Cooking

I'm getting really good at making pizza. I've found these ready made crusts that are two crusts in a package for around $4.00 at the store. With some good seasonings and great toppings, they make a pretty good and quick pizza. Otherwise, I usually do English muffin pizzas because my kids like the little size. Maybe someday I'll take the leap into making my own pizza dough because I know it's really easy, but for now, ready-made crusts. I made my Bacon Egg & Cheese Breakfast Pizza for MOPS and it was a big hit, so I took it again the next month. Here's my recipe for that.

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Pizza


1 pre-made pizza pie dough (find near Pillsbury canned breads)
4 Tbsp Butter, melted
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 jar Ragu yellow Double Cheddar Cheese sauce
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
8-12 eggs, scrambled
1 pkg Best Choice Bacon Pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, garlic

Scramble eggs in pan with ¼ to ½ cup milk, season with sprinkles of meat seasoning salt and pepper. Place pizza stone in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove pizza pie dough from wrapper. Melt 4 tbsp butter and sprinkle in ½ tsp garlic powder. Use a brush to spread garlic butter across all over pizza pie, especially curled edges. Spread a thin layer of Ragu cheese sauce, about 1 cup, to cover bottom of pizza pie. Layer with about 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, then eggs (you won’t use all), then bacon (about ½ pkg), then about 1 cup Cheddar cheese to finish. Sprinkle with choice of seasonings for flavor – I used Italian seasoning, garlic, pinches of salt and pepper. Slide pizza onto baking stone, bake in oven until cheese is melted, about 12-15 minutes.


Second recipe... I had cooked some chicken tenders in a skillet on the stove a couple nights ago and found myself wondering what to do with them. I saw the pizza crust in the freezer and pulled it out. The final product - Chicken Bacon Pizza, my husband's favorite request at pizza restaurants. The recipe is much the same as the Breakfast Pizza, but follows below.

Chicken Bacon Pizza


1 pre-made pizza pie dough (find near Pillsbury canned breads)
4 Tbsp Butter, melted
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 cup spaghetti or pizza sauce (I use Prego)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
4 chicken tenders or breasts, cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 pkg Best Choice Bacon Pieces, or fresh bacon, cooked, chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, garlic

Cook the chicken fully and cut into bite-sized cubes. Place pizza stone in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove pizza pie dough from wrapper. Melt 4 tbsp butter and sprinkle in ½ tsp garlic powder. Use a brush to spread garlic butter across all over pizza pie, especially curled edges. Spread a good layer of spaghetti sauce, about 1½ cups, to cover bottom of pizza pie. Layer with about 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, then chicken, then bacon (about ½ pkg), then about 1 cup Cheddar cheese to finish. Sprinkle with choice of seasonings for flavor – I used Italian seasoning, garlic, pinches of salt and pepper. Slide pizza onto baking stone, bake in oven until cheese is melted, about 12-15 minutes.

Third recipe... Really stretched myself tonight. I cooked a version of swiss steak using pork chops because that is what I had thawed. Sliced mushrooms and onions, then cut up some chives. I let those brown in the pan with the steak grease and then added brown gravy to it. I then used the mush/onion/chive gravy to top the chops. With a side of au gratin potatoes and salad, Hubby said he felt like he was at a restaurant. Happy eating!