Corn and Potato Chowder

Thursday.

Such an awkward day.

Not quite the end of the work week. But nowhere near the beginning.

Which is why, I believe, Thursday dinners should be just…fantastic. And easy. No, I take that back…Thursday dinners should be effortless. 

There should be nothing happening Thursday evenings except eating, watching re-runs of your favorite shows, soaking in bubble baths and cuddling with husbands. That is the law of this blog, and if you don’t like it, you can go elsewhere.

Who’s with me?

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 5 red potatoes, diced into ¼’s and not peeled
• 8 cups frozen kernel corn
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 - 8 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups half & half or heavy cream
• Salt & pepper
• This needs a good amount of salt,  but it’s really up to your discretion exactly how much you put.
• Shredded cheddar cheese (and any other additional toppings)

Directions:

• Throw all the ingredients in the crock pot.
• Let sit on low 8-10 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.
• At the end of the day, use a potato masher and gently mash the potatoes inside the crock pot. 
• You don’t have to remove the potatoes, and it should take less than 5 minutes to get a nice, thick, chowder-y mixture.
• Combine everything well, top with shredded cheddar cheese and serve with warm corn tortillas. Corn tortillas go with everything.

What is the difference between corn and chowder? I still have no idea. Another good question: do I really care? If it tastes like this, then absolutely not.

Love and Tuesdays,

Pizza Roll

If there's one thing I've learned in the world of cooking, it's that minor changes can appease the masses. My husband, for example, often complains about how often we have homemade pizza.

Can you ever have too much homemade pizza? Puh-lease.

Apparently so. There is really absolutely no reason to make your pizza this way. It just looks looks cool, and quite frankly, you get away with eating much more pizza than if it was prepared the traditional way. And I'm all for more pizza, let me tell you.

Ingredients:

• Fresh pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic salt
• Olive oil
• Pepperoni
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Roll out the dough in as square-of-a-shape as you can.
• Spread out a thin layer of pizza sauce. Too much and your dough will break.

• Layer with several pepperonis. This is not the time to be worried about quantity. Lay it on there thick.

• Generously spread out mozzarella cheese.

• Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic salt.

• Roll it up! Do this very slowly and carefully.

• Brush olive oil on top of the "roll" and put in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-50 minutes.
• I know people probably get sick of hearing me say this, but I really hesitate to give a specific time for cooking. Every oven and pan are different, so just make sure that the top of this is golden brown and all the dough is cooked thoroughly.

It's that easy, folks! I've also seen people make this without sauce and put the sauce in a different container to dip this in. It's almost more of an appetizer than an actual meal. I won't say I'll make it like this every time, but it was definitely fun and different.

Love and variations,

Rachael

Cheesy Tacos

I'm a big taco fan. People tell me all the time that I must dine on incredible feasts, given I have a food blog. That would be false (sadly). We have tacos and pizza at least once a week. For those of you who are like me, here's a simple tip for taking normal tacos and turning them into a crazy-delicious fiesta. 


Ingredients:

• Tortillas
• Mexican cheese
• Velveeta cheese
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Taco sauce
• 2 tbsp. milk

Directions:

First, I'm going to grab the ground beef.

We're going to cook it over medium/high heat until cooked thoroughly.

Drain and return to pan.

Add taco seasoning and combine.

Cut up chunks of Velveeta (about 1/4 cup).

Cut into cubes and throw it in with the ground beef. Turn heat to medium/low.

Add a splash of milk, about 1 tablespoon. The cheese is the awkward kid who has a hard time blending in, and the milk is the older, cooler sibling who helps it out.

Stir slowly until combined.

Warm a tortilla in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Top with a spoonful of ground beef.

Top with-you guessed it-shredded cheese.

Drizzle on some taco sauce. Yumm. You can also add sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced green onion, cilantro, etc. Whatever you'd like.

This is so good. Don't even get me started.

Love and always-add-more-cheese,

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Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Can you tell I'm majorly obsessed with my crock pot? I love the idea of fluttering in the door, graceful as Snow White, arranging my apron so that it perfectly flows as I glide around the kitchen whilst whistling. But then reality strikes when I look in the mirror before I leave work. The AC wasn't working, so I'm a little sweaty, and I definitely didn't make washing my hair my priority that morning. I have mascara all over one eye (thanks, co-workers, for letting me know), and I slept 4 hours the night before and don't believe in coffee.

