Creamy Tomato Cheese Bread

I think this one little dish contains everything you'd want in a mid-week meal: hot, creamy, crispy, golden brown, tangy, and both hearty and refreshing all in one. We had this along side a nice salad and didn't miss the meat. If you want to up your protein, you can of course serve this as a side dish to chicken or pork chops, or just add some deviled eggs to your meal. My little family cruised through a whole batch--even though we were stuffed when we got done. We just couldn't stop eating!

Creamy Tomato Cheese Bread

*There is a shortcut at the bottom, if you're not up for mixing up your crust from scratch.

Biscuit crust:
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

Creamy topping:
8 oz cream cheese (1 block)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
1 tbsp pizza seasoning (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder + 2 tsp Italian Seasoning + 1/4 tsp salt)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1) Grease a 7x11 pan and preheat oven to 425.
2) Mix together dry ingredients for crust: flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar.
3) Using a pastry blender or forks or knives or food processor, cut in shortening until the flour resembles crumbly peas.
4) Add milk all at once and mix with a fork until a dough forms; about 30 seconds. Do not over mix. (in a food processor, just pulse until it comes together.)
5) Press dough into the bottom of the pan.
6) Soften cream cheese in a bowl for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Mix in mayonnaise, shredded monterrey jack cheese, and pizza seasoning. Spread this over the dough.
7) Drain the tomatoes and sprinkle over the cheese filling. Then sprinkle the parmesan cheese all over the top.
8) Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and top is bubbly and melty all over. Enjoy! Makes about 6 entree size servings, or 8 side dish size servings. Or 2 crazy person size servings. yes, I am a crazy person. ;)

*Note to make the crust even easier: Use 1 can biscuit dough and spread them evenly over the bottom of your pan. Top with filling and bake as directed (step 6 and on). I simply adore my homemade biscuit dough, which is why I use it. But if you're not a baker, then this might be a good direction for you.

The Classic Rigatoni

I cannot claim personal credit for this recipe. It is an old family favorite. I'm mainly putting this up for a friend who wants some freezer meal ideas. This one is great--always a crowd pleaser, very quick and easy to make, and equally easy to make a double or even triple batch as a single--an important quality in a freezer meal, because I can make a huge batch on a normal day and put away a meal or two for later.

The Classic Rigatoni

1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 can *cheddar cheese soup
1 can tomato sauce
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (if freezing, 3 cups, separated)

1) Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling water. NOTE: if freezing, undercook your pasta by about 2 or 3 minutes. Make sure it is on the firm side of al dente.
2) In a large skillet or saucepan, brown the ground beef.
3) Drain excess liquid from the ground beef and add all remaining ingredients. NOTE: if freezing, set aside the extra cup of cheese for the topping.
4) Mix cooked pasta with the sauce and serve!
5) IF FREEZING: line a 13x9 pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Pour in Rigatoni. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Freeze until solid. Remove foil pouch from pan and store for long- term. To use: return foil pouch to 13x9 pan and thaw for 1-2 hours on counter. Then cook at 350 until hot and bubbly all the way through. Depending on how thawed the casserole was, this could take any where from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Enjoy! Serves 6-8 people (big batch... but yummy leftovers.)

*Cheddar cheese soup is in the pasta aisle. If you don't want to use it, you can do this: once the beef is browned, push it to one side of the pan or set aside on a plate. Place 4 TBSP of butter in the pan and let melt. Whisk in 4 TBSP of flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking away any lumps. Then whisk in 2 cups of milk. Bring to a boil to thicken. Add other ingredients as normal, but add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of cheese.

Notes: You can also make this recipe with ground turkey or chicken, or even chicken cubes. To up the veggie content I've also added chopped onion or grated carrots--both are super yummy! Just add the vegetables with the ground beef at the beginning so they can cook a bit.

Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza

To be honest, I have never eaten true Chicago Deep Dish pizza before. But after watching a Food Network special, I just had to try it. Since I live in Utah and there isn't any available here to buy, I got brave and decided to make my best attempt. I don't know how the "real" stuff tastes, but this was way good! Please note below, however, the times it requires. This is something you have to plan ahead, and give it plenty of baking time. It whets the appetite. :)

For the crust:

"World's Best Pizza Crust"
2 tbsp dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 cups cold water
3 tbsp oil (I use extra virgin olive for flavor)
1/4 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 cup corn meal
5-7 cups flour

1) Combine yeast, warm water, and 2 Tbsp sugar; let stand about 5 minutes.
2) In roomy bowl or mixer, combine cold water, oil, sugar, salt, garlic, and oregano until blended. Add the corn meal and then 2 cups of flour, mix well.
3) Add the bloomed yeast mixture, and then the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well, until the dough pulls away from the sides and becomes a cohesive ball. Knead for 10 minutes. kneading is extremely important in pizza crust to achieve that wonderfully chewy texture.
4) Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a lid. Store in the fridge for 1 to 3 DAYS. (This very long rise allows the yeast to actually flavor the dough.)
*Please note this makes enough dough for 2 very large pizzas. If you don't want to make 2, you have several options: keep the dough for a second pizza a few days later, freeze the dough and thaw later for another pizza, prepare a second whole pizza and freeze that, leave out the garlic and oregano and use leftover dough to make something else, like cinnamon sugar crisps.

Chunky Tomato Pizza Sauce
2 of the BIG cans, or 2 quarts homemade diced tomatoes (not the flavored kind, just plain regular
1 onion
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp dry oregano*
1 tsp dry basil*
1 tsp dry thyme*
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp molasses

1) Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Chop onion fine and add that to the heated oil. Cook for 3 minutes until onion softens.
3) Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces by half and is to desired thickness. Place a lid half way on, or a splatter screen, while reducing, because it can pop a little bit. Cool and store for usage when pizza time comes along.
*ingredients with an asterisk can be replaced with 1 tbsp pizza herb blend, or Italian Seasoning.
and finally....
Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Chop and assemble your favorite pizza toppings. Here's mine:
Sliced (not shredded) mozzarella cheese AND provolone cheese
1 lb Bulk Mild (or spicy!) Italian sausage (if in the links, remove from casing)--RAW
sliced black olives
chopped bell pepper
sliced, fresh cremini (brown) mushrooms
Also: pizza dough--recipe above
pizza sauce--recipe above

1) Liberally rub the inside of 2 12" cast iron pans with butter.
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3) Press pizza dough into the pans and up the sides, about half in each pan. (I ound I still had about 3 cups of dough left over, or enough for 1 small pizza). It should end up about 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch thick. It's easier if the dough is room temperature, so remove it from the fridge about 1 hour before assembly time.
4) Think upside-down: layer in sliced mozzarella and provolone cheese on the crust first. Cover the whole surface of the dough with both cheeses. (by putting the cheese on the bottom of the pizza you prevent burning).
5) Press in the raw sausage next, again covering the whole surface in a "disc of sausage" that is about 1/4 inch thick (quite thin)
6) sprinkle in the rest of your toppings.
7) cover the whole top with scoops of the chunky pizza sauce. Top with a little bit of parmesan cheese, if desired.
8) bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. If your oven can't fit both pizzas on one rack, and you are making 2, then switch racks half way through or even more often than that.
9) When done, let the pizzas sit for about 10 minutes to let the juices cool. Then remove from the pans and to a large cutting board. Dig in!


Editors Notes:
--If you plan on eating at 5, make sure you take the dough out at about 2:30 pm. Start assembling at 3:30 pm. Get the pizzas in the oven at 4. That's about how long it will take you.
--Two large cast iron pans full of pizza is a LOT of pizza. This one recipe, made exactly above, can probably feed 8 or 9 adults dinner, especially if balanced with a salad and dessert.
--Sausage is definitely a traditional Chicago Pizza topping. But if Sausage doesn't float your boat, you can make it with any toppings you like.
--Don't tell anyone that you're making this pizza unless you want them to come over and join you for dinner. Also be cautious of copious amounts of drool.

Blood and Guts and Monster Eyeballs

I'm the mother of a 3-year-old who is adoring the upcoming Halloween holiday. As we've been preparing, everything has just fascinated him to no end. Naturally, I've let it pour into my cooking, making "Blood Syrup", multiple pumpkin sandwiches (with a cookie cutter), and tonight's...

