Pizza Rolls

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or use Our Favorite Pizza Dough recipe)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (this is usually just a combination of basil, oregano, thyme and marjoram)

mozzarella cheese

pizza toppings of your choice: canadian bacon and pineapple, pepperoni slices, italian sausage, etc.

marinara or pizza sauce

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees. If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well. Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 1/4 inch thick and as close as you can get to square. Cut into about 20-25 squares.

Top each square with your topping of choice and about a tablespoon of cheese. You may have to just eyeball it but make sure leave enough space to bring the corners together to close up the roll.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift and pinch the corners together. Pinch the sides also to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder and Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Our Favorite Pizza Dough

3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)

Combine sugar, water and yeast in measuring cup or small bowl and set aside. Combine flour and salt in large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture and oil into well and mix until you have a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. If dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. Place in an oiled bowl and cover until double in size.

IF YOU HAVE A BREAD MACHINE: Skip the above steps and put all ingredients in according to the machine's directions and use the "dough" setting.

After dough has risen, punch down and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out to desired thickness and top with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes or until crispy and cheese is bubbling.

Makes 1 deep dish or 2-3 12-inch pizza crusts, depending on the thickness of your pizza.

Pizza Dip

This recipe comes from my friend, April, who somehow manages to always make yummy stuff like this, host great parties, and take care of 4 kids and 1 high maintenance husband (that's right, Steve!).

1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup pepperoni
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
8-10 ounces mozzarella cheese

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, garlic and red pepper.

Spread into pie plate.

Then spread pizza sauce, peppers, onion, and pepperoni on top.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with crackers, bread, or bagel chips.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped, divided
6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 lb ground pork and 1/2 lb ground turkey)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3/4 pound spaghetti

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in half the onion and half the garlic. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, and meat. Mix gently.



Form into 16 balls.



Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs; brown on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Cook remaining meatballs in remaining tablespoon oil; remove meatballs.



Add remaining onion; cook over medium-low until soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning; cook 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and 3/4 cup water. Return meatballs; cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.



Remove meatballs.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti according to package direction until al dente. Drain; return to pot. Toss with sauce; serve meatballs on top, sprinkled with more cheese.

Chicken Parmesan

Cooking spray
4 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
Salt to taste
2 large egg whites
6 tablespoons dry Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 to 5 teaspoons olive oil
your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cutlets with the salt. Lightly beat the egg whites in a medium bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper. Spread the flour on another sheet of waxed paper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip both sides into the flour, shaking off excess.



Dip each piece into the egg whites, shaking off excess, and then press both sides into the breading to coat.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (in batches, if necessary) and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the chicken, in 1 layer, to the baking dish.

Spoon about half of the sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Thin Crust Pizza

For the dough:
3/4 cups (6 ounces) of water
1/2 teaspoon of yeast
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

About 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it on a rack in the lower-middle part of the oven. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, heat the water until it feels barely lukewarm when you test it with your finger (if the water is so hot that you can't leave your finger in it, wait for it to cool down). Add the yeast to the water and use a fork or whisk to stir it into the water. Set this aside for a few minutes and allow the yeast to dissolve.



It's ok if the yeast doesn't bubble, but it should be entirely dissolved and the mixture should look like thin miso soup. Look, bubbles!



Measure out the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and use your hand or a whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the water-yeast mixture. Use your fingers or a wooden spoon to combine everything together. When it comes together into a cohesive ball , turn it out onto the counter along with any extra flour in the bowl that hasn't yet gotten worked in. Knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic to the touch--about five minutes.The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky. If it's sticking to your hands and counter-top like bubble gum, work in more flour one tablespoon at a time until it's smooth and silky.



Divide the dough in two.

Shaping the Dough:
Tear off two pieces of parchment paper roughly 12-inches wide. Work one piece of the dough in your hands and form it into a large disk. Lay the disk of dough on the parchment paper.



Working from the middle of the dough outwards, use the heel of your hand to gently press the dough outward until it's about 1/4 of an inch thick or less. You can also use a rolling pin for this part. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Note: The dough will stick to the parchment paper, making it easier for you to roll out. You'll bake the pizza right on the parchment paper. As it cooks, the dough will release from the parchment, and you can slide the paper out before serving.

.

Topping and Baking the Dough:
Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into the center of each pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Pile on all of your toppings except the cheese.

Like tomato sauce:



Bell peppers and onions:



And pepperoni:



Using a bread peel or the backside of a baking sheet, slide your pizza (still on the parchment) onto the baking stone in the oven. If you don't have a baking stone, just bake it right on the baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes and then rotate the pizza 180-degrees (unless your oven is perfect and bakes evenly).



Bake for another 3 minutes and then sprinkle the cheese over the top.



Bake for another 2-3 minutes until the edges are golden brown and crispy.



Remove your pizza from oven and let it cool on a wire rack. At this point, you can slide the parchment paper out from under the pizza. Repeat with second pizza. Let both pizzas cool for about five minutes and serve.



Mmmmm!!

Adapted from: Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn

Number of Servings: 12

Baked Ziti with Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, cubed
12 oz penne pasta
1 can (26 oz) spaghetti sauce or Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Brown chicken in medium skillet. Cook pasta according to package directions.



Drain pasta and add spaghetti sauce, most of the cheese and chicken. Mix well.



Pour in 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and parmesan.



Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.



Number of Servings: 8

*You can also do the same thing with a pound of ground beef instead of chicken breasts

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

I've been trying to find ways to incorporate good vegetables into my cooking since I've never really been that good at fixing them as sides. Usually the best I can do is a salad or some canned green beans. I'm trying though! And that's what matters. So I decided to try to slip in a little extra nutrition into my lasagna. I thoroughly prepped Matt, who doesn't like experimentation when it comes to his meals, and promised never to make it like that again if he hated it. And you know what? He loved it! Woohoo! Kudos to spinach, for making my lasagna even better!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce or 1 large can spaghetti sauce, with 1 lb ground beef, browned
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
16 oz ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
9 oz lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese



In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and spinach.





Set aside. While sauce is simmering, boil noodles according to package directions. Once sauce is ready, assemble the lasagna as follows: Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Cover with a single layer of noodles and a single layer of sauce.



Top with a layer of ricotta/spinach mixture, and then mozzarella. Repeat noodle, sauce, ricotta/spinach, and mozzarella once more.





Then layer once more with noodles, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.





Serves 8.