Homemade Spinach Pizza Roll

If I asked what is the ONE dinner that you eat at least once a week, regardless of work night, school night or weekend....what would your answer be?

Fast Food? (please don't say McDonald's) Soup? Sandwiches? Spaghetti? Pizza? PB and J? Cereal?

Ours is PIZZA! First of all, we rarely call out for pizza if we do I am, knocked out, dragged out too tired from work to even walk into the kitchen and we have this little hole in the wall pizza place we call, no Domino's or Pizza hut (yuck) However, when I want an easy night to make dinner, it's Pizza Night! We like a thin crust, no sauce, one meat and lots of veggies!

For November, the Allrecipes.com Allstar Ambassadors could choose Reynolds this month to cook, blog and share about. I jumped on that!  I am a huge fan and use the Reynold's Non-stick Foil practically everyday. I have a roll in the drawer and always a spare in the cabinet for when you finish the "roll in the drawer." Nothing is more infuriating than to pull out the foil to cover a long pan and BOOP!- you get a 3 inch strip and naked cardboard roll! Dammit, you say because you have no more.  Not me.  As soon as I open the new roll, I am shopping for the back up roll next week.  So yeah I am THAT devoted and it really is totally different that regular foil.  I especially love using it when I bake my bacon.  I do not fry it on the stove anymore.  350º for 20 minutes on the non stick foil....so much easier. 

Ok, back to pizza.  One of the recipes I choose was the Homemade Spinach Pizza Roll.  I love variations on a popular favorite!  Some people would call this a stromboli but whatever, my mouth and stomach don't care what it's called.  It was delish! Take a look at some of my notes after the recipe.

Homemade Spinach Pizza Roll
from Allrecipes.com, recipe by Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Foil

1 tablespoon cornmeal
8 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1 (13.8 ounce) package refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (8 ounce) can pizza sauce, warmed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with Reynolds Wrap(R) Non-Stick Aluminum Foil; sprinkle with cornmeal. Set aside.

2. Brown sausage in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain and set aside.

3. Unroll pizza dough onto prepared baking sheet. Carefully stretch or roll dough into a 13x10-inch rectangle. Arrange sausage on dough to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Layer spinach on cheese. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Starting from a long side, roll up dough to make a 13-inch-long loaf. Pinch seam and ends to seal.

4. Place loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg. Using a sharp knife, cut four 2-inch slits in top for steam to escape.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If necessary, cover the last 5 minutes of baking to prevent over browning. Remove from oven and slice into rounds to serve with pizza sauce.

#AllstarsReynolds 
#MealMagic
Cook's Notes:
1. Don't ask why my photos were taken at an angle.  I viewed them now and in the cropping process I was like WTH, was I thinking?  Stupid but oh well. I am NOT one of those photogs that take too many pictures.  I click for what is needed and CHOW DOWN, no time to mess around.
2.  This was actually my second attempt, the sausage went in that version.  It stuffed it too much and although it was ok....the internal picture wasn't as nice. So when I made TAKE 2.  I had only meatballs on hand.  Chopped up and sauteed olive oil.  They worked just fine.
3.  My first attempt was using a store brand canned pizza dough, I also rolled it out too thin, don't do that.  The second one I used Pillsbury and didn't push my luck on the thinness, I stretched it out just about 2 inches more than it's original size.  You can see the breading around holds the ingredients well. 
4.  i REALLY liked the spinach on this.  I hate how you can pile on tons of fresh spinach and it reduces down to nothing.
5.  Even though the Non-Stick foil really sticks less, the cornmeal really helps make this virtually non sitck.  I use cornmeal on my fresh pizza dough nights too.
6.  What I adore mostly about making pizza or pizza rolls/strombolis is that they are so versatile.  Whatever ingredients you have on hand will work and you will never get tired of Pizza Night each week.


Bite it!

Cheesy Beef Lasagna

Hi Everyone!
Clearly, I have been spending WAAAYYY too much time with my new breakfast sandwich maker.   It is the bomb but I need to get back to some blogging, right?  Well, if I can be honest I stopped blogging mainly because I was doing (still am) Nutri System.  Kinda difficult to be making all these luscious recipes AND trying to lose weight.  So far lost 45 pounds, yet it is still is a struggle only because my husband is NOT needing to lose weight that I have to prepare dinner for him and/or us. It's very complicated...regardless onto what I made this weekend.