Blood and Guts and Monster Eyeballs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey or chicken (can use ground beef too, but the color will be a little browner)
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Olives (black or green, you choose)

12 oz (or 1 lb, if wanted) spaghetti

"Blood Sauce"
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp pepper

"Guts Sauce"
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1) mix up the meatballs with the first set of ingredients--ground meat through olives, except don't mix in the olives. Use your hands and don't overmix. Form them into 1 to 2 oz (a few tablespoons) meatballs and place on a baking tray. Stick an olive in each meatball so it sticks partway out to look like eyeballs.
2) Bake meatballs at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and they are cooked through. In the meantime...
3) Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
4) Mix the "blood sauce" ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a lid or with plastic-wrap and microwave for 3 minutes.
5) For the "Guts sauce," melt the butter and the garlic in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk to combine, and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Then turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients, including the cheese. Whisk gently until the cheese melts.
6) Mix the "guts sauce" with the spaghetti in a big serving bowl. Splatter on some of the "blood sauce". Put the cooked meatballs on the top with a few more splashes of the blood sauce. Serve and enjoy!

A note from Lisa's Soap Box:
Cook with your kids! Making fun and silly, and unique foods is one of the best ways to prevent picky eaters. But don't just cook with them; eat with them. Families that eat together, stay together. Kids who eat at least one meal a day with their families are far less likely to get into drugs or other promiscuous behavior. We're happier, healthier, and stronger people when we eat together as a family. And I can't think of a better way to start than with a goofy holiday meal. I hope you enjoy this one as much as my children did.

Eggs Purgatory, Lisa Style

My mother-in-law introduced me to Eggs in Purgatory, a simple breakfast dish of eggs poached in tomatoes or spaghetti sauce. They were good, and after bottling tomatoes yesterday, I had to try my hand at it. This is a great meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and is one that most people have all the ingredients for at any given time. It's super simple and really tasty.

Eggs in Purgatory on Cheesy Garlic Toast
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups bottled tomatoes (1 big can or most of a quart)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dry
4-6 eggs

4-6 slices of bread
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp mayonnaise
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic

1) Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a bubble.
2) In a small bowl, mix together the butter, mayonnaise, cheese, and garlic. Spread your cheese mixture on the bread. Put the bread on a sheet tray. Preheat your broiler or toaster oven.
3) Carefully break the eggs and drop them into the tomato sauce so that each stays individual and separated, and try not to crack the yolks. Cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are white and the yolk is firm, but still slightly runny (unless you like a firmer egg).
4) Put the bread under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the bread starts to toast.
5) Serve with the garlic cheese toast on bottom, then a scoop of the tomato sauce with the egg in it. You can shred fresh basil or Parmesan Cheese over the top if you like. It's also good with a little splash of hot sauce.

Note: For Gluten-Free, you can serve the eggs over instant grits with cheese, or hashbrowns.

Stuffed tomatoes

I went on vacation and came home to find my tomato plants so loaded with red tomatoes that they had knocked over their tomato cages and were lying on the ground. I'll be making salsa later this week, consequently, but today I enjoyed making these tasty stuffed tomatoes. Because store bought tomatoes can be expensive, this might not be something you want to make unless tomatoes are in-season.

Stuffed Tomatoes
4-6 beefsteak tomatoes
2 cups of cooked rice
1/2 lb of ground beef or bulk (no casings) sausage
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, cook the ground beef of sausage with the onion until the meat is browned completely. Turn off the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Add everything but the tomatoes and stir to combine. Set meat mixture aside.

Take your tomatoes and cut off the tops. If they roll around a lot, you can also cut a shallow slice from the bottom to stabilize. Take a spoon or a knife and gently cut out the seeds from the inside, leaving the sides about 1/2 inch thick. Stuff the now hollow tomatoes with the meat mixture. Place stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the outside of the tomato is wilted and they are hot completely through. Serve as a complete meal, garnished with shredded basil leaves, if desired.

Variations: You can stuff nearly any vegetable with the same meat mixture listed above. Hollowed out peppers, acorn squash, zucchini, or eggplant would be fantastic here. You will need to modify the cooking time. Peppers are about the same, but squash and eggplant need to be cooked until they are soft. Cover the dish in foil first, and then bake for about an hour or even longer, until a knife inserted in the flesh of the vegetable is soft. If you want to get even more adventurous, try stuffing apples. Make the same mixture, but make sure you use sausage. Then hollow out your apples just like the tomatoes and bake them for about an hour, again until they are soft.
You can also try topping the stuffed tomatoes with cheese before they bake.

Note: This makes a lot of the meat mixture, so you can save leftovers the freezer or the fridge for a different dinner. I've found that filling vegetables with yummy stuff is a fun way to get your family to eat more healthy foods.

Ratatouille and French Bread

A quick trip to foreign flavors can really amp up your culinary portfolio. I know I've mentioned it before, but this will be one for Lisa's Soap Box. Don't be afraid of new flavors! You may find dishes from far-away places that become your favorites. Children that are introduced to new flavors, paired with more familiar ones, and are encouraged to taste everything on their plates, are far less likely to be picky eaters. Also, by adding a new flavor or cooking method, you can explore the options healthy meals offer. Try it; when you find new dishes and new ingredients you like, you won't be disappointed.

This easy meal from France is sure to be a huge hit with the kids, especially if you've watched Disney's "Ratatouille." Make it into a family date night; make the meal, watch the movie, and you're sure to have a great time. These two recipes are very simple, though the bread takes time to rise. Make sure you start it early enough in the evening so that it has plenty of time to rise, and then cook it so that you've got hot, fresh bread for dinner. There is nothing better in the world.

Ratatouille
1/4 cup olive oil--more may be necessary as you cook
1 large yellow onion
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 medium sized eggplant
1 zucchini
1 tsp garlic
1 large red or green bell pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 can stewed or crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves
a splash of balsamic vinegar

1) Chop all your vegetables into roughly 1/2" cubes. This includes halving all the cherry tomatoes. If you are fast with your knife, you may be able to do this during the cooking process, but if you're unsure, it's best to at least give yourself a head start.
2) Heat a large skillet or a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil.
3) Cook everything in the order listed above. Whenever a seasoning comes after a vegetable, add the seasoning with that vegetable. Stir well after each addition, and let it cook for about 2-4 minutes between each vegetable.
4) The last is of course the cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Once those are in, stir just to heat through for about 30 seconds, and serve.


French Bread
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups all purpose flour (probably closer to 3)

1)Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a kitchen mixer, or by hand. Mix really well.
2) Add the AP flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup, until the dough is fairly stiff and pulls completely clean from the side of the bowl.
3) Knead in the mixer, or by hand, for 8-10 minutes.
4) Place dough into a greased bowl (with olive oil, butter, shortening, or cooking spray) and cover with a slightly damp towel. Let rise for 1-2 hours.
5) Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a log. You can do this by rolling it out into a rectangle or oval shape and then rolling it up and pinching the ends over, so that it is a long shape. Place onto a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with a little cornmeal. Use a sharp knife to cut about 3 diagonal slits on top. Brush the top with a little bit of olive oil or a basic egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water). Cover the loaves again with the towel and rise for another 1/2 to 1 hour.
6) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes. When it is done, you can tap the bread with your finger and it will sound hollow. After baking, remove the loaves of french bread onto a cooling rack.

Ratatouille is good served over pasta. Also try adding other vegetables, mushrooms, or even sausage. Of course you know what to do with leftover french bread. These two together make a fantastic, French-inspired meal that is vegetarian, low-fat, and super healthy.

Mango-Avocado Salsa

Here's healthy recipe #2 in a row. This delicious salsa is the perfect condiment for grilled steak or a grilled chicken breast.

Mango-Avocado Salsa

1 ripe mango

1 bell pepper

2 roma tomatoes

2 large Avocados

1 small red onion

2 limes

1/2 tsp garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp hot sauce (about 5 or 6 dashes)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro (optional)

Peel the mango and red onion. Chop the mango, pepper, tomatoes, and onion until very fine. This can also be done with a food chopper or a food processor. Mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add the zest and the juice from the limes, the garlic, the seasonings, and the olive oil. At this point, you should have everything except the avocados in the bowl. Mix well, then refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to meld flavors. Just before service, add the chopped avocado.

A note on bell peppers: Green bell peppers tend to be cheaper. Red, orange, or yellow are slightly sweeter than green peppers, and are often larger in size. You choose what you want.

Try this salsa on a simply grilled chicken breast or steak, with this marinade:

Lime Marinade for any kind of meat, about 4 servings worth:

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together, pour over meat in a ziploc bag. Put in the fridge and let sit for 3-5 hours. Then grill and serve.

This marinade on the meat plus the salsa go very well together, because they have the lime in common. Also, a note here: measuring is overrated. Pour in what looks about right, and call it a day.

More ideas for this salsa include: ~Serve with leftover cooked chicken in a tortilla, or on lettuce, for a simple, delicious lunch. ~Serve with tortilla chips in front of your favorite sports team.