White Pizza with Artichokes, Rosemary, Olives & Garlic

Another great pizza dinner tonight... and it was meatless but delicious! So fast and easy to make it's a no brainer. You can use either the marinated artichoke hearts in a jar, frozen artichokes (thawed) or the canned ones. I love artichoke hearts and on a white pizza - yes please! You can serve this pizza by itself or with small side salads. This recipe will make enough for 4-6 people.

ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough cut into 2 equal parts at room temperature

• 8 oz ricotta at room temperature

• 12 oz marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained

• 1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved

• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

• freshly ground black pepper

• side salads

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Lightly dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal. Using flour and cornmeal shape the dough into 2 separate pies. 

2. Top each pizza with a layer of ricotta, artichokes, garlic, rosemary, pepper, green olives, red onion & cheeses. 

3. Bake the pizzas for 9-10 minutes and rotate and bake an additional 9-10 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is all gooey and melty. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with salad, if desired.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Chile con Queso

I saw Pioneer Woman make this on a recent episode and it looked/sounded so good I really wanted to make it for game night. It ended up being so yummy and everyone loved it. Another plus is it's super easy to make all in one pan then just throw in a slow cooker to keep warm. I forgot to snap a photo but here's how you make it...

ingredients

• 1 lb hot breakfast sausage
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 lb block Velveeta cheese
• 10 oz can original Rotel
• 2 small cans chopped green chiles
• 1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
• Chips & Flour tortillas (cut into triangles) for serving

directions

1. Brown the sausage in a large non stick skillet, breaking up the sausage as you go. Once browned, drain in a colander over the sink to get rid of the fat. Pour sausage back into hot skillet and add onion & jalapeno and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Chop the cheese up in cubes so it will melt faster and add to skillet along with the Rotel and green chiles. Cook over low heat until it all starts coming together. Remove from the heat and pour into a slow cooker. Keep warm and serve with chips and/or flour tortilla triangles. 

Enjoy!

This recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Spicy Bean Feast Pizza

Q was very proud of this heart shaped pizza and was highly disappointed at my lack of enthusiasm for his "mad skills" as a pizza dough shaper. It's really an interesting combination of flavors: beans, meat sauce, sharp & tangy cheddar cheese and fresh grassy parsley. We really dug this pizza so you should try it too! This will make enough for 2 small pizzas which I'd say would feed about 6 people or great for leftovers is you're like us and just have 2 people to feed. 

ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried Chile flakes
• 1/2 cup light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 3/4 cup prepared meat sauce
• 2 cups grated white extra sharp cheddar cheese
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, chopped

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic & saute for 5 minutes, until softened, stirring. Add paprika & tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Add the Chile flakes, beans, sauce, salt & pepper. Bring to a fast simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until thickened. Use a potato masher to mash the beans slightly.

2. Cut the dough in 2 equal portions and roll out into oval like shapes using flour and corn meal. Lightly dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and lay each piece of dough on the sheets.

3. Spread the bean mixture over each pizza crust and top with cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley when serving.

Enjoy!

The recipe was adapted from 100 Pizzas from 1 Easy Recipe.

Pork Chops with Cheesy Grits & Jammy Tomatoes

We aren't big fans of grits... both of us just haven't had yummy, delicious grits so we typically never order them. A few weeks back we had a really great meal at a local restaurant and I ordered shrimp & grits and it was amazing. So I decided to look for a recipe that had grits and came across this one. Needless to say the grits were really tasty, probably because they had cheese and lots of flavor added :-:-). The jammy tomato mixture is sweet and tangy at the same time and goes really well with the pork and grits. Here's how I made it and it will make enough for 2 peeps.

ingredients

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking grits
• 1 oz grated cheddar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• 2 bone in pork chops, 1" thick
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

directions

1. Cook the grits according to the package instructions, then stirring in the cheddar, butter, S&P during the last minute of cooking. Don't cook the grits until your pork chops are almost ready as they tend to stiffen up if you don't serve them right away.

