Recipe Wednesday: Mexican Pizza

I made this a few weeks ago because I wanted pizza for dinner, but we'd had our normal version of pizza the night before and since the experiment turned out well and we all liked it, I added it to our list of possible meals. The first time I made it, I didn't use meat, so it's easy to make this a meat free meal, if your family also does meat free meals.

MEXICAN PIZZA
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
2 ¹/₂ Cup all-purpose flour
2 ³/₄ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
A generous sprinkle of taco seasoning
A generous sprinkle of yellow cornmeal
1 cup warm water
Toppings
Corn and black bean salsa
Black beans
Corn
Taco seasoned ground beef
Mexican cheese blend

Directions
1. Mix dry ingredients; add water and oil.
2. Stir until it forms a ball. If dough is stiff, add more water.
3. The dough will be soft, not sticky. If too sticky, sprinkle a little flour and mix some more.
4. Use the salsa as you would pizza sauce, then add the toppings, followed by the cheese.
5. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

Dry ingredients

Pizza dough all rolled out

Salsa and toppings

Oops! Forgot about the ground beef!

Fresh outta the oven!

I forgot that I had browned and seasoned ground beef, so it ended up on top of the cheese while the rest of the toppings were under the cheese. What toppings would you add to your Mexican pizza? 

Recipe Wednesday: Pancake Muffins

My soon to be three year old loves pancakes. My husband loves pancakes. I love pancakes. Neither my husband nor I like to eat cold pancakes. The compromise: pancake muffins! They're such a super easy, yummy breakfast and you can change them up to what you crave each time. We mostly stick to maple syrup and cinnamon sugar though.

PANCAKE MUFFINS

Ingredients

Pancake mix of your choice

Add-ins of your choice

Supplies

Muffin pan or silicone baking cups

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare muffin pan. - I use coconut oil to grease the muffin cups, but you could use silicone baking cups or the paper ones to like the muffin pan.

3. Mix up your pancake batter as directed. - Depending on the brand of pancake mix, I need to use the second or third measurements given.

My mix-ins of the day

The highly precise method of swirl until it looks good 　

Optional 3.1 - Add in your mix-ins. - Normally, I only mix in maple syrup, but the day I made them for this post, I also added in strawberry jam.

4. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. - With the Krusteaz brand mix, I have to bake them for 15 minutes, but the store brand that I used to buy, it was only needed to leave them in the oven for 13 minutes.

Optional 5. Lightly spread butter on the still warm muffins.

6. Serve and enjoy!

My son loves these and asks for more until the whole pan is gone! He doesn't care if they're cold and it's dinnertime, he'll ask for pancake muffins. lol

Recipe Wednesday: Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shells is one of the meals that I make one day and freeze enough for dinner on two more days. Sometimes, I finely chop broccoli to use instead of the chopped spinach, and we enjoy it just as much. It's a good way to sneak extra veggies into my older son, but it's no longer needed to sneak the veggies into him. He loves to eat plain, raw baby spinach and asks for it!

SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Ingredients

24 jumbo shells - cooked to al dente

1 lb ground sausage

15 oz ricotta, or light ricotta

8 oz shredded mozzarella, or Italian blend

9 oz chopped spinach - thawed and drained

¹/₂ tsp dried basil

(2) 26 oz jars of pasta sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brown the sausage - be careful not to burn it! Ours was a little burnt because I had "help" from my three year old. lol

2. In a 10" skillet, brown and drain the sausage. 

The stuffing minus the mozzarella and sausage.

The well mixed stuffing mixture.

3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, spinach and the basil. Mix well and then add the sausage.

Spread the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.

4. Spread approximately ¹/₂ cup of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.

I used up all of the stuffing mixture and there were a few empty shells leftover. I added them to each baking dish.

5. Spoon approximately 3 tbsp of the mixture into each shell and place in the baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over the filled shells. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the shells.

Two will be frozen for future meals and one will be dinner!

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until heated through.

I wanted to get a picture of the baked dish, but my husband and son plated it up for us before I could. This was all that was left in the pan when I remembered that I needed the picture still. lol

I don't normally measure the mozzarella because we like it extra cheesy, so I just use a generous amount from the 5 lb. Costco bag of mozzarella that we buy. Because I separate the shells and freeze ²/₃ of them, I use a smaller baking dish and make sure that I have at least 8 shells in each Pyrex dish since that is the minimum we need for our family per dinner. Also, there was about half of the second jar of sauce left, but if you like it saucier, then use all of the second jar when topping the shells with sauce.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do! 

Recipe Wednesday: Brown Sugar Chicken

This chicken recipe is sweet, but has just enough kick not to be overly sweet. My three year old son, who doesn't like much chicken at all, even says it's "Mmm! Good-licious!" when dipped in ranch dressing. So it's quite possibly a kid friendly recipe for those of you with picky eaters!

BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp paprika

3 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chili powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly spray glass baking dish with cooking spray (or grease the baking dish with coconut oil).

Well mixed dry ingredients

2. Add dry ingredients to Ziploc® bag and shake to mix well. Add chicken and shake to coat chicken.

Optional: sprinkle the excess brown sugar mix on the chicken after coating the chicken

3. Bake uncovered for 15-25 minutes, or until juices run clear and internal temperature is 165°F.

I had to cut into the chicken to make sure it was fully cooked because my meat thermometer wasn't working properly

Enjoy! 

Recipe Wednesday: Burrito Bowls

Burrito bowls are a favorite in our house. They're quick, relatively inexpensive, have lots of variation and just plain yummy! We most often eat it with seasoned ground beef, but I've done diced chicken before as well. Vegetarian or pork are other options that would work well. Use what your tastebuds prefer. 

BURRITO BOWLS

Ingredients

Prepared cilantro rice

Approximately ¹/₂ lb ground beef

Taco seasoning

Salsa

Black beans

Sweet corn

Mexican cheese blend

Sour cream
Any other burrito toppings that you desire

Directions

1. Follow the directions for preparing rice, but add dried cilantro with the water and butter. (I use chicken stock in place of the water and no butter for burritos.) If you prefer fresh cilantro, then cook the rice first and mix in cilantro after cooking.

2. While the rice is cooking, brown and season, to your liking, the ground beef. Heat up your black beans and corn as well.

3.Put desired amount of rice in your bowl, top with beef, beans and corn (and any other toppings you desire). Sprinkle cheese over top.

4. Add salsa and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Cilantro rice (don't mind the diaper box on my counter)

Meat, beans and corn added

Cheese and salsa added to all, sour cream added to my hubby's

Recipe Wednesday: Applesauce Oat Muffins

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest forever ago, and I tailored it to fit our needs and tastes. I made it a dairy free recipe because we needed a dairy free snack. Then I realized that I didn't need to cut out dairy anymore and I still make it the dairy free way because it tastes good and I don't want to mess with it.

APPLESAUCE OAT MUFFINS

Ingredients for a half batch, ready to go

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 cup almond milk

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

¹/₂ cup coconut oil, melted
²/₃ cup sugar
1 ¹/₂ cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
Freeze dried apples, crushed
A generous heap of dried cranberries or raisins, optional

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, freeze dried apples, almond milk, egg, vanilla, coconut oil, and sugar. Set aside.

Wet ingredients

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cranberries or raisins. Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (don't overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry).

Dry ingredients with well

4. Fill muffin cups approximately 2/3 full.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the muffins will be dry.

6. Let cool and enjoy!

7. [Optional] Freeze for easy breakfast throughout the week. Just pull out a muffin or two and microwave for 30-60 seconds and enjoy!

Ready for my freezer

I always freeze the muffins in a labeled Ziploc bag. I can tell when I didn't let them cool long enough before freezing because the muffins get a little frost on them. While it's not pretty to look at then, it doesn't affect the taste once heated up.

