Homemade Pizza Dough

This is a recipe my mom has been using for 10+ years, and it always turns out. It is, in my opinion, very easy and can be made ahead and refrigerated or even frozen. One recipe of the dough makes 2 medium size pizzas, or 3 individual pizzas.

Homemade Pizza Dough
1 package rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 cups flour
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt (I like to add more)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
*1/2 cup water (you can add this if needed)

Pour 1/2 cup of warm water in measuring cup. Add yeast packet and sugar.
Stir and set aside. It needs a good 5 minutes to activate the yeast, and start foaming.
Meanwhile, add flour, parmesan, and salt to mixing bowl and make sure you
have your dough hook attachment on there.
When yeast is foaming, add to the flour mixture. Add olive oil as well.
This is the only thing you need to be sure of to get the dough to come out right. KEEP MIXING!! I used to just mix for a minute or so and be so upset, because my dough wasn't together. Well, no!! It needs a few minutes for the dough to come together, not 45 seconds...
As you can see, the dough has come together. See? All you needed was a little patience. It happened on accident for me. I kept it mixing while I was getting the bowl ready for the next step, and came back to the mixing bowl to see that it had finally come together!!! I had an a-ha moment. A-ha! I have to leave the dough alone, and it will come together.
Take the dough out and put in an aluminum bowl that you have greased with olive oil. Wet a towel with warm water and place over the bowl. Set in a warm place (I take it to my laundry room) and let rise (for at least an hour).The dough has risen (compare with picture above).
Set it on a floured surface and cut into 2 or 3 sections. You can wrap and refrigerate each section and it will rise more in the refrigerator. However, you can also roll out the dough without that and it will be fine. I roll mine with a roller, but I also stretch it over my hands, and pull it to really get it stretched out.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. I use my simple tomato sauce as the pizza sauce, and then add cheese and whatever ingredients we want that night. When my sister makes this dough, she adds dried herbs to the flour to make an herbed dough. It's really good!! I also brush olive oil on the crust. It gets rid of the dry, flour-y taste and gives a pretty color, too.

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel

Another pasta dish from Giada that my husband and I just love. The pasta is mixed with a creamy sauce and then baked. It comes together easily, and you could make ahead and bake when ready. Gotta love that!!

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel

Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 cups warm milk
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of ground pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't have any fresh, just used ground nutmeg)

Recipe:
1 tsp. olive oil
4 cups Bechamel sauce
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1/2 tsp. salt, and pinch of pepper
1 pound dried rigatoni
3 Tbsp. butter, diced

Heat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with the oil.

For Bechamel sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour

Whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes
Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly
Simmer over medium heat, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes
Remove from heat, and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg
For recipe:
Heat bechamel sauce over medium heat. Do not boil. Stir in the prosciutto, 1/2 cup of the fontina cheese, salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside.
Cook the rigatoni until almost tender, but still firm. The pasta will keep cooking in the oven, so it doesn't have to be done all the way. Drain the pasta, return to pot, and stir in cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if you like.
*I added some sausage because I happened to have some leftover. I won't do it again, but feel free to substitute prosciutto or add more meats.
Spoon the pasta mixture into the dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup fontina cheese and dot with the butter. (Can be prepared up to this point up to 8 hours ahead, and refrigerated). Bake the pasta until the top is golden, about 25 minutes.

Taco Soup

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I overheard a friend of mine saying, We're having taco soup tonight. Mmmm, I thought. Taco soup. Sounds interesting. Now, I have NO idea what is the deal with soup attraction recently, but I asked her what she put in her taco soup.
This is her taco soup:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning
one can kidney beans (with juice)
one can corn (with juice)
one can Rotel (with juice)
one can V8

I thought it sounded interesting, and waited for a cool night to make the soup. It has been ridiculously warm here recently.

My taco soup:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning
one can condensed tomato soup, and one canful of water
one can hominy
one can Rotel
*I would have added pinto beans, but I didn't have any*
chicken broth
rice (just stay with me)

Brown the beef with the taco seasoning

Pour hominy (with most of the juice), Rotel (not drained), tomato soup,
one canful of water in soup pot. Turn on medium low.

Drain beef and add to soup.

