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!!

Spicy Guacamole

Guacamole is a great item to add to your football party or holiday snack table.  Offer this dip along with a variety of white, yellow and blue tortilla chips and even some fresh cut veggies.  Many people who choose to stay away from tortilla chips will have the option of dipping veggies in the dip, and still get to enjoy this Spicy Guacamole.

When you shop for avocados, look for the ones that are dark skinned and just slightly soft to the touch.  You have to be a little careful when selecting avocados. Most grocers tend to throw new avocados in with the older ones, so you have to make sure you are not buying under ripe or over ripe  produce.  One one hand if you get a very soft avocado the flesh will probably be dark and not look very appetizing.  On the other hand, an avocado that is hard as a rock and a light greenish-yellow color inside will look nice but since it's under ripe, you won't get a creamy guacamole no matter how long you blend it.

Another handy tip when choosing an avocado is to look for the piece of stem on top.  If you can push off the stem, and it looks moist and fresh, you've got a fresh avocado.

When preparing the guacamole be sure to taste for the level of spice.  If it is too spicy for your taste, adding 1-2 teaspoons of sour cream will tone down the heat, but keep the guacamole creamy.  For a complete meal serve this Spicy Guacamole with Baked Chicken Chimichangas.

3 Avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 Lime, squeezed and juice reserved
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/2 small  Red Onion, diced (optional)
1/2 small  Tomato, seeded and diced (optional)

Scoop the avocado pulp into a food processor and add the lime juice, tossing to coat.  Add the salt, cumin and cayenne to the avocados and blend until smooth, or process just briefly for a more chunky texture.

Add about 1 TB (or more) of lime juice until the guacamole is the desired consistency. Chill or let sit at room temp for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Calzone Bites

After several days of sick kids (and parents), I'm finally getting back to adding some new appetizers for the  upcoming holidays.  Today we get into the holiday spirit with a cheesy Italian hors d'oeuvre.  A Calzone is traditionally a stuffed pizza that looks like a turnover, so we created a bite-sized turnover.

These mini Calzone Bites are a great party appetizer to serve when you want to offer something a little more substantial than veggies with dip.  The spinach, sausage and pepperoni filling gets its creaminess from a combination of three cheeses, ricotta, cheddar and mozzarella.  With these little bites, you get all the goodness of a calzone in an appetizer-sized bite.

Although this recipe utilizes a bread machine to make the dough, you could also use store bought pizza dough.  The Publix stores in our area make a tasty pizza dough that would work just fine, just be sure to buy the dough early in the day since it is usually kept frozen until needed.

This recipe makes about 24 Calzone Bites using 2 large muffin tins, and the finished calzones are about 3 inches across.  Just the right "finger-food" size for your guests.  As a dipping sauce you can use your favorite marinara sauce or buy a good quality, already seasoned tomato sauce. The sauce can be heated in a small saucepan just before serving and, instead of pouring the sauce directly on the plate, I loved serving the marinara in these vintage shot glasses that belonged to my grandmother.  I think they were the perfect little vessel for sauce and they were just the right size.  Enjoy!!

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

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 the dough from the bread machine pan to a lightly floured cutting board.  Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.  While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Calzone Filling
15 oz  Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 cup  Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup  Grated Mozzarella Cheese
2 oz  Diced Pepperoni
10 oz  Frozen Spinach, defrosted, 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.

Seasoned Olive Oil
1/4 cup  Olive Oil
2 tsp  Minced Fresh Garlic
1/2 tsp  Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp  Salt
1/4 tsp  Ground Black Pepper

Mix the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a small glass bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Spray 2 large muffin tins with olive oil spray and set aside.

Using a pastry cutter, or a very sharp knife, cut the dough into 24 equal portions.  Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll each piece of dough into a large thin circle, about 5 inches across.  Place a generous tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle, then fold the edges over and pinch the edges so the filling will not leak out.

Place each bundle into the muffin tin with the seam side down and brush the tops of each calzone with seasoned olive oil. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Serve with a shot glass of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

Four Pepper Chili

For day 6 of Soup Month 2013, we made a delicious and spicy Four Pepper Chili, and it's just in time for football season!

This chili is packed with fresh flavors and includes green pepper, red pepper, poblano and jalapeno peppers.  I wanted this chili to have a little heat, but I don't really care for chili that has an overpowering amount of heat.  If it's too spicy to enjoy, that really defeats the purpose of a hearty chili.  In order to get that perfect balance of heat, I wanted to include corn, but I didn't want the pieces in the chili, so I decided to make the corn invisible.  The corn was pureed with beef stock and added to the chili to give a unique background flavor and it worked great.  Just enough heat, just enough sweet, and all of those flavors just pop!  As a bonus, the corn also helped thicken the chili.

