Stuffed Pizza Rolls

These take some time to put together, but they're worth the work. Very tasty, perfect for a party.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Courtesy of Our Best Bites

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
Mozzerella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Marinara/pizza sauce

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it’s 400°F. If you make your own dough, 400°F 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 12″ by 8″. You’re going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch 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 or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese. (In lieu of the Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning you could substitute this garlic bread seasoning.)

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I’d check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

This won me one of the favorite appetizer prizes at an appetizer exchange I went to last night. It didn't quite do the monkey bread thing properly, we had to cut it, but it tasted great. I loved how it had a bit of a foccacia bread feel, with all sorts of fun pizza flavors added. I'm definitely adding this to our Christmas appetizer dinner menu.

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread
Courtesy of What's Gaby Cooking



2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup Asiago cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.

Combine the active yeast and water in a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook. Let it sit for a few minutes to make sure your yeast is working. Add the sugar and mix for a quick second. Add the flour mixture in batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Let the dough hook work its magic for 5-6 minutes until the dough has come together into a large mass. Remove the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise for 60 minutes.

After an hour, remove the dough from the bowl and cut into small 1/2 inch cubes. Dust with flour to prevent them from sticking together. Set aside.

Spray 6 small bundt pans with PAM or cooking spray. (You could also use a large bundt pan)

Melt the butter in a small bowl.

Combine the cheese, pepperoni, oregano, salt and garlic in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together with a spoon. Toss in the cut dough and make sure it all gets a coat of the butter mixture. Start layering the cubes into the bundt pans until they are 3/4 of the way full. Let sit for 30 minutes for the dough to rise a little more.

Place bundt pans into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the bread and cheese is golden brown. Serve with warmed pizza sauce.

Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto

So so so good. It was also easy since there was minimal prep. Yum yum yum.

Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto
Courtesy of Cooking Light



Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 tablespoons commercial pesto
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll dough onto prepared baking sheet, and pat into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pesto. Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack; bake for 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven.

Coarsely chop artichokes. Arrange artichokes on pizza; top with sliced prosciutto. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Return pizza to the bottom oven rack; bake an additional 6 minutes or until crust is browned.

Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Top the pizza with arugula mixture. Cut and serve.

Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza

Yum. That's pretty much all I have to say.

Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
Courtesy of Cooking Light



2 teaspoons sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 3/4 cups), divided
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 precooked mild Italian chicken sausages (about 6 ounces), casings removed, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl. Stir flour mixture into yeast mixture until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into an 11 x 15–inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; press dough up sides of dish. Spread 1 1/2 cups cheese evenly over dough. Arrange chopped sausage evenly over cheese.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Chop tomatoes; place in a sieve. Stir in oregano and basil; drain tomato mixture 10 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bell peppers; cook for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Arrange vegetables over sausage; spoon tomato mixture evenly over vegetables and sausage. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until crust browns and cheese bubbles. Cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Calzone

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn a bit... But I'm tooting my horn more for Cooking Light. These calzones freaking rock. And yes, it matters that all the components are homemade. I don't think it would be nearly as good with store-bought dough and sauce. Though I worry that I'll have to go back to making my dough in the breadmaker. My stand mixer was not happy while I was trying to mix the dough in there. I hope it'll turn on for me the next time I need it... Eek.

The original recipe calls for grilled peppers, onions, and sausage, but since I don't have a grill, I sautéed everything. And I have enough of everything to make two batches of it all, so if you only want to use one portion of the pizza dough, half the filling recipe.

Try it. As soon as possible.

Homemade Pizza Dough
Courtesy of Cooking Light

1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 1/4 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
26.1 ounces (about 5 1/2 cups) unbleached bread flour, divided
Cooking spray

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Weigh or lightly spoon 24.9 ounces (about 5 1/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low 8 minutes or until dough begins to form. Let rest 2 minutes; mix on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining 1.19 ounces (about 1/4 cup) flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Divide the dough in half, and place each portion in a large zip-top bag coated with cooking spray. Seal and chill overnight or up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

Note: You can freeze the dough in heavy-duty, freezer-safe zip-top plastic bags for up to 2 months; thaw dough overnight in the refrigerator.

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New York-Style Pizza Sauce
Courtesy of Cooking Light

7 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.

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Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Calzones
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light

Homemade Pizza Dough
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
New York-Style Pizza Sauce, divided
1 1/3 cup (about 5 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Remove Homemade Pizza Dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Preheat deep skillet to medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and then add sausage. Break up sausage using back of wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon olive oil, onions, and peppers. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper. Take off heat and add sausage back to pan to mix.

Preheat oven to 500ºF.