I served my kids a small bowl of this soup, as well as a side of white rice. My daughter added some of her rice to the soup, and I thought, Mmmm- that's actually a good idea!! So, I added rice to my bowl, and poured the soup over it. I really enjoyed this soup, even more than I thought I would. And you can see how easy it was!!

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!! Are you cooking or going out? My sweet hubby's taking me out, and my kids are having a sleepover at my sweet parents'. Whoo-hoo!

Pasta with Mini Chicken Meatballs

I have been looking forward to making this dish again, so I could share it here. It is a great, one-meal dish that is simply delicious. It calls for several ingredients that are just for this meal, and that doesn't help my grocery budget, but we really enjoy this meal and it reheats great, so my husband gets some lunches out of the leftovers.

*from Giada's Kitchen cookbook*
Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs
1 l.b orecchiette pasta (I used medium shells)
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. whole milk
1 Tbsp. ketchup
3/4 c freshly grated Romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. ground chicken (I used ground turkey)
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 c chicken broth
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), halved
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Boil the pasta according to the instructions. Set aside

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup,
Romano cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the ground meat and combine well.

Scoop up the mixture, I used a tablespoon, and roll into small meatballs.
Cook the meatballs in olive oil in a skillet on medium- high heat.
Cook for 2 minutes, then turn the meatballs, and cook 2-3 minutes longer.
Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the bits on the bottom of the pan (yum!)
Reduce the heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl, add 1/2 c of parmesan and toss to coat.Add the meatball and tomatoes,

then add the mozzarella and 1/2 c of the basil. CombineTop with rest of parmesan and basil leaves. Serve immediately

I hope you try this! This is a really fresh tasting dish, thanks to all the fresh herbs and mozzarella. I really like the how the heat of the pasta and meatballs melts the mozzarella and you get strings of mozzarella when you pull a bite away with your fork. YUM!!!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I really love cheesecake. Well, honestly- I really love cream cheese. I mean, really. Cream cheese fillings are the best things ever. I am a sucker for anything cream cheese. Ok, I think you get it. I got this great little cookbook, Nestle Toll House Best-Loved Recipes. It's actually a board book, like a kid's book. Anyway, I have really enjoyed trying some yummies from it. This cheesecake is great, and easy. Oh, and if you happen to forget about it and not hear the oven go off and let it cook for who-knows-how-many extra minutes, it will still taste great. Yeah, it happened.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups (about 15) crushed Oreos
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups NESTLE' TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Filling
2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 c evaporated milk
1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in bowl.

Press into a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup morsels.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Beat in eggs and flour. Gradually beat in evaporated milk and sour cream.
Pour over crust.
Sprinkle with remaining morsels.
Bake for 25 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for an
additional 30-40 minutes. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CHEESECAKE.
Edges should be set, but center still will move slightly.
Place in refrigerator immediately; refrigerate 2 hours.Remove sides of springform pan, slice.

Even though I cooked it who-knows-how-long, it was still creamy, and delicious. Not too chocolate-y. It was gone after 2 days. I will definitely be making this again.

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

My dad used to make me this yummy chicken dish, and I felt so grown up eating it. I was under 10, but this was one of my favorite meals!! Chicken, pounded thin, filled with a pesto- cream cheese spread and baked, then topped with bernaise sauce. It's divine!!! I was worried, though. I hoped it would still be as good as I remembered. Good news- It was!!! My husband and I were talking during dinner of the endless possibilities you could fill the chicken with- you could pretty much put anything you want in them. Try it this way first- then let your imagination have some fun!

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 package dried pesto sauce mix
3/4 c cornflakes (I used Ritz crackers)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. paprika

Mix pesto and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper

mix bread crumbs, ritz cracker crumbs and paprika
Chicken breast pounded thin. I seasoned with salt and pepper
Spread the pesto cream cheese
Roll them up, secure with toothpicks and cover in cracker mixture
REFRIGERATE for at least one hour
I cheated. Sorry! I'm so cheap. When I looked up the recipe for bernaise sauce, I would have to buy 3 or 4 special ingredients just for the sauce. I knew the packaged sauce was good, and the dinner was just for us, so I just bought the package.
Bake the chicken for 25 minutes at 325.
Let cool for a minute, then slice. Cover with bernaise sauce.
I am thinking of a garlic-cream cheese spread next time.
What kind of filling would you like to use?