throw together.  I omitted the green onion because my family doesn't like it, but I think it would have been good in it.  The worst part of this recipe is that it takes over an hour to bake, but that wasn't a big deal on a weekend or night we are home and have time to throw them in the oven.

1 (20 oz) bag Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns
3 green onions, chopped (approx. 1/3 cup), both white and green parts (I omitted)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 12 muffin tins with cooking spray; set aside. In large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss lightly with a fork. Drizzle on olive oil. Toss with fork again until mixture is well combined. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups. With the back of the spoon, apply gentle pressure to pack mixture into each cup. Bake for 60-75 minutes in lower third of oven. (I flipped mine over when there was bout 15 minutes of cook time left.) 
Let rest for 5 minutes, run a small knife or spatula around the edge of each cup, making sure the edges are loosened. Gently lift each potato cup out, invert it, place on serving plate bottom side up. Good served warm or room temperature.

#433: Cinnamon Roll Cake

I came across this recipe accidentally on Pinterest and was eager to make it for Brian and the girls for Thanksgiving morning breakfast.  What could be nicer than having cinnamon rolls and bacon while watching the Thanksgiving Day parade?  Sounds wonderful to me!  Brian could live off just a few foods: pizza, spaghetti, garlic bread, peanut butter sandwiches, doughnuts, pizza (did I mention that yet?) and cinnamon rolls.  (Have you noticed I did not mention any fruits or veggies?  This is why I sneaky chef his foods!)

So I had high hopes he would like this special breakfast...and they did.  Although I don't know if it was the pan I used (I halved the recipe) or if I undercooked this, but we pretty much had to flip over each piece of "cake" because the bottom was super gooey and our very center piece was so gooey/soggy it didn't hold up at all.  Regardless this was super yummy and there is only 1 piece left!

Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

#422: Irish Oatmeal Brulee Recipe

Look at that hot, bubbling goodness!

I've been dying to make this oatmeal recipe, but never really had an excuse to make it for myself (really, do I need an excuse though?!).  So for our Thanksgiving morning breakfast, I decided to make Brian and the girls some cinnamon roll pancakes and figured I'd make this for myself since it's a little (okay a lot!) healthier.  (Don't be fooled, I didn't just eat oatmeal.  I also had some cinnamon roll cake and blackberries). 

I really, really enjoyed this.  I have never used steel cut oats before and I really enjoyed the texture.  It has more bite to it than regular instant oatmeal or rolled oats.  I will definitely make this again!

8 cups 2% milk (I used skim)

2 cups steel-cut oats

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

1 orange peel strip (1 to 3 inches)

Dash salt

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup maple syrup

Buttermilk, optional (I omitted)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

In a large heavy saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium heat. Add the oats, cinnamon, orange peel and salt. Reduce heat; simmer for 30 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat; discard cinnamon and orange peel. Stir in the cranberries, raisins, syrup and a small amount of buttermilk if desired. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes.

Transfer to eight ungreased 6-oz. ramekins. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil 8 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately. 

#421: Chicken Carnita Tacos

I do not enjoy pork.  I'll eat it (sometimes) but try to avoid it.  My poor girls will probably never know a what a pork chop is.  Anyhow, I came across this recipe which is for PORK Carnita Tacos and almost made it as is...but then I remembered I had a lot of chicken in the freezer so I figured I'd substitute the chicken for the pork! 

2 to 2 ½ lbs pork shoulder or Boston butt roast (I used frozen chicken breast tenders instead)
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 onion, cut into 6 or 8 chunks
3 garlic cloves, whole
1 recipe tomatillo salsa (I substituted picante sauce since I was the only one who would eat it like that)
1 package corn tortillas
2 avocados, sliced

Fresh cilantro (sadly, I omitted)
I also added shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream

Mix together oregano, pepper, salt, and cumin and rub on outside of pork pieces in bottom of slow cooker.  Throw onion and garlic on top of pork.Slow cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or until meat is falling apart.  (I put my onion on the bottom, added a few cubes of frozen chicken stock, then put the frozen chicken tenders on top.  Then I rubbed the garlic and spices on the chicken and cooked on low for about 9 hours).

