Pizza Meatloaf

I was going to make Pizza Pork Chops with this recipe, but then I found some ground pork and I decided to try something new.

1 lb ground pork (not pork sausage, plain pork)

1 lb ground turkey

2 TB balsamic vinegar

1 TB dried parsley 

1.5 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp dried basil 

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp paprika 

3/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp fennel 

1/4 tsp oregano 

salt to taste 

3 eggs

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3/4 cup bread crumbs

Topping:

2 large roma tomato, diced

1/2 small sweet onion, minced

1/4 cup fresh basil*

2 TB fresh oregano*

1 clove garlic minced

1 cup shredded mozzarella

* Fresh would be BEST, I had to use dried,  1.5 TB basil, 2 tsp oregano. It was still very tasty of course but fresh would be so much better!

Combine pork, turkey and seasonings with eggs, cheese and bread crumbs. Mix well but dont OVER mix.

Place in a greased meatloaf pan.

Allow flavors to mingle in the fridge for at least an hour prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 400 and allow loaf to sit at room temp for 15 minutes.

Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. 

Combine tomatoes, onion, basil, oregano and garlic. Toss well.

When the loaf has reached temperature pour tomato mixture over the top, and top with cheese.

Bake 10-15 minutes more until the topping is bubbly and melted and the internal temp is at least 165.

Allow to set 10 minutes before slicing.

Fruit Salad Muffins

I had some leftover fruit salad so I pureed it up and made some super delicious muffins!!!












2.5 cups pureed fruit salad (mine was cantaloupe, mango, strawberries, peaches and grapes)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar( adjusted to taste, my fruit salad also had some honey, so I used less sugar)
2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Grease or line muffin tins and preheat oven to 350

Combine pureed fruit with butter, egg and sugar. Beat well.

Combine flour, soda, powder and salt.

Scoop flour mixture int fruit mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full

Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cherry Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Bars

I wanted to bring a dessert to a BBQ this weekend and my son suggested cookie bars. He LOVES to make cookies. I had a package of Nestle Cherry Delightfulls so we decided to give them a try, I made up a recipe and he followed it. I love having him in the kitchen with me!

Cookie Dough:

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup room temp coconut oil ( softened butter is a fine substitute)

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tsp vanilla 

2 eggs

9 oz package of Nestle Delightfulls Cherry Filled Chocolate Chips (any flavor of the Delighfulls would be great!!)

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350

Grease an 8 x 11 pan

In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In a mixer bowl mix coconut oil and sugars, add vanilla and crack in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well in between additions. 

Scoop in flour mixture and mix until well combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Press a little more than 1/2 the cookie dough into the bottom of the greased pan.

In another bowl whisk the cream cheese until it is very soft, add in sugar, egg and vanilla and whisk on medium high until very well combined.

Pour Cream cheese mixture over the cookie dough in the pan and spread to edges.

Top with crumbles of remaining cookie dough

Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

 Allow to cool completely before slicing

Coney Island Chili Dog Pizza

Got a great deal on my favorite Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic sausages so I decided to do chili dogs, then I got the idea to transform it into another pizza creation!  A lot of the recipes for Coney Sauce I came across had ketchup as a main ingredient plus the addition of sugars, but then lots of complaints of it being too sweet, so I started to work on my own sauce and I think it turned out great. Some might argue that it isn't "authentic" sauce but it is still pretty darn tasty so that doesn't bug me LOL




Cornmeal Crust:

1 cup warm water 

1 TB yeast (one "packet" is fine, I just like a little extra poof)

2 tsp sugar

3 TB olive oil 

1 1/3 cup cornmeal 

2 cups flour (GF mix is fine!)

1/2 tsp salt



Coney Island Sauce:

1 lb ground beef, (chuck or round would be fantastic!)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup tomato paste(6 oz can)
2 cups beef broth
1 TB apple cider vinegar
1 TB brown sugar
1 TB yellow mustard
1 TB chili powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp celery seed
3/4  tsp cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
a few dashes of hot sauce to taste

* this makes more than enough for the pizza!! Leftover freeze beautifully too or feel free to half the recipe.



6 oz oz franks  or sausages of your choice, sliced
6 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese

Crust:

Mix water with yeast and sugar, allow to proof for 5-10 minutes until foamy.

Add in olive oil.
Combine flour, cornmeal and salt. Add to yeast mixture and mix well until it forms into a ball.

Pour into a greased bowl and set in a warm draft free location, Allow to rise until doubled.












Sauce:

In a large pan crumble and cook ground beef, cook until it is browning nicely











Then add onions and garlic. Cook until no pink remains, crumbling the meat VERY well.












Drain fat and return to pan












Add in remaining ingredients and stir well. (It will be "soupy" looking)











Place a cover over it because it will splatter, but make sure it is vented to allow for evaporation. Allow to simmer 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens up.

Set aside to cool.









Preheat oven to 425

On a greased pizza sheet, pat/roll dough to the edges, turning the edge under to create a lip.











Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.













Spread with Coney Sauce (You can add more if you plan to eat this pizza with a fork, but if you want to keep it "pizza like" don't go nuts, I used between 1/2 and 3/4 of the sauce recipe)











Add sliced franks or sausages











 Top with extra sharp cheese.












Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes more until the crust is browning and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Allow to set 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and top with some diced onions and a squirt of mustard and enjoy!

Orange Chicken and Fried Rice Enchiladas

My husband had this idea of an Asian-Mexican fusion dish. I was a bit leery but it really turned out delicious!!












Fried Rice:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice
1.5 TB olive oil, divided
1/3 cup peas, defrosted if using frozen
1/3 cup broccoli, diced into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup zucchini, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 small poblano pepper, minced
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
2 TB soy sauce or Bragg's Amino



Orange Chicken:
1 LB boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup flour (a gluten free mix works well!)
1 tsp garlic powder
red pepper flakes to taste*
salt and pepper to taste
2 TB olive oil

*I used McCormicks new Sriracha Seasoning!!! Excellent if you can find it!!

Sauce:
1/2 cup water
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TB soy sauce(Bragg's Aminos for GF!)
1 TB orange zest
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp minced ginger root

3 TB cornstarch
1/4 cup water

10 large corn tortillas
Jalapeno or  Habanero Jack cheese (Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend is ok too for less spice)

1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Fried Rice:

Heat 1/2 TB oil in a wide pan, add beaten egg, do not stir. Cook until firm, remove from pan, dice up and set aside.











Add remaining oil and heat. Add cooked rice, toss gently until it starts to brown,

Add veggies and cook until they are tender crisp.  Stir in egg and soy sauce.

Set Aside:









Orange Chicken:
Preheat oven to 375
Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet


Add flour and seasoning to a ziplock bag. Add in chicken and shake well until all pieces are coated.









Shake them off and add to the pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat each piece.

Bake for 15 minutes.







While the chicken is baking make sauce:

In a pan combine all ingredients (Water-Ginger Root)

Bring to a simmer.

Combine cornstarch and cold water, mix well and add to the OJ mixture. Cook and stir until well thickened.




After the chicken has cooked for 15 minutes, pour 1/2 the sauce over it , toss to coat










Cook 15-20 minutes more until the chicken is cook thru.











Proceed with your enchilada making style. I heated my tortillas with a touch of oil, added about 2 TB fried rice and about an ounce or so of chicken and sauce, then topped with a sprinkle of cheese.







Roll them up and place in a greased baking dish. ( I did 2 pans, 1 for spicy cheese, 1 not spicy)

Top with remaining Orange Sauce and more cheese as desired









Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, top with green onions and cilantro, bake 10-15 more until they are hot and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream (and a sprinkle of Sriracha Seasoning!)