It is then that I curse that 5-minute window where I was inspired to cook a big meal.

Let's just start being realistic. If you are a working lady (and even if you are not), you enjoy walking into the house and having your meal made for you. Your husband probably does, too, because that means he doesn't have to wait to eat until you've battled that 30-minute traffic. I already have a recipe for potato soup that's to die for, but this one is definitely easier.

Shall we?

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes, peeled and diced (I use red potatoes)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
• This is optional. Because we don't like onions, I use onion powder instead.
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz. bag cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp. Chives
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• 1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• I buy the microwaveable kind, because I don't have the time or patience to make it on the stove. What's the point of making a crock pot meal when preparation takes 20 minutes?
• Extra cheese and bacon for sprinkling

Directions:

• After the potatoes are peeled and diced into small pieces, microwave them for about 5 minutes. Place in large crock pot.
• Throw all ingredients into the crock pot. Mix well.
• Turn the crock pot on low and let sit 8-10 hours.
• Using a potato masher, slowly "find" the potatoes inside the crock pot and mash them well. Stir.
• Serve hot, topped with more crumbled bacon and cheese, with a side of corn bread.

While I realize that no potato soup is particularly healthy, the main "foundation" for this soup is chicken broth, which is seriously better than other cream-based soups. This is perfect for a bistro night, served with a panini and fresh salad.

Love and flat-out-yumm,

Rachael

Crock pot chicken, bean 'n cream cheese soup

I love rain. I might be one of the few people out there who prefers a rainy day to a sunny day. I thought I'd officially welcome this cold, rainy fall weather by making this hearty, cheap and easy soup. It took less than 5 minutes to throw together and even less time to eat it. It's that good.

Ingredients:

• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of original Rotel
• 2 thawed chicken breasts
• 8 oz. pack of cream cheese
• 1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

• With the exception of the black beans (which need to be drained and rinsed first) throw all the ingredients into a crock pot.
• Cook on low 8-10 hours.
• Using two forks, shred the chicken, stir well and serve hot with fresh bread and butter.

These leftovers are amazing, too. Perfect for days like today when all you want is to take a bath, read your book and not cook.

Love and good feelings,

Rachael

Taco Salad

There will undoubtedly be a time in your life when a miracle will occur. Maybe some random act of healing will come when you need it most; maybe it will consist of a stranger helping you in a time of need, or a financial burden lifted when it gets down to the wire.

Or maybe it will be your husband offering to make dinner. If, and only if, there is publicity involved (such as being featured on a blog). I believe this is a fair trade.

I know men can cook. While I realize that this sounds like a pretty general (and sometimes offensive) statement, I've learned that many men have convinced themselves otherwise; that cooking isn't something that they were "gifted" with.

Please. Tim can tell you that I wasn't born with any culinary spoon in my mouth.

If you are a man and happen to be reading this, you might be thinking, "This is offensive. I help with the cooking, and I do a fine job at it." Congratulations. You are not the demographic I am trying to reach with this particular segment. I'm trying to reach men who see boxed macaroni as a challenge. Like my husband, God bless him.

I first came up with the idea for "Men in the Kitchen" about a year ago, but in the midst of work, ministry, moving and then new work and new ministry, it fell on the back burner. But now, it's back. I can't promise this will be the most regular segment ever, but I will post as much as possible. These will be easy, inexpensive, quick recipes that the otherwise "helpless" husband can tackle. Let's start with taco salad.

Ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Mexican cheese, shredded
• Tortillas
• Toppings
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Black/pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
• Black olives
• Pico de gallo
• Spanish rice
• Since we're trying to start off slow, just grab the microwaveable kind
• Queso
• Cilantro

Directions:

• Cook the ground beef on the stove. Drain and add taco seasoning. Mix well.
• Cut lettuce into small, manageable pieces.
• Arrange lettuce on a large plate. Top with ground beef, cheese, and other toppings.
• Warm tortillas in the microwave or the oven. Roll up and serve with taco salad.

On this particular evening, I walked in the door at 5:50 pm. I was eating at 6:05 pm. Like they always say, "Food always tastes better when you're not the one making it."

Love and my husband, the hero,

Rachael

5 Cheese Lasagna

You know what my favorite thing about lasagna is? It lasts forever. Granted I live in a household of two, but this one pan can last me and Tim 5 days. Lunch and dinner. And it's wholesome, too. Who doesn't love to come home to a warm piece of lasagna with fresh bread, a salad and a diet coke? A crazy person, that's who.