When finished discard the onion and garlic (I left both in). Drain meat and shred with a fork.  Serve warm with tortillas, tomatillo salsa, avocados and cilantro.

#420: Glazed Butternut Squash

You have to like cooked (not roasted) butternut squash to like this recipe.  I enjoy my squash roasted so this isn't my favorite way to eat it.  However, since there's nuts in this recipe (I used walnuts), it helps bump up my overall rating for it.  Overall I liked this vegetable side dish...I didn't love it, but I definitely did LIKE it.  I'd make this again. 

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled

1/2 cup apple cider (I used apple juice)1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 tsp. dried sage (I omitted)1. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Cut each half into 4 wedges; cut wedges into 2-inch pieces.

2. Stir together squash, 1/2 cup apple cider, and next 5 ingredients in a 12-inch, deep-sided, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid thickens and squash is tender. Gently stir in pecans and sage until well combined.

#419: Healthified Pumpkin Pie

Who doesn't love pumpkin pie?! (Okay I can think of a few people, but really nothing says Thanksgiving than Pumpkin Pie). Anyhow I love pumpkin pie, and my mom makes a weight watchers version of pumpkin pie, but it's more like a pumpkin cheesecake (still yummy though). So when I found this recipe, I was excited that it looked more like a fluffy version of pumpkin pie. And it would be a great recipe to try out on my book club group!

I did not love this crust.  It's VERY crunchy.  Pie crust should not be crunchy.  However, I loved the filling. Next time I would make this with a traditional (by that I mean store bought) pie crust instead but still use this recipe for the filling.  Mmm...w/out the crust, this was good!

Pastry (crust)
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c vegetable oil
3-4 tbsp skim milk

Filling
3 egg whites
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp salt
15 oz. pure canned pumpkin
12 oz. fat free evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 425°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the oil with fork until well mixed. Stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl. Shape pastry into a ball, using your hands. Press pastry in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate; flute as desired or press pastry to top edge of pie plate with fingers or fork.

In medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly with wire whisk or egg beater. Beat in remaining filling ingredients. Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate; carefully place on oven rack. Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cover edge of pie crust with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake about 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour before serving. After cooling, pie can remain at room temperature up to an additional 5 hours, then should be covered and refrigerated.

#418: Chocolate Chip-Almond Cookie Sticks

I've had this recipe from Cooking During Stolen Moments bookmarked and on my list of things to make for quite a while now.  I keep intending to make this for the girls to take to school to share with their friends and for one reason or another it keeps getting bumped.  We'll it's time to get this recipe off my pinterest board and finally make it. 

Although this took way longer to cook (I think maybe my dough was thicker) and you cannot see, nor really taste the white chocolate chips at all, it is still VERY yummy.  I would definitely make this again. 

3/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 t. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. mini chocolate chips
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 t. almond extract (I used more vanilla)

Beat the butter and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla and beat an additional minute. Beat in the salt and flour until combined. By hand, stir in the mini chocolate chips.  Refrigerate dough for at least half an hour to make it easier to handle, if desired.

Divide dough in half and roll out each portion into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. (If the dough starts to come apart as you roll, you can pat it back together with your hands.) Transfer each half to a cookie sheet.

Combine the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract.  Spread half the white chocolate mixture onto the long half of each portion of dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch margin on the edges.  Fold the other half of the dough over the top of each section and press together to seal the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown. Cool on the cookie sheets for 15 minutes. Slice the blocks into 1/2 inch slices.  Transfer slices to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

#417: Lentil-Tomato Soup

Really, this should just be called Lentil Soup.  There is so little tomato in this recipe, you can barely taste it (fine by me as tomatoes don't really agree with baby brother).  I really, really wanted to add some of the ham from the Slow-Cooked Ham recipe posted below, but that recipe was such a bust, I didn't have any to add to it.  SO...I think this would be better if it had a little chopped, cooked ham in it, other than that though, I am quite enjoying it.  I especially enjoyed it with a side of cheese balls I made Brian run out and get for lunch.  :) 

When I take it for lunches this week I'm going to add a little bit of small cooked noodles and some Parmesan cheese on top.  I'd make this again!

