Stuffed Pizza Rolls and Dipping Sauce

When I saw these I knew I had to try them. They were awesome! I used my normal pizza sauce posted on this site and filled them with ham, cheese and pizza sauce. I'm going to post the original recipe because I am positive Dale would have liked it better. I'll have to try this version soon.

Again, this recipe is from Taste and Tell.

(photo courtesy of Taste and Tell)

Stuffed Pizza Rolls and Dipping Sauce
adapted from Our Best Bites Cookbook

serves 6-8

total time: 40 minutes

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough
1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
1 package powdered ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to the heat specified on the pizza dough package.

Unroll the pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s about 12×8 inches. Use a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 24 squares.

In a bowl, combine the chicken, bacon and cheese. Place some of the filling in the middle of each square of dough.

When all the dough squares have the filling on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam-side douwn in a lightly sprayed pie pan.

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the packaged ranch dressing mix iwth the 1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered Parmesan. Sprinkle the mix over the dough balls.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top, checking them every few minutes after 10 minutes.

While the pizza rolls are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce. Mix the remaining powdered ranch dressing mix with the milk and mayonnaise. Serve with the pizza rolls.

Homemade Salsa

Getting to the store these days is hard especially when I have 2 boys who really dislike shopping. A few days ago while making nachos, David said, "Mom, you know what we forgot to buy? Salsa." Oh man. I did. Then it hit me...so make some!

I made the following salsa and David has begged me to make it again several times this weekend. Dale ate the rest in one sitting later that night.

I used ingredients I had on hand and adapted it from this recipe.

20 Min

Ready In:
20 Min

Servings (Help)

USMetricCalculate

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained (I used canned diced tomatoes.)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until chunky. Transfer to a small bowl.

Footnotes

• When cutting or seeding hot peppers, use rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands. Avoid touching your face.
• Nutritional Analysis: 1/3 cup equals 34 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 336 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1 vegetable.

Resurrection Rolls

We had these this morning and they were really good. It gave us a great opportunity to focus on the meaning of Easter.

I don't know where the recipe originated from. I have seen it around. But here is where I found it. I scoured this blog several times this week and came up with some great ideas!

Picture courtesy of We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ.

RESURRECTION ROLLS

(Each ingredient represents something used to prepare Christ's body for burial.)

-Large marshmallows

-Melted butter (less than 1/2 stick)

-A mixture of cinnamon/sugar (yum!)

-A can of refrigerated crescent rolls (makes 8)

First open the can of crescent rolls and separate into triangles. (represents linen)

Dip and roll one marshmallow (representing Christ's body) into melted butter. (oil represents oil used to anoint Christ's body)

Then roll the marshmallow in the cinnamon/sugar mixture (represents spices used to anoint Christ's body).

Place the marshmallow in the center of one crescent triangle.

Fold the crescent around the marshmallow and pinch the edges tightly together, leaving no openings.

Place the crescent-wrapped marshmallows on a slightly-greased cookie sheet.

Place the tray in the oven (which represents the tomb) and bake according to the package directions.

Close the oven door tightly and wait. As the rolls cook, the marshmallow disappears.

Take the rolls out as directed.

Go to this link to read how every step applies to Christ.

Chocolate Bird's Nests

Chocolate Birds Nests

Makes 5 large or 10 small

* 5 oz. crunchy chow mein noodles (1 small can)
*1 c. chocolate chips (½ a bag)
* 1 tsp. vegetable shortening
* Candy eggs (medium-sized speckled jelly-beans,
or Cadbury Mini-Eggs in Easter pastels work nicely)

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate and shortening together in a microwave or over a double boiler, stirring until melted. Allow to cool slightly, but do not let it set up. Stir in the chow mein noodles until evenly coated. Drop the coated noodles onto the baking sheet with a large spoon. For 5 large nests, form into circle about the size of an adult palm or half that amount for 10 small. Use your fingers to sculpt the noodles into a round shape and to form an indentation in the middle of the nest. Place eggs in the
nest while chocolate is still wet. Place nests in the refrigerator to harden.

Bread Recipe

We made this and it was a hit. This may become another favorite for our 'dead' bananas.

Eileen's Best Banana Bread

Photo by: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

Ingredients

• 3 2/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 3/5 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients (through oil) in a small bowl. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Spoon the batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Information

---

• Amount per serving
• Calories: 212
• Fat: 9.2g
• Saturated fat: 0.8g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.7g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 4.2g
• Protein: 4.3g
• Carbohydrate: 30.4g
• Fiber: 2.6g
• Cholesterol: 1mg
• Iron: 1.1mg
• Sodium: 189mg
• Calcium: 60mg

---

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2009

Dale loved this one! It's spicy so that is no surprise. Actually a little too spicy for me. I'll reduce the red pepper next time as another reviewer did. I did not salt the cucumbers because I don't like my cucumbers wilted.

Here is the original link.

Korean Cucumber Salad

Use a mandoline or food processor to slice the cucumber uniformly thin. Salting the cucumber causes it to wilt and draws out excess moisture. It also gives the dish a pickled quality similar to kimchi, Korea's spicy and pungent fermented cabbage condiment.

