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Showing posts with label Pizza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pizza. Show all posts

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Baked Pepperoni Rolls

As we approach the end of this incredibly hot and humid summer, I am sooo ready for Fall.  Along with the cooler temperatures and shorter days, we can also look forward to something much more important, the start of football season!  So before the season gets into full swing, this is a great snack to serve at your next football party or as a delicious alternative to homemade pizza.

These tasty little Baked Pepperoni Rolls are like tiny finger-food sized pizzas that are as easy to make as they are to serve.  Add a spoonful of seasoned olive oil dipping sauce on the side and these will be an instant favorite, and the most requested item for future parties!



The Dough setting on my bread machine takes 90 minutes which allows the dough to rise twice.  During that time I have time to prepare the dipping sauce and a salad or other dinner items, and assembly of the rolls only takes about 15 minutes.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3 TB Olive Oil
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Dried Oregano
4 1/2 cups Bread Machine Flour
3 tsp  Bread Machine Yeast

Combine ingredients in your bread machine as outlined in your manual, using a french dough or regular dough setting.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

When the dough is finished, place the dough on a lightly floured cutting board.  Sprinkle the dough with a little extra flour and use a pastry cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into about 14 - 16 portions, depending on how large you would like the rolls to be.

For the filling you will need
1 12 oz pkg  Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
1 6 oz pkg  Large 3-inch Pepperoni Slices

Flatten each portion of dough into a 5 inch square.  Place half of a mozzarella cheese stick in the center of a pepperoni slice and wrap the pepperoni around the cheese.  (This will keep the cheese inside of the roll, preventing the cheese from oozing out.)  Place the pepperoni and cheese bundle in the center of a dough square, wrap the edges of the dough inward and roll the dough into a bundle.  Pinch the edges slightly to create a seal and place the roll on a baking sheet, seam side down.  Continue with the remaining rolls.

Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

1/3 cups  Olive Oil
2 TB  Fresh Minced Garlic
1-1/2 tsp  Dried Oregano
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Onion Powder
1/2 tsp  Salt
1/4 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp  Cayenne Pepper

In a small glass bowl combine all ingredients, stirring until incorporated.  Let sit for 15 minutes before serving, or this can be prepared an hour in advance.

Brush the rolls generously with the olive oil dipping sauce, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and  bake the rolls for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with extra dipping sauce on the side and Enjoy!!

Friday, May 31, 2013

White Pizza

Tonight we made a delicious White Pizza that is not just a great meatless dinner, it would also be wonderful sliced into small squares and served as an appetizer.  Honestly, this was so good, you could even slice it into wedges and serve it instead of  garlic bread with your favorite Italian dinner.


The inspiration for this sauce-less pizza came from a local Italian restaurant that recently started selling a similar pie.  Although their pizza had a pretty good crust, the problem with their version was a total lack of seasoning!  Not even salt and pepper!  So what could have been a great meal was totally bland and sad.  But I knew how to fix that, so I was ready to create our own version of this interesting pizza.

We used our standard Bread Machine Pizza Dough, or you could use a store bought pizza dough, which is actually pretty good and it does save time when you are in a rush.  A light dusting of garlic powder to the crust adds a great burst of flavor, then you're ready to pre-bake the crust.

After cooking the crust for a few minutes, and the crust is lightly browned, you are ready to add the toppings.  Ricotta cheese, blended with garlic powder, salt, and just a touch of white pepper create a light base, then a layer of sautéed baby spinach and a light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese complete the pizza and it's ready to bake.  After the pizza was finished, we applied a light drizzle of olive oil across the whole pizza and served.

This pizza got rave reviews, even from the picky eater in the family, and she even requested we make this again next week.  (Gasp! That is the ultimate compliment.)  Enjoy!!

1 lb  Pizza Dough  (half of the Bread Machine Pizza Crust Recipe or 1 pre-made dough)
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
6 oz  Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 tsp  Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp  Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp  White Pepper
2-1/2 cups  Fresh Baby Spinach, washed and stems removed
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

In a small bowl, use a fork to combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and white pepper, and set aside.

Coat a pizza pan or baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, spreading oil all the way to the edges.  Place the pizza dough on the pan and spread the dough out with your hands to flatten, turning 2 or 3 times to coat the dough with olive oil, and spreading the dough all the way to the edge of the pan.  Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering, then add the spinach to the pan.  Stir the spinach frequently as it begins to shrink, and continue to stir a few minutes until the spinach is wilted.  Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Bake the crust for 5 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden and no longer shiny from the olive oil, and remove from the oven.

Spread the ricotta mixture in an even layer over the entire pizza, then apply the spinach leaves, followed by a layer of mozzarella cheese.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.  For a final touch, drizzle the pizza lightly with olive oil before serving.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Chicken and Chorizo Pizza

Pizza night at our house is something the whole family loves, but this time we had a reason to like our homemade pizza even more.  After one crazy busy day last week, we decided to order pizza from one of the national delivery chains.  What a horrible mistake! 

After placing the order online, and seeing the $30+ price for two pizzas, we reasoned that this was a rare treat and it would make dinner quick and easy, with little to no clean up, and that would justify the cost. So we sat back and waited...and waited..and waited some more. After 55 minutes the delivery guy arrived with our pizzas.  The kids were starving and tired of waiting, and I was still not thrilled with the cost, but we dug into the pizzas.  The first bite delivered an undercooked crust and a barely visible layer of toppings. Yuck!  I made it through 3 bites and that was enough. The rest of the meal went in the garbage.  Come to think of it, I believe this was why we started making our own pizzas in the first place.


So, tonight we were looking forward to a delicious homemade pizza and we decided to add a little Mexican twist and create a Smoky Chicken and Chorizo Pizza.  For the crust we used our standard Bread Machine Pizza Crust recipe, and we chose to skip the traditional sauce in favor of a drizzle of olive oil and add a layer of smoky sun-dried tomatoes, then a layer of sautéed chicken and chorizo, followed by a light sprinkle of Mexican cheeses.  The smoke from the tomatoes and the chorizo were a great combination and added a great deal of spice to the chicken.  So yummy!

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken breast that you might have on hand and you can add other ingredients to your liking.  This pizza would be delicious with sautéed onions or green pepper, or switch the cheese to a grated jalapeno-pepper jack cheese for even more spice.  The recipe below is for one pizza, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

To Make 1 Chicken-Chorizo Pizza

1/2 Recipe  - Pizza Crust
Garlic Powder
1/2 lb  Soft Chorizo
1-1/2 cups  Cooked Chicken Breast, chopped
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup  Smoked Sun-Dried Tomatoes, chopped
1 cup  Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, or more to taste

Prepare the pizza crust in the bread machine, and prepare 2 pizza pans by coating them with olive oil.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, sauté the chorizo until cooked through, then add the chicken to the pan and stir.  Cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, then add the salt and pepper to taste.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Place half of the pizza dough on each pan, and spread the dough out to reach the edges, turning the dough over a few times to coat the dough with oil.

Sprinkle the edges of the dough lightly with garlic powder, then place the pan in the oven.  Bake for about 6 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden, but not fully cooked.

Remove the crust from the oven and coat the crust with a drizzle of olive oil, then add the chicken and chorizo mixture, followed by the tomatoes and finally the shredded cheese.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the pizza is golden and the cheese has melted.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Pizza Night

Have you ever made a homemade pizza?  A seriously delicious pizza with all of your favorite toppings in just the right proportions?  Well, it's less work than you think and you might just create the best pizza you've ever eaten!