Oh, and by the way, there were too many steps in this recipe for my liking, so I threw it all together in the crockpot and cooked it on high for about 6 hours.  So much easier if I say so myself!
4-1/2 cups water

4 medium carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste (I used about 8 oz of tomato sauce)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dill weed (I omitted)

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon (I omitted)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, combine the water, carrots, onion and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

#415: Slow-Cooked Ham

This doesn't even look like a ham does it?!  (Not a good sign)

I rarely make ham for my family and when I do, it's pre-cooked and just needs to be heated in the oven.  When I came across this recipe, I figured it was time to venture out from pre-cooked hams and take a try at it on my own.  Besides, with the holidays coming up, I figured I could probably get a pretty good deal for a ham.  Little did I know, it's very hard to find a non-pre-cooked ham and when you do, who knows what kind to get!?  So I settled on a bone-in (it's all I could find) shank cut and took a chance that this would turn out good.  I put it in the crockpot and let it cook all day and it was obviously ready for us when we got home from church.

Sadly we were so disappointed in this.  In fact, during dinner Brian says, "I rarely say this, but can you NOT make this again?"  Fine with me!  We expected this to be like a regular ham, but the texture was like pot roast?  It was stringy.  Not at all like a ham should be.  Maybe it was my cut of meat, but this recipe is NOT getting made again in our house.  Too bad too, it was so easy!

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground mustard (I used prepared Dijon mustard)

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (I omitted)

4 tablespoons regular cola, divided (I used Pepsi Max)

1 boneless smoked ham (5 to 6 pounds), cut in half (mine had a bone, so I didn't cut in half)
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, horseradish and 2 tablespoons cola; mix well. Rub over ham. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker; pour remaining cola over ham. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 140°.

#414: Taco Puffs

I was drawn to this recipe just by the original photo.  It looked so yummy, and was basically taco meat and biscuits, so I really wanted to try it.  Of course I will find any way to make this recipe easier, so when I was looking at the reviews, and I saw someone made it in a pie pan instead of individually, I knew it was exactly how I would make this!  Personally, I don't think a pie pan is big enough, but my 8x8 pan was in the dishwasher.  Next time I would make this is an 8x8 or 9x9 pan instead.

Okay, we really, really enjoyed this and there was enough for us to get another meal out of it.  (Bonus!)  I think I need to turn the heat down though (375 degrees maybe?!) because the tops and bottoms of the rolls cooked, but the very center wasn't super hot (the cheese didn't totally melt) and the rolls were slightly undercooked.  It didn't deter us from eating it though!  Also, by looking at the original photo and then my picture, I may not have used the correct rolls...it was still good though.

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 tubes (16.3 ounces each) large refrigerated flaky biscuits

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Cool slightly.

Flatten half of the biscuits into 4-in. circles; place in greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each; sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Flatten the remaining biscuits; place on top and pinch edges to seal tightly. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

#413: Presto Pizza Patties

I found this recipe in one of my Taste of Home magazines and I thought it might be different enough, yet appealing for my family to try.  Much to my dismay, Chloe took one look at it and proclaimed, "I no like this."  My sweet Allison though said, "Mommy this looks delicious!"  Regardless of their first appearance decisions, Chloe actually out-ate Allison on this dinner and promptly changed her mind about liking dinner. 

