Pepperoni Macaroni

Pepperoni Macaroni (from a taste of home magazine)

Note: Never made this, but thought it sounded good and easy.

2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 lb. bulk italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 can pizza sauce (15oz)
1 can 8oz tomato sauce
1/3 c. milk
1 pacakge (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain macaroni.

In a large bowl, combine the pizza sauce, tomato sauce, and milk. Stir int he sausage mixture, macaroni, pepporoni, mushrooms, and olives.

Transfer to a greased 13x9 in baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 mins longer or until cheese is heated through.

Calzones

Calzones (from here)

Notes: This was so good! I halved the dough recipe which made 2 good sized calzones for us. I also added some Italian seasoning to the dough and some garlic powder. I chopped up pepperoni. For the pizza sauce, I used 8 oz of tomato sauce and pizza seasonings from my spice rack.

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce
• 4 ounces pepperoni sausage, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Place water, salt, bread flour, dry milk, sugar, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle.
2. After cycle ends, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface; shape into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. In a small bowl, mix together chopped pepperoni and mozzarella. Spoon pizza sauce in a stripe down the center of dough lengthwise; add sausage and cheese filling. Make diagonal cuts 1 1/2 inches apart down each side, cutting within a 1/2 inch of the filling. Criss cross strips over filling, sealing with water. Brush top with melted butter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes.

Slow Cooker Pizza

Slow Cooker Pizza

Note: Haven't made yet

1 package (16oz) wide egg noddles
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef/turkey
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce
1 jar (4 1/2 oz) sliced mushroom, drained
1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 package (3 1/2 oz) sliced pepperoni, halved
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook noodles according package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir int he spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, and italians seasonings. Drain noodles.

In a 5 qt. slow cooker coated with nonstick cooking spray, spread a third of the meat sauce. Cover with a third of the meat sauce. Cover with a third of the noodles and pepperoni. Sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat layers twice. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Pepperoni Pizza Dip (from here)

Note: This looks so good. There are photos on the linked site. I want to try it!

* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup pasta sauce
* 1/4 cup onion, diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 cup diced pepperoni slices
* 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* Crusty Italian bread or tortilla chips, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a greased baking dish (I used a 7″ soufflé dish), layer the cream cheese, pizza sauce, onion and garlic, pepperoni, and cheese, in that order.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serve with crusty Italian bread or tortilla chips.

CPK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza

CPK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza (From the Pioneer Woman - Link)

- Notes: Crust was delicious. I skimped on the red onions and used shredded mozzarella instead of the real stuff. I would add more of both next time.

* 1 whole Recipe For Pizza Crust (see below - PW's Makes Two Crusts)
* 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* ½ cups Barbecue Sauce
* Olive Oil, For Drizzling
* Salt For Sprinkling
* 16 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thinly
* ½ whole Red Onion, Cut In Half And Sliced Very Thin
* Chopped Cilantro, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt chicken breasts on both sides, then place in an ovenproof dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the breasts and turn them over to coat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and cut into a fine dice. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.

Roll/stretch out one pizza crust. Lay it on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle a little olive oil on the crust, then sprinkle on a little salt.

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly. Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion.

Sprinkle again with a little salt, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro. Cut into squares and serve immediately. Repeat with other crust and other ingredients, or save for another time.

Basic Pizza Crust

* 1 teaspoon Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
* 1-½ cup Warm Water
* 4 cups All-purpose Flour
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
* ⅓ cups Olive Oil

Preparation Instructions

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.

Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

When you are ready to make the pizza, grab HALF the pizza dough (recipe makes 2 crusts) and squeeze the dough toward the bottom to form a nice, tight, pulled ball. You can roll out the pizza with a rolling pin if you’d like, but sometimes it’s just as easy to throw it around and pull and stretch till it feels right. And when the crust is nice and thin, lay it on an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and spread it with your fingers. Very lightly sprinkle some salt on the crust.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Top your crust with your toppings of choice. Then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.