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Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.

Who doesn't love homemade pizza?  Any pizza for that matter!  This past weekend I couldn't think of a better way to cheer on the Green Bay Packers than with pizza and popcorn.  My hus took care of the popcorn and left me to the pizza.

In honor of my upcoming trip to Chicago I did some investigating about their pizza.  It seems there is some argument surrounding the better pizza - Chicago vs. New York style pizza.  Think deep dish vs. thin crust.  Think knife and fork vs. hands.  And in the end...think no comparison!  The two types of pizza are so different!  They both taste great!  You will make your family and friends happy with either selection!  And even happier if you make your pizza crust from scratch.

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.
Pizza Dough (see recipe below, use your own recipe, or use store-bought dough)
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza Topping (I used italian-seasoned pork sausage (cooked ahead of time), turkey bacon (much like canadian bacon), and onions)
Pizza Sauce
Italian Seasoning

Grease a standard size cheesecake spring pan.  Press dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides.  Place slices of mozzarella on top of the dough.  Top with meat, onions, and any other pizza toppings of your choice.  Spread pizza sauce across the top.  Sprinkle with additional cheese and italian seasoning if desired.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until crust is browned.

Pizza Dough.
(recipe by me)

1 cup water
1/4 cup garlic-infused grape seed oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Please ingredients in bread machine - in the order they are listed.  Turn to dough setting and let the magic happen!  Watch the machine for the first 5-10 minutes to ensure you liquid to dry ratio is inline.  Adjust as necessary.

 Now go make pizza!

Apple Cinnamon Granola Bread.

Yes, the apple theme continues...

The first time reading though my new bread cookbooks, I bent the corner over on the page for Apple Cinnamon Granola Bread to indicate a bread I wanted to make sooner than later.  I was intrigued with using apples in a yeast bread as previously all apple breads I've seen were quick breads.  Plus I haven't made a loaf of cinnamon bread in a long time and I thought this might make up for it - especially since it would be coming out of the oven when my husband and father-in-law came in for lunch.  Really, what's not to love about a slice of warm homemade bread on a cold winter's day?

Apple Cinnamon Granola Bread.
Adapted from Prairie Home Breads

1 cup water (room temperature)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chunky applesauce (I used the chunky applesauce we froze last fall)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole flour
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon wheat gluten
3/4 cup granola
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine bowl in the order listed above.  When placing the yeast in the bowl form a small well in the flour to dump it in.  Set bread machine to dough setting and let the machine do the work!   Punch dough down and place in a greased bread pan.  Allow to rise for 1 hour (or until doubled in size) and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

That is just how easy homemade bread making can be.  Very little hands on time when using the bread machine with the results matching that of having played around with the dough all morning!

The end result is a slightly sweet bread with a touch of cinnamon and bit of crunch from the granola.  We ate it fresh from the oven (heaven) as well as a toasted for a couple days later (still delicious!).  This was a nice break from my stand-by honey oat bread.

Apple & Stuffing Pork Chops.

I've always liked the combination of pork and apple.  Breakfast sausage cooked with apples....pork chops served with apple sauce...and now this: pork chops cooked over a bed of apple-cinnamon pie filling topped with stuffing.  

The combination may alarm you, but I assure you there is no need to be alarmed.  Besides the great taste, the prep time for this dish is minimal and the oven time gives you the opportunity to get a few things done around the house.

Apple & Stuffing Pork Chops
(Adapted from Taste of Home 5-Ingredient Cookbook)

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 package stuffing mix (prepared according to package directions)
1 large can apple pie filling (if filling doesn't come with cinnamon, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Spread pie filling onto the bottom of the baking pan.  Place pork chops over the top of the pie filling.  Spoon stuffing over the top of each pork chop.  Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes (or until the pork reaches 160 degrees).

Yum!  I served this with garlic smashed potatoes and peas.

...and if you are sensing an apple theme...I did not plan for all of these apple dishes to pop up at the same time, but they have...and there is an least one more coming!

Apple Kuchen with Crumb Topping.

My husband loves apple desserts.  Loves them.  So when he suggested we make an apple dessert the other night I jumped at the opportunity to try a second recipe from my Better Homes & Garden One-Pan Recipe book.

Apple Kuchen with Crumb Topping.

