Is it easier to pop a frozen pizza in the oven? Of course. Does it taste as good? No way! Once you try this deep-dish pizza with a homemade crust, you'll want to make it again and again. The crust is wonderfully chewy and has whole wheat flour for added nutrients. You can vary the toppings according to what you like best. Be creative! This recipe has been edited in July 2019 to incorporate some changes based on a kitchen window recipe we had from a class. It needed more water and oil to keep from being too dry.
Ingredients:
- 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
- 1.5-2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup canola oil and 2 T olive oil
- 1 T minced fresh basil (or 1/2-1 t dried)
- 1 T minced fresh oregano (or 1/2-1 t. dried)
- 1 T minced fresh marjoram (or 1/2-1 t. dried)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 2-3 cups Italian cheese (could use some cheddar
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- chopped onions (can use dried minced onions)
- 1 T minced fresh basil (dried doesn't work as well here, be careful not to add dried herbs at beginning of cooking or they get bitter)
- 1 T minced fresh oregano
- 1 T minced fresh marjoram
- 1 T vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- minced garlic
- 1 package (3 oz) sliced pepperoni
- mushrooms if desired
-spaghetti or pizza sauce, optional
Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add flours and oils, herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Punch dough down and roll into a 14 inch circle. Transfer to a well-greased 10 inch oven-proof skillet (or 9 inch springform pan or a pizza pan). Spread a layer of sauce over the crust and sprinkle 1 cup cheese on top.
In a large skillet, saute pepper, onions, herbs, and mushrooms in oil until tender. Spoon vegetables over cheese, then Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and garlic. Sprinkle with 1 cup of remaining Italian cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with pepperoni and remaining cheese mixture. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Whether you're a cheesecake lover, a chocolate-and-peanut-butter lover, or both, this marvelous recipe is sure to please. With chocolate and peanut butter throughout the recipe, and peanut butter cups on top, you can't go wrong if you're looking for a rich, fancy dessert.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup crushed Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
- 6 peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
Combine cracker crumbs, cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto the bottom and at least 1 inch up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat peanut butter on high for 30 seconds or until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 inch of edges.
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour 1 cup into a bowl and set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 1/4 cup fudge topping on high for 30 seconds or until thin. Fold hot fudge into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully spoon over filling in pan, then cut through filling with a knife to swirl.
Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen, then cool 1 hour longer.
Microwave remaining 3/4 cup hot fudge topping for 30 seconds or until warmed, then spread over cheesecake. Garnish with peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan before serving. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup crushed Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
- 6 peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
Combine cracker crumbs, cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto the bottom and at least 1 inch up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat peanut butter on high for 30 seconds or until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 inch of edges.
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour 1 cup into a bowl and set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 1/4 cup fudge topping on high for 30 seconds or until thin. Fold hot fudge into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully spoon over filling in pan, then cut through filling with a knife to swirl.
Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen, then cool 1 hour longer.
Microwave remaining 3/4 cup hot fudge topping for 30 seconds or until warmed, then spread over cheesecake. Garnish with peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan before serving. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Quiche Lorraine
This is a wonderful dish that goes well for breakfast but is also tasty for any other meal. With a prepared crust, it's not too difficult to make.
Ingredients:
- 9-inch pie crust (we get the frozen deep dish ones)
- 4-6 strips bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cubed or grated
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 eggs, lightly beatn
- 1 1/2 cups cream or combination of milk and cream
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (can substitute regular pepper)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake pie crust for 5 minutes.
Cook bacon until crisp; remove from skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Cook onion in remaining fat until onion is transparent.
Crumble the bacon. Sprinkle the bacon, onion, and cheeses over the inside of the crust.
Combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and pour over the onion-cheese mixture.
Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the pastry edge comes out clean.
Ingredients:
- 9-inch pie crust (we get the frozen deep dish ones)
- 4-6 strips bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cubed or grated
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 eggs, lightly beatn
- 1 1/2 cups cream or combination of milk and cream
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (can substitute regular pepper)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake pie crust for 5 minutes.
Cook bacon until crisp; remove from skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Cook onion in remaining fat until onion is transparent.
Crumble the bacon. Sprinkle the bacon, onion, and cheeses over the inside of the crust.
Combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and pour over the onion-cheese mixture.
Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the pastry edge comes out clean.
Skillet Chicken Parmesan
This is a quick and easy recipe for an old favorite, Chicken Parmesan.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves (4 to 6)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Stir 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese into pasta sauce. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-to-high heat. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until browned.
Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cover. Cook 10 minutes over medium heat or until chicken is no longer pink.
Top with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves (4 to 6)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Stir 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese into pasta sauce. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-to-high heat. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until browned.
Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cover. Cook 10 minutes over medium heat or until chicken is no longer pink.
Top with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Mint Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
This is a neat recipe, particularly if you like mint and chocolate together. The cream cheese flavor adds an extra twist. It's a great recipe to make for dessert for a lot of people -- otherwise, be prepared for leftovers.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups finely crushed Oreo cookies (you can use any kind of Oreos; generic is fine too)
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 package chocolate mint candies (e.g. Andes), chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter until well-mixed. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Bake 6 minutes, then cool.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and peppermint extract until smooth. Pour over cooled cookie base. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the bars. Sprinkle chopped mint candies over the top. Cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups finely crushed Oreo cookies (you can use any kind of Oreos; generic is fine too)
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 package chocolate mint candies (e.g. Andes), chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter until well-mixed. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Bake 6 minutes, then cool.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and peppermint extract until smooth. Pour over cooled cookie base. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the bars. Sprinkle chopped mint candies over the top. Cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
This is one of the easiest, and tastiest, cheesecake recipes we have come across. It's made easier by the fact that you use a prepared crust from the store. (It can be a little tricky to find a chocolate crust -- not all stores have them.) But with a chocolate crust, chocolate chips mixed in the batter, and chocolate glaze, this is a cream cheese-chocolate concoction that's hard to beat.
Ingredients:
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (6 oz) mini chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 (8 or 9 inch) prepared chocolate graham cracker crust
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Toss 1 cup chocolate chips with flour. Stir chocolate chips into cream cheese mixture. Pour into crust.
Bake 35 minutes or until center springs back when touched lightly. Cool, then top with glaze.
To make glaze: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips with whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Immediately spread over cooled cheesecake.
Serve cheesecake chilled. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
Ingredients:
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (6 oz) mini chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 (8 or 9 inch) prepared chocolate graham cracker crust
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Toss 1 cup chocolate chips with flour. Stir chocolate chips into cream cheese mixture. Pour into crust.
Bake 35 minutes or until center springs back when touched lightly. Cool, then top with glaze.
To make glaze: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips with whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Immediately spread over cooled cheesecake.
Serve cheesecake chilled. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Apricot Pecan Bars
This recipe came to me with the title "Delicious Apricot Bars." I am always a little skeptical of recipes whose authors feel the need to use a descriptor like "delicious" or "wonderful" or "fabulous" in the name of the recipe -- if it's really that good, it shouldn't need to say so in the title. But it turns out they named this recipe wrong anyway. A more accurate name would be "Phenomenal Apricot Bars." These bars are truly amazing: with a slightly crisp, sugary-buttery crust topped with a gooey brown sugar-pecan-apricot mixture, they are a definite crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup butter (cold)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cups sifted flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, beaten well
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans recommended)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch pan.
Place apricots in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and chop.
While apricots are boiling, combine butter, sugar, and 1 cup flour in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, mix until crumbly. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, sift together remaining 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, gradually beat brown sugar into eggs. (I used a whisk to beat in 1/4 cup brown sugar at a time.) Add dry ingredients and mix well (again, a whisk worked well). Stir in vanilla, nuts, and apricots. Spread over base.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. (Baking time with a metal, non-stick pan was approximately 25 minutes.) Cool completely before cutting, or the topping will ooze all over the place. Bars can be cut as small as 1 or 1 1/2 inches square.
[Optional: Sprinkle or dip bars in powdered sugar after they are cooled and cut. I didn't try this -- they were delicious as is.]
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup butter (cold)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cups sifted flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, beaten well
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans recommended)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch pan.
Place apricots in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and chop.
While apricots are boiling, combine butter, sugar, and 1 cup flour in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, mix until crumbly. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, sift together remaining 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, gradually beat brown sugar into eggs. (I used a whisk to beat in 1/4 cup brown sugar at a time.) Add dry ingredients and mix well (again, a whisk worked well). Stir in vanilla, nuts, and apricots. Spread over base.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. (Baking time with a metal, non-stick pan was approximately 25 minutes.) Cool completely before cutting, or the topping will ooze all over the place. Bars can be cut as small as 1 or 1 1/2 inches square.
[Optional: Sprinkle or dip bars in powdered sugar after they are cooled and cut. I didn't try this -- they were delicious as is.]
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