For this month of October, I tried a recipe provided by Allrecipes.com sponsored by PAM®.  I was glad to take this on because I use PAM® A LOT.  When you are on a diet plan that wants you to eat virtually no FAT, then I use PAM® every time I cook.  I always used it whether on a diet or not. The Allrecipe Ambassador Allstars had a nice long list of recipes to choose from and since I had many of the ingredients for Lasagna and the weather is starting to turn cold, this was an ideal choice.

Lasagna recipes are funny....some people have the only ONE family recipe they use and none other and others try different ones all the time.  Other than a white lasagna or veggie one.  Are they really THAT different?  Phhffftt.... I think that a basic meat lasagna and it's prep is pretty standard.

HOWEVER-

This one was particularly attractive because you DON'T BOIL THE NOODLES!  Yay!!!!  Just so you know....whether you use the regular noodle to boil or the special noodles that say NO BOIL....it's all the same.  You never have to boil them.  I find a lot of people don't know this.

Use what you got, it doesn't matter.  However fresh pasta (if you can find lasagna noodles in your freezer section of the grocery) are THE BOMB!  The following is the recipe I used and for your entertainment at the bottom of the recipe I will add all the little tips and tricks I do to make my lasagna making easier (I am a Family and Consumer Science teacher in case you forgot, so I have a plethora of fun tips and tricks!)

Cheesy Beef Lasagna
-recipe from Allrecipes.com
JennyMac's Lipsmack adapted changes below

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup water, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck beef (80% lean)
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Hunt's® Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 cups Hunt's® Tomato Sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
9 dry lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup Kraft® Grated Parmesan Cheese

 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with PAM® cooking spray. Combine ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons water, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in small bowl; set aside.

 2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook 7 minutes or until beef is crumbled and no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Drain. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining water, vinegar and red pepper flakes to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 3. Assemble lasagna by spreading about 1 cup meat sauce over bottom of dish. Place 3 dry noodles over sauce, top with 2 cups meat sauce, half of ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, ending with a layer of noodles topped with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

 4. Spray underside of aluminum foil with PAM® cooking spray; cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:
1. First, are you going to eat this today, tomorrow or next month.  Crucial information.  Making today, spray your favorite (suggested deep dish) 9X13 pan.  Making tomorrow, spray.  BUT, if you are making for later to FREEZE, then line your favorite pan with foil, then spray with PAM.  Make your lasagna and FREEZE.  After two days of it finally being rock hard remove the lasagna from the pan with the foil so you can reuse your favorite 9X13 pan.  Why would you hold a pan hostage in the freezer like that?  Use foil and pop it out when it's frozen. Easy peasy!

2.  Ricotta cheese- 3 types, Nonfat, part skim and whole fat.  Use what you need.  If on a dietary restriction or trying to cut the fat in your diet....do whatever you NEED, don't be a slave to what a recipe dictates!  Make it so it works for YOU!  I choose part skim and I didn't use water because I used a beaten egg to help firm it up a bit.  I used a 1/4 cup liquid egg stuff it has no fat to help on the calorie content as well. As for parsley, use what you have...either dried or fresh.  I still had some from the garden this summer but use dried if that is all you have got.

3.  Beef and onion.  I used 1 pound 95% fat beef and 3 hot italian sausages and one whole onion.  GEEZ, it's a one pan meal here!  I am gonna use one whole onion....I don't have to time to peel, chop and MEASURE out 3/4 cup of onion.  I felt crazy enough to throw in the last poblano pepper from our garden too.  No crime in adding more veggies!  What is your SPICE/HEAT capacity?  As for the 3 hot italian sausages, one poblano that 1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes did not ZING up the lasagna enough for my husband.  His only complaint was that this needed more ZIP.  I am the one with the higher tolerance for spicy foods so coming from HIM that means something.  So add more hot pepper flakes if you need to...I was trying to keep it calm for K-man and he said it was lacking so punch it up if you want.  Just taste it...you will know.

4.  Assembling the lasagna- I felt weird putting 1 cup of sauce down first but it needs it....you are using DRY noodles....so do it.  Those DRY puppies need something to slurp up and make them soft, so don't be stingy. However I did not put 3 noodles but 4!!!  It was too much exposed lasagna layers to do it that way even though I know they will expand...but they won't expand straight across perfectly separating my layers!!!  So I had plenty to spare so I went rogue and did 4 per layer.  I also wet them.  Start the absorption please!  As for the cheese I used 3 cheeses.  The recipe said CHEESY Beef Lasagna.  Two cheeses weren't cheesy enough for me.  I like the meltability of Monterey Jack cheese as opposed to the stringy-ness of the Mozzarella and the potent tang of the Parmesan.  I wanted to make my own blend.  I added an additional cup of Monterey Jack to the Mozzarella and parmesan.

5.  I sprayed the foil and covered and put it in the fridge for the next day.  I never make a lasagna and eat it the same day.  I think my lasagna tastes better this way.  Of course the cooking time will be twice as long heating it up stone cold as opposed to warm from the preparation.  All the seasonings, and herbs and garlic all just co-mingle and be better the first day....rather as leftovers when everything had time to 'sit'.  The next day, preheat your oven bake for 1 and 1/2 until bubble with foil and NO CHEESE.  Remove foil and add remaining cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes until all melted and bubbly.  Put in your garlic bread to toast.....and let it stand for another 15 minutes (this is a must!) I don't care how hungry you are and if the kids are chanting and banging their forks on the table.  The lasagna needs to set or you will not get a piece like this...

See?  No sauce running all over or cheese oozing out.  It's a must!  Just a simple spinach salad on the side.  And look at how swollen these noodles get?!

The noodle were swelling practically over the handle on the glass dish.  SO use a deep dish pan if you have one.  If not....put a cookie sheet under the dish just in case.  We will have it again tonight for dinner then the rest must go wrapped up as individual servings in the freezer.  Yes, the husband K-man has a two day limit to all leftovers.  Back when I was single, this was my lunch and dinner for a WEEK!
#AllstarsPAM

Enjoy, we did!

Beefaroni/Sausaroni

One of my assignments as an Allrecipes.com Brand Ambassador was to take a ground beef recipe and change it using Johnsonville Sausage.  All righty!! Don't need to ask me twice!
I know the picture is not stupendous but it was nighttime, it was dinnertime and we were hungry- nuff said.

This recipe was for Beefaroni.  Ground beef, tomato sauce, cheese and pasta. Being JennyMac who is notorious for playing with food.  I did some tweaks.  Those ingredients was just TOO boring.  I had to add some onions.  Double onions.  Raw onions in the mix and French's Onions on top.  It was great!  Of course if you are a fan of Johnsonville and have a FB page, try Johnsonville Kitchens- its another source of recipes plus this way you get a more open forum of things people are doing/sharing.

Now since this is a tweak, I will put the original recipe and provide the link to Allrecipes - following it I put my notes.  Here is a link to my customized Sausaroni recipe.

Beefaroni
from Allrecipes.com

1 pound ground beef
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked elbow macaroni
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until evenly browned. Drain.
3. While the ground beef is cooking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and stir in butter. Transfer to a large casserole dish, and mix in the ground beef, tomato sauce, and Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top.
4. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and bubbly.

Cook's Notes:
1.  Substitute one package of Johnsonville Sausage, I used HOT Italian.
2.  I added half chopped RAW onion to step 3.  We wanted the onion with a little bit more bite....not faded and mooshy.
3.  I added salt and pepper and 1 tsp. garlic powder to the whole mix not just on top.
4.  I sprinkled half a container (about 1 cup) of French's Fried Onion on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
5.  Next time I will do this half tomato sauce and half diced tomatoes!
6.  Added BONUS!  Did you know that they make CORN ELBOW pasta for those who are GLUTEN FREE?