Recipe Wednesday: Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken with Rice

We recently had to switch to a dairy free diet in our house because the newest member of our family appears to have a sensitivity to it.  Really, I am the only one who can no longer eat any dairy because of breastfedding; PGS and my husband still can eat dairy. So a lot of times, I make the meal dairy free and take out my portion and add the cheese when it's a recipe that calls for cheese. Changing our menu plans to dairy free has required some creativity and forced trying out some new recipes. This slow cooker recipe is a recipe that I found a while ago and we've had a couple of times before. The last time that I made pineapple chicken, I added broccoli to the Crock-Pot and hoped for the best. Spoiler alert: it was a good decision. 

SLOW COOKER PINEAPPLE CHICKEN with RICE

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts

1 can of pineapple in juice (I used tidbits)

diced onion (approximately 1 medium)

¹/₂ cup chicken stock (chicken broth works, too)

2 Tbs soy sauce

¹/₂ cup uncooked rice

1 cup water

Directions

1. Layer onion (and any other veggies you add), chicken breast and pineapple. Make sure to add all the pineapple juice!

2. Add 2 Tbs of soy sauce and ¹/₂ cup chicken stock.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours. Internal temperature of chicken should be at least 165°F.

4. About 30 minutes before the chicken is done, cook your rice.

5. [Optional] Shred the chicken and mix up.

6. Serve over the rice.

When I make this, I use frozen onion, frozen broccoli, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If I have fresh chicken breasts, then I use those, but I normally have frozen chicken breasts. I don't thaw the chicken and I cook it on low for 8 hours. Possibly too long, but with all the liquid in the recipe, the chicken has never been dry when cooked this way.

Both my husband and I like this meal, but I'm not sure about my two year old. He has refused to try it each time that I've made it. If he liked chicken or pineapple normally, then I would require that he at least try one bite, but he's never liked chicken and hasn't tried pineapple before.

I forgot to snap a picture of the plated meal before the Mr. took a couple
of bites. lol

Recipe Wednesday: Apple Peanut Butter muffins

We've made this muffin recipe before and it was a huge hit, so thought I'd make them again and this time share them on the blog.

APPLE PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS

All the ingredients and the recipe in the background

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 ¹/₂ teaspoons cinnamon, divided

¹/₂ teaspoon salt

1 ¹/₂ cups shredded apples (about 2 medium)

1 cup lowfat buttermilk

¹/₂ cup creamy peanut butter

¹/₄ cup coconut or canola oil

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

I promise, our floor was clean and he
didn't put any of the cups on the floor

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and salt.

3. In another bowl, stir together the shredded apples, buttermilk, peanut butter, oil, egg, and vanilla.

4. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, stirring until just mixed, being careful to not over mix.

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the muffin tops.

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Fresh outta the oven!

As you can see from the photo of the just baked muffins, we made 20 and the recipe says 12 muffins. I made smaller muffins that were the perfect size for two year old PGS. The original recipe says that you can shred the apples peel and all, but it was easier to peel the apple and shred it that way.

Recipe Wednesday: Slow Cooker Meatballs and Bread Bowls

We currently do not have working central air in our apartment, so I've been trying to either plan for meals on the grill, in the slow cooker or no heating necessary to avoid turning on my oven to make us dinner. Earlier this week we had a few days that it was okay to use the oven with the windows open and fans on, so I made some meatballs and mini bread bowls.

SLOW COOKER MEATBALLS AND MINI BREAD BOWLS

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

3 tablespoons milk

1 jar (25 oz) marinara sauce

1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crusty French loaf

Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

1. Spray 3-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl: mix beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk and Parmesan. Shape into approximately 16 meatballs. Add marinara sauce and meatballs to slow cooker. Cover and cook on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours.

2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Cut dough into four pieces. Spray underside of jumbo muffin pan. Form dough around muffin cups to make four bowls. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until bowls are golden brown. Cool slightly. Remove bowls, and cool completely.

3. Brush baked bread bowls with butter and garlic salt or Italian herbs for an interesting flavor twist.

The fat in the beef and the cooking spray does make it a little oily
when the meatballs are finished cooking.

4. To serve, spoon 4 meatballs and sauce into each bread bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

My bread bowls weren't perfect, but they still tasted yummy!