Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza.

This past fall, our family picked up a pizza from a local pizzeria.  When Gary was ordering he opted for the Bacon Cheeseburger variety.  I was pleased with his decision as I've had "cardboard" pizza in that variety before (i.e. Jacks, Tombstone, etc) and always enjoyed it.  But then we had said pizzeria pizza.

Upon first taste we were both a little unsure.  And then we immediately went on to eat half of a large pizza.  About the unsure taste...it was a ketchup and something sauce.  We had been expecting a traditional pizza sauce.  We kept eating and trying to figure out the sauce.

This is what I came up with and it's pretty similar.  And if you decide to give it a try, you'll likely have that moment of uncertainty and then indulge in this pizza.


Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza.
(Recipe by Mom Taught Us)

1 pizza crust (You MUST make Melanie's crust.  It's super easy and was so delicious.  I'm pretty certain this is the only crust that I will make going forward.  It's perfect.) 
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Sprinkle oregano over crust.

Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons thousand island dressing
1/3 cup mustard
Combine all ingredients and allow to sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.  Spread evenly over the crust.

Toppings:
3/4 lb ground beef (browned)
1/2 onion (diced and cooked with beef)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
6 slices high quality bacon (cooked and crumbled)
Place toppings (in order listed) on top of sauce.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until cheese is melted to your liking.

For real.  You'll like this pizza.  ...if for no other reason than it has bacon on it.  :)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Cheeseburger Soup.

It's been cold and snowy in Wisconsin since Mid-November.  Colder and snowier (ok, probably not snowier, but some days it feels like it) than normal.  It's getting old...

...but the eating soup and fresh bread part...that part is wonderful.

And so is this soup that I created after failed attempts of finding what I wanted in my cookbooks and Pinterest (shocker, I know). 


Cheeseburger Soup
(Recipe by Me)
1 lb ground beef
3 small onions (small like the size of a golf ball and sliced into rings)
1/2 cup carrots (sliced)
1/2 cup celery (sliced)
1 teaspoon garlic
4 tablespoons of butter (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups potatoes (peeled and sliced)
1/3 cup flour
16 ounces process cheese (cubed)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Brown ground beef and set aside.  Saute onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender.  Place potatoes, beef, veggie mix, and broth in stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  In a separate skillet, melt remaining butter.  Add flour and some of the broth to make a roux.  Add the roux to the soup.  Bring back to a boil then reduce heat to low.  Add cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and ketchup.  Stir until cheese melts.  Remove from heat and serve with a slice of fresh bread.

I'm certain this will quickly become a household favorite.  If serving for a gathering, I would recommend making a double batch.  My single batch was gone before we knew it...granted I do feed a dairy farmer and growing 1 year old :)