This took much longer to cook than the recipe calls for, but I think my burgers were a bit large.  I was afraid it was getting over cooked in the skillet, so we decided to throw it on the grill to let it finish cooking without burning.  These were not what I expected.  The texture actually reminded me of meatloaf.  The center was cooked though, but a much softer texture than a typical "burger."  Our overall consensus was that this was pretty good and we would eat it again, although it isn't going to make on our "I love this!" menu...except maybe for Chloe.

2 egg whites

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

6 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large bowl, combine the egg whites, bread crumbs, green pepper, 1/3 cup pizza sauce, onion and garlic. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six oval patties.

In a large nonstick skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.

Meanwhile, place bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with oil; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Microwave remaining pizza sauce, covered, on high for 10-20 seconds or until heated through. Place patties on toast; top with cheese and sauce.

#412: Apple-Bacon Sweet Potatoes

Do I have a problem if bacon has been an ingredient in the last 3 or 4 posts?  I came across this recipe in a recent issue of Kraft Foods (love that magazine!).  This wasn't as sweet as I had hoped, but this is definitely a more savory dish with the addition of bacon.  I did like this, but I don't know if I could eat a lot of it at one time.  I am looking forward to having it for leftovers again tomorrow though...so that's always a good sign!

1 large onion, chopped

4 slices Turkey Bacon, chopped

1-1/2 lb. sweet potatoes (2 large), peeled, cut into bite-size chunks

2 apples, chopped

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped Pecans (I used walnuts)
Heat oven to 375ºF.  Cook onions and bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 7 to 8 min. or until onions are crisp-tender.

Place potatoes in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.   Add apples, apple juice and cinnamon; mix lightly.   Top with onion mixture; cover.  Bake 40 min.; top with nuts.   Bake 15 min. or until potatoes are tender and most the liquid is absorbed.

#411: Quick Creamy Corn

The word "quick" in this recipe caught my attention (as did the corn and peppers), and this recipe really is quick to throw together.  I can put this all together in my microwave within 5 minutes of coming home.  Chloe loves corn, but did not like this recipe unfortunately.  In fact, no one else in my family will eat this, but that's okay by me because I'll happily take the leftovers for lunch.  In fact, I added leftover cooked rice to the remaining corn and mixed it all together.  Now I have a full lunch just by combining my leftovers.  This recipe also needs to have salt, pepper and bacon (I used real bacon bits) to it. :)  (I took this picture before adding the salt, pepper or bacon though).

2 tsp.butter

1/2 cup each finely chopped green and red peppers (I used yellow and red because I had it on hand)

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen corn, thawed (I didn't thaw mine!)

1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) Philly Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread (I used plain cream cheese)

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese1/4 cup real bacon bits (or real crumbled bacon!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Microwave butter in medium microwaveable bowl on high 30 sec. or until melted. Stir in peppers. Microwave 1 to 2 min. or until heated through.  Stir in corn.  (I added 2 tbsp water).  Microwave 3 to 4 min. or until heated through, stirring after 2 min.  Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper, and bacon.

#410: Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes

Did you know you could cut potatoes ahead of time, put them in a bowl of ice water and they will not turn brown!?  Did you know you could do this the night before needing them?!  I did NOT know this and I am SO glad I found this out.  Any crockpot meal is pretty much worth trying in this house because it gets dinner on the table so much faster!  So when I came across this recipe, I knew I really, really wanted to try it, but figured it would have to be a weekend recipe.  But thanks to the powers of Google, I realized I could cut the potatoes, put in a bowl of ice water and stick in the fridge overnight.  When I got up in the morning, I drained the potatoes, added them to the already-made "potato cream mixture" and then threw it all in my crockpot.  I even had to put it on a timer so it would go on about 1 1/2 hours after we left.  You would never know it!  These potatoes were a perfect when I got home from work. 

The only thing I would do next time, is to add cooked bacon to it.  :)  More bacon, I know!  Doesn't the picture above look like it would be better with bacon though (salt and pepper too)???

This recipe also bears the reminder of: CROCKPOT LINERS.  Are you using them yet?  Saves you a TON of time on clean-up, and this recipe is no exception!