So please, my lovely readers, forgive me for making something so simple. I don't mean to undermine your skills or intelligence, but don't we all need a little simplicity in our lives from time to time?

Enjoy. Seriously.

Ingredients:

• 1 box lasagna noodles (if you can tell me what major grocery store sells whole wheat lasagna noodles, I will love you forever and ever. I can't find them anywhere!)
• There are magic noodles out there that do not need to be boiled, and while I like using them, I find the noodles are always uneven. They tend to be softer in the middle where the weight of the sauce lays, and the outsides are kinda' crunchy. Not worth it to me.
• 1 lb. Italian sausage (or 1 lb. ground beef)
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• Minced garlic
• 1 large can pasta sauce
• I realize that we could go the difficult route and make this from scratch with crushed tomatoes and paste and blah blah blah, but who has the time? Really? 
• In case you're relatively new, I normally add some butter and milk (or cream) to my marinara sauces. I realize this adds about 2,334,839,104 calories to the sauce, but the taste of creamy spaghetti is unreal.
• Oregano
• Basil
• Garlic salt
• Salt/Pepper
• 8 oz. bag shredded cheddar cheese
• Before you stare at me dumbfounded that I use cheddar cheese in my lasagna, let me tell you this: at a youth event, we had to make about 50+ large lasagnas for a few hundred students, and we ran out of mozzarella and had to use cheddar. With the combo of those two cheeses, it was honestly the best lasagna I had ever eaten. Just give it a try.
• 8 oz. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4-6 slices of provolone cheese
• 16 oz. container of ricotta cheese
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Cook the noodles according to package. Drain and set aside.
• While that's happening, cook sausage/ground beef and drain. Set aside.
• In a separate (large) pan, saute the onion with the butter. 
• Once the onions are a light brown and somewhat tender, add some minced garlic and turn the heat down and let the onions and garlic get to know each other for about 3 minutes. How much garlic you use is up to your own discretion; however, I always use way too much...and love it.
• Add the pasta sauce and milk and combine well.
• Add cooked meat, stir, cover and turn the heat down low.
• Just like with our classic spaghetti, the trick is to let it simmer. The longer it simmers at a low heat with the top on, the richer it will taste.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg until smooth.
• Grab a large bowl and throw the ricotta cheese in there. Add some more garlic, the egg, a small handful of mozzarella cheese, and some salt. Combine.
• Now it's time to layer everything in your 13x9 pan. Here's the order:
• Meat sauce on the very bottom (about 1 cup)
• Noodles
• Half of ricotta mixture
• Mozzarella cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Noodles
• The other half of the ricotta mixture
• More mozarella
• More cheddar
• Meat sauce
• Noodles
• Provolone slices
• Parmesan cheese
• Sprinkle with basil and oregano.
• Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread, salad, and cheesecake for dessert (duh) to gain 20 lbs. To justify this, go watch "Heavy" on Netflix. You'll feel better about yourself.

Love and my-husband-just-made-fun-of-me-for-saying-"duh,"
Rachael
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Homemade Hamburger Helper

I always want to be honest with you. And honestly...this was a risk. I knew it was, too. It was the end of the month, and you know how that goes. That's the time that you scour the pantry and try to find something convincing and filling.

This is that recipe.

Will I make this for anniversary meal? Probably not. But on those days when you only have a few canned goods and a pound of ground beef, this is your meal.

It's good. Promise. I don't eat things that are bad. Neither does Tim.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can kidney beans, drained
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• Egg noodles (or macaroni noodles)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Minced garlic
• 1/2 block cream cheese
• Basil, oregano and garlic powder

Directions:

• Boil noodles.
• While that's boiling, cook ground beef over medium high heat, chopping finely. Once cooked, drain and return to pan and turn heat on low.
• Add tomato sauce and stir.
• Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and stir.
• Add a pinch of basil, oregano and garlic powder.
• Dice up cream cheese into small cubes and add to ground beef mixture.
• This makes the mixture nice and creamy. If you don't have cream cheese, add 1/4 cup milk instead. It's not exactly the same, but it still makes the same bottom line.
• Stir all ingredients and let simmer on low
• Remember, the longer it simmers, the better it tastes!
• Drain noodles and return to pot.
• Add the ground beef mixture to the pot o' noodles and stir.
• Add drained corn and beans and mix thoroughly.
• Transfer to a 13x9 pan.
• Top with all the shredded cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Serve with fresh bread and salad.

