Mexican Pizza 11 WW Pts +

As a mom with a new baby and a wild 3 year old, most nights require slow cooker meals, quick and easy meals or takeout.  This yummy Mexican Pizza falls into the quick and easy category.  The ingredients can even be prepped during naptime and assembled during the harried dinnertime rush when the little one is suddenly starving and the big one is entertaining himself by taste testing the playdough... 

I love that this recipe is light and healthy too because I've got a lot of pregnancy cheeseburgers and milkshakes to lose.  Unlike the Taco Bell version, nothing is fried and everything is as real, fresh and organic as you want it to be.  

Whole wheat tortillas, homemade taco seasoning, ground chicken, refried beans, jalepeno slices and olives would all be perfect additions to this double decker pizza.

Recipe
Serves 6 
12 tortillas, small
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning or your own seasoning
1/2 bottle taco sauce (I used Taco Bell brand.)
1 1/2 c Mexican cheese blend
1 tomato, seeded and diced
6 green onions, diced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare ground beef as directed on taco seasoning packet.
3. Heat skillet over medium heat.  Spray tortillas with butter flavored cooking spray.  Heat tortillas in skillet on both sides until crisp.  Place 6 on baking sheet and set the other six to the side.
4. Divide taco meat between the 6 tortillas on the baking sheet.   Sprinkle meat with half of the cheese or your can leave all of the cheese for the topping.
5. Top meat/cheese with second tortilla.  
6. Spread 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons taco sauce over top tortilla.
7. Top with tomatoes, cheese and green onions.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes or until hot and melty.
9. Cut into wedges and serve.

11 WW Pts.+

Linked to: 

Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday -

Quick and Easy Pizza Bites

I'm not a huge appetizer gal.  Personally, I'd rather skip the appetizers and have a bigger steak, which might explain these extra 10 pounds that won't got away...  When we get together with friends, finger foods are often on the menu so I've been working on coming up with new ideas.  The hubs' only requirement is meat and I'm happy to oblige.

Pinterest led me to a great recipe from Plain Chicken.  I love this blog by the way.  She has great recipes for real food without a lot of crazy ingredients.

I like to call these guys Pizza Bites because that's basically what they are- a tasty little bite of pizza.  You take a simple batter, add whatever pizza ingredients you like, bake until golden and serve them with marinara sauce.  These were so quick and easy to make that they will probably become a regular, go to recipe for me. 

We tried the original pepperoni and sausage version as well as a ham and cheddar one.  We liked them both and will probably try more combos to serve up during the next game night.

Recipe
Adapted from: Plain Chicken
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz low fat cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz turkey pepperoni, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
4 oz turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled (I used precooked sausage crumbles.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder and garlic powder.  Add milk and egg and mix well.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Place a spoonful of mixture into each and bake 22-25 minutes or until golden.  Serve with marinara sauce.

Linked to:  Gooseberry Patch -

Strawberry Brownie Pizza!

Summer is my favorite time of year to go grocery shopping!  I love seeing the abundance of sweet corn, squash and juicy berries that line the shelves of the produce department.  They inspire me to get in the kitchen (or out on the grill) and whip up something yummy and fresh for the family.

Needing a quick and easy dessert for a recent church potluck, I decided to capitalize on the ginormous (and incredibly cheap) strawberries at the store.  This super simple dish was inspired by this recipe from Betty Crocker.  It has a layer of brownies,  a layer of sweetened cream cheese, followed by a layer of strawberries and is finished off with chocolate drizzle and toasted almonds.

Other toppings ideas:

• Basic Fruit Pizza- bananas and berries with a fruity glaze
• Black Forest: cherry pie filling (mixed with a little sugar and a splash of almond extract) with toasted almonds and shaved chocolate
• 4th of July- strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
• Hawaiian - mandarin oranges, bananas, coconut and macadamia nuts
• Caramel Mocha- pecans, toffee bits, chocolate chips and a caramel drizzle (substitute coffee for water in brownies)
• Banana Split- walnuts, chocolate chips, bananas, cherries or strawberries, whipped cream

What toppings would you like to see?