Pizzas have come a long way in recent years, especially when it comes to the homemade version.  You no longer have to rely on the Chef-Boy-in-a-box crust mix (thank goodness!) because making your own crust is as simple as throwing a handful of ingredients into a bread machine, and your pizza dough is ready in about 90 minutes.  You can find our recipe for Pizza Crust here.  If you don't have a bread machine, many grocery stores also have prepared crust dough in their bakery section.  Our local store offers several different flavors of crust including multi-grain and Parmesan.  Once you decide on the crust you can move on to the toppings.

Pizza toppings are endless.  Start with choosing a protein such as diced cooked chicken, cooked shrimp or crab, lean ham, cooked Italian or regular sausage, or just some pepperoni.  Next add a few selections of vegetables such as thinly sliced peppers or onions, sliced fresh tomatoes or mushrooms, or green or black olives.  Or you can get a little more adventurous and try asparagus, artichokes, sliced pepperoncini peppers, sun dried tomatoes or even eggplant.

Then there is cheese.  You can't have a pizza without cheese and this is a great way to personalize your pizza, just the way you like it.  Beyond mozzarella and cheddar, try crumbled feta or blue cheese (both of which are yummy with diced chicken), or try adding a thin layer of creamy ricotta cheese.

The final step is choosing a sauce for your pizza.  There are many varieties of flavored tomato sauce available that already have garlic, oregano or basil included, but you could also choose pesto sauce, Alfredo or barbeque sauce or just a simple marinara.

For our pizza tonight, we chose a homemade roasted red pepper sauce. For this sauce I like to buy the red peppers that are packing in olive oil with whole garlic cloves.  Use a small blender to puree 1 whole pepper, plus one of the garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and you have an instant sauce. 

Next, we started with sliced chorizo, and added several of our favorite toppings, black olives, thinly sliced artichoke hearts, shaved Serrano ham and a light topping of smoked provolone cheese.  The pizza was so full of flavor and it was something you could never find on any take-out menu. 

Another great combination that we enjoy is a Shrimp, Spinach and Red Onion Pizza with an Alfredo-type sauce.  For this pizza we actually used the same sauce as we used in the  Chi-Chi's Seafood Enchiladas, but you could also use a store bought sauce for convenience.
 
 
 
My favorite homemade pizza would have to be Shrimp, Crab and Asparagus Pizza with a cream cheese sauce.  This recipe has actually been a long kept secret and we've made it many times.  This is an ideal way to use up any leftover shrimp and/or crab from a Low Country Boil, because the seafood is perfectly cooked and seasoned and can be added to the pizza with very little prep.
 
 
For the Crab Pizza
 
1 Pre-Baked Pizza Crust (as above we used the bread machine dough)
1 can  Asparagus Cuts
1/3 cup  Minced Red Onion
Cooked Shrimp and/or Crab, remove any shells and chop the seafood into small bite-sized pieces
4 oz  Grated Italian 6-Cheese Blend
2 oz  Grated Cheddar
 
Pizza Sauce
3 oz  Cream Cheese, softened
2 to 3  TB  Sour Cream
1-1/2 tsp  Real Horseradish (not the creamy kind)
1/2 tsp  Lemon Pepper
 
Combine the ingredients in a small glass bowl and blend with a fork until creamy.  If the mixture is too thick to spread, add additional sour cream, one teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is spreadable.
 
Spread the mixture onto the pre-baked crust, add a layer of the cooked shrimp and crab, then a layer of asparagus, followed by the onion and then the cheeses.  Bake at 425 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Calzones

This is a yummy alternative to pizza that we used to make when our kids were very young, and they always loved them.  Little did they know, I was just trying to get them to like spinach. (It worked!)

A calzone is a type of rolled, stuffed-in-the-center type of pizza that has many variations.  The dough is traditionally similar to pizza dough, but the filling is where the differences really begin.  Calzones  are often filled with several types of cheese, with ricotta being the base of this creation.  Some restaurants will include meats, olives or sauce inside of the calzone, so the filling combinations are endless, and you can easily create your own favorite filling.  For our calzones, we like to keep the sauce on the outside, but you could also incorporate the sauce into the filling mixture.

