Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

Miss F saw oven baked chicken parmesan on an episode of Pioneer Woman, but I didn't love the recipe at all. She really wanted to make it, so I decided to make up my own version. This recipe seems like it has lots of steps, but it is really quite easy. And it makes a ton. I served it with a pound of spaghetti...leftovers for days!  I hate frying in my kitchen and this chicken turned out nearly like the original recipe, which requires even more pans and lots of oil.  This is going into regular rotation for our dinner around here.

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
¼ cup red wine
1 can tomato paste
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
¼ cup water
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded Mozzarella

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion for 2 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, then add the tomato paste. Stir in the diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the chicken breasts into ½” thick pieces. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water. In another shallow bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Dip each chicken piece in the egg, then into the breadcrumb mixtures, tossing well to coat completely. Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish. Spray each chicken breast with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the dish, add the prepared tomato sauce to the dish. Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Top the chicken with the remaining Parmesan cheese and the Mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more. Serve.

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Chopped Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

Chopped Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup shredded mozzarella

Process the garlic, vinegar, egg yolk, sugar and mustard in a food processor. Stream in the oil with the processor running. Salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and mozzarella with the prepared dressing. Serve.

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Artichoke, Spinach and Chicken Lasagna

I initially thought my friend Jen was attending my dinner party, so I decided to make a main dish tailored to her. Whenever we go out to lunch at Houston's, she always orders the spinach and artichoke dip. Without fail.  I want to make some sort of dish that mimicked that dip and lasagna seemed like a natural way to do it.  One of my biggest complaints about lasagna is that I don't love the texture of ricotta.  Here, I halved the ricotta, replacing it with cream cheese, more in line with the spinach and artichoke dip everyone loves.  The result was a perfect dinner party dish, I love things that can just bake while I socialize.  Unfortunately, Jen had to cancel at the last minute, which means I will have to have her over soon and serve this again.  The recipe looks long, but it is really quite easy, especially if you use the Instant Pot and Fasta Pasta shortcuts.

Artichoke, Spinach and Chicken Lasagna

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup water
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound lasagna noodles
¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan
10 ounces chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 15 ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped
16 ounces ricotta
16 ounces cream cheese. softened
4 cups shredded mozzarella

Instant Pot instructions:
Place the chicken, water, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in the Instant Pot. Place on “Poultry” setting for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Regular instructions:
Place the chicken, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Heat over high heat until the water boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Fasta Pasta instructions:
Place 9 of the lasagna noodles in the Fasta Pasta and fill to level 4. Microwave for 13 minutes. Drain and allow the noodles to cool. Repeat with remaining lasagna noodles.

Regular instructions:
Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until al dente per package instructions. Drain and allow the noodles to cool.

In large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Whisk in the flour, until fully incorporated. Add the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. When the mixture thickens after about 5 minutes, remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan, spinach, artichokes and shredded chicken.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta and cream cheese.

Layer ¼ of the chicken mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with 6 lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta and cream cheese mixture over top. Layer ¼ of the chicken mixture over the ricotta and top with 1 1/3 cups mozzarella cheese. Layer with 6 more lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the ricotta, ¼ of the chicken and 1 1/3 cups mozzarella cheese, twice more, ending with the mozzarella cheese. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray, cover the lasagna spray side down. Bake for 45 minutes covered, remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more. Allow to cool 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Mini Pizzas

These adorable little pizzas were a fun way for Miss F and I to have dinner without a major battle over pizza toppings. We have totally different tastes, but we would never be able to finish two whole pizzas.  I don't like making pizzas with half toppings, it never seems to cook properly.  These were fun to assemble and even more fun to eat.  She and I took down the entire plate.  When C is home for dinner, I would probably have to double the recipe.  These would be fantastic as a party app as well.  The recipe is from The Comfort of Cooking.

Mini Pizzas

1 teaspoon yeast
½ cup warm water
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Desired toppings

Stir together the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer, let stand for 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, sugar and oil to the bowl. Knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes, then shape into a ball. Place the dough, covered with a towel, in a warm place for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the dough on a well floured surface, stretching into a 12”x8” rectangle. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. Place the rounds onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Top each with the crushed tomatoes, cheese and any desired toppings. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve.