1 cup Sour Cream

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup

1 Tbsp.Worcestershire sauce

2 lb. small red potatoes, very thinly sliced (I left mine a little thicker so they wouldn't over cook)

1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 tsp. paprika (I omitted)

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (I omitted)

Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Spoon 1/3 into slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray; top with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers; cover with remaining potato mixture. Cover with lid.
Cook on high 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours (or on low 7 to 8 hours). Stir well; sprinkle with paprika and chives.

#409: Parmesan-Garlic Dinner Rolls

I do not have good luck with yeast.  Actually, I'm starting to think it's not a recipe that calls for yeast, it's the fact that I don't knead the dough nearly as long as the recipe calls for.  Who can knead dough for 8 minutes??  So I do try to avoid recipes like this.  But, we were having leftover pizza for dinner so I knew I had to add something to our dinner to make it a little homemade.  So I figured I'd try this recipe out.  As expected, my dough did not rise nearly enough as the recipe says (it NEVER doubles for me!), so these were a little dense, but we all enjoyed them none-the-less. 

I halved the recipe below and I got 12 rolls out of it which fit very nicely in a 9x13 pan!
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup whole milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add 2 eggs; beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 portions. Shape into balls. Divide between two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans.

Cover with a clean, lightweight towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 min. Brush with lightly beaten egg. Sprinkle with toppings for rolls of your choice.
Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen.

#408: Unstuffed Shells

Brian is NOT a fan of the new Philly Cooking Cremes.  Personally, I can only take it in smaller doses as well.  If a recipe calls for the whole container, I'll usually just add about 1/3 of the container and we feel it's definitely enough flavor for our family.  So when this recipe called for the cooking creme again, I wasn't sure he was going to eat this.  BUT, I was happily surprised that this made a huge 9x13 pan and we actually ate it for two dinners!  Bonus!  I would definitely make this again for us and I would continue to use a little less meat and a lot less cooking creme. 

4 cups medium pasta shells, uncooked

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)

1 jar (24 oz.) marinara sauce

1 tub (10 oz.) Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme (I used 1/3 of the tub)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.  Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain.  Stir in marinara sauce; simmer on medium heat 2 min.  Remove from heat.

Drain pasta.  Mix cooking creme, basil and Parmesan in large bowl; stir in pasta.  Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of pasta mixture and remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle with mozzarella; cover with foil.  Refrigerate up to 24 hours.    

Heat oven to 375ºF.  Bake casserole, covered, 40 to 45 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.

#407: French Bread Pizza

I had a lot of leftover ground turkey and wanted several quick recipes to use up the meat.  I came across this recipe in my Taste of Home The Ultimate Ground Beef Cookbook and knew my family would enjoy this meal.  I was right, we ALL enjoyed this meal.  I never thought Chloe would eat this, but she totally finished her dinner.

I think the best part of this was the cheese...do NOT use shredded cheese.  Instead go buy the sliced cheeses (we used provolone since we had it in the house).  It gives it such a cheesy, ooey-gooey, melty goodness.  Brian, "who only eats mozzarella!" (so he thinks), had no idea this wasn't mozzarella and really enjoyed this dinner too!

1/2 pound ground beef

1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce

1 jar (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained (I omitted)
20 slices of pepperoni, chopped

1 loaf (1 pound) French bread

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used sliced provolone)
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in pizza sauce and mushrooms; set aside.

Cut bread in half lengthwise, then into eight pieces. Spread meat sauce on bread; place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese melted and bubbly. Yield: 6-8 servings.

#406: Memphis-Style BBQ Joes

There were two huge draws for me to make this recipe: 1. Bacon 2. French Fried Onions.  Healthy?  Probably not.  Yummy? Absolutely. 

Brian and the girls weren't nearly as big of fans of this as I was, so I don't know if it will make it onto a menu again too soon, but I certainly enjoyed this. 