A pot full of chili is great to serve guests, and is especially fitting for sports parties.  This chili can easily be transferred to a crock pot and kept warm during your party.  Provide an assortment of toppings, such as grated cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, crackers and corn chips, so each guest can prepare their own meal. Enjoy!!

1-1/2 lbs  Ground Round Beef
3/4 lb  Ground Pork
1 medium  Onion, finely chopped
1/2  Green Pepper, finely chopped
1/2  Red Pepper, finely chopped
1  Poblano Pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
1  Jalapeno Pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 TB  Minced Garlic
1  14 oz can  Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1  14 oz can  Del Monte Diced Tomatoes - Zesty Chili Style
1  8 oz can  Rotel Zesty Tomato and Green Chili Sauce
3 TB  Roasted Garlic Tomato Paste
1 cup  Frozen Corn
1-1/3 cups  Beef Broth
2 tsp  Chili Powder
2 tsp  Cumin
2 tsp  Kosher Salt, or more to taste
1 tsp  Ground Black Pepper, or more to taste

In a large soup pot, brown the beef and pork with the onions, peppers, and garlic. When meat is browned, drain off as much grease as possible.

In a medium bowl, combine the corn and beef stock and puree with a stick blender until smooth.  Add this mixture and all remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. 

Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve alone or with pasta and your choice of toppings such as grated cheddar, sour cream, chopped onion, or crushed crackers or corn chips.  Serves about 8 - 10.

Cincinnati Chili

Tonight we are revisiting a Midwest favorite, Cincinnati Chili.  Although the process and the ingredients are somewhat unorthodox compared to the common Texas-style chili recipe, this is a delicious bowl of chili on a cold winter night.

If you've ever eaten at a Skyline Chili Parlor Restaurant, you might be familiar with this type of chili. This is a unique and flavorful chili, with a blend of savory and sweet spices in perfect balance.  Cinnamon, allspice and cloves combine with tomato sauce, onions, celery and just a touch of lemon juice for a bit of acidity.  Serve the chili over a bowl of pasta, top with chopped onion and grated cheddar and you have a delicious meal.

This is also a great chili to serve for football parties.  Just prepare the chili as directed and place in a large crock pot to keep warm. If you have an additional crock pot available, use it to keep hot dogs warm and your guests can make their own Chili Cheese Dogs. Just place a few bowls of grated cheese, chopped onions, and maybe some sliced jalapenos nearby as toppings.  This chili is also great for leftovers.  Enjoy!!

4 cups Water
2 8 oz cans Tomato Sauce
1 5 oz can Tomato Paste
2 cups  Onions, finely chopped
1 cup  Celery, finely chopped
2 TB  Chili Powder
2 TB  Fresh Lemon Juice
1 TB  Sugar
2 Bay Leaves (whole)
4 Garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 lb Lean Ground Pork
1 lb Spaghetti or Linguine, broken in half, cooked and tossed lightly with Olive Oil

Toppings

2 cups Hot Kidney Beans
2 cups Chopped Onions
2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients except the beef, pork, and spaghetti. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil.  Crumble the meat gradually into the pot and return the mixture to a boil. 

Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 - 2 hours, uncovered, until the chili has thickened. Discard the bay leaves. Serve in large flat soup bowls, ladled over the hot spaghetti; top with the beans, onions and shredded cheese to your liking.

NuWave Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

The NuWave Oven is an interesting gadget, and I'm sure many of you have seen these advertised on the weekend infomercials.  The oven has a large domed top and uses infrared heat as a cooking source.  During the infomercial, the hosts show different foods you can cook in the oven, but the problem is, once this oven is delivered, many people just don't know what to do with it.  The cookbook that's enclosed with the oven is more than a little vague and just doesn't give you a lot of information so you can actually cook with this thing.  The answer to this problem is simple. Experiment!

Some people think this little oven is just a gimmick and I was a little skeptical too, but the truth is, you will never cook a more juicy and evenly roasted chicken than with this oven.  Really!  Here are a few recipes that we have tested with wonderful results  NuWave Baked Chicken, NuWave Baked Chicken Drumsticks, NuWave Oven Roast Beef. 

Now, on to my latest challenge, NuWave Oven Baked Chicken Wings.  I've been wanting to try this recipe for a long time and I was thrilled with the results.  We used the same breading technique and the same sauce that we use in our Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings, it was just the actual baking method that changed.  These wings are super easy to make.  Just double coat with a cornmeal breading, then bake it the NuWave for about 15 minutes.  You can coat these with your own sauce or try our Buffalo Wing Sauce detailed below.  Either way, you're in store for a delicious batch of wings.  Enjoy!!