Feel free to add any other ingredients if you feel so inclined. Like this blog, this recipe doesn't discriminate. Isn't the whole point of hamburger helper to eat things you would have otherwise forgotten were even in your pantry?

Be brave, lovelies.

Love and not-needing-the-boxed-stuff,
Rachael

Sourdough Pizza Crust

I've found that very few things satisfy like homemade pizza. It fits all moods: rainy, sunny, happy, depressed...there is never a situation in which pizza is not appropriate. Now, before you succumb to Domino's takeout menu, let me explain why this is better.

First, there's the obvious satisfaction that comes with preparing something from scratch. But you don't care about that, do you? Me, neither; however, what I do care about is the taste. And this sourdough crust...this sourdough crust...I'm in tears. It's tangy and delicious and it brings a whole new life to pizza. I will never regret trying this.

I've taken this recipe from King Arthur's website, because I'm scientifically challenged and don't understand much, including the complexity of sourdough. They've held my hand through this entire thing.

And there are plenty of hands to go around.

Ingredients:
    •    1 cup sourdough starter, unfed (straight from the fridge)
    •    1/2 cup hot tap water
    •    2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
    •    1 teaspoon salt
    •    1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
    •    4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional but delicious

Directions

•  Stir any liquid into the sourdough starter, and spoon 1 cup starter into a mixing bowl.
• Add the hot water, flour, salt, yeast, and Pizza Dough Flavor. Mix to combine, then knead till smooth and slightly sticky, about 7 minutes at medium speed using a stand mixer with dough hook. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased container, and allow it to rise till it's just about doubled in bulk. This might take 2 to 4 hours; it might take more. A lot depends on how vigorous your starter is. For a faster rise, place the dough somewhere warm (or increase the yeast). To slow it down, put it somewhere cool.
• For two thinner-crust pizzas, divide the dough in half, shaping each half into a flattened disk. Drizzle two 12" round pizza pans with olive oil, tilting the pans to coat the bottom. Place half the dough in each pan. Cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. Gently press the dough towards the edges of the pans; when it starts to shrink back, cover it, and let it rest again, for about 15 minutes. Finish pressing the dough to the edges of the pans.
• For a thicker-crust pizza, drizzle olive oil into a jelly roll pan (10" x 15") or half-sheet pan (18" x 13"), or similar sized pan; or a 14" round pizza pan, tilting the pan to coat with the oil. Shape the dough into a flattened disk or oval. Place it in the pan, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Push the dough towards the edges of the pan; when it starts to fight back, cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes. Finish pushing it to the edges of the pan.
• Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's as thick as you like. For thin-crust pizza made from fairly fresh starter, this may only be an hour or so. For thick-crust, using an old, little-used starter, this may take most of the day. There are no hard-and-fast rules here; it all depends on the vigor of your starter, and how you like your crust. Once you make it a couple of times, you'll figure out what time frame works for you.
• Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F.
• For a thicker crust, pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes before topping. Top, then bake till toppings are hot and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. For thin crusts, bake for 4 to 5 minutes, then top and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or till toppings are as done as you like.
• Remove from the oven, and loosen the edges of the pizza with a table knife or heatproof spatula. Carefully lift it onto a cooling rack; you can serve it right from the pan, if desired, but a cooling rack helps keep its bottom crisp. Serve hot.
• Yield: one 14" round, or rectangular thick-crust pizza; or two 12" round thin-crust pizzas.
• Be aware of some sourdough dynamics here. The less-used your starter, the more liquid on top, the more sour it's likely to be; using a starter that hasn't been fed for weeks will yield a pizza crust that rises slowly, and tastes quite tangy. This type of crust is handy when you want to make dough in the morning, and have pizza ready for dinner. On the other hand, a starter that's fed regularly will yield a less-sour crust, one that will rise much more quickly. This is a great "weekend" crust, as you can shape it at 8 a.m., and have pizza for lunch.