• 
  YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: about 1/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups (1/16-inch-thick) slices English cucumber (about 1 large)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons minced green onions
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Preparation

• Combine cucumber and salt, tossing well. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry.
• Combine cucumber, onions, rice vinegar, sugar, crushed red pepper, and sesame oil. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cooking Light
JUNE 2007

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights

Finally posting this recipe because I don't want to forget it. This was the new cookie I tried this last Christmas. Several people told me this was their favorite cookie over the holidays.

Again, I was inspired by Taste and Tell. Here is the original link to this recipe.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights
adapted from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

makes 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 10-oz. jar maraschino cherries*
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Melt the butter and mix in the sugar. When the mixture has cooled off a bit, add the egg and mix. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and cocoa, stirring after each addition. Add the flour and mix well. The dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly.

Drain the cherries and reserve the juice.

Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 per sheet. Press down in the center of each ball to make an indentation. Place one cherry in each indentation.

In a double boiler, combine the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk. Heat on low, stirring, until the chocolate chips have melted. Start adding in some of the reserved cherry juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is thick and will glob off a spoon. If it won’t glob off, keep adding juice until it is the right consistency. Spoon a small bit of the sauce over the center of each cookie – just enough to cover the cherry. It shouldn’t drip down the sides.**

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

*you probably won’t use the whole jar of cherries
**I had quite a bit of the chocolate frosting left over. Good thing it makes a great snack on top of graham crackers!!

Cranberry-Orange Relish

I'm finally getting around to posting a recipe I used at Christmas.

Okay, I am not a cranberry fan. I taste the cranberry dishes that others make but on my Thanksgiving or Christmas table you usually do not find a cranberry dish. That hasn't stopped me from looking for a cranberry recipe I might by some small miracle actually like. Afterall, it is a traditional holiday meal element.

Well, I finally found my miracle recipe this fall. I was inspired by the mature orange tree that came with our new home (I'm so excited about that!) and I came across this recipe on Cooking Light. This is the cranberry dish we'll use from now on. It was delish! Even I liked it!

As a bonus, it is incredibly easy, simple and can be made ahead.

Here is the original link.

Cranberry-Orange Relish

YIELD: 2 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 small thin-skinned Valencia orange, quartered and seeded
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I omitted.)
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur (optional) (I looked up the substitution and used some orange extract.)
• 
  
• Preparation

• Combine cranberries and orange in a food processor, and pulse 5 times or until chopped. Combine cranberry mixture, sugar, walnuts, and Grand Marnier in a bowl, and let stand at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Cooking Light
DECEMBER 1998

Papa Mack's Spaghetti Sauce

I can't believe that this one hasn't been posted yet. It has quite a history and contains a host of memories.

Growing up, this was Mom's famous spaghetti sauce. She actually inherited it from her father who received it from an Italian during World War II.

Mom fed large groups with this recipe. During high school, members of the football and soccer teams would "ask" to come over for dinner when she served this. It was always accompanied by her homemade bread.

Here is her recipe:

Papa Mack's Spaghetti Sauce

4-5 lbs. lean ground beef*

2 (14.5 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes

2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce

5-6 large cloves garlic

3 stalk celery

2 green pepper

2 large onion

1 Tbsp. oregano leaves

1 Tbsp. rosemary (No)

3 whole bay leaves

2 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

3 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

1 can sliced mushrooms or 1 cup fresh mushrooms (**I omit this sometimes.)

Variations:
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. In blender, combine tomatoes, celery, pepper, garlic and onion. Do not blend too fine. Add this mixture to your ground beef in a 4 quart pot or a large crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Best if you let it simmer all day or a minimum of 3 hours. Best if cooked a head of time and put in refrigerator over night or frozen and brought out another day. Seems to blend the flavors. Remove bay leaves before serving over pasta.

Note: I like to have it simmer for 6-8 hours in a crockpot.

* I reduce the amount of ground beef when I make this.

Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

This is my favorite kind of recipe lately...fast, easy and on the table in less than 30 minutes. With baseball games often being scheduled during dinner time I usually need something fast and easy. No surprise it is a Rachael Ray recipe. She is the queen of 30 minute meals it seems.

We loved this one. It was posted by one of my favorite recipe bloggers -- Taste and Tell. Here is the link: http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2010/10/saturdays-with-rachael-ray-easy-chicken.html

Saturdays with Rachael Ray - Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

from Every Day with Rachael Ray

serves 4

total time: 25 minutes

8 oz. fettuccine or spaghetti

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 2/3 cup milk

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Cook pasta as directed on the package. Add the broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the dressing in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is well blended and heated through.

Add the chicken mixture to the drained pasta and mix until the pasta is coated.

I can't decide whether I like this recipe or my other oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe better. Right now this one wins!

The link is here: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chewy-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies/Detail.aspx

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

By: PANTHERA

"I modified Beatrice's Excellent Oatmeal cookies very slightly. I came up with something that my boyfriend went CRAZY over! I've never seen him enjoy cookies to that extent! He said I blew his mother's recipe away."

Rate/Review | Read Reviews (2,049)

40,915 people have saved this | 52 custom versions

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
12 Min

Ready In:
55 Min

Servings (Help)

USMetricCalculate

Original Recipe Yield 3 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 145 | Total Fat: 8.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg