Favorites Friday - Tony and Lisa's Awesome Pizza of Doom

We stumbled across a specialty pizza at Mellow Mushroom one time, and it had a load of toppings that sounded delicious.  I think it was called "Hey Dude"?  Well we loved it, and decided to make our own version at home, with some personal touches.  This is typically what we make now when we do pizza from scratch.  I tried to think of what to call our pizza a while back, and in a moment of silliness I wrote down "Tony and Lisa's Awesome Pizza of Doom" and that's what I've called in in my head ever since; though in real life we just call it "our pizza".

Tony and Lisa's Awesome Pizza of Doom

Ingredients
(Use your judgement for amounts, based on your personal preference)

• Pizza dough (we like Publix or Trader Joe's)
• Olive oil
• Garlic, minced or garlic powder
  
• Grated parmesan or romano
• Pizza sauce  *see note
• Mozzarella
• Pepperoni
• Bacon bits
• Chicken, shredded (or canned)
• Buffalo sauce
• Jalapenos (optional)
• Onions, diced (optional)

Instructions

Let the dough rest at room temperature, as instructed on package.  Prepare/preheat your pizza stone (if using one).  Mix chicken with some buffalo sauce.  Roll out the dough into a large circle, and place onto the greased pizza stone or pan.  Brush (or Misto) the edges with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic and parmesan/romano on edges.  Layer sauce, cheese, and toppings in order listed, finishing with a drizzle of buffalo sauce swirled on top. 

All prepped and ready to go in the oven!

Bake at 400°F for about 18-24 minutes (check what your dough package says), until cheese and crust turn golden brown.

 

 

 

 

Fresh out of the oven!  (No jalapenos or onions on this one)

 
We recently tried a variation using some leftover garlic butter spread from Publix, melted and brushed on the crust instead of olive oil.  It was even better!  But it's not something I keep around all the time.

*We have tried many different pizza sauces, some of which have been pretty good, and some have been downright icky.  The best ones we have found so far have been Trader Joe's fresh sauce (found right next to the pizza dough) and Classico jarred pizza sauce.  Publix brand jarred sauce wasn't bad, either.  Avoid Ragu at all costs.  There was also another one that I found was just too chunky, but for the life of me, I can't remember what brand it was.  (I know...helpful, right?)

Enjoy!

Smoky Bacon Pork Chops

This is another recipe I tasted at Publix, and couldn't wait to make it at home.  I also discovered how yummy pork can be, and it was cheaper than I thought.  I sense more pork recipes in my future!

Smoky Bacon Pork Chops

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

•  4 thick pork chops (original recipe calls for bone-in, but I used boneless)
• 3oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 C cooked bacon pieces 
• 1/4 C light mayo
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper sauce
• 2 tsp mesquite seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.  Line baking sheet with foil.
2. Season pork chops with mesquite seasoning; place on baking sheet.
3. Combine cheese, onions, bacon, mayo, and pepper sauce.
4. Spread cheese mixture evenly over pork chops.
5. Place on middle rack; bake 8-9 minutes.
6. Turn oven temp to broil; broil 2-3 more minutes or until pork is browned and up to 145F.

Publix's Aprons recipe usually includes nutrition information, and this one weighs in at only 370 calories per serving.  Using the nutrition calculator on My Fitness Pal for the specific ingredients I used, the calories per serving came out to about 320. 

Om nom nom

The cooking time needs some adjustment.  I left it in a little longer than the recipe said, and it was still a little too pink in the middle when I cut into it, so I had to put it back in the oven for a few minutes.  I think it ended up getting a little overcooked in the end, though.  Maybe try 11-12 minutes, then broil for 2-3?  The pork chops definitely had a little kick to it, maybe a bit too much mesquite seasoning, though, so go easy on the seasoning.  I used real bacon bits because I keep them on hand and it was just fine.  I'm sure real bacon cooked fresh for the recipe would be even better, but it was so much easier to just use the ready to go bacon bits.  Overall, this was a pretty easy recipe to make.

