Baked Tacos

We really love tacos in this house. We'll turn anything into a taco flavored version of the original - taco pizza, taco salad, you name it! Tonight, we just wanted plain tacos. We've always had soft tacos. For some reason, I've never made hard shell tacos in the entire 10 years Matt and I have been together. Come to find out, the corn taco shells actually have a lot less carbs in them than the soft flour tortillas. I think we'll be making these a lot more often now!

I got the idea to bake the tacos from a friend. And they turned out great! I hope you like them.

Baked Tacos
Makes: 4 servings

8 corn taco shells
1 lb ground beef, turkey, or chicken
taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack
Taco toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

• First, bake the empty taco shells so they get warm and crispy. Place the taco shells on a baking sheet and bake at 325° F for 5 - 6 minutes.
• While the shells are baking, brown up the meat in a skillet on high heat until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, about 4 - 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and remove from the heat.
• Remove the taco shells from the oven, stuff them with the taco meat, then top them all with shredded cheese.
• Place the tacos back in the oven for about 2 - 3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Top with your favorite toppings!

Pulled Pork Turn-overs

Here we go with another left-over recipe! If you've ever made pulled pork before, you know that even the smallest roast will make three or four family sized meals. What do to with all of those left-overs? Here's one idea: Loaded Sweet Potato Fries. This particular night, I happened to have some puff pastry in the freezer, hence pulled pork turn-overs were born!

Here's a quick rundown on how to make pulled pork: put a pork shoulder in the slow cooker, top it with an entire bottle of your favorite sauce (barbecue sauce, steak or pork marinade, etc.), cook it on low for 8 hours, remove the bones and shred the meat. It's that easy!

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while, you'll know that I love recipes that you can customize. Everyone's family's preferences are different and it's nice to be able to make a recipe your own that everyone can agree with. That's why I have left the instructions intentionally open as far as the type of sauce or cheese that you can use.

Pulled Pork Turn-overs
Makes: 4 turn-overs

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 cups pulled pork
1/2 cup sauce (barbecue, sweet chili, buffalo, etc.)
1 cup shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)

• On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry so that it's about 1/8" thick.
• With a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry evenly into 4 squares.
• Pile 1/4 of the pork onto one half of the puff pastry, top with 2 tbsp of sauce, then top with 1/4 cup of cheese.
• Brush two adjacent edges of the puff pastry with water.
• Fold over the puff pastry in half corner to corner so that it forms a triangle. Be careful to make sure that all of the ingredients stay inside and you have a tight seal. You don't want anything leaking out.
• Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and fillings.
• Transfer the turn-overs to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With a sharp knife, pierce two lines into the puff pastry so that the steam can escape.

• Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes.
• Allow to cool at least 5 minutes. The filling will be hot!

Tips & Tricks: Campfire Cooking

We went camping Memorial day weekend and it was glorious! I left my phone at home at there was no Facebook, no texting, no emails - yep, not even work email!

You might have guessed that I really enjoy cooking on the campfire. I love any excuse to cook. I've learned a few tricks over the years about campfire cooking and so I thought I would pass those on to you!

1. Grilling: Get yourself a primitive grill. Ours only cost about $10 at Academy Sports and it really does make life so much easier. I love to use my primitive grill to cook corn on the cob and other veggies, hot dogs, burgers, chicken, steaks, basically anything you would cook on a grill at home! I just make sure to bring along my grilling tongs and spatula.
   
   
   
   
   
   We brought along a bag of charcoals. Depending on what I was cooking, I would throw in anywhere from 5 - 15 charcoals once the fire got going. Then I'd let the fire die out and cook over the hot coals, just like a normal charcoal grill!
   
   I marinated the chicken overnight in some Jamaican Jerk marinade (store bought) then cooked the chicken the first night we were there. That way I didn't have to worry as much about the temperature in the cooler.
   
   
2. Food Safety: And on that note, by this point you probably know how crazy I am about food safety (Tips & Tricks: Food Safety). This is something you need to keep in mind, especially if you are camping for a few days. You will probably need to replace the ice in your cooler at least once per day with about 8 -10 lbs of ice, depending on the size of the cooler. Try to limit the number of times you open the cooler and keep the cooler out of direct sun light, this will keep things cool. Keep foods that need to stay especially cold (eggs, raw meats, deli meat, etc.) toward the bottom where it's coolest. If you're worried about the eggs breaking, you can pick up a special plastic egg carrying case; we got ours at Walmart in the camping section for around $3. Keep the raw meats at the very bottom so they don't drip on anything else. Every morning, drain out the excess water from the bottom of the cooler, then dump a new bag of ice in. Around dinner time, check the cooler to see if it needs more ice. This will really depend on how much food you have, the size of your cooler, and the temperature outside. It was warm but not hot on our trip so we only needed to replace the ice once per day.
   
   In addition to keeping your food cool, you want to prevent cross contamination. Even if you're not cooking raw meat at any point in your trip, the risk is still there from other sources. The way that I mitigate this risk is by bringing along some hand sanitizer wipes such as Wet Ones. That way, if I touch anything that could be contaminated - raw meat, dirt, a piece of fire wood, the dog, etc. - I can just wipe my hands and I'm good to go!
3. Frying: When frying over the campfire, you can use cast iron or just a special campfire skillet. This skillet only cost around $10 at Walmart in the camping section. It's got a special handle that doesn't get hot. If you prefer cast iron, a good pan is going to cost you around $50. But it will last you for life and is worth the investment.
   
   
   I got some hot charcoals going, just like I did for the grill, and put the pan directly on the hot coals. I made bacon and pancakes the first morning. I actually dumped out the grease and used cooking spray to prevent the pancakes from sticking. But you could do it either way. By the way, I used the Bisquick shake and pour pancakes. Yeah, I know, I generally despise Bisquick or any other boxed mix, but they make camping so much easier!!
   
   
   
   
4. Food Prep: For breakfast the second morning I made a little egg bake type dish. I cut up the veggies ahead of time at home because that's way easier than having to bring a huge knife along and try to cut up the veggies at a picnic table. I cut up the veggies pretty small - about 1/2" dice - including the potatoes. Even though you're cooking on hot charcoals, getting adequate heat can still sometimes be a challenge. So if you cut your veggies nice and small, they'll cook quickly, even when the charcoals aren't as hot as you would like.
   
   First I cooked the sausage in my skillet. Then I left the sausage and drippings in the pan and added diced red pepper, onion, and potatoes. Once those were thoroughly cooked and soft, I added some whipped eggs and cooked it all together. Once the eggs were cooked, I removed the pan from the heat then topped the whole thing with shredded cheese and sliced scallions. You could hardly call that roughing it haha!
   
   
   
   
5. Mountain Pies: I first heard about mountain pies from some friends of ours who we going camping with quite frequently. These are so fun and they're great because everybody can make their own with whatever fillings they want. You just put a slice of bread in each side of the pie iron, add your fillings, clamp it shut, then cook it directly over the hot coals. They cost about $10 in the camping section at Walmart or around $20 at Bass Pro Shop. That being said, the ones at Bass Pro Shop are a lot heavier and more durable.
   
   
   
   
   We filled ours with cheese and pepperoni then dipped them in pizza sauce which I heated up in my little skillet. Yum! We also made some for dessert and filled them with canned apple pie filling.
   
   
6. Roasting Forks: One of the best tools we've picked up so far is roasting forks. They're just metal forks with long handles. They're great for roasting hot dogs or toasting marshmallows. That way you don't have to go hunting around for a long stick and pray that it hasn't been contaminated with poison ivy or animal urine. Yuck! They range in price anywhere from $1 per fork to about $3 per fork, depending on if you want a nice handle, etc. We got the crappy $1 ones haha.
   

