Upside Down Pizza

Want pizza without all the work?  This is the perfect recipe for you.

Look at all of that cheesy deliciousness...

And of course you can flip it right side up, just in case you have a 4 year old who refuses to eat his pizza upside down...

 Upside Down Pizza
Recipe from Sandra Lee

1 lb. sausage
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 c. sliced onions
(Or other desired pizza toppings)

1 ½ - 2 c. pizza sauce
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded mozzarella
½ c. parmesan cheese

In skillet brown sausage. Add pepper, onions, and other toppings. Add pizza sauce and toss to coat. Warm through but leave veggies crisp.

Mix flour, milk, eggs, oil and salt for dough.

Put topping mixture in 9x13” baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella over sauce mixture. Pour dough on top of mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

Apple Spice Muffins

This was my third try making these, and I finally perfected them!  They are so so good!

Apple Spice Muffins

1 ¼ c. flour
¾ c. sugar
1 ¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. quick cooking oats
½ tsp. nutmeg
¾ tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 c. peeled, cored, chopped apple
¼ c. vegetable oil
½ c. applesauce
Cinnamon sugar

Prepare muffin pan by spraying with Pam. In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oats and spices. In separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, apples, oil, applesauce and water. Pour egg mixture all at once into flour mixture: stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over each muffin (about 1 tsp. each). Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until tested done. Makes one dozen.

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes

These are so good!  And they don't need anythnig to go on them (which I think is the best part).  Super cheesy and delicious!

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes
Recipe from www.cucinafamiglia.blogspot.com

6 large baking potatoes

4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon season salt
salt and pepper to taste

Cube potatoes and put in a pot.
Cover potatoes with 2" of water and bring to a boil.
Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Strain potatoes and return to pot.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mash.
Put in a baking dish at bake uncovered at 375 for 20 minutes.

Hole in the Bread

A regular go-to breakfast at our house:

Hole in the Bread
2 slices of bread
2 eggs
butter
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Heat skillet over medium heat.
Butter 2 slices of bread on both sides. 
Using a small cup or circle cookie cutter, cut a hole in the middle of each piece - be sure that the entire crust is connected.
Place bread slices and inside circle pieces (not connected) on hot skillet.

Spray cooking spray in the center of each piece of bread.
Crack eggs and drop one into each hole in the bread.

Salt and pepper eggs.
Flip bread holes and bread slices over to finish cooking the other side.

Orange Julius

Yes, I know it is the middle of winter... but I was totally craving one of these the other day.

Orange Julius

3-4 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla
~20 ice cubes

Put all ingredients except for ice in a blender and mix well.  While blending, add ice in small batches until desired consistency is reached.

Serves 2.

Burger Bundles

This picture doesn't look the best, so please take note of that...
Another recipe from my mother-in-law.  My husband loves these things; I think they take him back to earlier days...

Burger Bundles
Recipe adapted from Lyn Denna

1 can stuffing mix
1 lb. hamburger
1 egg
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
¼ c. cracked wheat
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. dried onion
pinch red pepper flakes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 - 1 can milk
1 Tbsp. BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp. catsup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix hamburger, salt, pepper, basil, cracked wheat, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes.
Divide into 4 balls.
Flatten each ball out on waxed paper.
Spoon ¼ c. stuffing on each pattie.
Fold meat up and over stuffing to make 4 separate balls.
Put balls in 1 ½ qt. casserole dish.
Combine soup, milk, sauces and catsup in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Pour soup over meatballs.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Molasses Ginger Snaps

Definatley one of my favorite cookies!  However, we do like them SOFT.  If you like yours hard or crunchy, increase the cooking time by a few minutes.

Molasses Ginger Snaps
Blend and cream well:
1 c. sugar
¼ c. molasses
¾ c. shortening
1 egg

Sift together and add:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
Mold into walnut sized balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room to spread. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes.

Honey Butter

The classic companion to corn bread:

Honey Butter
1 c. honey
1/2 c. butter

Beat until smooth. 
Chill and serve.

Dijon Ham and Swiss Loaf

My mother in law gave me this recipe.  I was really skeptical at first, but quickly got over it.  Dont let the combination of ingredients scare you... especially the warm pickles!  This is SO good!

Dijon Ham and Swiss Loaf

Recipe from Lyn Denna

4 c. flour
¼ c. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. margarine
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ c. chopped cooked ham
2 Tbsp. Yeast
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 c. water
½ c. chopped dill pickles

Set aside 1 c. flour.
Mix remaining flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
Heat water, mustard and margarine to 125-130 degrees; stir into flour mixture.
Mix in enough reserved flour to make soft dough.
Knead or mix for 4 minutes.
Divide dough in half and roll out in rectangle shape.
Sprinkle ham, cheese and pickle on top of dough.
Roll up into loaf shape, pinching off sides and along the seam.
Put in greased loaf pans and let rise.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers; reheat to serve.

Yields 2 medium loaf pans

Apple Jello

Apple Jello

1 large pkg. red jello

5 apples

Prepare jello according to package directions.

Peel, core and grate apples.

Stir into jellow mixture.

Chill and serve.

Freezing Meals Technique

For Christmas Tate and I made a bunch of freezer meals for his parents, so I thought I would share my favorite technique!

I love having a meal or two (or more if there is room) in my freezer for busy days, but I hate when they take up all of my freezer space, and when all of my dishes are in the freezer and I can't use them.  This is the best idea to solve that problem; (though I am sure this idea has been done before, I've never heard of anyone else doing it so I will take the credit).

I used this idea all the time when it was just me and my hubby... we could never finish a whole 9x13" casserole, but half that size would be great.  That is when I started making two smaller dinners out of one large recipe:

You will need one or more small casserole dish; 8x6", 8x8" and 9x9" all work well.  You can go smaller for individual servings, but the listed sizes will feed my small family of 4 (without leftovers).  Most importantly, you need a small enough dish that the contents will be able to fit into a gallon freezer ziplock bag.

The basic idea is to make one large recipe and divide it up between two smaller casserole dishes (or more for individual servings).  I usually make one to eat immediately, and freeze the other.

First, line the casserole dishes that will be frozen with tin-foil.  Fill the dishes with whatever it is you are making (this picture is two different recipes, but you get the idea). 

Put casserole dish in freezer overnight or for several hours.  When frozen, take out and remove the food from the dish (this is where the tinfoil comes in handy).

Once removed, place in a freezer bag - I label with the item, the date, and the cooking instructions.

Soups, stews, and sauces can be poured into quart sized bags and frozen.

And there it is!  No mess, less space, and no freezer burn!

When ready to eat, take out of bag and put back in casserole dish.

Frozen meals are best if used within 3 months.