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| Pizza: A Family Favorite! |
by Brenda HydeWhen I was a child my sister and I thought we were chefs when we made pizza from a box mix. The crust was so flimsy we sometimes had to eat it with a fork, but we loved it! I'm slightly more sophisticated now and have left behind the box mixes, but I still love pizza in any shape or form, as do my kids. The following recipes will give you some alternatives to the traditional pizza. They are very flexible when it comes to the meat and the other "pizza" ingredients. If your family likes olives or green pepper then by all means, add those to the recipes. You may have ham or bacon on hand, instead of pepperoni and sausage, that will work too. Always cook your meat before using, unless it's precooked, such as deli ham or pepperoni. I also sauté fresh mushrooms in a little butter before adding to recipes. Fresh herbs can be substituted for dried by using double what is called for, and finely chopping. Pepperoni Pizza Roll 2 cups buttermilk baking mix 1/2 cup cold water 1/3 cup tomato paste 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1 3 1/2 package sliced pepperoni, chopped 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix baking mix and water until a soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Turn dough out on to a lightly floured board and knead 5 times. Roll into a 15 by 9 inch rectangle. Mix tomato paste with seasonings. Spread over dough to within 1/2 inch from edges. Sprinkle pepperoni and cheese over dough. Roll up, beginning at a 15 inch side. Pinch edge to seal. Place roll seam side down on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into 3 inch slices. serves 4 Sandwich Pizza 1 1-pound loaf French bread 1 cup pizza sauce 1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained 1/2 large green pepper, sliced 1/2 large red or yellow pepper, sliced 1/2 chopped red onion 1 2-ounce can sliced black olives, drained Coarsely cracked black pepper Slice loaf in half lengthwise and spread each half with equal amounts of ingredients. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts. Slice each half into fourths. Note: You can also add ham, pepperoni or fresh mushrooms. Crockpot Pizza 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage 1 small onion, sliced thinly 1 pound dry rigatoni or other hearty pasta 2 medium cans pizza sauce or 1 jar spaghetti sauce 3 cups mozzarella cheese 1 package pepperoni-3 ounces 1 can mushrooms Cook pasta until JUST done, and drain. In the meantime brown sausage and ground beef with onion until browned. Drain grease. Layer all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Spaghetti Pizza 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1 16 ounce jar spaghetti sauce 2 packages sliced pepperoni (or use larger pillow pack) 1 8 ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan. Mix together spaghetti, egg and milk. Pour spaghetti mixture into greased dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce. Add pepperoni and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese if desired. Cut and serve. Pizza Quiche 1 cup grated Swiss cheese 1 unbaked pie shell 4 eggs 1 1/2 cup half-and-half or cream 1/2 tsp. Salt 1/8 tsp. Basil 1/8 tsp. Cayenne 1/8 tsp. Pepper 1/2 tsp. Oregano Pizza 12 Pepperoni slices 1 large onion, sliced thinly 1 can whole tomatoes, undrained 1/4 tsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/4 pound shredded Mozzarella 12 pitted black olives, optional Preheat oven to 375-degrees. In bottom of pie crust sprinkle 2/3 of the grated cheese. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with cream, salt, cayenne, pepper and oregano until smooth. Pour into pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet sauté onion with oil until tender. Add tomatoes, basil and thyme; simmer stirring 15 minutes or until mixture thickens. Top the quiche with mozzarella and tomato mixture. Place pepperoni, balance of grated cheese and black olives decoratively on top. Bake 5 minutes longer to melt cheese. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm. Puffed Pizza Casserole 1 pound ground chuck 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cups spaghetti sauce-any flavor 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup milk 3 eggs 1 cup shredded mozzarella Parmesan Cheese Brown meat and onion-drain. Add sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.Spoon hot sauce into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Put in oven to keep warm. In a bowl beat eggs and milk until frothy. Add flour and salt, then beat until smooth. Pour over hot meat mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until dough is puffed and up and browned. Pizza Macaroni Casserole 1/2 pound ground chuck or round 1/2 cup onion, chopped 8 ounces macaroni or pasta, cooked and drained 2 cups spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/4 tsp. dried oregano and basil (optional) 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Pizza toppings: pepperoni, green pepper, sausage, mushrooms, ham or olives. Brown beef and onion, while breaking up with spoon. Drain fat. Add sauce, water and spices. Divide meat mixture in half and pour 1/2 of this portion into 2 pie pans (cake pans will work also). Divide pasta between the two pans for second layer. Pour remaining sauce into the two pans for the third layer. Divide cheese and sprinkle evenly, then top with the pizza toppings. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings. |