Skillet Pizza Part II

We couldn't decide what we wanted for dinner the other night so I looked through my own cooking blog and was reminded about a Cast Iron Skillet Pizza I made so often last year the skillet remained on the counter for months. So down I went to the utility room to find that seasoned ol' skillet. Here's my latest version.

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 packages of refridgerator thin pizza dough
1 - 24 oz. jar of Classico Four Cheese pasta sauce
1 - 14 1/2 oz. can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
2 medium Vidalia onions, chopped and sauteed
1 lb. ground round, browned, seasoned with Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
5 oz. (about 1 1/4 cups) shredded 3 Cheese Italian cheese (Parmesan/ Aisago/Romano mix)
8 oz. Gouda cheese, sliced thin
2 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 400. Fit the pizza dough in the skillet, tearing it to cover the bottom and sides. Remove excess dough from edges, fill any thin areas with the excess dough. Press firmly.

Layer in order:
Half the parmesan, half the ground beef, half the onions, the entire can of diced tomatoes, half the 3 Cheese Italian, Half the tomato slices, half the jar of Classico, half the spinach leaves and cover with half the sliced Gouda.

Repeat the layers one more time. Note: diced tomatoes are used only once. Finish with tomatoes and Gouda on top and sprinkle with remaining shredded parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. This will serve up to six generous servings. Keeps well for leftovers the next day too.

Because onions were involved, Spot "hid" under a table in our bedroom. We loved the new verson even better than the first! More of a winter dish so we'll wait til Fall to try it again.

Our New Fav Side Dish

How do you spell Side Dish? One or two words? The other day I watched a show new to me called "Restaurant Impossible". The host is Robert Irvine. Not only does he help restauranteurs evaluate their use of space, he upgrades their menus when needed.

We are all in love with his recipe that we tried tonight along with marinated BBQ T-Bones. I tweaked it a little, but all the credit goes to Robert.

Blue Cheese Spinach Orzo Side

INGREDIENTS:
3.5 TBSP unsalted butter
3 TBSP flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1 pound orzo, cooked and cooled (drain in cold water, fluff to keep from sticking)
2.5 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 big handfuls of fresh spinach
1.5 cups diced tomato


DIRECTIONS:
In medium skillet over med-high heat, melt butter. Lower heat and whisk in flour. Once fully combined, reduce heat all the way to low and whisk in milk. Stir and cook til thickened. Then add the blue cheese, one package at a time. Be sure fully combined before you add the next pkg. Season with salt and pepper, blend and remove from heat.

Now stir in the orzo. Then add the spinach and tomatoes, again combine well. The orzo will warm with the sauce and the spinach will wilt.

Start to finish this takes about 30 minutes. Serves about 8 people with one-cup servings or the 4 of us with refills. Chef says this will keep 5 days. Not in our house!

Spot was not around for this part of the meal. She was only interested in the T-Bones on the BBQ and is now enjoying her reward.

Spinach-Cream Cheese Dijon Chicken AND Lemon Spinach Tomato Orzo

This recipe is from my daughter Anne who came home last weekend and prepared us this feast! It has gone on our short list, and takes just 25 minutes start to finish (unless you double it).

INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken
8 - 10 chicken tenderloins (we use the flash frozen ones, thawed. If you have a 75-lb-dog like our daughter does, thaw on top of fridge)
A few handfuls of fresh spinach
1 cup whipped cream cheese at room temp
Salt
Pepper
Grey Poupon Mustard
Toothpicks

For the Orzo
1.5 - 2 cups uncooked Orzo pasta
4-6 TBSP butter, to taste
1 full lemon juiced (do not use prepared juice, it makes a difference)
1 - 2 diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
A few handfuls of fresh spinach
Salt
Pepper

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat broiler to high. Move rack about 6" from top. Also put medium pot of water on high to boil for Orzo.