Recipe
Adapted from:  Betty Crocker
Brownie Mix (box (1 lb 2.4 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme Premium brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
About a pound of fresh strawberries, cut in half or sliced (use more if desired)
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1/3 c toasted almond slices

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for dark or nonstick pans).  Line a 12 inch pizza pan or round cake pan with foil.  Light grease the bottom of the pan (foil).  This will make it easier to remove your brownie once it's cooled.  If you plan to serve it in the pan, skip the foil.
2. Mix up brownies according to package directions.  Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Once cooled remove foil and place on serving dish.  I used a large spatula to help loosen the foil from the bottom. 
3. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together until fluffy; spread onto brownie.  Place cut strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture.  Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with almond slices.  Refrigerate for an hour or so until chilled.  
4. Cut into wedges and serve.

Printable Recipe

Linked to: Six Sister's Stuff - Cast Party Wednesday - Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup -

Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizza - 9 WW Points +

Sooo true confession time... who here has eaten an entire frozen pizza?  Yep, many times.  You know those little pizzas in the red box that taste good, but have over 800 calories?  Love those things...  Unfortunately, WW doesn't like them as much as I do.  They're 18-20 points for an entire pizza!!

Luckily, I found an even better substitute with only 8-9 points +!

The hubs and I recently discovered Flatout Flatbread to be a fantastic substitute for pizza crust.  (Make sure you get the 90 calorie version.) They make a great thin crust with lots of fiber to keep you full.  We've been experimenting with our favorite pizza flavor combinations which I'll be sharing regularly. 

This BBQ Chicken version uses leftover grilled chicken made with my Ultimate Chicken Marinade, but you could use whatever chicken you have on hand.  

Leave off the bacon and it's only 8 points +!

Recipe
1 Flatout Flatbread (90 calories)
1/2 c thinly sliced onion
3 oz grilled chicken, thinly sliced (can also used baked or poached)
2 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1/4 c reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp real bacon pieces
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (or scallions if you prefer)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place flatbread on cookie sheet.
2.  Saute onion in water or chicken broth or a pan lightly sprayed with olive oil over medium-low heat until soft or caramelized if you're patient- about 10 minutes.  ;)  Lightly salt and pepper the onion. Throw in chicken and saute 3-4 more minutes or until chicken is warm.
3.  Bake flatbread in oven for 4 minutes.  Remove from oven, layer barbecue sauce, chicken and onion, cheese and finally bacon.  Bake 6 more minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.  Watch carefully to avoid burning the flatbread.  Burnt flatbread is no bueno. 
4.  Top with cilantro before serving.

Nutrition info:  Calories: 362  Fat: 10.6g  Saturated Fat: 4.5g  Total Carbs: 38g  Fiber: 10g  Sugars: 15g  Protein: 27.9 Weight Watchers Points + 9 (8 Points without the bacon)

Chicken Fajita Pizza

We love anything you can put on crust and call a pizza.  There's just something about the combination of bread and cheese with our favorite foods tucked in between. 

In our quest to lighten things up around here, I decided to whip up a chicken fajita pizza.  It has a whole wheat crust that I found at The Daily Green, chicken breasts, veggies and only 1 cup of cheese.  It was really hard for me to limit the cheese to only 1 cup for a 14" pizza.  I love cheese and used to pile it onto my pizzas, but I found I really didn't miss it if the other toppings had plenty of flavor.

You can use whatever fajita seasoning  you like, but I recently discovered McCormick's Fajita Seasoning and it has been big winner in our home. 

I hope you think about this recipe the next time your family can't decide between pizza and Mexican food!

Recipe
1 Prepared Pizza Crust (or your favorite crust recipe)*
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin 2" strips
1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 package McCormick Fajita Seasoning mix
1/4 c water
1/2 c taco sauce (can also use picante sauce, but may need a little more)
1 c Mexican blend shredded cheese
Garnishes: green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno slices, etc...)

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with a heaping teaspoon of cornmeal.  If you are making a pizza crust you may want to prebake it 8 minutes so it won't be soggy. 
2.  Saute chicken over medium heat until nearly done.  Add pepper, onion, seasoning and water.  Saute 2-3 minutes or until veggies just start to soften and liquid starts to evaporate.
3.  Spread taco sauce over prepared or prebaked pizza crust.  Spread fajita mixture over crust.  Sprinkle with cheese.
4.  Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees.  Garnish with whatever you like.

I made this crust from The Daily Green.  I prebaked it 8 minutes at 425 degrees before topping it.  We really enjoyed this crust, but will only use half next time as it was a little too thick for us.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Heaven

I heart deep dish Chicago-style pizza.  I didn't know it until today, but swooooon.   Thick, chewy crust, well seasoned veggies, goooey cheese and savory meats are combined to create this incredible palate-pleaser. 