Love and pizza...because it's just that good,

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Beef and bean burritos

These take me back to the good ol' days. My mom was a teacher for most of my life, and during the summers, we would go to the beach and pick up Taco Bell on the way home. And every single time, I ordered the exact same thing: a bean burrito with no onions and a chicken soft taco, hold the lettuce and tomatoes, add sour cream. In fact, I have to admit that I have an unhealthy relationship with Taco Bell. No matter what study comes out, and regardless of what their food is made of, they have my loyalty.

It's true.

So you can understand why I'm grateful that most Taco Bell products are now sold in grocery stores. This is one of my all-time favorites, and it is fantastic. I know what you're thinking: it's just a burrito! But it's so much more than that. It's a solution; a solution for all you people out there who need a quick fix for dinner; a solution for those of us who are counting pennies at the end of the month.

These also help after experiencing broken hearts, fights with spouses, and missing your best friends and family who are all in a different states. It's the solution.

Ingredients:

•  Tortillas
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 16 oz can Taco Bell refried beans
• 1 small bottle mild Taco Bell restaurant sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Taco seasoning
• Fresh cilantro (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

• Combine ground beef with taco seasoning and cook over high heat until completely cooked.
• Drain fat and return to pan
• Add tomato sauce and stir
• In a separate pan, combine refried beans and about 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• Let sit over medium heat, stirring frequently
• Set out corn tortillas
• Spoon a tablespoon of refried beans onto tortilla and spread
• Add a spoonful of meat
• Roll tortilla up like a burrito
• Top generously with taco sauce, then sprinkle a good amount of shredded cheddar cheese on top of burritos
• Microwave for 90 seconds to get the cheese nice and bubbly
• Top with fresh cilantro and sour cream (optional)

It's that simple! This made 7 burritos, and it cost less than $10 to make. Serve with chips and salsa and maybe throw in a little guacamole.

Love and memories,

Rachael

Crockpot wings

I made a big mistake. Last week, I decided to make these wings for my husband and left a little note by the crock pot that read, "Please take a pretty picture of your chicken wings!"

This is what I got, so I'm afraid you all will have to use your imagination. The man can drum like no other, but apparently can't take even a mediocre photo.

I think he was hungry. He does many things well, so I'll forgive him. Anyway, this meal took me less than 5 minutes to put together, and it required ZERO effort when Tim walked in the door.

Ingredients:

• Frozen chicken wings
• Barbecue sauce, buffalo wing sauce or whichever sauce you choose (garlic sauce would be delicious as well)
• Garlic salt

Directions:

• Thoroughly cover each frozen chicken wing with your chosen sauce
• Sprinkle each chicken wing with garlic salt
• Throw 'em in the crock pot
• Cook on low all day
• Serve with a dipping sauce and celery or carrots

These are delicious, as you can tell from the extremely blurry photos. They're kid-friendly and are perfect on those Sundays when your husband plans on inviting his entire church softball team over to watch "the game." This also gives you more time to plan your escape route for when they do arrive.

Anyway.

Just enjoy these. They're flawless, and much cheaper and healthier than going to the local wing place. They're neither deep fried nor dripping in grease, which I generally take as a good sign.

Love and simplicity,
Rachael

White Pizza

Homemade pizzas have always been a favorite around here, especially on Sunday afternoon. When Tim and I come home from church, we throw on our sweats, throw together some version of a homemade pizza, toss a salad, and enjoy a few minutes of peace and quite before another crazy week. And if I'm feeling really crazy, I'll chill a few glasses and drink some diet root beer. Don't worry, though, I don't make a habit of it.

The real challenge is in mixing it up. We typically stick with either the three meat pizza or a traditional pepperoni pizza. If I have time, I made the pizza dough ahead of time; otherwise, I just buy the pre-made pizza crusts. And let me tell you, even though it's more expensive than the off brand, Boboli pizza crusts are the best I've had.

And let me tell you, I have eaten a lot of pizza in my lifetime.

So there's this restaurant called Olympian Grill in Greenville, and it's a Wadsworth hotspot. Matt and Stef, my brother and sister-in-law, always order a white pizza, but having an extremely limited palette, I never actually tried it. So I did some research, a lot of googling, and asked around to all the white-pizza-loving people in my life. I realize there are many different variations, but this one is extremely fast and only requires five ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Garlic flavored olive oil 
• Pizza dough 
• This can be homemade, pre-cooked store bought, or raw store bought. Whatever works for you. I'm using a Boboli pre-cooked pizza crust to save time. 
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
• Ricotta cheese 
• Oregano
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Sprinkle some olive oil onto a pizza pan (unless you're using a stone, which would make this step unnecessary) 
• Set the pizza dough/crust on the pan 
• Top with more olive oil. Don't flood it, but be generous. It adds a great deal to the flavor and makes it nice and crispy. 
• Cover with shredded mozzarella 
• Add about 5-6 dollops of ricotta cheese throughout the pizza
• Do not spread the ricotta cheese out. It's supposed to be big spoonfuls all over the place, and it will set and spread as it cooks.
• Top with a little bit of oregano, and add a pinch of salt and pepper 
• Bake at 400F for about 10-12 minutes if you have a pre-made crust. If you're using raw dough, bake about 25 minutes.

Remember, weekends should be effortless, and this pizza is exactly that.

Love,

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Mexican Pizza

I'm not afraid to admit that I have an addiction to Taco Bell. The whole "is this real beef" debacle doesn't stop me from hitting up their drive thru when I'm having one of "those" days.

Well, it's been a good day, but I still could use some Taco Bell in my life, just without the drive thru or the 45-year-old employee who calls me "sweetie" and tells me I have pretty eye lashes. Which, I mean, whatever; I like a good compliment. I just tend to get them from strange people.

Anyway, so keeping in tune with my Mexican-themed food week (aka, the Spanish rice I made the other day), I thought this would be perfect.


Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup mild salsa or Taco Bell taco sauce (which is the absolute best)
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• Taco Bell Taco Seasoning
• 4 small flour tortillas
• 1 cup oil for frying
• 1 cup warmed refried beans
• 1 cup shredded cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional)

Directions:

• Cook ground beef over stove and add taco seasoning.  
• Brown meat over medium high heat. Set aside after cooking.
• Pour the oil in a shallow skillet and turn on high heat.
• Fry tortillas for 30-45 seconds per side, keeping as flat as possible
• You'll have to pop all the bubbles in the tortilla
• Pat dry with paper towel
• Warm up refried beans in the microwave, then spread them on one of the fried tortillas.
• Add meat, then salsa/taco sauce to the top of the tortilla
• Top with a second fried tortilla
• Sprinkle cheese, tomatoes and onions on top of second tortilla.
• Place the pizza in the oven at 225F or in a broiler until the cheese is melted.
• Serve topped with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and your other favorite toppings alongside

Spanish rice, tortilla chips and salsa.

This appeals to the Cuban heritage in me, as small as it might be. What can I say? Me encanta la pizza mexicana.


Love,

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3 Meat Pizza

Can we take just a second to talk about pizza? I know we've discussed that, as a semi-fat child, I loved Thursdays because they were pizza days at school. One thing I really love about pizza is its versatility with toppings, and if you haven't discovered pre-made pizza crust, you're missing out. If you have the time and inclination, go ahead and try this homemade crust that I used to make all the time. I had to stop making it because Tim got all upset and actually wanted me to talk to him and spend time with him after work.

Men are so needy.

Because of Tim's dietary restrictions, I use Boboli whole wheat pizza crust, but they have other types of crusts as well. Like I said, there are hundreds of different variations of pizza toppings out there, but this particular one was perfect for my meat-loving, "guy's guy" husband.

Ingredients:

• Pizza crust
• Mozzarella cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)
• Deli ham (about 2 thick slices)
• 5 small frozen meatballs
• Pizza sauce
• Italian seasoning

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Place pizza crust on a stone or baking sheet
• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce on the crust
• Top with equal amounts mozzarella and cheddar cheese (as much as desired)
• Cover with pepperoni
• Microwave frozen meatballs and cut into 1/4ths. Cover pizza evenly.
• Cut up deli ham into small pieces and place on pizza 
• Add a small amount of both cheeses to "seal" the toppings to the crust.
• Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top
• Bake 15-20 minutes
• Serve hot with salad

There are many times when I'm running behind and completely forget to cook Tim dinner. I timed myself this morning, and preparing this pizza took less than 5 minutes, and as long as you have someone able to work the oven, you can throw it in, set the timer and go.

On another note, I know a lot of you will say, "Why would I take the time to make a pizza when I can order one for about the same price it takes to cook one?" One of the things I've discovered that I love about cooking is that I know what's going into my food. I don't have to worry about how clean Little Caesar's is or what ingredients Papa John's is using. I know what's in my pizza, and I love that.

The end.

Love,