Upside Down Pizza

My husband requested this recipe, as he hasn't eaten this in such a long time.    His grandma Wanda made this and he always loved it whenever she made it.  She passed away shortly after we got engaged.  I found the recipe in our church cookbook, and of course his grandma submitted this recipe to that cookbook. :)    It's a quick and easy crowd-pleaser recipe.

First brown the ground beef with the onions, and while that is cooking, mix up the batter.

Drain the grease and add pizza sauce and garlic salt

Spread on bottom of greased 9x13 pan

Top with mozzarella cheese

Then pour the batter on top of the mozzarella  (don't worry if it seems thin)

My little Junebug helping shake the parmesan cheese on top

Fresh out of the oven.  Smelled yummy!

Time to eat!!!

Upside Down Pizza

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef 
• 1 med onion, chopped 
• 1 15.5 oz jar pizza sauce 
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt 
• 8 oz Mozzarella, grated 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 c. milk 
• 1 tbsp oil 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 c flour 
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef and onion; pour off fat. Blend in pizza sauce and garlic salt. Put mixture in greased 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. In small bowl, mix eggs, milk, oil, salt, and flour. pour over meat mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

Optional: You can add other pizza toppings to the meat mixture (green peppers, mushrooms, olives, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, Italian sausage, etc.).

Amaretto Brownies

I was wanting to make some brownies for the family picnic today...so I looked through my cookbooks.  I saw a recipe but I wanted to give it a little something extra.  I love amaretto...

Pic taken with my phone...not bad!

Amaretto Brownies

2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract (I think it needed a little more)

4 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

optional: sliced almonds for topping

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add cocoa.  Mix until well blended.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, beating well.  Pour into greased baking pan.  (OPTIONAL: sprinkle sliced almonds on top)  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.

The WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

The WORLD'S BEST COOKIES!

Yummy lookin', huh? :-D

I don't know where I came across this recipe, but I was fortunate to have this recipe on hand!  It's my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It's crispy and chewy at the same time. :-D 

This makes about 7 dozen cookies!  Plenty to go around!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips

Directions

• Cream shortening, butter, and sugars in large mixing bowl; blend in eggs and vanilla.
• Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
• Mix until well blended.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets. (SEE NOTE BELOW)
• Bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.

NOTE: I don't bake my cookies without parchment paper.  I never get good results if I don't use parchment paper.  It helps prevent burnt bottoms.  My cookies always turn out perfectly this way. :)  It's definitely a good investment!  *hint hint* I'd love a silpat for Christmas!

QUICK & EASY Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

I just threw it all together as I went along.  I knew I wanted to bake a pasta casserole of some kind.  I noticed I had shell pasta & mozzarella cheese on hand...as well as spaghetti sauce and pepperoni.  So this recipe was just born tonight!  I'm sure other people have come up with recipes very similar to this but this is so easy and few ingredients!


Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

2-3 cups dry shell pasta (or any pasta)
1/2 can (large can like Hunt's) spaghetti sauce, any flavor  (you could add more sauce if you want)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (or more cheese if you want)
1/2 block of cream cheese, softened (from an 8oz block, so that'd make it 4 oz cheese)
1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped pepperoni  (or you could substitute cooked italian sausage or whatever you like)


Boil pasta until al dente.  While the pasta is boiling, mix the other three ingredients in a 2 quart casserole dish, and preheat oven to 350F.  Drain pasta and mix with the other ingredients in the casserole dish.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

That's it!  So easy and so yummy.  Serve with a nice salad and garlic bread.  :)

Amazingly LAZY Cinnamon Rolls

Amazingly LAZY Cinnamon Rolls

Sorry, I didn't snap a picture before it was all eaten up. :-p  It was that GOOD!  And soooo easy to make!

Yesterday afternoon, I put a few frozen rolls to rise in a round cake pan, expecting to use 'em for dinner.  We ended up having chicken tacos for dinner, so I put 'em in the fridge to finish rising overnight.  This morning, I dressed 'em up with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon and simply baked 'em.  Made a little glaze with the leftover melted butter, powdered sugar, and cinnamon.