As we wear eating dinner, the hubs (aka The Pizza Connoisseur) kept asking if I was going to take a picture.  lol!  I guess that meant he liked it.  =P  He's starting to warm up to this whole blog thing as well! 

To cut a few calories here and there, I used lean turkey sausage, precooked deli ham and turkey pepperoni instead of the pound of full fat sausage suggested in the original recipe.  I also cut back a little on the cheese.

The best tip I discovered while making this is to drain the tomatoes really well.  Once you add them to the rest of the veggies, they'll give up a little more liquid that you might want to drain off as well.  I had a little of the tomato mixture left after it was assembled because my crust was super thick.

If the sauce is too chunky for your taste, try a a can of tomato sauce in lieu of the diced tomatoes.  I think I might try that next time too since the hubs prefers his tomatoes pureed.   Change up the meats, veggies, and cheeses to create your own mouthwatering combination. 

I can't wait to dive into the leftovers!

Recipe
1 Perfect Pizza Crust or 1 lb frozen bread dough, thawed
6 oz precooked turkey sausage
4 oz chopped deli ham
4 oz chopped turkey pepperoni
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
1 c mushrooms, chopped
1/3 c bell pepper, diced
1 sm onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (28 oz) jar diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Press dough onto bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.
2. In the meantime, saute onions, pepper and garlic in olive until onions start to soften.  Add mushrooms and saute a few more minutes.  Stir in well drained tomatoes, oregano, salt and fennel seed.  
3. Remove crust from oven.  Layer meat, mozzarella cheese, sauce and parmesan cheese.  Bake 25 more minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes.com 

Printable Recipe

Linked to:
Delectable Tuesday
Turning the Table Thursday 
Full Plate Thursday

Pizza Carbonara

By now y'all know we LOVE pizza at our house.    It's such a quick and inexpensive way to feed the family and make everybody happy.  Even baby boy loves his pizza.

Pizza is also a great way to sneak leftovers past your family without them knowing that they're eating last night's dinner again.  ;)  This pizza came about when I was looking for a way to use up leftover grilled chicken.  Whenever we grill I always throw on a few extra chicken breasts because I love the boost of flavor that grilled chicken gives to our regular recipes. 

I did a quick search of my AllRecipes.com recipe box for chicken pizzas and found this little jewel. OK, so it is a very loose interpretation of carbonara to say the least, but I it is still de-licious! I used my Perfect Pizza Crust and Garlicky White Sauce instead of what was used in the recipe I found.  I love both of these so if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Because the Garlicky White Sauce is so rich, I only used 1 cup of mozzarella on top.  You and your thighs won't miss the extra cheese, I promise. And yes, this is another recipe with bacon.  Bacon is my secret weapon, but you didn't hear that from me.  : P

For added color, try sprinkling fresh parsley and chopped tomatoes on top.  Serve with a fresh green salad to round out this simple meal.

One big plus about this chicken pizza recipes is that all of the ingredients can be prepared a day or two in advance and left in the fridge.  With everything ready, you can assemble this pizza in the amount of time that it takes for the oven to preheat.  Boo-yah!


Enjoy!

Recipe
½ Perfect Pizza Crust Recipe
1 Garlicky White Sauce Recipe
2 grilled chicken breasts, thinly sliced
½ c white onion, thinly sliced
½ c real bacon bits
1 c mozzarella cheese
Optional ingredients: tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, green onions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray pizza pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with cornmeal.  Pat dough into pan.
2. Spread sauce over dough.  Sprinkle with chicken, onion, bacon and any other optional ingredients.  Sprinkle cheese over top.
3. Bake for 10-14 minutes, watching carefully near the end.  

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Printable Version

Linked to:

Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain
Wow Me Wednesday at Ginger Snap Crafts
This Weeks Cravings at Moms Crazy Cooking
Sunday Scoop Link to Party and I Heart Naptime 

Building a Perfect Pie, Part III - Garlicky White Sauce!

Every once in a while we just need a break from the regular tomato sauce pizza so I searched until I found a yummy, garlicky white version.  This one is packed with flavor and is thick enough to keep your pizza from getting soggy.  You don't need to add a lot of cheese to the top of the pizza because the sauce is so flavorful and creamy. 

I love to use this with chicken pizzas like my Chicken Carbonara Pizza.  There's just something about that garlicky cream sauce that compliments the flavor of grilled chicken breasts.

