Tomato Pie

I got this recipe from Traci at Meadows Family News and my family loves it! We have been using up the last of the garden tomatoes, so this recipe is perfect.

Tomato Pie

--Pie crust (I use my homemade crust, but frozen is okay)
--1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
--Garlic Powder, to taste
--Salt & Pepper, to taste
--Tomatoes, cut into pieces, enough to fill pie plate
--1 to 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
--1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
--Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 425. Cover edges of crust with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove crust from oven and turn oven back to 375. Layer pie crust with breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan, and then repeat layers again. End with a layer of tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Pizza Dough

Pizza is a weekly meal at our home, typically on Friday nights. My hubby, daughter and I all have different tastes for pizza, so I make individual pizzas we can add our own toppings to. My daughter is partial to pepperoni and cheese pizza, my hubby loves barbeque chicken pizza, and I love veggie pizza. Below is my recipe for an easy, basic pizza dough. All you need to do is add sauce, cheese and your choice of toppings.

Basic Pizza Dough

--1 cup warm water
--1 package active dry yeast
--2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
--2 TBSP olive oil
--1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the oil, salt, and remaining flour. With large spoon mix the ingredients together until the dough holds its shape. You may need a bit less flour, so add the last half gradually.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (I'm a lazy baker, so I mix my dough in a large bowl and then knead directly in the bowl, eliminating the need for a kneading surface.) If the dough becomes sticky, sprinkle a bit more flour over it.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled 2-quart bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough has risen, divide it into two or more parts and roll them into balls. Cover them with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped, topped and cooked, or it can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.


My hubby's barbeque chicken pizza before cooking. All our pizzas are cooked on a pizza stone in a 425 degree oven.

Easy Mac and Cheese

My daughter LOVES macaroni and cheese, although I don't fix it very often due to the calorie count. However, here is my easy Mac and Cheese recipe:


Easy Mac and Cheese

--8 oz. dry macaroni
--2 TBSP butter
--2 TBSP flour
--2 cups milk
--2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
--Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare macaroni per directions on box.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and stir to remove all lumps. Then add the milk and cook until thick, stirring continuously. Add salt and pepper to taste and then cheese. Cook over low heat until melted.

Stir cheese mixture into drained macaroni and spread into a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then enjoy!

Oven Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

One of my family's comfort foods is roast chicken. I've perfected the recipe, so I want to share it with you.



OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES

--Chicken, your choice (I normally use a whole chicken or bone-in chicken breast, but thighs and legs work just as well)
--4 or 5 medium potatoes, skins on, cut into cubes
--Handful of carrots (or any other veggie you may want to use)
--1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Scrub potatoes well then cut into cubes (I cut in half and then in half again). Coat potatoes with half the onion soup mix and then place in the bottom of a baking dish. Add carrots or other veggies you may be using. Then coat the chicken with the remaining soup mix and place on top of veggies. Cover dish and bake for 45 minutes. Then uncover dish and cook an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and chicken reaches 170 degrees on a meat themometer.

Enjoy!