   

   Lola & Matt toasting Marshmallows!

   
   

   
   
7. Bug Screen: Ok, this last one has more to do with eating than cooking but it's relevant. This is another tip that we picked up from our friends who told us about mountain pies. This 12' x 12' bug screen cost us about $50 at Academy Sports and it is the best investment we have ever made! We set it up around the picnic table and it makes eating so much more pleasant. No worries about bugs and it provides some shade too. There's even a hook on the ceiling so that you can hang a lantern for when you're eating in the evening.
   

   

   
   

Believe it or not, between all of that cooking we still found time to go hiking and peddle boating haha!

Pizza Chicken Roulade

A chicken roulade, in case you were curious, is just a piece of chicken that has been stuffed and then rolled up. With pizza chicken roulades, I stuffed them with the big slices of sandwich pepperoni that you get from the deli and fresh mozzarella and then braised them in tomato sauce. Braising refers to a process where you sear the meat or vegetable either on a grill or in a hot pan, then you finish the cooking process gently by simmering or baking in liquid, usually a sauce.

Pizza Chicken Roulade
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 slices of sandwich pepperoni
8 oz fresh mozzarella (not the aged kind)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 jar of pasta sauce
4 pieces of fresh basil

• Cut the chicken breasts in half length-wise so that you have four thinner pieces of chicken.
• Place one piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. With a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or other heavy instrument, pound the chicken flat. It should be about 1/8" thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
• Lay out a piece of chicken, layer 3 slices of pepperoni onto the chicken. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese, cut into slices. Roll the chicken up. To keep it together, you'll need to place about four toothpicks in there. Repeat with the remaining chicken, pepperoni, and cheese.
• Heat the oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium high heat.
• Place the chicken in the pan and sear on both sides for about 2 - 3 minutes per side. The chicken will still be raw in the middle.

• Pour half of the sauce in the bottom of a 13" x 9" glass baking dish. Place the chicken on top of the sauce in a single layer. Top the chicken with the remaining sauce.
• Bake at 400° F for 25 - 30 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.

• Serve on top of rice, pasta, or even roasted vegetables. Garnish with fresh basil.

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries

I absolutely love sweet potato fries. I don't think there's anything better than a plate of sweet potato fries drizzled with some melted honey butter. Mmmmmm... Now, I know that sweet potatoes are really good for you and they have a lot of great vitamins and minerals. But, as the name suggests, this recipe is not meant to be health food haha! Don't say I didn't warn you! I had some left-over pulled pork so I loaded up my sweet potato fries with some of the left-overs. It was a match made in heaven!

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
Makes: 4 servings

4 servings of sweet potato fries (that's 336g for those of you who use a food scale)
2 tsp honey
1 cup pulled pork
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

• Cook the sweet potato fries by either baking them or deep frying them. I prefer deep frying; it makes them come out lighter and fluffier.
• Once the fries are cooked, pile them up on an oven safe plate. Then drizzle them with the honey.
• If you're using fresh pulled pork, sprinkle it over the fries. If you're using left-overs, reheat it first, then sprinkle it on the fries.
• Top the pulled pork with the shredded cheese. Place the fries under a broiler on high for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Dive in!

Pulled Pork

If you've never made pulled pork before, it's truly the easiest thing you can possibly make. Just get a medium sized pork shoulder (sometimes it's called a Boston Butt roast), about 6 - 8 lbs, dump a whole bottle of sauce over it, then cook it in a slow cooker on low for eight hours. It's most commonly made with barbecue sauce, but you could use any kind of sauce you want. You could even make your own. For this particular one, I used Lowry's chop and steak marinade. It was really good! Once the pork is cooked, remove the bones with some tongs. Then, using the same tongs, rip apart the roast and kind of stir it at the same time so that it's eventually shredded. You could also do this with a pair of forks if you like it finely shredded (like us!).