This is a really quick and easy sauce to make if you keep a few things in mind.  Because it comes together so quickly, it helps to have everything measured and ready to go before you start melting your butter.  You also much watch carefully to keep it from burning.  It thickens up more when it cools down, but don't worry.  Just spread in on thick, and it will be alright. 

I hope you enjoy and will share on what kind of pizza you like to have Garlicky White Sauce!

Recipe
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 c milk
1/2 c parmisiano-reggiano, shredded

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook about a minute while stirring to keep from burning.  
2. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and seasoning.  Cook and stir about 1 minute.
3. Add milk and cook and stir until thickened.  It will be a gravy like consistency and will thicken quickly.  If it gets too thick, add more milk. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

Makes enough for 1 pizza.
Source: Adapted from Food.com

Printable Version

Building a Perfect Pie, Part II - The Sauce!

OK, so I blogged earlier that I'd finally found the perfect pizza crust, so I could switch my focus to the figuring out the sauce.  I've been working on both a red sauce and a white sauce, but in case you missed the big picture to the left, this blog post is about the red one.  ; )

For me, the sauce can make or break a pizza.  Some are too salty- I mean how much salt do you need when you have salt in the toppings, the cheese and the crust?  Then there are the sickeningly sweet sauces, which are good for dipping your bread sticks in, but are a no go for pizza.  We won't even talk about the ones with the weird, unidentifiable ingredients.

This simple sauce has just the right amount of seasonings with no crazy ingredients to buy.  The only trick is that you MUST make it a day ahead if possible.  It takes a while for the seasonings to mesh together.  If you taste test it too early, you will be tempted to toss in the trashcan, so be patient and magical things will happen.  You can add your salt and pepper after the sauce has had time to set out.

It makes enough for 1 large pizza or 2 if you prefer your pizza lightly sauced.

Recipe
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 c water
1/3 c olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, except salt and pepper, cover and place in fridge overnight.  Don't adjust seasonings until after the sauce has rested overnight.

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Source:  Adapted from AllRecipes

Building a Perfect Pie Starts with a Perfect Pizza Crust!

To say that my family loves pizza would be a vast understatement.  The hubs could eat pizza in some shape or form every night of the week.  His favorite is Canadian bacon which just so happens to be my LEAST favorite.

Ick.

We make pizza 2-3 times a month instead of ordering out.  I prefer it because then I can control the amount of salt and fat that goes into my pie.   While dh could eat the same pizza over and over, (again, Canadian bacon, ick...) I like to experiment with different flavor combos.  Some of the most successful combos so far have been Philly cheesesteak pizza, barbecue chicken pizza, taco pizza, bacon cheeseburger pizza, chicken cordon bleu pizza, and fajita pizza.

Unfortunately, one thing was always coming up short with my homemade pies, the crust.  It was always too dry, too thick, too chewy or just blech...  I've tried several different recipes but this last one was the keeper!  It is from the March 2010 Food Network Magazine and it makes enough for 2 pizzas or 1 pizza if you like a super thick crust.  You can also make it the night before, let it rise and then stick it in the fridge to use the next day.  This makes it a great option for working moms too.  ;)

One of the things that I liked most about it is that you can do it all in one bowl.  You don't have to activate your yeast in one bowl and mix your dry ingredients in the other.  You do it all together.  I was totally skeptical, but it worked quite well.

We're making this again tonight with a bacon cheese turkey burger pizza.  Mmmmm....  The recipe will follow soon.

Recipe
3 3/4 c flour + more for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 c warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 packet yeast (I like highly active yeast)
3 Tbsp olive oil

1. Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and add warm water.  
2. Mix yeast and sugar into the water, but NOT the flour.  Read the directions on your packet of yeast to make sure you get the right water temperature.  If it's too warm, it will kill the yeast.  If it's too cold, the yeast won't activate.  Don't leave out the sugar because the yeast needs it to work properly. 
3. When the yeast makes a foam on the top of the water, mix in olive oil and combine all of the ingredients.  Again, reference your packet of yeast for how long this should take.  If it doesn't make a foam, then your yeast has kicked the bucket and you'll have to bury that batch and start over.  It happens to the best of us. 
4. When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, take it out and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes.  It will be sticky when you take it out.  Keep working with it. 
5. Brush with olive oil and put in a bowl covered with a cloth and let it sit in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled.  Divide into 2 balls.