             

3/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup Cornmeal
2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1 TB Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Salt
9 Chicken Wings cut into drumettes, center wing pieces and wing tips (discard tips) You will have 18 pieces total

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and garlic salt in a large bowl.  Add the wings, turning to evenly coat on all sides.  Place the coated wings on a baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes, then recoat a second time in the breading.

Set up the NuWave and place the wings on the 4" cooking rack, leaving a bit of room between wings, if possible, to allow for even cooking. Cook on HIGH for 8 minutes, then turn wings over and cook for 6 - 8 minutes longer on HIGH. (Depending on the thickness of the wings, you will want to test them for doneness after about 6 or 8 minutes, see if they are cooked through, and add another 3 - 5 minutes, if needed. The juices should run clear when fully cooked.)

While the wings are cooking you can prepare the wing sauce.

Buffalo Wing Sauce
3/4 stick Salted Butter
1 TB Red Pepper Flakes
4 TB Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Original Sauce
1 TB  White Vinegar

Melt butter in saucepan then add red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat and stir until you get a roux consistency. Add Franks Red Hot sauce and vinegar and heat to just under a boil. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes on low heat.

Dip the cooked wings into the sauce one at a time and coat thoroughly with sauce and place in serving bowl.

Mexican Layer Dip

Different variations of this recipe have been around for years and it is still a favorite for summer get-togethers.  If you like foods on the spicy side, use refried beans with jalapenos or add a layer of sliced jalapenos.  This dish can be made several hours ahead of time and chilled to allow the flavors to blend.  As an added bonus, if you have any leftover (although that doesn't happen very often..lol) a scoop of this next to scrambled eggs is delicious!

1 16 oz can  Fat Free Refried Beans (or the spicy version with jalapenos)
1 TB  Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Garlic Salt
8 oz  Light Sour Cream
12 oz  Spicy Guacamole (or use store bought)
1 cup  Pace Salsa
1 cup  Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1  4 oz can  Sliced Black Olives

Using a 9 X 9 inch pan, combine the refried beans, taco seasoning mix, garlic powder and garlic salt, stirring with a fork and then smooth the mixture into the corners of the pan.

Now you will start to layer the dish.  Smooth the sour cream onto the bean mixture, reaching all the way to the edges of the pan.

Next smooth the guacamole over the sour cream, and follow with the layer of salsa.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the dish and top with the sliced black olives.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

You can't have a Super Bowl party without...Chicken Wings!!

Pizza and wings are a favorite meal for a lot of families.  What you might not realize is that making this meal at home is cheaper, healthier, tastier and not really a lot of work.  This is also a fun project for families to make dinner together. My family and I have worked on this recipe for several years, tweeking it a little here and there each time. Now it is football-food perfection!  Try these wings on their own or with a do-it-yourself pizza for your next football party and you will not be disappointed.

Forget cooking wings in a greasy deep fryer. All you need for delicious crispy Buffalo Wings is the right recipe, and the right foil. As funny as it may sound, the non-stick foil is the secret to getting the wings crispy, but not stuck to the pan, which would remove the breading.  By baking the wings on Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil you will taste the sauce, not the oil from deep frying.  (If you click on the Reynolds link above they do occasionally have coupons available.)

12 Chicken Wings, cut into drumettes, center wing pieces and wing tips (discard tips) You will have 24 pieces total.

3/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup Cornmeal
2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1 TB Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Garlic Salt

In a large bowl combine all of the dry seasonings. Working in small batches, dredge wing pieces and place wings on a sheet of Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil.

Let the wings rest for 5 minutes, then dredge a second time in the flour/cornmeal mixture. Replace wings on foil.

Cook in preheated 425 oven for about 45 minutes, turning once about 20 minutes into cooking time. After wings are cooked, cool 5 minutes then apply the sauce below.


3/4 stick Salted Butter
3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Original Sauce
1 TB Red Pepper Flakes
3 TB Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1 TB White Vinegar


Melt butter in saucepan then add red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat and stir until you get a roux consistency. Add Franks Red Hot sauce and vinegar and heat to just under a boil. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes on low heat. 

Dip cooked wings in the sauce one at a time and coat thoroughly with sauce and place in serving bowl.

These wings even taste great when served with a simple salad with Blue Cheese Dressing.  Use the same dressing as a dip for the wings.  Enjoy!!