1 lb bacon, chopped
2/3 c finely chopped onion
1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c BBQ sauce
Hamburger Buns
1/2 c finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 c prepared coleslaw (I omitted)
1/2 c french fried onions

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until browned and crisp, stirring frequently.  Drain all but 1 tbsp drippings from skillet.  Add onion, cook 3-5 minutes or until union is soft, stirring occasionally. 

Crumble beef into skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook 8-10 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.  Stir in BBQ sauce and cook until heated through.

Divide beef mixture between hamburger buns.  Top with cheese, coleslaw and fried onions.  Makes 6 sandwiches.

Kroger's Truly Awesome Cookies

 No, this is not a new recipe I've made/tried.  However, it is a new product I had the opportunity to try through BzzAgent.  And I'm so glad I did!  These cookies remind me a lot of Chips Ahoy, but these are SO much better.  They haven't been in the stores very long, and I was not familiar with them before this campaign.  Two things I love most about these cookies:
1: These are BIG cookies.  Way bigger than you would expect from a box of pre-packaged cookies.
2. The first ingredient listed on the box is chocolate chips!  How can you not like a cookie that lists chocolate chips as their number 1 ingredient!?  The only thing I wish is that there were more in the box.  These only come in packages of 8 (a box is not going to last very long with the four of us!)  However, unlike regular cookies, you really can eat just one at a time.  Do you have a Kroger near you?  (or a Kroger Affiliated store)  If so, go out and get a box of these right away.  Your family will thank you! 

#405: Pineapple Cherry Jello

Thanksgiving = New Jello Recipe to try. 

I found this recipe in one of my recent All You Magazines, as an advertisement for Dole.  It was supposed to be made into mini molds, but that required an extra step, so I just made it in one big bowl.  I LOVED this!  But I love cherries, so if you don't like cherries, you might not like this one.  Definitely making this again soon. 

20 oz crushed pineapple
12 oz pineapple juice
2 packages (3 oz each) cherry gelatin
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, quartered and drained
1/2 c chopped pecans

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.  Heat reserved juice plus canned pineapple juice to boiling.  Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Add nutmeg and chill until mixture thickens slightly.  Fold in pineapple, cherries and pecans.  Pour into a bowl or jell-o mold and chill until firm. 

#404: Italian Beef Sandwiches...sort of

I had to make a few adjustments because I decided to throw this into the crockpot at the last minute and didn't have all the ingredients like I intended.  Regardless of the changes, this was really, really yummy!  I not only plan to make this again, hopefully I can use some of the other original ingredients to make it even better.  So yummy!  Another great recipe from Taste of Home!

2 lbs boneless beef rump roast or bottom round roast, halved (I omitted)
2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast

1 lb beef sirloin tip roast (I omitted, but next time I plan to add this)

2 tablespoons canola oil (I omitted)
2 cups water (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped (I used minced dried onion)
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 tbsp)
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix (I omitted)
1 envelope zesty Italian salad dressing mix (I used 1 package)
1 envelope (0.87 ounce) brown gravy mix (I used 1/2 package)
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (I used just a few flakes)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (I used about 1/2 tbsp)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
16 hoagie buns, split
Sliced provolone cheese, optional
Giardiniera, optional
In a large skillet, brown each roast in oil on all sides.  Drain.  Transfer meat to a 7-qt. slow cooker. (I didn't have time for this, so I added my roast still frozen to the crockpot).

Combine the water, onion, garlic, salad dressing and gravy mixes, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and Worcestershire sauce; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.  (I forgot to turn my crockpot to low, so it actually cooked on high for 10 1/2 hours.  The edges were a little dark and dried out but it was still really good..and those dried out pieces were actually my favorites!)

Remove beef; cool slightly. Shred beef with two forks; return to crockpot to reheat in leftover liquids. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/2 cup of meat on each bun. Top with cheese and giardiniera if desired.  (I toasted my bun and then added the cheese so it began to melt a bit.)