Homemade Alfredo

Inevitably, whenever someone finds out that I "know how to cook," they will ask me how to make Alfredo sauce. I'm surprised by this one because it's actually one of the easiest sauces you could possibly make. I've seen some people make it (incorrectly) with a flour based bechamel (white sauce), but that's technically a mornay (bechamel with cheese added to it). Alfredo sauce is even simpler than that!

Homemade Alfredo

Makes: 8 servings

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups (16 oz) heavy cream

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the shallot and garlic in olive oil until they are fragrant and become soft, about 2 minutes. It's important to make this in a skillet because it has more surface area which will help to reduce the cream once you add it.
• Add the heavy cream to the pan and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the cream starts to bubble, continue cooking until it has thickened slightly and sticks to the back of a spoon (this is called "reducing the sauce"), about five minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese until they are melted. Technically mozzarella isn't traditionally included in Alfredo, but it just helps the sauce stay nice and smooth.
• Toss hot cooked pasta (fettuccine, linguine, penne, etc) into the same pan with the sauce and stir to coat.

Lola approves!

Variations (you know I love variations!)

Pasta Primavera - add sauteed zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, mushrooms, and grape tomatoes to the finished pasta and sauce.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta - season shrimp with blackened seasoning, saute over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, make the Alfredo sauce. Toss the pasta and shrimp with the finished sauce. (This could also be made with chicken instead of shrimp).

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta - add steamed broccoli and grilled chicken that has been cut into strips to the finished pasta and sauce.

Spinach & Artichoke Alfredo - add steamed chopped spinach and diced artichokes to the finished pasta and sauce.

The possibilities are endless!

Bacon Cream Cheese Bites

I had some phyllo dough left over from my post about Spanakopita so I thought I would put it to good use. Phyllo is a traditional Greek pastry dough that is super thin, even thinner than paper. It folds really nicely into triangles and makes a great party appetizer. You can stuff pretty much anything in there as long as it doesn't have too much moisture. I think bacon and cream cheese fit the bill, don't you? ;-)

Bacon Cream Cheese Bites
Makes: 24 triangles

1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 scallions, chopped
4 oz (1/2 brick) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pinch of salt
8 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
1 tbsp butter, melted

• In a skilled over medium-medium-high heat, brown the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Reserve one tablespoon of the drippings.
• In the same pan, cook the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings over medium-low heat until the onions are soft but not brown, about five to six minutes.
• In a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, on medium whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, about two minutes.
• Add the bacon, onion mixture, scallions, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and salt. Continue to beat on medium until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Set the mixture aside.
• Brush a large baking sheet with the melted butter.
• Now you'll need to assemble the triangles. If you read the next few steps and you have no idea what I'm talking about, see my post about Spanakopita which includes photos.
• Take one sheet of phyllo dough, use a barely damp paper towel to cover the rest so they don't dry out.
• Cut the phyllo dough into thirds length-wise with a pizza cutter.
• Place a small spoonful of the filling at the top and off to the right of one of the strips.
• Now you'll need to start folding. You fold these like you would a flag. Grab the upper left corner and fold it down to the right so that you form a triangle at the top.
• Now take the top right corner and fold it straight down.
• Take the top right corner again and fold it down and over to the left.
• Take the top left corner and fold it straight down.
• Repeat until you get to the end and have a perfect triangle. Place it on the buttered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and filling.
• If you're making these a day ahead, you can stop at this step, cover it up with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. Then place it in the oven the next day about an hour before you're ready to serve.
• Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes.

A few tips:

If you haven't invested in a spatter screen yet, I highly suggest it. They're relatively cheap and will save you from getting popped when you fry stuff such as bacon.

If you're not sure what to do with the rest of the bacon drippings, here's what I do. I line a bowl with aluminum foil then pour the drippings in. Once the drippings are cool, fold it up and chuck it in the trash!

