Creamy Brussels Sprouts

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

1/2 lb bacon, cut in small pieces

1 T butter

2 lb Brussels sprouts, halved

1 small onion, minced

1 t Italian seasoning

salt & pepper, to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 c heavy cream

1/2 c shredded mozzarella

1/2 c shredded Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400*.

2. Cook bacon in a large, oven-safe pot, over medium-high heat, until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

3. Add butter, sprouts, onion, and seasonings to pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Pour in cream and heat until simmering; stir in cheeses and bacon. 

5. Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Chicken Caprese Flatbread

Chicken Caprese Flatbread
6 large flatbreads
olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz pesto
4 c mozzarella cheese
5-6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 c Parmesan cheese
1 c fresh basil, sliced
balsamic vinegar, opt

1. Preheat oven to 500* and line two sheet pans with foil or parchment paper.
2. Brush olive oil on flatbreads. Toss chicken in pesto.
3. Layer flatbreads with mozzarella, tomatoes, chicken, and Parmesan.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.
5. Top with basil and balsamic vinegar before serving.

Cheesy Bread

Cheesy Bread
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c butter, softened
1 c Mozzarella cheese
2 c Cheddar cheese
1/4 - 1/2 c sliced green onions, to taste
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 T sour cream
1 loaf French bread

1. In a small bowl, combine garlic and butter.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cheeses and green onions; add mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in butter mixture.
3. Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil; slice bread in half horizontally and lay crust side down on sheet.
4. Spread cheese mixture evenly over bread and broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
5. Remove from broiler and let sit for a few minutes to cool before slicing and serving.

Pesto Chicken

Pesto Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 c pesto
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400* and line a cookie sheet with foil.
2. In a medium bowl, toss chicken in pesto.
3. Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes.
4. Place tomatoes and cheese on chicken breasts; bake for another 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Serve over pasta.

Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie
6-7 Roma tomatoes
1/2 red onion, diced
1- 9" pie shell, prebaked
1/4 c fresh chopped basil
1 c Mozzarella cheese
1 c Cheddar cheese
3/4 c mayonnaise
1 t Frank's RedHot sauce, or more, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally, deseed and remove excess juice, and then roughly chop. Lightly salt the tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Place onions in the bottom of the pie shell. With a clean cloth, squeeze as much remaining juice out of the tomatoes as you can before layering them on the onions; sprinkle basil over tomatoes.
4. In a medium bowl, combine cheeses, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and a pinch each of salt and pepper; spread over basil.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned.

Bacon Honey Mustard Chicken

Bacon Honey Mustard Chicken
4 chicken breasts
3/4 c honey
1/2 c yellow mustard
12 slices raw bacon
1 c Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and mustard.
3. Wrap three pieces of bacon around each chicken breast and place them in a baking dish; pour honey mustard evenly over chicken.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until juices run clear and the bacon is cooked.
5. Switch the oven to broil, top chicken with cheese, and broil for a few minutes until cheese is melted.

White Arugula Pizza

White Arugula Pizza
12 oz refrigerated pizza dough
2 t olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2/3 c ricotta cheese
2 T mayonnaise
1 t thyme
1/4 t pepper
1/3 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 c Mozzarella cheese
1 t fresh lemon juice
1 t balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 c baby arugula


1. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500*; bring dough out of fridge.
2. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add oil; add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic with slotted spoon and reserve oil.
3. Combine garlic, ricotta, mayonnaise, thyme, pepper, and Parmesan in a medium bowl and mix until almost smooth.
4. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a little bit smaller than the pizza stone and pierce dough with a fork. Lay dough on the pizza stone and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Spread ricotta mixture on crust and sprinkle with Mozzarella; bake for 10 minutes until crust and cheese are lightly browned.
6. Combine reserved oil, lemon juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl; toss in arugula.
7. Top pizza with arugula mixture.

Focaccia Pesto Pizza

Focaccia Pesto Pizza
4 c flour
1/4 t yeast
1/2 T salt
2 c water
2 T cornmeal
1- 8 oz jar basil pesto
3 c shredded cheese (I used a Cheddar/Jack, but Mozzarella would be great, too) 
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced


1. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in two cups of water; stir until it forms a ball. Add a little bit more water if needed. The dough may be a little wet and sticky.
2. Loosely cover dough with a towel and let rest for 8-16 hours, depending on your timetable.