(Recipe Slightly Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens One-Pan Recipe Publication)

Kuchen:

2 1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs

4 medium apples (peeled, cored, and cut into slices)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup butter

Combine 1 cup flour and yeast in a mixing bowl; set aside.  In a small saucepan, heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm.  Add milk mixture and eggs to the flour mixture.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Beat in the remaining flour.  Spread batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  In a separate bowl combine apples, brown sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, and apple pie spice.  Spread apples mixture on top of the batter.  Top with crumb topping (made by combing ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs).  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

We, of course, served ours with some Wisconsin ice cream.  Babcock Hall ice cream to be exact.  If you are lucky enough to live near and/or be driving through Madison.  Stop at Babcock Hall for some ice cream.

Pastitsio.

Wonder how to say pastitsio?  Try pah-STEET-see-oh.  Wonder what pastitsio is?  Think Greek and think lasagna.  Thanks to Better Homes & Gardens I am now 1/18 of the way to meeting my new year's resolution!

Pastitsio
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens "One-Pan Recipes)
1 pound ground beef
1 cup onion (chopped)
2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound pasta
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs (lightly beaten, divided)
4 tablespoons butter (divided)
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups Parmesan cheese

Prepare meat sauce by cooking beef and onion over medium heat.  Drain fat.  Stir in tomato sauce, sugar, chopped tomatoes, wine, and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Once cooked, drain well and toss with 3/4 cup milk, 2 beaten eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter.  Ensure noodles are slightly cooled to avoid cooking the egg mixture.

Create cream sauce by melting remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth.  Slowly add milk (thickening in between pours).  Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and thickened.  Slowly add mixture to remaining eggs.  (Again adding slowly to avoid cooking the egg mixture).

Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half of the pasta mixture onto the bottom of the pan.  Top with meat sauce.  Sprinkle with a cup of cheese.  Top with remaining pasta and sprinkle with another cup of cheese.  Finally, pour cream sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover the pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle each serving with ground cinnamon.

I know I can trust my husband's "this tastes good" if he takes more than one serving or if takes bite after bite out of the pan - saying he doesn't want another serving...just another bite.  And...he ate more.  Success!  I was worried the about the cinnamon, but you need not be.  It's a very mild flavor and not at all overwhelming.  We'll make this again!

It feels great to get back to cooking!  After all my holiday baking I doubt I'll want to bake until Valentine's Day!  Ok, who am I kidding I'll probably be baking again by week's end!

Whole Wheat Cheddar Bread & Bowls.

When Michelle posted her Taco Chicken Chili yesterday I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be to sit home cozied into the living room on Saturday night while eating this soup and watching the Wisconsin Badgers play in the Rose Bowl.  As the day went on my husband and I decided not to go to church on Saturday evening and attend the weekday mass this coming week instead.  Things were coming together for a perfect evening...and then they get better!

They got better because I found a recipe for Whole Wheat Cheddar Bread with instructions on how to make bread bowls!  What a better way to start the new year than spending the evening with my husband eating a home-cooked meal and watching our Wisconsin Badgers play in the Rose Bowl!  Not to mention accomplishing one of my resolutions on the first day (i.e. trying a new bread recipe each month).

Whole Wheat Cheddar Bread
(Recipe Slightly Adapted from Prairie Home Breads)
Makes 2 loaves of bread or 1 loaf of bread & bread bowls.
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
12 ounces sharp Wisconsin cheddar (cut into dice-sized pieces)

Instructions for Using a Bread Machine to Prepare Dough:
Fill bread machine bowl with ingredients in this order: water, oil, honey, salt, flour, cheese (placed to either side - leaving the center open to pouring the yeast).  Make a shallow well in the flour (careful not to go as deep as the liquids) and fill with yeast.  Turn bread machine to dough setting and watch carefully as dough may not have enough room to rise...with 10 minutes left in the cycle I opened the cover and replaced with a towel to allow full rising potential.

Split dough in half.

Loaf Instructions:
Form half into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about an hour)  Once risen, bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Bread Bowl Instructions:

Cover the bottom of six 6-ounce custard cups with cooking spray.  Divide dough evenly into six parts.  Pat each dough into a 7-inch circle and mold around each upside-down custard cup and place on a baking sheet.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for about 20 minutes.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  Once golden bowl, remove from oven and carefully separate the bread bowl from the custard cup.  Allow the bread bowls to cool before serving.

The soup was amazing.  So delicious!  Bread bowls were also a success although next time I make the soup I will try my hand at cornbread as suggested by Michelle.