American Pizza

When we were in college, Matt met his friend, Ken who was an exchange student from Finland. They became really close and Matt even went to Finland to visit Ken after his exchange program was over. While Matt was visiting, they went to a pizza place. On the menu there, they had an "American" pizza. After some discussion, Matt realized that what they called American pizza was the same thing that we would call Hawaiian pizza here in the states. Ever since then, Matt and I have always called it American pizza because we thought it was funny. And we always make American pizza with our left-over ham from Easter.

Since we're on the topic of Matt's friend, Ken, I should also tell you the story about pumpernickel. During another dining experience in Finland, Matt had some bread which he thought tasted a lot like pumpernickel. Ken had never heard of pumpernickel and the word wasn't in any English to Finnish dictionaries. After a lot of discussion they eventually found out that what they were eating was pumpernickel and they were talking about the same thing! Matt didn't know the Finnish word for it and Ken didn't know the English word for it. Matt likes to tell that story and I think it's pretty funny.

Anyhow, here's what I did with our Easter left-overs:

American Pizza

Makes: 1 large pizza

1 package of premade pizza dough

14 oz jar of pizza sauce

8 oz pizza cheese (mozzarella & cheddar blend)

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

20 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped ham

4 scallions, chopped

• On a surface coated with cornmeal, roll out the pizza dough. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet or pizza pan that has been lightly greased and coated with cornmeal. Set aside and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes.
• Prick the pizza dough to prevent bubbles from forming.
• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough.
• Spread half of the ham and half of the pineapple over the pizza sauce.
• Sprinkle on the entire 8 oz of cheese. Then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the garlic powder.
• Spread the rest of the ham and pineapple on top of the cheese.
• Bake at 375° F for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle the chopped scallions on top.
• Allow to cool for five minutes before serving.

Baked Chiles Rellenos

Chiles rellenos is a traditional Mexican dish. Typically, they are made with a roasted poblano pepper, stuffed with meat and cheese, then coated in an egg batter and fried. My version is a little bit different. Mine are made with anaheim peppers. I also skipped the meat. And I figured since we're already stuffing the thing with cheese, maybe we can skip the frying and bake it instead. This method of slow roasting makes the peppers nice and sweet.

These can be served with beans and rice for a great Meatless Monday meal. Or you can serve them as a side for chicken or fish.

Baked Chiles Rellenos
Makes: 4 servings

4 anaheim peppers
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

• With a small paring knife, cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds.
• Mix together the three cheese.
• Stuff each pepper with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. The peppers are long and skinny so you'll probably need to stuff them a little at a time.
• Once the peppers are stuffed, place them all side by side on one large piece of aluminum foil. Fold up the foil making sure that it's tight against the tops so that the cheese doesn't come out when it melts.
• Bake at 350° F for one hour until the peppers are fork tender. Allow to cool for five minutes before serving.

Pimento Cheese

I had never heard of pimento cheese until I moved to Charlotte. This is definitely a Southern classic and everyone has their own recipe. The first time I tried it, I was hooked. You can spread it on some toast or crackers or you can dip some veggies in there. You can even use it as a filling in a grilled cheese sandwich!

First a little background. What exactly is a pimento? It's small red pepper and it's the mildest of all chili peppers. I wouldn't classify it as spicy whatsoever. You usually find them in a jar but you can also find them fresh in the produce section. Pimentos are also sometimes called pimientos or cherry peppers. Now, with that out of the way...

Pimento Cheese
Makes: 8 servings

4 oz (1/2 brick) cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz jar pimento peppers, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder

• In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
• Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

This is traditionally served cold, but you can bake it in the oven at 350° F for about 10 minutes to make a hot dip!

Sweet Cheddar Chicken

This is another Cupboard Cleaner. I had some left-over cheddar cheese slices that I wasn't sure what to do with. So I did a little bit of brainstorming and decided that it would taste great with apricot preserves on some chicken. And then, of course scallions make everything taste better!