Place one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface; divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 9 x 5-inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup New York-Style Pizza Sauce evenly over each rectangle, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Arrange sausage evenly over half of each rectangle; top evenly with onion and bell peppers. Sprinkle each calzone with 1/3 cup cheese. Fold other half of dough over filling; press edges together with a fork to seal. Repeat with second portion of dough.

Place calzones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush calzones with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake at 500° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

Phyllo Pizza with Feta, Basil, and Tomatoes

Another wonderful summer meal. A little oven time, but a really light and delicious meal.

I found this recipe in the Cooking Light Magazine, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and there was a wine note next to the recipe that said that this pizza goes very well with Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. We didn't try it, but I can only imagine how well a white wine would go with this pizza. Yum!

Phyllo Pizza with Feta, Basil, and Tomatoes
Courtesy of Cooking Light



1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 (18 x 14–inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced plum tomato
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise. Working with 1 phyllo sheet half at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), place phyllo sheet on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Repeat with 2 more layers of phyllo. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Repeat layers 5 times, ending with 2 phyllo sheets. Coat top phyllo sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel. Arrange tomato slices on top of cheese, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with onions and the remaining 6 tablespoons cheese mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with basil leaves.

Homemade Pizza

So I made some pizza sauce earlier this week, and I decided to use it to make some pizzas for Saturday night dinner. I know it may be easier to just order a pizza, but it is so much cheaper and just as tasty (maybe tastier?) to make your own. And it's not hard! It also is quite nostalgic for me since my mom used to make pizza. And usually for Saturday night dinners. I always thought her pizza was the best. I hope my kids will feel the same about mine.

I made my own dough using my bread maker. If you have one, look for the owner's manual, which should include recipes. I've found that my dough comes out the best if I make absolutely sure that my ingredients are room temperature. And then I refrigerate it until I'm ready to use it. That way, it's not as sticky and easier to handle. Just make sure that if you refrigerate it, you leave some room in your plastic wrap for the dough to expand. Because it will... I found that out when I opened up my refrigerator after putting my dough in the night before and found my dough escaping the plastic wrap and attacking my yogurt.

You can also find pizza dough in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. And some pizzerias will even sell you raw dough. Both are easier but not as inexpensive as making your own. Of course, you don't need a bread maker to make your own dough. I know Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe, and I can't imagine it's bad.

I made a cheese pizza for the kids and a broccoli pizza for Jonathan and me. I just used a shredded Italian cheese blend (an entire 8-ounce package covered both) and one medium head of broccoli, chopped into small florets. I stretched my dough out into rounds and put them onto ungreased baking sheets (one cookie sheet and one round pizza sheet). I pricked each round all over with a fork, leaving an edge for the crust. I added the toppings and baked them in a 400ºF oven for 20 minutes. I let them cool for 5 minutes before cutting them.

Here they are, in all their glory. They were very good, if I do say so myself.



So the difference in buying these pizzas out versus making them at home? They came out to be about the size of medium pizzas (about 14 inches, 8 slices each). What I made tonight would have cost us almost $20 at our local pizzeria. We estimated that both pizzas cost us $5 to make. Total. That's totally worth the extra effort to do this more often. And it's making me wonder if I should just make the pizzas I was planning on ordering for Benjamin's 4th birthday party coming up next month... Hmmmm...

Pizza Sauce and Baked Penne

My title says it all. It's too bad I don't have smell-sharing options on my blog. Since I don't, I'm just going to taunt you into making these dishes yourself.

I made some pizza sauce in preparation for some pizza I want to make later on this week. And I also put together an improvised pasta bake using some leftover marinara that I've had in the freezer for a while. Both came out looking and tasting great. And I'm very happy to say that both concoctions are of my own design. I'm getting better at this making-up-recipes thing.

I've decided to start adding some pictures to my blog since I know I always want to see what the final product looks like before making it. Please forgive my amateur photo skills and messy stove top.

Tomato Pizza Sauce



2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt

In large heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium-low. Add garlic and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add plum tomatoes and tomato paste. Start to break up plum tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add Italian seasoning.

Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil, continuing to break up tomatoes as they heat up. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Season with salt, to taste.

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Baked Penne with Sausage and Mushrooms



1 pound penne rigate
Salt
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, bulk or links with casings removed
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups marinara, store-bought or homemade
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, divided

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Heat pot of water over high heat. Salt it and cook pasta according to box directions.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in second pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove from pot or skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate covered in paper towels.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to sausage drippings. Add mushrooms and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until browned. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

Add marinara, drained sausage, Parmesan and parsley to mushrooms and garlic mixture. Drain pasta and add it too. Mix well and heat through.

Put 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch pan. Put pasta mixture on top and spread evenly. Add the remaining cheese to the top and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly.