Homemade Pizza Crust and Sauce

I'm looking for recipes that don't cost too much to make and this is one of them. Thankfully, the flavor matches the excitement of the low cost! Both the crust recipe and sauce recipe were found online and combined to make a fabulous homemade pizza! Now you should know, I just made the crust itself, put on the sauce, and topped it with cheese, because I like cheese pizza. :) I also halved the sauce recipe and it was the perfect amount.


Homemade Pizza Crust and Sauce:


Sauce:

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Pizza Crust:

12 ServingsPrep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 40 min.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) quick-rise yeast
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• TOPPINGS:
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, well drained
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 pound bulk sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 24 slices pepperoni, optional
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, optional

• Directions

  • In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and
  • salt. In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°.
  • Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Stir in enough
  • remaining flour to form a soft dough.
  • Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about
  • 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the
  • top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30
  • minutes.
  • In a large skillet, cook and stir mushrooms in 2 teaspoons oil over
  • medium-high heat until tender. In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes,
  • tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic and seasonings.
  • Generously grease a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan or dish with the
  • remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Punch dough down. Roll out into a 15-in.
  • x 11-in. rectangle. Transfer to prepared pan, pressing onto the
  • bottom and halfway up the sides of pan. Sprinkle with 2 cups
  • mozzarella cheese.
  • Spoon half of the sauce over the cheese (save remaining sauce for
  • other use or use for dipping). Layer with the sausage, sauteed
  • mushrooms and, if desired, pepperoni; top with the remaining
  • mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
  • Cover and bake at 450° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake about 5
  • minutes longer or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with basil if
  • desired. Yield: 12 servings.
  Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 370 calories, 22 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 761 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein.
  
  
  
  

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Limoncello Bread Pudding

I tasted the Carrabbas limoncello bread pudding and it was incredible. I made this and it tasted just as good! I found the recipe and picture online.

Limoncello Bread Pudding
                                 Serves 4
                         Preparation time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
-----------
3/4 cup                  Heavy Cream
3/4 cup                  Milk
1 tsp                    Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup                  Limoncello
7 large                  Eggs
1/2 cup                  Granulated Sugar
2 quarts                 Stale bread (Cut into cubes)

Method
------
1.  In a mixing bowl add the cream, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract
    and the Limoncello.  Whisk together and pour over bread in a 9 x
    9 x 2 or a 2 quart pan and let sit for 20 minutes.
2.  Cover the pudding with foil.  Bake pudding in a conventional oven
    for 40 - 50 minutes or until pudding is set.

                         Limoncello Simple Syrup

Ingredients
-----------
1/4  cup        Limoncello (Lemon Juice can be used as a substitute)
1/4  cup        Granulated Sugar

Method
------
1.  Place Limoncello and sugar in a small sauce pan.
2.  Bring to a boil stirring well to dissolve all the sugar.

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Texas Roadhouse Rolls - Copycat Recipe

Who doesn't love Texas Roadhouse Rolls? When I saw this copycat recipe, I was determined to give them a try. And whereas they weren't just like Texas' rolls, they were darn good! In fact, these have replaced my favorite roll recipe for the time being. I am on a quest to find the most light and fluffy rolls and these are the best thus far. I found the recipe and picture here.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls - Copycat Recipe

4 tsp. active dry yeast 1/2 c. warm water 2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled 1/2 c. sugar  2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups) 2 whole eggs 2 tsp. salt Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar; let stand until frothy.  Combine yeast mixture, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter).  Beat thoroughly.  Add melted butter, eggs and salt.  Beat well.  Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes).  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board.  Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.  Shape dough into desired forms.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled.   Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter.  Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.  Serve with Cinnamon Honey Butter.   *Jenn's Notes: I shaped my rolls by rolling out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, then I folded the rectangle in half, making it about 1-inch thick. I used  my rolling pin and rolled over the dough, ever so gently, just to seal the two halves together.  I then used a dough scraper and cut the rolls into squares and placed those on my greased baking sheet.  I cut the recipe in half and I got exactly 12 big rolls and baked them for 16-17 minutes.  In order to get the 5-6 dozen rolls like the recipe states, you would have to make really small rolls.

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Cheesy Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

I found this recipe online and thought it would be good to shake up the typical cheese quesadillas that we make around here. The results? Delicious!

Cheesy Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas:

• 1 15.5-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 ounces pepper Jack, shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 8 8-inch flour tortillas
• 1. 1. In a bowl, coarsely mash beans with a potato masher. Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat; add corn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown. Add corn to bowl with beans.
  2. 2. In same skillet, warm oil. Add onion and jalapeño and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Stir mixture into bowl with beans and corn. Let mixture cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
  3. 3. When cool, stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 200ºF. Spread a tortilla out on a work surface and spread a 1/2-cup portion of bean mixture over half. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and bean mixture. Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook as many tortillas as fit in skillet, 3 minutes, then flip quesadillas and cook until golden brown and crispy and cheese is melting, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Place quesadillas on a baking sheet and keep warm in oven while you cook remaining quesadillas. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Tortellini and White Bean Soup

I found this recipe in my ALL YOU magazine, but it's also online. I was pleasantly surprised how much my kids loved this soup, as they aren't typically soup lovers.

Tortellini and White Bean Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 8-oz. package fresh cheese or meat tortellini
• 1 15-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt, optional
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 

1. 1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, tomatoes and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until celery begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 2 minutes longer.
2. 2. Stir in broth and bring soup to a boil. Carefully add tortellini and beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is heated through and tortellini are tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, if desired. Divide soup among 4 bowls, sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. Parmesan and serve immediately.

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Hawaiian Rolls

This recipe is unique. I made it with some Hawaiian Haystacks and LOVED the results. I found the recipe here.

Before baking

After baking - note that not all of the coconut milk was absorbed. This is normal - at least it was for me - and it was delicious!

Hawaiian Rolls:

Ingredients:

6 cups flour

1 packet – or 1 1/2 tsp. yeast

2 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp. of milk

1 tbsp. sugar + 1 cup sugar for mixing with coconut milk later

1 teaspoon salt

1 tbsp. butter – or margarine, Crisco

2 cans of coconut milk

Measure about 2 1/2-3 cups of flour and your yeast into your bread machine or a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan add your milk, sugar, salt and butter. On medium low heat continue to cook until butter is almost completely melted. You may test your liquid if you like, but be sure it is not much over about 100 degrees F. We don’t want to kill our yeast, do we? When butter is almost completely melted, add your warm milk mixture to your flour mixture and combine. Add remaining flour gradually to make a smooth dough. Knead for about 6-8 minutes.

Butter your hands and butter a bowl for your dough to rise. Rub that butter all over your dough and set it covered in its greased bowl for about 45 minutes to rise.

After 45 minutes punch dough down and form into little dough balls, placing them into 2 greased 13 by 9 pans. This recipe will make at least 18 rolls depending on the size. Put 9 rolls per pan and let your rolls rise for about 20 minutes. Mix your coconut milk with 1 cup sugar and pour over your rolls. (I only used 1 can and 1/2 cup sugar and I had plenny but if you want to make it extra good then mix it all up!) Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until they test done.

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Hawaiian Haystacks

I first ate Hawaiian Haystacks in college. I loved the chicken gravy over rice plus all the toppings. Make the Hawaiian Rolls with this recipe for a complete meal.

Hawaiian Haystacks:
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
3 cups cooked rice
Toppings: shredded cheese, peas, coconut, pineapple, chinese noodles, green onions, anything that sounds good!

Mix the chicken, soup, sour cream, and milk in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until cooked through. Ladle some over rice and add toppings. Very simple and easy. Pin It