The Verdict

Tony thought it "wasn't bad", and I thought it was quite yummy!  I will probably make it again sometime.  And I will definitely give more pork recipes a try!

Favorites Friday - Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

This has been a favorite of ours since I first tried it several years ago.  I came across this recipe in a Southern Living magazine, so I can't take credit for this awesomeness.  I was able to dig up the original recipe online here.

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes
Makes: about 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 (14.5oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 C ketchup
• 1/2 C BBQ sauce (we often use Sweet Baby Ray's or whatever's open)
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T chopped jalapenos, from jar
• 1 T juice from jar of jalapenos
• garlic texas toast (1-2 slices per serving, depending on the size of the toast)
• shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Instructions

Brown ground beef in large skillet; drain grease. Stir in tomatoes, ketchup, BBQ sauce, Worchestershire sauce, jalapenos, and jalapeno juice.  Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened.  While sauce is cooking, prepare texas toast.  Serve sauce mixture over texas toast and sprinkle cheese on top.

This is a good "grown up" version of Sloppy Joes that packs a lot of flavor.  The jalapenos add some spiciness, but you can adjust to your personal preference. (I love it spicy!) Combining with the garlic toast and cheese is what really seals the deal, though.  Be warned, this recipe is so "sloppy" that it just needs to be eaten with a fork! 

(Note: I tried to double the recipe once, but it was difficult to get the sauce to thicken up right with more in the pan.)

Pepper Shrimp Saute

I know it's been a little while since my last post.  Things have been pretty busy around the house, but at least I'm getting stuff done!  I probably need to make a short list of what I want to try cooking next, because I've just been too lazy or too busy to pick something out of the hundreds of recipes I want to try.  This recipe was an easy decision, though.  I was at Publix doing some grocery shopping, and they had this recipe featured for taste-testing.  I'm normally not a big fan of shrimp, but I gave it a try and loved it!  About a week later, I tried making it at home.  The full recipe can be found on the Publix website (printer friendly version in link).

(Sorry for the absence of pictures in this post.  I could have sworn I took a picture, but I can't find it.  Maybe I forgot to take one before scarfing it down?)

Pepper Shrimp Saute

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large orange (or yellow) bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 2 pouches boil-in-bag white rice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/3 cup chipotle cooking sauce
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 oz large peeled/deveined shrimp, tails removed
• 1/3 cup sliced, stuffed green olives

Instructions

1. Chop onion, peppers, and cilantro.
2. Prepare rice following stovetop instructions on package.
3. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Place oil in pan, then add onions, bell peppers, and jalapeños; cook and stir 5-6 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown.
4. Reduce heat on pan to medium-low. Add roasted peppers and cooking sauce to onion mixture; cook and stir 2 minutes.
5. Stir in broth and shrimp; simmer 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and opaque and liquid has reduced by about one-third.
6. Remove pan from heat; stir in olives and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve.

I made a few minor modifications when I made this recipe:

• Used some chopped bell peppers that I already had in my freezer (having some ready in the freezer comes in handy a lot!)
• Made rice from scratch instead of using the "boil-in-bag" rice
• Used concentrated chicken broth (comes in little tubs), reconstituted with water (I find it takes up a lot less room in my pantry)
• Used jarred jalapeño slices instead of fresh (it's a staple in our house)
• I also left out the olives...because ick

Cooking with raw shrimp was definitely new for me.  I probably cooked them a little longer than was necessary, but I really didn't want them to be undercooked!  I was a big fan of the chipotle cooking sauce.  It was a little on the pricey side for flavoring, but it really packs a ton of flavor!  It gave the dish the perfect amount of kick.  Also, it wasn't bad leftover (if a little water is added when reheating), but the shrimp does get dry/overcooked when reheating, so it is best to avoid making so much that there is food left over.

The Verdict
Loved it!  Even the hubby liked it.  I am definitely saving this recipe to make again!

See my next post for a Creamy Citrus Salad that goes really well with this recipe...