3. Preheat oven to 425*; cover two cookie sheets with foil, spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle with cornmeal.
4. Dust your working surface and the top of the dough generously with flour.
5. Cut dough in half and roll each half to fit your cookie sheet; slather pesto on dough and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of cheese on each pizza. Top with tomatoes.
6. Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted, about 20-25 minutes.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

1 lb fresh spinach
12-14 manicotti shells
3 c marinara sauce
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 c Mozzarella cheese
1 c Parmesan cheese, separated
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
pepper, to taste
pinch of nutmeg

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat; boil spinach, uncovered, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Remove spinach with a slotted spoon and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Drain and squeeze the excess water, and chop finely.
3. Bring water back up to boil and cook the manicotti shells until al dente.
4. Preheat oven to 350* and cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with a thin layer of marinara sauce.
5. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, Mozzarella, 1/3 cup of Parmesan, and eggs with the spinach; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
6. Make your own piping bag by placing the cheese mixture in a gallon-sized ziploc and cutting off one of the bottom corners. Pipe the mixture in to each of the manicotti shells and place in pan.
7. Pour remaining marinara sauce over pasta and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

GF Crustless Pizza

GF Crustless Pizza
Crust:
1- 8 oz pkg full fat cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 t black pepper
1 t garlic powder
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
Toppings:
1/2 c pizza sauce
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings - pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, peppers, pineapple, olives, etc
garlic powder
 
1. Preheat oven to 350* and lightly grease a 9x13 pan. 
2. Mix all crust ingredients together and spread on pan.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before adding toppings.
4. Spread pizza sauce on crust and top with cheese and toppings; sprinkle with garlic powder and bake for another 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Debbie's Smothered Chicken Enchiladas

This is a recipe from my Aunt Debbie.

Debbie's Smothered Chicken Enchiladas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 can cream of chicken soup
1- 4 oz can green chiles
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 pint sour cream
sliced olives (opt)
10 medium soft taco sized tortillas
1-2 cups salsa verde
1-2 cups CHeddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a 9x13 pan.
2. Boil chicken and onions until chicken is cooked through; shred chicken in stand mixer and let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix onions with soup, chiles, Mozzarella, sour cream, and olives.
4. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the soup mixture and add the rest to the chicken.
5. Spread half of the reserved soup mixture on the bottom of the pan; place about 1/2-3/4 cup filling in each tortilla, roll up, and lay seam down in pan.
6. Spread the rest of the reserved soup mixture over enchiladas, followed by salsa verde, and then Cheddar.
7. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

French Bread Pizza

French Bread Pizza
2 loaves French bread
1 or 2- 14 oz jar(s) of pizza sauce (depending on how saucy you like it)
pizza toppings (pepperoni, Canadian bacon, bell peppers, onions, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, etc)
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500* and line two cookie sheets with foil.
2. Cut each loaf of bread in half lengthwise, lay two halves on each cookie sheet cut-side up, and spread 1/4 of your sauce on each half.
3. Top each half with 1/2 c cheese and sprinkle with your favorite toppings.
4. Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 5-7 minutes each.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
2 chicken breasts
4 T + 3/4 c greek yogurt (or [light] sour cream), separated
8 T mozzarella cheese, separated
3/4 c roasted red peppers, separated
1 egg
6 T panko breadcrumbs (I use Italian style)
1/4 c feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375*; line with foil and grease a cookie sheet or 9x13 pan.
2. You can either butterfly the chicken breasts or pound them (in a baggie or between two sheets of plastic wrap) until they are about 1/4-1/3" thick. [I butterflied them and then took a mallet to them.]
3. Combine 4 Tablespoons yogurt, 4 T mozzarella, and 1/2 cup peppers; halve mixture and spread on either breast; roll up chicken and secure with toothpicks.
4. In a shallow dish, whisk egg; in another shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs and remaining mozzarella; dip chicken in egg wash and then in breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. In a food processor, combine remaining 3/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 c red peppers; drizzle over chicken and top with feta cheese.

Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese
2 c macaroni
2 c milk
1 T butter
1/2 t mustard powder
1 t salt
1/8 t nutmeg
1 1/2 c grated cheese (I used 1 cup Cheddar and 1/2 c Parmesan, but the possibilities are endless)
Italian style breadcrumbs (opt)

1. Give the pasta a quick rinse and drain; place it in a medium pot with milk, salt, butter, mustard powder, and nutmeg.
2. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once milk has mostly been absorbed, stir in cheese. 
3. Take off heat and continue to stir until cheese is well incorporated.
Serve immediately, topped with breadcrumbs.

Mini Pizzas

Mini Pizzas 
24 oz can pasta sauce
5 burrito-sized tortillas
1-2 c cheese (mozzarella or Cheddar)
pepperonis (opt)

1. Preheat oven to 425* and grease the cups of a muffin tin.
2. Pour pasta sauce in to a bowl and rinse out the can; use the top of the can to cut out circles in the tortillas (you should be able to get about five circles out of each tortilla).
3. Place one tortilla circle in each of the muffin cups and push down the center; spoon a heaping tablespoon of sauce in to each tortilla bowl.
4. Top with cheese and pepperonis; bake for 15 minutes.