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Garlic Fat Bread

So one of the best foods in life is fat bread. I can usually try and force it to go with whatever dinner I am serving, but sometimes, you have to have plain garlic bread. And when you want garlic bread, why not invent garlic fat bread?  My little family of three nearly devoured this entire platter.  I may have snuck a slice or two more around 11 pm.  And then C was all upset the next day because we didn't have much leftover.  That is how popular fat bread, and now garlic fat bread, are.  Serious deliciousness.

Garlic Fat Bread

1 loaf French bread
½ stick softened butter
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
3 ounces grated Mozzarella

Slice the bread lengthwise. Mix the butter and the garlic powder; spread over each cut side of the bread. Sprinkle the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese over the butter. Place under the broiler until slightly brown and heated through.

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Crab Pizza

Some things I just instantly want to make. Enter Crab Pizza. It was destiny. My parents had one last container of crabmeat from a crab feast and I had an afternoon free to head down to their house to swim.  This pizza was perfection.  All the wonderfulness that is crab dip on top of pizza crust.  My parents and I devoured the entire pizza for lunch, but it would be fantastic cut into squares as an appetizer.  Thankfully we are having crabs next week, so we can replenish our crabmeat supply.

Crab Pizza

For the white sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the pizza:
half recipe of pizza dough
Olive oil, for brushing
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
½ pound fresh crab meat
Old Bay, for topping

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and light golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in the heavy cream and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500 F for at least 20 minutes. Shape the dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust and reserving ¼ cup of the sauce. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, and top with fresh crab and reserved sauce. Return to oven for a minute or two, just to warm the crab. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with Old Bay to taste.

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Calzones

C and I visited New York to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We visited the Transit Museum in Brooklyn and realized that it was the first time we had ever been to Brooklyn, it was exactly as we expected it to be.  After visiting the museum, we decided to find pizza.  C and I always disagree on toppings, so I just ordered a slice while he had a calzone.  His calzone looked so delicious, I knew I wanted to make them when we got home.  We each were able to personalize our calzones with our preferred toppings and it was a huge dinner success.  I used Wolfgang Puck's pizza dough recipe, just divided it into four to make four calzones.  Miss F loved assembling them and was a big fan of her personalized calzone.

Calzones

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees )
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pizza crusts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
20 slices pepperoni
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 mushrooms, quartered
1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

In the bowl of the stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Add the honey and stir together, let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, then the flour and salt. Use the dough hook to knead at low speed for 2 minutes. Turn up the speed to medium and knead 5 minutes more. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 3 minutes more. Oil the mixing bowl and return the dough ball to it, tossing well to coat with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes to an hour in a warm spot. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape each by gently pulling the dough and tucking it underneath the bottom of the ball. Roll the ball on a smooth surface until it is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes more. The dough can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone inside. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Press out each dough piece on a lightly floured surface, gradually spreading each into a circle 8" across. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on half of each circle, then top with pepperoni, bell pepper, mushroom and tomato. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each, then fold over to create a half circle. Press the edges to seal. Transfer the calzones to the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown.

While the calzones are baking, simmer the crushed tomatoes over medium-low heat with the Italian seasoning. Serve the calzones with tomato sauce on the side.

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Artichoke Bruschetta

This appetizer takes all the deliciousness of artichoke dip and makes it into a convenient two bite appetizer. Three delicious cheeses (does cream cheese count as a cheese anyhow?) broiled until golden brown with chopped artichokes sprinkled through.  I love serving bruschetta at a dinner party, it is a crowd pleaser and quite easy to assemble and serve.  I usually prepare the topping in advance, then just bake right before the guests arrive.  I think these may be my new favorite.

Artichoke Bruschetta

1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
1 (14-ounce) can of artichoke hearts (whole, halves, or quarters), drained & chopped
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
dash hot sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
French baguette loaf of bread, cut at an angle into ⅓-inch slices

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, stir in the mayonnaise, artichokes, parmesan, mozzarella, hot sauce and garlic salt. Preheat the broiler to high, spread a tablespoon of the artichoke mixture onto each baguette slice. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.

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Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Broccoli

If you decide to use the dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes instead of those packed in oil (they are much cheaper,) may I officially advise you not to even try to chop them until you have re-hydrated them. My half gone fingernail should serve as a warning to you all. Enough about my kitchen clumsiness and on to this amazing dish. I was inspired by this recipe from Julia's Album, but I basically changed the entire dish.  Everyone loved it, though C picked out the tomatoes.  Tomatoes that I suffered for, but I was happy to have his extra.  I love the use of mozzarella in this cream sauce, it makes it so incredibly rich.

Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Broccoli

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 head broccoli, chopped
½ teaspoon paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ cups half and half
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ cup reserved cooked pasta water
1 tablespoon basil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
16 ounces penne pasta, prepared per package instructions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, broccoli and paprika, saute for 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan. Add the garlic and sun dried tomatoes, saute for 30 seconds. Add the half-and-half, mozzarella and parmesan to the pan, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Thin with pasta water if necessary. Stir in the chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, basil, red pepper and pasta. Serve.

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Chicken Madeira

I love Madeira wine, especially with veal.  Unfortunately, the rest of my family has differing opinions.  Miss F had her chicken plain, no potatoes and lots of broccoli (no stems!)  C had the sauce on the side and made a meager effort to eat a couple of the mushrooms.  I had mine drenched in the delicious sauce, I may have stolen a couple of C's mushrooms, which he was grateful for.  The sauce was also amazing on the mashed potatoes, so I highly recommend serving them with this dish.  Thanks to Life as a Mrs. for the great recipe.

Chicken Madeira

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 cutlets
¼ cup flour
4 slices Mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cups Madeira wine
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
Cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken in flour, shake off any excess. Add the chicken to the pan and sauté until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes a side. Remove to the prepared baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Top each chicken cutlet with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more.

While the chicken is in the oven, add another tablespoon of butter to the pan that the chicken was cooked in. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir until incorporated, for about 30 seconds more. Deglaze the pan with the wine and chicken broth, stirring well. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture reduces and thickens, add the salt and pepper. Serve the chicken topped with the madeira sauce.

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Baked Artichoke Chicken Pasta

I made this dish to send to my parents for them to have while my mom was recovering from hip surgery. I made the entire recipe, but split it into two baking pans, one for us and one to send home with my dad. My dad loves anything with artichokes, so I knew this would be a hit with him. Miss F still isn't a fan of artichokes. She tried them steamed with me one time and thought they were just awful. I have loved them since I was a kid, so I don't get her hatred. I know it is a strange thing to eat, but they are so delicious. Maybe one day she will come around to them. I have had this recipe pinned from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice, I am glad I finally got a chance to make it, I loved it.

Baked Artichoke Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, diced
coarse salt and fresh black pepper
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 ounces rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Saute for 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds more. Add the chicken and for 3 to 5 minutes more, until chicken is browned on all sides. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Prepare the pasta per package instructions. Drain and add to a large bowl. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Turn the heat to low, stir in the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the artichoke hearts.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Generously butter a 9x13-inch casserole or baking pan. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 40 minutes and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mozzarella

I love any sort of baked pasta dish. They are great to prepare in advance, but they usually dirty a bunch of dishes, pots and pans in the process. This recipe cooks the broccoli along with the pasta, which means one less pot to clean up. Miss F was a huge fan of this meal, even the broccoli, aka trees.  This makes a huge pan of pasta and it reheated well as leftovers, which is always a bonus in our house.  I adapted this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Café.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mozzarella

1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
16 ounces penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
3 ounces mozzarella, shredded
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Toss together the bread crumbs and melted butter in a small dish, set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pull out the broccoli florets and set aside in a large bowl. Cook the penne pasta per package instructions, drain and add the penne to the bowl with the broccoli.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme, cooking one minute more. Add the flour and cook until golden, about one minute more. Whisk in the broth, cream, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes more. Stir in the mozzarella cheese. Pour the sauce with the chicken and the tomatoes into the bowl with the pasta, toss well to evenly coat and pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the parmesan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Serve.

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Bruschetta with Mozzarella and Tomatoes

I have been making this appetizer for years. I think I made it for the first dinner party I ever hosted, which occurred back in 1999 while I was still in college. I had just moved into a downtown loft and I was so excited to have a few friends over for baked ziti. My love for entertaining hasn't waned and I have served these quite a few times over the years.  The tomatoes and basil were fresh from my mom's garden.  Sometimes I will through the bruschetta under the broiler for a minute or two before serving to melt the cheese a little, but they taste great warm or cold.  I have also added a splash of balsamic to add a little kick.

Bruschetta with Mozzarella and Tomatoes

1 large bunch of basil (about 1/8 pound), coarse stems discarded
½ pound mozzarella, chopped fine
2 tomatoes (½ pound total), seeded and chopped fine
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 baguette, cut diagonally into ½ inch slices
1 garlic clove, halved

Chop the basil fine and in a bowl stir it together with the mozzarella, the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste, toss with half of the olive oil. Brush the baguette slices with the remaining olive oil and rub each with the garlic clove half. Lay the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until just starting to brown. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the oiled sides of the toasts and serve.