Sweet Cheddar Chicken
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp apricot preserves
4 slices cheddar cheese
2 scallions, sliced

• Cut each piece of chicken in half length-wise so that you have 4 thinner pieces of chicken.
• Grill the chicken on high heat for about 4 - 5 minutes per side until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.
• About 1 minute before the chicken is finished cooking, top each piece with one tablespoon of apricot preserves and one slice of cheddar cheese. You may need to fold the cheese in half if it's a big slice.
• Remove from the grill and top with the sliced scallions.
• These can be served with a side of rice or french fries. Or you could place them on a toasted bun to make a sandwich!

Not sure what to do with the left-over scallions? Check out my recipe for Broccoli Casserole.

Broccoli Casserole

I'm guessing this is a southern thing because I had never heard of it before I moved to Charlotte. The first time I ever had broccoli casserole, it was at an office potluck. I honestly wasn't too impressed. It was too salty and it seemed more like the rice was the star of the show, not the broccoli. So here's my version; I hope you like it.

Broccoli Casserole
Makes: 8 servings

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter (or butter substitute)
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping
4 scallions, chopped
3 large heads of broccoli
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs

• Rinse the broccoli then cut it into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
• Rinse the dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer in some cold water. Transfer the quinoa to a small sauce pan, add the chicken broth, then cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Bring the heat down to low and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed.
• While the quinoa is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Add the garlic, olive oil, and butter to a saute pan. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the flour to the sauteed garlic and continue to cook another 2 minutes over medium heat until the flour turns a pale golden brown.
• Whisk together the milk and egg.
• Now, add the milk mixture to the pan and continue stirring constantly until the milk starts to bubble and thicken, about 5 - 7 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the 1 cup of cheddar cheese until the cheese is melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the quinoa, broccoli, scallions, and cheese sauce.
• Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased baking dish such as a brownie pan.
• Top with 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, then the Parmesan cheese, then the panko. Spray the top with a little bit of spray oil. This will help the casserole to brown.
• Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.

This pairs really well with chicken, fish, pork chops, or steak. It's even great by itself for lunch!

Buffalo Wing Pizza

I struggled with the name for this post. I wanted to call it "Man Pizza" because it definitely meets the definition of whatMatt considers man food. But I decided that "Man Pizza" wasn't descriptive enough. So here we go with Buffalo Wing Pizza!

I made this pizza with pre-made frozen popcorn chicken. I'm normally not too keen on frozen food, but we had a coupon for these and I decided to try them. They were actually really good! That being said, if you don't want to get frozen chicken, you could make your own buffalo wings with my recipe for Boneless Buffalo Wings or you could even grill some chicken and cut it in to strips.

Buffalo Wing Pizza
Makes: 1 large pizza

1 package pre-made pizza dough
1/3 cup wing sauce (such as Frank's)
8 oz package of shredded pizza cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
2 oz crumbled blue cheese
8 oz popcorn chicken
8 oz bacon
Cornmeal

• On a surface coated with cornmeal, roll out the pizza dough. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet or pizza pan that has been lightly greased and coated with cornmeal. Set aside and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, crisp the bacon. See my Tips & Tricks about how to cook bacon. Once cooked, chop up the bacon then set aside.
• Cook the popcorn chicken according to the directions. Mine took about 20 minutes. Once cooked, chop up any pieces of chicken that are too big. You want them all to be bite sized.
• Prick the pizza dough with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming in the dough (FYI: this is called "docking").
• Spread the wing sauce evenly over the pizza dough. Feel free to use more or less, depending on how spicy you want it.
• Sprinkle the entire package of pizza cheese over the pizza. Top with blue cheese, then bacon, then the chicken. If you're really crazy (like my husband) you can even toss the chicken in some wing sauce before you put it on the pizza.
• Bake the pizza at 375° F for 25 - 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dough is golden brown.
• Allow to cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

If you're not sure what to do with your left-over blue cheese, check out my recipe for Black & Bleu Cheeseburgers.