Pizza Casserole

Pizza Casserole
45 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb box of pasta (rotini, macaroni, etc), cooked
1 lb ground beef, browned
3-4 c shredded mozzarella
1 pkg pepperonis

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. In a 9x13 pan, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce
3. Layer half each of the pasta, beef, remaining sauce, cheese, and pepperoni; repeat.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.
5. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Pesto-Stuffed Chicken

Pesto-Stuffed Chicken
2 large chicken breasts
3 T [light] sour cream
3 T pesto
3 T mozzarella cheese
1 egg
3 T panko breadcrumbs (I use Italian style)
3 T Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375*; line with foil and grease a cookie sheet or 9x13 pan.
2. You can either butterfly the chicken breasts or pound them (in a baggie or between two sheets of plastic wrap) until they are about 1/4-1/3" thick. [I butterflied them and then took a mallet to them.]
3. Combine sour cream, pesto, and mozzarella; halve pesto mixture and spread on either breast; roll up chicken and secure with toothpicks.
4. In a shallow dish, whisk egg; in another shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
5. Dip chicken in egg wash and then in breadcrumbs.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, remove toothpicks, and enjoy.

Creamy Baked Ziti

Creamy Baked Ziti
1 lb ziti, uncooked
1- 26 oz jar marinara sauce
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz [light] cream cheese, softened
3/4 c [light] sour cream
2 c shredded [skim] mozzarella cheese, separated
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325*.
2. Cook pasta in unsalted water in a large pot; drain.
3. Place marinara sauce, tomatoes (with liquid), and cream cheese in the pot and stir frequently over medium heat until cream cheese melts and the mixture is well blended.
4. Return pasta to pot and stir to coat.
5. Place half of the pasta in the bottom of a 9x13 pan; layer sour cream, half of the mozzarella, and the rest of the pasta. Top with Parmesan and remaining mozzarella.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated all the way through.
*You can cover and refrigerate before baking; bake for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through.

Calzone

Calzone
Dough-
2 1/2 t (1 pkg) yeast
1 1/3 c warm water
1/4 c olive oil, plus more
1/2 t salt
4-5 c flour
Filling-
marinara sauce
meats (pepperoni, sausage, ham, chicken, etc)
veggies (olives, mushrooms, peppers, onions, jalapenos, etc)
herbs (basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, etc)
cheese (Mozzarella, Cheddar, Parmesan, etc)


1. Using stand mixer with dough hook, dissolve yeast in water; add oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour; beat until smooth.
2. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a soft dough; knead on low for about 10 minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
3. Place dough in a greased glass bowl and turn once so dough gets greased as well; cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400*.
5.Punch down the dough and halve it; lightly grease, or line with foil, one (refrigerate/freeze half of the dough for later use) or two cookie sheets (halve the dough and perform steps 6-10 for each calzone).
6. Roll out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface; transfer to cookie sheet and turn lengthwise.
7. Spread enough marinara sauce to just cover the middle third of the dough with about 1/4" or less of sauce; layer meats, veggies, herbs, and cheese.
8. Rotate sheet 90* and cut slits in the dough from the outer edge in to the sauce, stopping about 1/4" from the sauce; rotate sheet and repeat for the other side of the dough [slits|filling|slits].
9. Rotate sheet 90* so that it's lengthwise again and braid dough slits like you're lacing up a shoe (one side across filling and then the other, repeat, repeat, repeat); pinch the ends to seal them.
10. Brush calzone with olive oil and sprinkle on some more herbs, if desired.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown; place on cooling rack to cool.

Lasagna Timpano

This recipe changes every time I make it, so the recipe is just a guideline.

Lasagna Timpano
1 1/2 boxes lasagna noodles
1 c alfredo sauce
1 c pesto
2 c marinara sauce
3-4 c cheese (Parmesan, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Provolone)
pepperoni, sausage, salami, ground beef, etc (opt)

1. Preheat oven to 350*; lightly grease a large, heavy oven-safe bowl.
2. Cook noodles to al dente; to make the crust, line the bowl with noodles, meeting at the center of the base of the bowl, hanging over the edge of the bowl, and overlapping a bit (this is the hardest part).
3. Now you layer. Sauce, noodles, cheese, noodles, meat, noodles, etc (or however you want to mix it up - make it your own). I recommend keeping things on the drier side (1/2 c sauce per layer) to keep it from falling apart when you flip it. End by folding the crust noodles in and covering the top of the lasagna.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes; let rest for at least 20-30 minutes before attempting to flip it.
5. Place plate over bowl and quickly flip lasagna out on to plate; cut like a cake and serve with extra marinara sauce.