This is pretty much a "non-recipe" where I didn't really measure anything.

I used:

6 frozen rolls (I used Rhodes brand but I'm sure any brand will be fine)

1/2 stick butter, melted

sugar

cinnamon

powdered sugar (about 1/3 cup)

Let the frozen rolls rise according to directions on the bag.  

When ready to bake, preheat oven according to the directions (I preheated mine to 350F).  While oven is preheating, melt the butter.  Brush butter liberally over the rolls.  Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the rolls to taste.  I sprinkled a lot of sugar and cinnamon and it turned out so yummy.  Bake according to directions (I baked mine for 20 minutes).

While the rolls are baking, mix powdered sugar with a few teaspoons of the leftover melted butter (keep adding a teaspoon until you get the desired consistency).  Add cinnamon (about a teaspoon or so) to the powdered sugar mixture.  Spread on hot rolls when they come out of the oven.

YUMMY.  

I'm sure you could feed a crowd if you used a 9x13 pan and several rolls to fit in that pan.  Less work too!

Venison Fajitas

I made venison fajitas the other day and they were good! I didn't even know how to make fajitas so I just made it up as I went along. It could've been better if I had grilled the meat before cooking it with the onions and peppers. This is a "non-recipe" as I didn't measure anything and went by taste.

VENISON FAJITAS

• Venison tenderloin steak (I did about 1 lb)
• 1 onion (I used vidalia onion, which was what I had on hand, but I'm sure any onion would be good)
• banana peppers (I used 3 banana peppers...one was HUGE as you'll see below)
• seasonings (I used a little bit of habanero hot sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper)

This is the banana pepper that my mother-in-law gave me...isn't it HUGE???? She gave me three, the other two were about half the size of this one. I cut the peppers and took the seeds out. Then cut 'em into strips.

Cut onions into strips as well

Put 'em in a cast-iron pan (or any pan you have on hand...but cast-iron is the best). Season with whatever flavorings you want in 'em and cook until the onions are almost translucent.

While the veggies are cooking, cut the steak into 1/4 inch strips. It's much easier when the meat is slightly frozen.

Take the veggies out and put the meat in the pan until almost done...put the veggies back in with the meat and cook until the meat is done and the onions are translucent. Be careful not to overcook the venison, as it can get tough when overcooked.

Put everything on a tortilla and eat it! It's great with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, salsa, or whatever you like on your tacos.

BBQ Chicken & Mozzarella Sandwich

Today, I couldn't decide on what to fix for lunch, but I knew I wanted to do something with chicken.  I had a bag of frozen boneless chicken breasts.  I took out two and defrosted 'em in the microwave.  While the chicken was defrosting, I preheated the oven to 375 degrees.

When the chicken defrosted, I put 'em on a baking sheet.

I was in the mood to add barbecue sauce to 'em.  So I grabbed a bottle of the barbecue sauce (I had the Kraft BBQ sauce on hand).  Poured about 1/4 cup into a small bowl and got my basting brush.   I brushed the chicken breasts with the barbecue sauce pretty thickly and then baked 'em for about 25 minutes.  

Meanwhile, I got a loaf of French bread and cut it in half.  It was just gonna be for me and my husband so I put the other half away for later (probably make pizzas with that).  I cut the half into half again, then cut into half lengthwise and arranged 'em on another baking sheet.

When the chicken was done, I let it rest for a few minutes.  I got my favorite knife and sliced 'em into 1/4 inch slices and arranged 'em on the bread.  Sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken and broiled 'em until the cheese melted.

When the cheese melted, I took 'em out of the oven and put the halves together to make a sandwich.  

Very hearty and will make you full easily!

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup barbecue sauce (any brand, but needs to be thick)

1/2 loaf French bread, cut into half

Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush chicken with barbecue sauce. Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Let chicken rest before slicing into 1/4 inch slices.   Divide the chicken onto the 4 pieces of French bread, and sprinkle with however much mozzarella cheese you like.