Cut tenderloins in half as if you are butterflying them. (8 tenderloins will make 16 pieces) Salt and pepper to taste.

Lay cut tenderloins on foil wrapped cookie sheets. Spread each with as much cream cheese as you like. Press 6-8 spinach leaves onto the cream cheese side of the tenderloins.

Roll up the tenderloins starting with the fat end, rolling toward skinny end and secure with a toothpick. Dollop each rolled tenderloin with Grey Poupon to taste. The rolled up chickens should be about 2" apart.

Broil about 8 - 10 minutes til tops are browned and chicken cooked all the way through. (Cut into one piece before removing from oven to be sure it is not pink)

Add Orzo to boiling water with 1 tsp salt.

While pasta is cooking, dice tomatoes.

When Orzo is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add butter, Parmesan and tomatoes and stir until cheese and butter are melted. Add salt and pepper and fresh squeezed lemon, mix.

Serve with chicken and enjoy! Big eaters will enjoy 6 tenderloins so plan accordingly.

Spot gave this 4 fat paws and sat under her big sister's chair the entire dinner

Almost Home-Made Spaghetti

This recipe has bloomed over the years on nights when we want a yummy dinner but don't want to spend the night in the kitchen. Based on Classico Spaghetti Sauce, we personalize it with sautéed onions and mushrooms. It even passes the diet test, that is if you are on one and control your portions. Our recipe serves two teen boys, one man and one mom, so adjust as needed. It was especially good on our (finally) cold winter's night in Minnesota (now, if we just had snow...)

MENU
Meaty Spaghetti
Cheesy Tuscan Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs lean ground beef (or turkey)
2 jars Classico Spaghetti Sauce (we use Four Cheese)
1 package frozen spinach, microwaved for 4 minutes
1 red onion, diced
1 pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pkg spaghetti noodles
1/2 loaf sliced Tuscan bread from Target
1 container or pkg shredded parmesan cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
fresh or refrigerator basil

Prepare cheesy bread first. Melt stick of butter in microwave. Add enough shredded parmesan cheese to make thick paste. Spread on one side of Tuscan bread. Wrap in foil and bake at 375 for 65 minutes. (If you want to make this GARLIC, add a good 5 cloves, smooshed up well.)

In large skillet, sauté onion in 2 TBSP olive oil. When onions are partially done, add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add more olive oil as needed, just don't get it soggy. While skillet-ing, go ahead and nuke the spinach. Combine spinach with skillet items, stir well, then put contents on dinner plate. Use same skillet to brown meat, adding basil to taste.
Add Classico sauces and onion mixture. Stir well, bring to boil. Cover and simmer while you cook the pasta.

Easy, healthy and full of good stuff! We like to sprinkle more fresh parmesan on top once we've plated. In fact, we pretty much like to put some form of cheese on anything.

Spot was just underfoot the whole time! Must be a 4 paw-er.

Incognito Spinach Potatoes

So the other night when I made our good ol' Roast Beast, I thought I'd jazz up our mashed potatoes. Mostly because I meant to make Cauli Mashed Potos, but didn't have any cauliflower. Ahhh, but I did have frozen spinach! Rachel Ray says that frozen spinach has even more spinach in it because of how much it takes to get one package. Not well summarized, but basically it's more nutritious. The cool thing about putting spinach in the potatoes is that you have a hidden vegetable that gives texture. There are lots of things I've been hiding spinach in... but back to these potatoes:

INGREDIENTS
Red potatoes
1 pkg frozen spinach
1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
Kosher salt
ground pepper


Boil potatoes, drain and cover back in pot. Microwave spinach about 5 minutes. Squeeze out all moisture using paper towels. Add spinach to potatoes. When combined, slowly add buttermilk until potatoes reach desired texture. Salt and pepper to taste.

These potatoes would go well with any meat, chicken or fish dish.

Spot gave 4 paws for the Roast we had, but was not really interested in anything to do with spinach.