   

We started with an easy bread machine dough that is rolled out into squares.  Each square is lined with a meat, cheese and spinach filling, then rolled over into a rectangle.  The edges are sealed with a fork, then spritzed with a bit of olive oil and baked.  Serve with a spoonful of seasoned tomato sauce on top.  Enjoy!!

Calzone Filling

15 oz  Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 cup  Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup  Grated Mozzarella Cheese
3 oz  Diced Pepperoni
10 oz  Frozen Spinach, cooked, cooled and well drained
1/2 lb  Fresh Sausage, cooked and drained
1 tsp  Dried Oregano
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp  Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp  Ground Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Calzone Dough in the Bread Machine

1 cup + 2 1/2 TB  Water
2 1/2 TB  Olive Oil
3 cups  Bread Machine Flour
1 tsp  Salt
1/2 tsp  Sugar
2 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp  Bread Machine Yeast
Calzone Filling
Flour, if needed
Olive Oil Spray

Combine all ingredients in the bread machine pan and set the machine to the Dough Setting.  At the end of the first kneading cycle, press the stop/clear button and let the dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until almost double in size.

Punch the dough down and remove from the bread machine pan to a lightly floured cutting board.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  The dough will have a very smooth texture.

Using a dough slicer or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 6 equal portions.  Use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a square about 6 or 7 inches across.  (Add a few teaspoons of flour to the cutting board surface if the dough is a bit sticky.)

Place 3 - 4 tablespoons of calzone filling onto the lower half of the dough, then gently roll the dough over and crimp the edges using a fork.  You can also roll these up "burrito-style" by folding in the edges and rolling the dough so none of the filling is visible.  Place the calzones on a baking sheet and continue with the remaining calzones.

Lightly spray the calzones with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden.  Serve with a spoon of seasoned tomato sauce** on top.

**Note:  To make a quick sauce for the calzones, heat an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce in a small saucepan.  Add Italian seasoning, some fresh basil if available, a little garlic powder, salt and pepper and heat until warm.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Shrimp and Artichoke Pizza

Homemade pizza is so much fun to make because you can choose your favorite ingredients, and the amount of each topping to suit your own taste.  Thin or thick sauce, light cheese or a thick and cheesy pizza, you can build your pizza just the way you like it. 

The list of toppings is just about endless and making a pizza is also a great way to use leftover chicken or vegetables that might otherwise go to waste.  You can stick to the common toppings like cooked sausage, sliced ham or Canadian bacon, then add in some sliced red or yellow onion, an assortment of sliced red, green or yellow peppers, or even some ham with pineapple.  Use your imagination to discover a new flavor combination to your liking.

For the pizza crust, you can choose a homemade Bread Machine Pizza Crust, or some grocery stores now sell pre-made pizza dough in the bakery department.  One word of advice, the pizza dough that comes in a tube is by far the strangest product I have ever come across.  I tried it several years ago when I found it on sale and I thought I would try it. (A bargain, right? Wrong!)  No matter what we did to this dough, it tasted horrible!  I'm not sure I want to know what the dough contains, but fresh dough is easy to make at home and the grocery dough is a good second choice.  Either of these will taste far better than dough from a tube.

This pizza is a unique combination of tiny baby shrimp, slices of marinated artichokes and Italian cheese on top of a light layer of Parmesan sauce.  It is truly a delicious combination and it would be an incredible appetizer for entertaining.  Just cut the pizza into 3-inch squares and let your guests help themselves to this tasty pizza.  For a spicy side dish add a few Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings.


Pizza Dough for 2 Pizzas
Mezzetta Olive Oil
Garlic Powder

Pizza Sauce  (Makes enough for 2 pizzas)
3 TB  Butter
1 1/2 TB  Flour
1/2 tsp  Salt
1/4 tsp  Black Pepper
1/4 tsp  White Pepper
3/4 cup  Milk
3/4 cup  Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Toppings for Pizza
1/2 lb  Salad Shrimp (very small shrimp)
1  Small Jar Mezzetta Marinated Artichokes, drained
1 cup  Shredded Six-Cheese Italian Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Using a whisk, stir in the flour, salt and both peppers, then slowly add the milk while continuing to stir.  The sauce will begin to thicken slightly, then add the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until the cheese melts.

When the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth, remove pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Using a prepared Pizza Dough, grease a pizza pan with a light layer of olive oil.  Place the dough on the pan, spreading it to the edges.  Turn the circle of dough over a few times while spreading it out.  This will relax the dough and it will be easier to work with.  When the dough is spread out into a big circle, sprinkle a light layer of garlic powder around the edge of the pizza.

Bake the pizza crust for about 6-8 minutes or until the top just begins to brown and is no longer shiny or moist on top.  Remove the crust from the oven and spread the Parmesan sauce over the crust in an even layer, making sure to get the sauce all the way to the edge of the crust.

Next, add the pieces of shrimp and artichoke to the pizza, followed by the Italian cheese. 

Bake pizza for 15-18 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown around the edges.  Enjoy!!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Pizza Crust



The next time you want a delicious pizza with toppings just the way you like them, make pizza at home. This recipe makes a large crust (15" x 10") plus about 6 breadsticks, or 2 large round crusts.

Top the crusts with your favorite toppings, your choice of spices and cheeses and enjoy pizza night at home.

1 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3 TB Olive Oil
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Dried Oregano
4 1/2 cups Bread Machine Flour
3 tsp  Bread Machine Yeast
1 8 oz can Tomato Sauce or you choice of sauce
Garlic Powder for the Crust

Optional Spices - Oregano, Basil, Chili Flakes
Meats - Pepperoni, Ham, Cooked Sausage, etc
Vegetables - Onions, Green Peppers, Black Olives, Sliced Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatoes, etc

Combine ingredients in your bread machine as outlined in your manual, using a french dough or regular dough setting.

Using a 15" x 10" cookie sheet (or 2 round pizza pans), coat the baking pan lightly with olive oil, coating the pan all the way to the edges.

When dough is finished, place 2/3 of the dough onto the coated cookie sheet and spread dough evenly on the baking pan. (The remaining 1/3 can be shaped into breadsticks and cooked on a separate sheet.) For 2 round pizzas split the dough in half.

Dust the edges of the pizza dough with garlic powder and lightly over the surface of the crust.

Bake at the crusts at 425 degrees for about 8 - 10 minutes until crust is lightly browned, but not completely cooked. Remove from oven and evenly coat surface with tomato sauce. Add seasonings to taste. Next add any meat or vegetable toppings, followed by grated cheese **.  Return pizza to oven and bake for 7 - 10 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

** For a delicious flavor, use grated Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses plus a little grated Cheddar.


Monday, March 7, 2011

Chicken Pesto Pizza

For a last minute dinner, our Chicken Pesto Pizza turned out really good.  We used store-bought (gasp!) Publix Pizza Dough, and I was totally impressed with the flavor and texture.  We will definitely use this again!

After smoothing out the dough with a little olive oil under the crust, we dusted the crust with garlic powder and baked for about 8 minutes, then removed from the oven.

Next added Buitoni Pesto with Basil, another store-bought find that saved a lot of time since my Basil is growing so slow this year. I followed that with a layer of grilled garlic chicken and grated Parmesan cheese, grated Mozzerella cheese and just a sprinkle of cheddar and baked for another 8 - 10 minutes, until the crust was brown and the bottom of the crust was crispy.


I would have loved to add some sun-dried tomatoes to this pizza, but in our gourmet-food-deprived college town, there were none to be found. Boo. Next time for sure!