Broil until cheese is melted, then put the halves together to make a sandwich.  Enjoy!  Mmmmmm....

Pizza-dillas

Pizza-dillas!

I was being lazy one night...and decided to make these for dinner.  They were pretty yummy.  A mix of pizza and quesadillas...so you get pizzadillas!  Fusion cuisine at its trashiest. :)

I didn't measure everything, but all you need are:

• tortillas (I used corn tortillas, but flour tortillas would work well)
  
• mozzarella cheese, shredded
  
• pepperoni (or your favorite pizza toppings)
  
• spaghetti or pizza sauce (for dipping)
  
• 
  
• Optional: nonstick spray or oil
  

I sprayed the outsides of the tortillas with the nonstick spray to make 'em crispy (you could put a little oil in the pan if you don't want to use the nonstick spray).  I used my electric griddle for the pizza-dillas.  Sprinkle the bottom tortilla with mozzarella cheese and toppings (I used pepperoni).  Top with another tortilla.  Flip when cheese melts or the bottom looks toasty.  Cook til both sides are toasty (just like grilled cheese sandwiches).  Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter, and serve with spaghetti/pizza sauce for dipping.

Tortillas cooking on the electric griddle (I had it on 350*F)

Then cut up into wedges and served with sauce...I served it on a paper plate!  That's how lazy I felt that night...didn't even want to wash dishes.

Nutty Pineapple Dip

Nutty Pineapple Cream Cheese Dip

This is a really easy dip recipe.  It's always a huge hit whenever I bring it to parties.

All you need is:

• 8oz (small) can of crushed pineapple, WELL DRAINED (IMPORTANT!)
  
• 2-8oz blocks of cream cheese
  
• 4 oz chopped pecans
  
• 1 bunch green onions
  
• (OPTIONAL) chopped ham
  

It's important you drain your pineapple very well, or it won't hold together very well.  It'll be runny, but still tasty (I learned my lesson!).  Wash the green onions and chop them up.  You can soften the cream cheese if you want, it makes it easier to mix.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with crackers (I prefer the Ritz or the Club crackers with this dip).  

I didn't make it with ham this time but enjoy the pictures!

My pretty bowl with all the ingredients...getting ready to be mixed.  This is one of my favorite mixing bowls...it's got butterflies on the inside and outside!

A beautiful close up of the ingredients...minus the ham!

Already mixed and ready to serve!  You can mold it, but I'm lazy and serve it as is, sometimes. :)

Tie-Dye Cupcakes

It's been a while since I last posted. Guess what? We are gonna have a baby...due in about 7 weeks! It's amazing how time has gone by so fast!

Well, here's my latest food adventure: Tie-Dye Cupcakes.

I had been reading some cooking blogs online, and for some reason, those cupcakes caught my eye. They looked like fun to make, so I did a little research. They look hard and complicated to make, but they're actually really simple. Just a few extra bowls and spoons to wash.

All you really need is:

• *white cake batter (either mix or homemade)
  
• *food coloring
• *frosting (if you want)
• *bowls
• *spoons
• *muffin pan

With this one, I used a white cake mix and made batter according to the directions on the box.

4 bowls of plain batter, a box of food coloring (neon!) and the cake mix box.

Hubby wanted to join in, and he had a blast adding the food coloring. His shirt says it all!

Hubby and me spooning the different colors in each cup (no mixing! Just gently spooning each color on top of each other randomly).

Cupcakes getting ready to warm up in the preheated oven (350F according to the box directions).

Same batch of cupcakes all baked up beautifully!

Close up of the first batch of cupcakes

Close up of the cupcake that I just had to try. It looked sooooo good, after frosting it with homemade buttercream frosting.

Now startin' to undress the sweet cupcake...

Beautiful insides. Definitely looks tie-dyed, huh? :) It was definitely yummy.