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Baked Penne with Corn, Zucchini and Basil

I am always looking for new ways to prepare zucchini. It is so bountiful in the summer and one can only eat so much zucchini bread, I can even get tired of chocolate zucchini bread, though Miss F would disagree completely. This recipe is perfect for a dinner party. The casserole can be assembled in advance and then just baked once the guests arrived. Be sure to use fresh summer corn, it really makes a big difference.  This recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma.  It makes a huge pan, so cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8x8 for a usual dinner.

Baked Penne with Corn, Zucchini and Basil

Kosher salt, to taste
1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kernels cut from 4 ears of corn
2 pounds zucchini, cut into half moons
½ yellow onion, diced
4 tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cloves garlic, sliced
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup white wine
½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Boil the penne for 8 to 10 minutes, drain and run under cold water. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels, salt and pepper to taste and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Stir the corn in with the penne. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, then saute the zucchini for 5 to 7 minutes, until just tender. Stir the zucchini in with the penne. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and saute the onion for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and white wine, cook for 3 minutes more.

Stir the tomato sauce and basil into the penne, along with the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Pour the pasta mixture into a glass 9x13 dish. Top with the remaining parmesan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve warm.

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Pizza Margherita

This pizza was all Miss F's creation. She spooned out the sauce, scattered the cheese and artfully arranged the basil. She also made a plain cheese pizza for herself because she didn't want green leaves on her pizza. Her loss. Pizza Margherita is one of my most favorite ways to have pizza, especially with fresh basil from my mom's garden. I like the simpleness of plain crushed tomatoes and shredded mozzarella to top this pizza.  The dough was perfect, just the right amount of chewiness.  The pizza dough recipe is adapted from Feeling Foodish.

Margherita Pizza

3 cups flour
½ teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella
handful of basil leaves

Mix together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour the warm water into the flour mixture, stir until all the flour is incorporated. Add the oil and use the dough hook attachment to knead the dough for five minutes. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and place in sealed quart-sized container or freezer bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.

The following day, remove the dough balls within two hours of baking to allow the dough to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone inside. Open each dough ball and transfer to parchment paper. Top with the crushed tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves. Transfer the parchment paper to the pizza stone and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve.

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Hot Artichoke Dip

I am not a huge spinach artichoke dip fan. I know a lot of people love it, but it just doesn't work for me and I am not quite sure why. Miss F is a sucker in Costco, nearly every sample we try, she wants to buy, doesn't matter what it is. Last visit, she was desperate for Veggie Chips. They came in a single industrial size bag, so I had to be sure she would eat them. She said she liked them more than Chili Cheese Fritos, so I went ahead and bought them. She ate then twice and was over it. But they worked great with this dip. Too bad I still have a ton left. She is not going to sway me our next trip to Costco, I will remain strong. I also served it with sliced baguette.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, beat in the mayonnaise. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until combined. Transfer the dip to a pie plate or shallow gratin dish. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve hot with crackers, tortilla chips, crostini or veggies.

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Baked Three-Cheese Penne with Chicken and Peas

We took a lovely trip to Barcelona, Spain for a week. Miss F did amazingly well, but re-adjusting to central time has been a bit of a challenge. I finally served this dinner at 7:30 pm, she was still napping. She started her nap at 1:30 pm. She did wake up eventually, helped me decorate the Christmas tree and had some leftover pasta. C thought the pasta tasted great, but smelled strange. Who knows what he was smelling, I thought it smelled great. I especially enjoyed the crispy topping, I wasn't sure I was going to like it when I read the recipe initially.  I adapted this recipe from Tasty Trials.

Baked Three-Cheese Penne with Chicken and Peas

8 ounces dried penne pasta
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup cream
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated gruyere cheese
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 ½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pasta per package directions, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions, cook until 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more. Remove the chicken, onions and garlic to a dish. Stir in the chicken broth and scrape brown bits off bottom of pot with a wooden spoon. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stir in the cream. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir in the gruyere, mozzarella, cheese and the peas into the chicken mixture and the drained pasta. Add the pasta mixture to a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, dot with butter. Bake for 20 minutes, serve.

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Mozzarella Basil Bread

This recipe makes two generous loaves of delicious bread. I had intended to bring the second loaf to my parents as a thank you for watching Miss F while I hosted my dinner party. My dinner party guests had different plans. We ate the entire first loaf and it was onto the next. It was so good. And incredibly easy to make. In this past year with C being gone, I have been able to bake bread quite often and I have really enjoyed exploring the yeast world beyond my bread machine.  And you can never go wrong with adding any cheese to bread.  Delicious!  I promise to make it again and send a the second loaf to my parents.

Mozzarella Basil Bread

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
5 cups bread flour, or as needed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon melted butter

Mix warm water with sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle until the sugar has dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over the surface of the water, and let stand until the yeast begins to form a creamy layer on the water. Stir the yeast into the water. Stir in salt, and 1 cup of bread flour, and beat the flour in to form a loose batter. Stir in 1 more cup of flour, and mix in the mozzarella cheese, milk, and basil. Mix in the remaining 3 cups of flour in ½ cup additions. Swap the paddle for the dough hook and knead for 6 minutes. Form into a ball, coat with olive oil, cover and allow to rise for one hour.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead the dough just long enough to eliminate the remaining bubbles in the dough, about 1 minute. Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces, and form each half into a round ball. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and place the balls onto the baking sheet. With a sharp knife, slash an X into the top of each loaf. Cover the loaves with a towel, and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Brush each loaf with the melted butter.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the loaves until browned, about 25 minutes. To serve, cut each loaf into 8 wedges.

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Braised Short Rib Lasagna

I have two issues with lasagna: I am not a huge fan of ricotta cheese and I like ground beef even less. Enter short rib lasagna. No ricotta cheese, shredded short ribs and a rich béchamel sauce. I knew it would be a winner. The recipe is time intensive, but very little of the time is active. Which makes it perfect for a dinner party.   I had the lasagna assembled and ready to bake when the guests arrived.  Which allowed me more time to socialize, always a benefit at any dinner party.  This lasagna makes 12 generous servings.  Miss F and I enjoyed the leftovers for a couple days after the party.  I omitted the mushrooms from the original recipe to accommodate one of my guest's preferences, but next time I make it I will add them.  Because I love all mushrooms!  C and Miss F probably prefer it without.

Braised Short Rib Lasagna

1 ½ pounds boneless beef short ribs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 ½ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 box no-boil Lasagna noodles

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the short ribs, in batches if necessary, and brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and add the bay leaf. Simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits as you go, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Return the short ribs to the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, turning the ribs every 30 to 40 minutes, until the meat is
fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours total.

Use tongs to remove the ribs from the pot and move them to a plate to cool. Pour the sauce into a heatproof bowl and discard the bay leaf. Allow to sit for a few minutes, until the fat rises to the surface. Be sure to get as much fat off as you can, or the tomato sauce will be greasy. Skim it off with a large spoon and discard. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove any fat or cartilage. Shred the meat and set aside in a medium bowl.

Make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a 3-4 quart saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook until golden, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and add the garlic clove. Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Fish out the garlic clove and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix the bechamel sauce into the tomato sauce.

Assemble and bake the Lasagna. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread ¾ cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish and cover the sauce with a slightly overlapping layer of the noodles. Spread ¾ cup of sauce over the noodles, and add ½ cup of the shredded meat over the sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese.

Add another layer of noodles, then repeat the layers as instructed above, to make a total of 3 layers of meat and 4 layers of noodles. At this point you should have used all the meat, but still have some sauce and cheese left over. Spread ¾ cup of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional cheese as desired when you serve.

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Lasagna

I am generally not a huge lasagna fan. C is a huge lasagna fan, so I figured I would make him a large pan on our last day in Aspen so he could have it for leftovers. The plan was to freeze some for the future. He liked the lasagna so much, there wasn't any leftover to freeze.  And I must say that I really enjoyed it as well.  I usually don't like ricotta, but the ricotta in this recipe works.  Mainly because I think there isn't a ton, so what is there really melts in with the mozzarella.  Miss F had never had lasagna and she loved it.  C has requested that I make a pan of lasagna every time we visit.  Or at least until he gets sick of it.  I adapted this recipe from All Recipes per a recommendation that it was the best ever.  And it was!

Lasagna

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup minced onion
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
18 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with basil, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or use no-bake noodles dry. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with shredded mozzarella, egg, and ½ teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one third of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice more ending with the mozzarella slices on top. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese starts to brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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