Big Kahuna Pizza

Every few months, Taste of Home puts out a new magazine full of great recipes.  My favorite are the Taste of Home 5 Ingredient magazines.  I have 3 of them.  They make it so easy to try a new recipe without having to round up a ton of new ingredients.
This one is called the Big Kahuna Pizza.  I made it just a smidge different in that I cooked my own pork roast in the crock pot instead of purchasing the precooked pulled pork.  My local grocery store had a 1.5 pound pork roast on sale for $2.19 and that was a steal of a deal.  So I drenched it in my favorite BBQ sauce and let it simmer on low for a few hours in the crock pot.  Then I just shredded it up.

1. Start with a 12 inch precooked pizza crust.  (You can make your own).  Top it with shredded pork.  About 16 oz will do the job.  I drizzled some extra BBQ sauce on top, but not too much because I don’t like soggy pizza.

2. Top with a 15oz can of drained Pineapple chunks.  I drained it and then patted it down with paper towels to make sure there was no extra juice to make the crust soggy.  It gets juicier as you bake it.

This cheese is really the best.  I have said it before.  I usually buy generic in most all my groceries, but this cheese is so good……I justify it

3. Top that yummy looking pizza with 2 cup cheese.  I like Mozzarella cheese, but you can use your favorite kind of cheese.

4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Devour!
Big Kahuna Pizza
12 inch precooked pizza crust
16 oz cooked BBQ pulled pork
15 oz can pineapple chunks
2 cups shredded cheese

Tortellini Emilia

I was browsing through some of my old cooking magazines to find recipes to use up leftover Easter ham.  And I found this little gem.  It has tortellini, cheese, and ham (and more cheese), how could I go wrong?!

Tortellini Emilia (Better Homes and Gardens)
16 oz dried cheese-filled tortellini
3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups half and half or light cream (fat free half and half worked great)
1/2 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (to lessen the cost, you can sub in Swiss cheese)
1/2 cup broken walnuts
2 oz prosciutto, finely snipped (this is where you sub in about 1/2 cup finely diced ham)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain
2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion and shallot in hot butter over medium heat until tender.  Stir in half and half and the milk.  Bring just to boiling.  Remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks.  Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.  return egg mixture to saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium low heat about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Stir in parmesan cheese, sage, and pepper.
4. Transfer half of the cooked tortellini to a 2-qt baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the Gruyere cheese.  Pour half of the sauce over layer in dish.  Top with the remaining tortellini, walnuts, prosciutto, and the remaining sauce.  Bake for 20 minutes until light brown and bubbly.
Makes 8 servings at 455 per serving with regular half and half.

Sausage Spinach Quiche

I know this has been posted before, but I made it again.  We love it. 

I always make 2 for dinner so that we have plenty of leftovers to fight over share the next morning for breakfast.
I had a mom request a meal that hides in some good greens. I grew up enjoying this recipe. In fact, all of us kids would gobble it up and my mom had to make 4 quiches to feed us all. It is still the recipe my 10 year old brother requests for his birthday dinner every year. And my 2 year old asks for seconds.
Spinach Sausage Quiche
1 pie crust (I use Pillsbury, but you can make your own)
8 oz bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup herb seasoned stuffing mix
1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (6oz)
3 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
grated parmesan cheese for topping
paprika to sprinkle on top
*Because pie crusts are sold in a package of two, sausage is sold in 16 oz portions and you would need a full 10 oz pkg of spinach, I choose to always double the recipe and make two quiches. You will be glad you did. It is very easy to double*
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place pastry shell in pie plate and gently poke around the bottom. Bake for 7 min. (Sometimes I find my crusts shrinks and falls to the bottom. No big deal, just continue on….it will still taste amazing)
3. Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees
4. Brown sausage, onion, and garlic. Drain.
5. Stir in spinach and stuffing mix.
6. Sprinkle the 1 1/2 cups cheese in to the cooked pie crust. Top with sausage and spinach mixture.
7. Beat eggs and milk in a small bowl. Pour over ingredients in pie plate.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake 15 more minutes.
9. Here is the tough part. You need to let it sit for 15 min before cutting. Otherwise you will get a sloppy mess. You may have to go outside so that you don’t stand drooling over the pie plate for 15 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

Ranch House Pork Chops with Garlic Parm Mashed Potatoes

6 pink pork chops, waiting to be slathered in gravy

This meal was so fast, easy, and a hit with this family (who typically does not like pork)

Steamed broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables.  They seem to go with every meal.
I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and quickly found that there are about 6 different cooking blogs that have a version of this.  No wonder, it is THAT good.  I kind of adapted the measurements and amounts per my family’s preference. 
Ranch House Pork Chops with Garlic Parm Mashed Potatoes
6 pork chops 3/4 to 1 inch thick, thawed.
2 pkgs ranch dressing dry mix
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
6 baking potatoes
2 garlic cloves minced
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
pepper to taste
salt to tastes
1. Place pork chops in bottom of crock pot.  Layer if you need.
2. Sprinkle ranch mix and 2 cans of soup on top of chops.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 5 hours. 
3. 30 minutes before ready to eat, peel, dice, and boil potatoes until soft.  I place my diced potatoes in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and let boil for about 15 minutes until very tender but not yet mush.
4. Drain potatoes and transfer to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer.  I just used my kitchen aid.
5. When mostly mashed, add the butter, sour cream, milk, seasonings, and cheese.  Mix well.
6. Serve the pork chops and gravy over the potatoes and serve with a side of steamed veggies or salad. 
ENJOY!

Hide those veggies: A delicious deception

I had a mom request a meal that hides in some good greens.  I grew up enjoying this recipe.  In fact, all of us kids would gobble it up and my mom had to make 4 quiches to feed us all.  It is still the recipe my 10 year old brother requests for his birthday dinner every year.  And my 2 year old asks for seconds. 
Curious, aren’t you?!
Spinach Sausage Quiche
1 pie crust (I use Pillsbury, but you can make your own)
8 oz bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup herb seasoned stuffing mix
1 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (6oz)
3 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
grated parmesan cheese for topping
paprika to sprinkle on top
*Because pie crusts are sold in a package of two, sausage is sold in 16 oz portions and you would need a full 10 oz pkg of spinach, I choose to always double the recipe and make two quiches.  You will be glad you did.  It is very easy to double*
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place pastry shell in pie plate and gently poke around the bottom.  Bake for 7 min.  (Sometimes I find my crusts shrinks and falls to the bottom.  No big deal, just continue on….it will still taste amazing)
3. Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees
4. Brown sausage, onion, and garlic.  Drain.
5. Stir in spinach and stuffing mix. 
6. Sprinkle the 1 1/2 cups cheese in to the cooked pie crust. Top with sausage and spinach mixture.
7. Beat eggs and milk in a small bowl.  Pour over ingredients in pie plate.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika.  Bake 15 more minutes.
9.  Here is the tough part.  You need to let it sit for 15 min before cutting.  Otherwise you will get a sloppy mess.  You may have to stand outside so that you don’t stand drooling over the pie plate for 15 minutes. 
10.  Enjoy!

Balsamic-Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This was so easy and yummy.  My husband and I don’t typically love pork.  More often than not, it is like chewing on an eraser.  But this was tender and so so flavorful.  I give it 4 stars!
Of course, I found this recipe on Pinterest.  I did have to cook it longer because I was using a larger roast and making a double batch.

• 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pounds each)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (if preparing in oven)

Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you like or have the time, marinate overnight. If not, no worries, it will still be great! Grill preparation: Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Try to let it rest before slicing. Oven preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes. Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.