Dumpster Lunch - Pizza Bake

Instead of eating lunch out, we (well Sonny) got creative in the kitchen. After inspecting what was on hand and spit-balling some ideas, pizza bake was settled upon. Most of the ingredients used helped clean out leftover ingredients from meals earlier in the week. Bonus! Sonny created this recipe in his head...a skill for me that needs work. Nothing was measured out, ingredients were tossed together. (This is how Sonny cooks ALL THE TIME....and I'm jealous). In the end, Sonny made a very delicious lunch which we both enjoyed.

Here's what he used

Whole wheat penne

Whole wheat rotini 

Pasta sauce

Pepperoni slices

Mushrooms, canned

Onion, chopped

Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the over to 375 F. Cook the pasta. Mix the cooked pasta, sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, and spinach together in a baking dish. Top the pasta mix with mozzarella cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Beer Bread

Today I'm writing about another memorable recipe. In college a friend introduced me to beer bread. It is quick and simple to make, and it is delicious! I was a little skeptical at first because at the time I didn't like beer, but from the first bite I was hooked. Most of the time when we made beer bread there was a small group hanging out and was ate as snack. Now I prefer to eat it with some type of meal, like a beef stew or chili. I suggest you try this recipe at least once and try it a few times using different types of beer. Experiment! Find what you like best...or not at all! Happy baking!

Ingredients


3 c. self-rising flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
12 oz. beer
2-4 Tbsp. butter, melted

*Note: You can use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising, BUT you would need to add 4 Tbsp. active dry yeast.*




Directions


1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Stir together the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add the beer and mix well.

2. Spray a bread loaf pan with cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

3. Drizzle melted butter over top the warm bread. Cool loaf on a wire rack.

Homemade Calzone

The weekends seem to fly by so fast. One moment I'm relaxing and the next it's Monday morning. This past weekend was full of family time. Saturday brought a baby shower and dinner with my sister's family. Sunday was a day to relax and just hangout.

On Saturday I was looking for a quick, satisfying lunch before I went to the baby shower. The first thing that popped in my head was frozen pizza. I also wanted something low-cal because I knew there was going to be cake at the shower. But I really wanted pizza. My solution - Calzones! I know some of you maybe thinking that calzones are not low-cal, but these work out that way! I had everything in the fridge, it took less then 20 minutes, around 300 calories each, and I got my pizza fix. Win-win! Here's what I used:

Ingredients
refrigerated crescent roll dough
mozzarella cheese (string or shredded)
chopped onion
chopped peppers
bacon bits
pasta sauce (optional - either inside the calzone or as a dipping sauce)

*Filling Options: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, chicken, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, spinach, tomato, black olive


Basically you can fill your calzone with any topping you would put on a pizza!

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375-F. Separate the crescent roll dough into rectangles using two triangles. Place them on baking sheet and roll out flat.

2. On every rectangle spread on about 2-3 Tbsp. of pasta sauce, leaving the edges uncovered*. Place one stick of string cheese (or sprinkle with shredded cheese) in the middle of each dough rectangle. Sprinkle desired filling options evenly on top.

3. Fold the dough over (length-wise) and pinch the dough together. Bake calzones for 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown. Check to make sure the cheese is melted in the middle and ENJOY!

*Dipping sauce instead of in calzone: Place some pasta sauce in a bowl and warm up in the microwave.

Calzones are delicious and you have many options. Instead of making one calzone variety for the whole family, everyone can pick what they want inside. This recipe allows kids to get very involved. My nephews love to help in the kitchen. When making these, I let them fill their calzones with the toppings they choose, fold the dough, and pinch it close. These are not a lot of steps involved. Nor is it a complex recipe. Besides it's fun to have my nephews in the kitchen and getting them involved! It doesn't matter if you are cooking for family, with a group of friends, or just for yourself...this recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Enjoy!