2. Season the pork on both sides with paprika, salt, pepper & garlic powder. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pork on each side for 6-8 minutes. Remove and tent with tin foil to let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

3. Add the tomatoes, vinegar (stand back when adding vinegar) & sugar to the drippings of the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes. The consistency should be syrupy and the tomatoes should be almost falling apart and soft.

4. Serve the pork on a bed of grits and the jammy tomatoes on top. Sprinkle some fresh parsley over each serving.

Enjoy!

These recipes adapted from Real Simple.

Chicken & Dumplings

I love some chicken & dumplings and this dinner was so flavorful that I would highly recommend it based upon that. The chicken was so yummy and tender, I was shocked at how good this came out. I will always use chicken thighs from now in versus breasts as they are so much tastier. There are 2 things I would change about this meal. While it was so tasty it was more of a soup than the thick & hearty chicken and dumplings I am used to. So, I would try to thicken up the sauce a little bit more to get it to a heartier consistency. Secondly, the dumplings were a little on the large size and I made them smaller than the recipe called for. So, if I made them over again I would make the dumplings a teaspoon or slightly larger than that as they expand so much during the cooking process. I served the meal with some of those yummy croissants that come in the can - we love those! 

ingredients

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs (2 lbs)
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 fresh bay leaves (I used some from my garden)
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted & cooled slightly
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temp
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• biscuits or croissants for dredging

directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper & garlic powder on both sides. Brown the meat in batches (don't over crowd the pot), 4-6 mins per side and then transfer to a plate.

2. Add the celery, carrots, onion, thyme & garlic to the chicken drippings in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes. Add the bay leaves, 10 cups of water and stir. Add the chicken and bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred, removing the bones and skin in the meantime. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot with the broth and veggies and stir.

3. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour, 2 cups of cooking liquid, and 1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper in a medium size bowl. Make sure the pot is on medium and the broth is at rapid simmer then SLOWLY whisk the flour mixture back into the pot and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10-12 minutes.

4. Whisk the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder & soda, 1/4 tsp each s & p in a large bowl. Mix in the melted butter, buttermilk and parsley with your hands until a soft dough forms. If it seems to dry add a dab of buttermilk just so all the ingredients are well combined. Form small balls of dough and drop them in the pot. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through. Serve each dish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top as well.

Enjoy!

These recipes adapted from Real Simple.

Meat Loaf with Roasted Tomatoes & Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

I think every man I know loves some meat loaf & taters... ma! the meatloaf! Anyway, it's not my ultimate favorite kinda meal but this one was pretty tasty I have to say. AND the mashed potatoes are fluffy, creamy and decadent. The roasted tomatoes are sweet and juicy and add a natural sauce to this dish when you cut them up. Did I say how good these mashed potatoes were??? Well they aren't low fat so that's probably why! I picked these recipes up from the latest issue of Real Simple magazine and it turned out great! Here's how I made it...

Meat Loaf with Roasted Tomatoes

6 -8 servings

ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 small onion, grated (do this over the bowl of meat so it catches all the juices)

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp dried thyme 

• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 lb plum tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine (small though)

directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400º. Whisk 1/4 cup ketchup and brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Combine the oats & milk in a large bowl (just use your fingers to combine). Let stand until the oats are soft which will be about 5 minutes or so. Grate the onion over the bowl so you catch all the juices. Whisk in eggs, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, 1/4 cup ketchup, 3/4 tsp salt (just eyeball it), 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the beef and pork and gently mix with your hands until just combined. Don't over mix as it will make the meat loaf tough and that is no bueno!

3. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish and form into any shape you desire - get creative if you want, it doesn't have to be the same old meatloaf log shape. Brush the top with the sweetened ketchup mixture and arrange the tomatoes around the sides. Sprinkle a bit of S & P on top of the tomatoes as well. 

4. Bake until a thermometer reads 165º in the center. (I use a thermometer that I can insert in the beginning that has a cord with a magnetic read out that I place on the front of the oven. You can also just use an instant read thermometer as well). Bake for 40-50 minutes and then remove from oven. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

For leftovers, just sandwich some meatloaf & tomatoes in a potato bun and you have LUNCH! NOM NOM NOM.