Buttercream frosting recipe (from the C&H powdered sugar box)

1 lb. box of powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk (I added a little bit more since it was so thick)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter (softened)

Beat with electric mixer 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. For thinner consistency, add milk a little at a time. Frosts one 8-inch 2-layer cake.

Easy Southern Sweet Tea

My dad used this method for unsweetened tea, but my method involves sugar. :)

SOUTHERN SWEET TEA
(made in a gallon jug)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 gallon water (I used storebought, but any gallon of water should be fine)
• 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (use however much sugar you want)
• 6 tea bags

TOOLS

• Funnel (I keep a funnel for cooking only)
  
• small sauce pan
• gallon jug that the water comes in

Pour some of the water (from the gallon jug) into a small saucepan. Boil the water.


While the water is trying to boil, get the tea bags ready and put the funnel on top of the jug. Pour sugar in through the funnel.


When the water is boiling (rolling boil), turn off the burner (important!). Put the tea bags in the water and let them relax in the hot spa. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

When the time is up, take the tea bags out and pour the tea water through the funnel. Close the lid on the jug and shake it well (holding the lid shut as you're shaking it). Make sure the sugar and tea is blended well.


Ready to drink!

Coconut Pecan Bread

Coconut Pecan Bread

Adapted a little from this recipe: Coconut Bread

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons melted shortening
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup coconut
• 3/4 cup pecans (more or less to your liking)
  

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt & sugar in a bowl.
2. Add melted shortening & milk.
3. Next add beaten egg, pecans and coconut.
4. Bake in greased loaf pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I made this (prep time was less than 10 minutes!) just tonight. I cut one slice to taste it (and to let my hubby have half a slice, as you see in the pictures). I baked this to bring to work (I had promised a co-worker I'd try to make her a coconut nut bread, since she loves coconuts and pecans (as I do!). It's a little chewy (but the good kind of chewy) but very moist and yummy.

Very easy beginner quick bread recipe.

Pecan Pie Cookies (Land O'Lakes)

I made those cookies after seeing 'em on a mailing list that I subscribe to (Land o' Lakes mailing list). I made and brought 'em to my husband's side of the family's Thanksgiving dinner. Those were gone so fast and they've asked me to make those again this year. Those were a huge hit on Thanksgiving last year, and I thought I'd post 'em right before this wonderful holiday!

This picture was taken from the Land o' Lakes website (I saved it on my computer and uploaded here so I didn't steal any bandwidth :))

PECAN PIE COOKIES

The flavors of pecan pie in a special thumbprint cookie.

Preparation time: 30 min Baking time: 8 min

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

1		cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1		egg
1		teaspoon vanilla
2		cups all-purpose flour
1		teaspoon baking powder

Filling Ingredients:

1		cup chopped pecans
1/2		cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4		cup LAND O LAKES™ Heavy Whipping Cream
1		teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.

Combine all filling ingredients in small bowl; fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon filling. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. .

TIP: These cookies can be made ahead and stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Place cookies in containers with tight-fitting lids, separating layers with waxed paper.

Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash (cooked on the Foreman grill)

(keep in mind this recipe serves 2)

• 1 nice zucchini
• 1 nice yellow squash
• Garlic salt
• black pepper
• 1-2 tsp olive oil

Wash the veggies. Slice up the zucchini and the squash into 1/2 inch slices (try to keep them all the same thickness). Put into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to coat well. This is also a good time to experiment with spices.

Preheat the George Foreman grill. Arrange slices on the grill and close the lid. Cook for about 5 minutes or to desired doneness.

Nice and simple sidedish. :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (Flourless)

I made those cookies for a co-worker’s birthday. The co-worker was a chocoholic...and also liked peanut butter. We had a very busy week at work, so I was pretty exhausted.

I decided on this modified recipe, because it only takes 20 minutes from start to finish, and I usually had all the ingredients on hand.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (FLOURLESS)

• 1 cup peanut butter (preferably extra chunky)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Mix all ingredients. Roll into one inch balls and flatten. (Optional: sprinkle sugar or crushed nuts on top). Bake 10 minutes. Let cool for a couple minutes before taking them off the baking sheet (they break easily when hot).