Queso Poblano

Matt and I love salsa con queso. Probably a little too much haha! I put that stuff on eggs, broccoli, roasted corn, grilled chicken, just about anything I can possibly think of! This is my own special version made with roasted poblano peppers. I love poblanos; they're a very mild pepper and have a great flavor.

This dip is made with American cheese. It's really important that you get the kind from the deli. The stuff that comes in individual wrapping is highly processed and won't work out in this recipe. Also note, this recipe calls for evaporated milk which is not the same thing as sweetened condensed milk. That would be a pretty awful surprise ha! So make sure you look at the label.

Queso Poblano
Makes: 10 servings

2 poblano peppers
1 lb American cheese
12 oz can evaporated milk
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin

• Roast the poblano peppers. Rinse them well then wipe them down so that they are completely dry. Place the peppers on a baking sheet then place them under the broiler as close as they can get. Roast for about 10 minutes per side until the skin is blistered and charred.
• Once the peppers are roasted, place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the peppers from the bowl, remove the stem and seeds, remove the charred skin, then dice the peppers into about 1/2" dice.

  
 

• Mix together the cheese and evaporated milk in a medium sauce pan. Place the sauce pan over medium low heat and stir constantly until the cheese melts and the dip is thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the poblano peppers, garlic, onion, and cumin. The dip may seem a little bit thin but it will thicken quite a bit as it cools. If the dip gets too thick, just heat it up again.

Serve with tortilla chips, soft flour tortillas, and/or vegetables for dipping.

Open-Faced Cowboy Burger

I had to find a way to use the left-over ciabatta bread from my BLAT sandwiches. What a terrible problem to have hehe. Ciabatta bread makes such a nice home for a cheeseburger. And so, the cowboy burger was born!

Open-Faced Cowboy Burger
Makes: 4 burgers

1 lb lean ground beef
salt
cracked black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
2 ciabatta rolls
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon
barbecue sauce
burger toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc

• Cook the bacon until crispy (see my tip for perfect crispy bacon). Set aside.
• Form the hamburger into four patties. Sprinkle the patties with some salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.
• Grill the hamburgers until well done and no longer pink. Meanwhile, cut the ciabatta rolls in half and place them on the grill to toast.
• Place a slice of cheese on each burger about one minute before they are finished cooking to allow time for the cheese to melt.
• Top each ciabatta roll with desired toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onions, etc. Then top with the cheeseburger, then barbecue sauce, then bacon. Serve!

I know I say this every time I post about hamburgers, but it's because it's important. Click here for an explanation on why you should always cook ground beef to well done.

Crepes with Brie & Raspberry

Brie is such a wonderful cheese. It's soft, slightly pungent, and wonderfully melty. One of my favorite party foods is Brie en croute - topped with fruit jam or compote, covered with puff pastry, and baked. The sweet fruit pairs so well with the stinky cheese - and like any good cheese, it does smell like stinky feet haha! Anyhow, I thought I would make a variation of this little appetizer by combining it with one of my other loves: crepes!

If you don't like raspberry, you could use apricot, strawberry, blackberry, or any other kind of jam.

Crepes with Brie & Raspberry
Makes: 8 crepes

2 cups milk
6 tbsp butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
raspberry jam
brie

• In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter. Heat over medium until the butter has melted but the milk is not boiling. Remove from the heat.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt. Whisk until pale and fluffy.
• In a slow, steady stream, carefully pour the hot milk into the eggs whisking constantly. Once you've added about half of the milk, you can just go ahead and dump the rest in and whisk to combine. - This process is called "tempering" where you slowly bring up the temperature of the eggs to prevent them from cooking from the hot liquid.
• Now add the flour; whisk until smooth.

• Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is very hot, add a small piece of butter to the pan; the butter should brown immediately.
• With a ladle, add some batter to the hot pan, immediately swirl the pan around so the batter spreads to all of the edges.
• Allow the crepe to cook for about one minute until it is dark brown and cooked in the center. Flip the crepe and brown it on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Slice the brie into thin slices. The rind is edible so don't worry about cutting that off, just leave it on.

• Take each crepe and spread about 2 tsp of jam down the center, then place a slice of brie on top of the jam. Roll up the crepe, tucking in the ends like a burrito.
• Transfer the crepes to a lightly greased glass baking dish.
• Bake at 375° F for 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool for 2 minutes then serve.

You can make one heck of a grilled cheese with the left-over brie. Just throw some apple slices in there. Yum!

Lola is my little Art Director ;-)

Grilled Pizzadillas

In case you hadn't guessed, a Pizzadilla is a glorious combination of pizza and quesadillas. I first came across this concept on Pinterest - surprise surprise! Then Matt actually had a Pizzadilla at East Coast Wings and Grill. He loved it so much that it was set in stone - I had to try to make them! I thought I would make this recipe my own by making them on the grill. The weather has been warming up here in the Carolinas and I am so ready for spring and grilling and flip flops!

I made a few pepperoni pizzadillas and a few veggie ones. The veggie ones had olives, mushrooms, and green peppers and they were really delicious. I don't like raw veggies on my pizza/in my quesadillas so I sauteed the veggies first with a little garlic. You can do the same if you want or just throw them on there raw, whichever you prefer.

Grilled Pizzadillas
Makes: 6 pizzadillas

6 large burrito sized flour tortillas
6 oz pizza cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
Toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions, etc
14 oz jar of plain pizza sauce

• Preheat the grill on high with the lid down.
• Once the grill is nice and hot, open the lid. Place 3 - 4 tortillas on the grill at a time, depending on how many will fit on your grill.
• Carefully top each tortilla with 1 oz of cheese (about 1/4 cup) then add desired toppings. I quickly learned that I couldn't keep my hand over the grill for longer than about 2 seconds because of the heat. So you should expect to have to add the cheese and toppings in short bursts. If it's easier for you, you can make two at a time so that they don't burn by the time you're able to get all of the toppings on.
• Leave the lid open and allow the pizzadilla to cook. Once the cheese is melted, about one minute, use a grill spatula to fold the pizzadilla in half. Then remove from the grill.
• Cut the pizzadilla into thirds then serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.

On the grill!

As I was adding the labels to this post, I asked Matt if this was T1D friendly and he said, "No! God no!" Haha whoops, I guess that answers that question...

Crunchy Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks

So, I have to admit that this is not my own original idea. I found this recipe on Life's Ambrosia via Pinterest. I have to say that I have -ahem- improved upon the idea a bit! Matt and I are totally addicted to pepper jack cheese and this just fuels our addiction even more. I think I may need to start going to PJC Anonymous hehe!

Crunchy Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks
Makes: 8 cheese sticks

8 egg roll wrappers
8 oz brick of pepper jack cheese

Yep! Just two ingredients!

• Preheat a deep fryer or heavy bottomed dutch oven filled with oil to 375° F.
• Cut the brick of pepper jack cheese into 4 long slices lengthwise. Then turn each slice on it's side and cut in half so that you have 8 even sticks.
• Freeze the sticks for one hour. This step is really important. Otherwise the cheese will ooze out into the hot oil and you'll have an empty wrapper.
• Place a cheese stick diagonally on an egg roll wrapper. Then brush two of the edges with water.

• Fold the wrapper in half over the cheese stick, then fold the small top and bottom flaps over like you would with a burrito.

• Brush some water on the smaller triangle that was just folded over the cheese stick. Then continue to roll it up like an egg roll.

• Now fry the cheese sticks until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Dip in marinara or sweet chili sauce.