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

6 -8 servings

ingredients

• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2" cubes

• 1 cup whole milk, at room temp

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temp

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp (cut into pieces)

• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 3 large eggs, at room temp and lightly beaten

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Fill a large pot with cold water and the potatoes (just covering them by 1"). Bring to a simmer, place the lid half tilted over the pot and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to the pot.

2. Add the milk, cream cheese, butter, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and mash until smooth. Gently fold in the eggs until combined. Transfer to a buttered 2 quart baking dish, smoothing the top.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set in the middle and golden.

You can make these the day before and store in the fridge until ready to bake, just add about 10 more minutes to the baking time if it is refrigerated.

Enjoy!

These recipes were adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Fried Chicken Tacos, Mexican Rice & Salsa

I've fallen a bit behind on the blog due to coming down with a bad stomach flu which knocked me out for about a week. Then, it took a little while for me to come back to life and catch up on well, everything. It took even a bit longer for me to like eating again or even talking/thinking about food again too! So, here come the recipes and I'm starting with this one. This meal was fantastic and can't wait to make it again with different toppings/variations. It's some work but man it's worth it. Q also filled me in on a little family tid bit, that Sharon used to make taco shells much like this when he was growing up and he just loved it. I just love hearing new family stories on a whim like that. So yes you can omit frying your own shells but I'm tellin ya - it's worth giving it a whirl. We did it together so it made it that much more fun but we are silly like that. :-)

Fried Chicken Tacos

makes 8 servings

ingredients

• 1 tsp each of Chile powder & ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 cup canola oil, plus 1 tbsp

• 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

• 3-4 roasted green chiles

• 16 small corn tortillas 

• 1.5 cups finely grated cheddar cheese

• plain greek yogurt or sour cream

• hot sauce

• 2 cups thinly sliced romaine letter

• 4 roma tomatoes, diced

directions

1. Mix the Chile powder, cumin and salt together in a small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken and chiles for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is mostly opaque. 

3. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. Wipe out the skillet and add 1 cup of canola oil over medium high heat. You can also use a different skillet if needed. 

5. Spoon some of the chicken mixture into (1/4 cup) a tortilla and using tongs grasp the tortilla closed and gently add the tortilla into the oil on it's side (you can also use a toothpick here to keep it closed as well or just use the tongs to keep it closed. Cook until golden brown only about 30 seconds, then flip over for another 30 seconds. You can do 2 or 3 at a time just be very careful when frying with oil as it could splatter on you during the process. When you remove the taco, using the tongs let the excess oil drip off and immediately place on a paper towel lined plate, put some cheese inside and wrap in a paper towel and set aside. Top with hot sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, Greek yogurt/sour cream and any other toppings you may like. They are ready to serve!

This recipe might sound intimidating but once you do one or two of them you will get the hang of it and it's nice if you have a helper like I did to assist when frying them. You could also omit making your own taco shells and pick up ready made taco shells but I bet they won't taste as good :-)! 

Mexican Rice

makes 6 servings

ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil

• 1 medium white onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups long grain rice (rinse with cold water)

• 10 oz can diced tomatoes

• 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes

• 1 hot green Chile, chopped

• 1 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

• chopped fresh cilantro

directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the rice. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes stirring constantly to make sure the rice won't burn. Add rotel, tomatoes and spices and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add 2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until rice is done. Add more liquid if necessary, the rice should not be sticky. Top with cilantro for each individual serving.

I made this rice a month or so ago and it was definitely delicious, however, the recipe indicated it cooked within a short amount of time and it was way off for me. I had to triple the amount of time it needed to cook just to get the rice done all the way. I was using brown rice so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it. This time I used white rice and rinsed it prior to cooking with it. This has helped me in the past with cooking rice. This time around I didn't have anymore rotel around so I just used diced tomatoes and one hot green Chile which proved to be plenty of heat.

Hot & Spicy Salsa

ingredients

• 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes

• 10 oz can Hot Rotel

• 1/4 large red onion, roughly chopped

• 1 fresno Chile, roughly chopped

• 1 garlic clove, smashed

• 1/4 tsp each of sugar, salt & ground cumin

• Juice of half of a lime

• handful of cilantro (stems and all)

directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until blended to the consistency that you like your salsa. 

Enjoy!