That’s all there is to it.

Simple Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie

This is the easiest cookie recipe that I know. I’ve got it memorized, so that whenever my husband and I are craving something sweet and yummy, we’d make this together.

Simple flourless peanut butter cookie

• 1 cup peanut butter (preferably chunky)


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 egg


• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Mix all ingredients. Roll into one inch balls. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes.

That’s all there is to it! And it’s gluten free! My dad can’t have anything with gluten, so this is a good cookie for those who have Celiac Disease or wheat allergies. It also tastes just like a regular peanut butter cookie, that you’d never notice there was no flour in it!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another favorite recipe that I made a few months ago. A good recipe for the chocoholic.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies

• 1/2 c butter, melted
• 1c flour
• 3/8 c. cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1c white sugar or 1/2 each of white and brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1c chocolate chips
• 1/4 c chopped peanuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 F. While butter is melting (you can use a double boiler or just the microwave), combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside. In a larger bowl, blend butter, sugar, and egg until creamy. Stir in vanilla, then add dry ingredients. Fold in chips & nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Leave to cool on pan for 5 minutes (cookies will be soft out of the oven) before transferring to a wire rack.

Simple Beer Bread

Yummy. I originally tried this with a bottle of Guinness. Wasn't bad, but wasn't my favorite. The flavor was too overpowering. Keystone Light...not bad, but a bit too overpowering still. Then when I was in the mood for a quick bread, I only had a bottle left, which was a Zima XXX (lemon lime flavor). It turned out to be the best beer bread I ever had. My husband didn't care for the other beer breads I had made before, but he devoured the one made with Zima XXX.

This recipe is wonderful for beginners because it's hard to go wrong with this recipe. Just mix the dry ingredients and add beer. Stir...then bake.

I found this recipe through recipezaar.

BEER BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (12 oz) can of beer (I used a bottle of Zima XXX)
• 1/2 cup melted butter (I used 1/4...thought 1/2 cup was too much)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients then add beer. Pour into greased loaf pan. Pour melted butter over mixture. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes. NOTE: Make sure you put foil or something under the loaf when baking, because the butter bubbles over. :-p I learned my lesson. heh.

Also, use real butter, not margarine, because it really makes it taste yummy. :) It sort of makes the crust a little bit crispy. The crust is my favorite part of this bread.

Monterey Chicken Bake

This is one of my favorite recipes. My husband often requests this one. I came across this when I was looking for something to do with my boneless skinless chicken breasts. The original recipe asked for teriyaki sauce and other additional ingredients that I didn't have on hand. I adapted it to barbecue sauce and other ingredients and it tasted really good. I passed the recipe on to friends and it was a huge hit!

MONTEREY BBQ CHICKEN BAKE

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 to 6 slices of bacon
• barbecue sauce (works better if thick)
• 8 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese
• *2 or 3 each green onion stems
• large bottle of hidden valley ranch dressing
• McCormick Grill Mates barbecue seasoning (to taste)

*optional

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Lightly spray bottom of medium to large baking dish with regular cooking spray. Chop green onion stems into shallots - as much as you desire.
• Fry bacon on stove until crispy. Lay flat on paper towels to absorb grease. After 15 minutes, crumble bacon and set to the side.
• Brush both sides of chicken breasts with barbecue sauce. Lay chicken flat in a shallow baking dish and season with the barbecue seasoning. Flip and season opposite sides.
• Let chicken set for 10 minutes. Brush each chicken breast with barbecue again. Pour Hidden Valley Ranch dressing over each chicken breast, covering thoroughly.
• Place crumbled bacon pieces over chicken in dish. Add shredded Monterey Jack cheese (make sure to completely cover the chicken with cheese) and shallots over dish.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes uncovered. Chicken is done when middle is no longer pink. Enjoy!!

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and broccoli with cheese sauce.