I am sure your KIDS would love this.  Using the mild or sweet sausage I am sure would be good,  not sure hot your kids can take it.  I am so used to HEAT that my tongue may be OFF.  lol  Serve with a salad and garlic bread. 

YUM!

Easy Garlic BreadSticks

Oh yum!

One of my favorite Bloggers Rachelle from Mommy I'm Hungry (she got it from Jamie Cooks it up!) posted about this and it caught my eye....I'm all about easy and in true Jenny Mac fashion- had to tweak it. First let me share the original recipe:

Easy Garlic Breadsticks

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
3 1/2- 4 C flour (amount will definitely depend on your weather)
1/4 C butter (and butter ONLY)
3/4 C grated Parmesan
Garlic Seasoning/Italian Seasoning

1. Mix the water, sugar and yeast together in a measuring cup or in the bottom of your mixer. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add the salt and the flour, one cup at a time, until it is well incorporated. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

3. Melt the butter and pour half of it into a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet).

4. Place the dough in the center of the pan. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Letting the dough rest makes it MUCH easier to shape.

5. Spread the dough out flat onto the pan until it reaches all of the edges. Doing all of the spreading and cutting of these bread sticks, in the pan makes cleaning up your counter so much easier!

6. Pour the other half of the butter onto the dough. Spread it around with your hands. Sprinkle the seasoning of your choice all over the dough, and then the Parmesan cheese.

7. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into three rows lengthwise, and then into about 12 little height wise rows.

8. Put the pan into a 170 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes. The breadsticks should rise about 1 inch.
9. Turn you oven up to 350 and bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. When they come out of the oven let them sit and rest again for about 5 minutes. Then redefine your cutting lines with the pizza cutter. You may find using a pair of kitchen shears is easier to cut the edges where the cutter can't reach!

Break out the lasagna, spaghetti, marinara sauce or tomato soup. This stuff rawks! These definitely taste best the first day. If you eat them past the first day a little warming in the oven is better. If you are "cooking process challenged" then go directly to Jamie for pictorial directions.

OKAY, this was the unaltered recipe....I did it like a good foodie.....BUT tune in next time for my TWEAK...here's a peek. Not tellin' ya what it is yet....you gotta come check it out. Just as easy and the kids will FALL OUT!

Munch Out!

Smoked Mozzarella Sausage Pizza

I don't know about you but finding smoked cheeses has been hit or miss around here lately. Sometimes I can find the smoked gouda or cheddar and smoked mozzarella is always around. I guess I need to venture farther than my local Harris Teeter? lol

I am ALL about making our own pizza. Sorry I won't do frozen pizza from a box anymore OR calling any local pizza chain either. If we are going to splurge on pizza I am going to make it. Fresh meats, homemade sauce and fresh veggies. The only cheat.....frozen pizza dough. Yup. I am not TOTALLY out of my mind here....gotta have some compromise, right?

I love fresh mozzarella. A very different affect on your pizza if you use fresh over the block stuff and two steps above if you use the 'already shredded' stuff (sorry, I gave up the preshredded stuff too when I found out they add stuff to it to keep it from sticking....I grate my own now too).
I wanted to try the 'smokey stuff' with our sausage to mix it up in our pizza makings....I was great and easy too.

Smoked Mozzarella Sausage Pizza
Lipsmack creation

1 Frozen Pizza Dough (New York Pizza Deli brand puts two in a box, they also make Whole Wheat)
Your favorite sauce (I just used a can of 29 oz store brand plain tomato sauce with 2 T of Italian seasons and some garlic)
1 lb hot italian sausage, browned
1 pint of mushrooms, cooked
1 onion, chopped and cooked
1 lb. smoked fresh mozzarella (found usually in your gourmet cheese section of grocery), sliced
fresh parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Brown your sausage. Remove from pan. In sausage drippings, saute the mushrooms and onions. Add sauce and sausage. Add fresh garlic if you like. Simmer.

While sauce is cooking, roll out dough on parchment paper. If you do not have a pizza stone, turn over a cookie sheet and that will work (WHY haven't you gotten a pizza stone yet? Just keep in in the oven 24/7 like I do....it's too heavy to take in and out....just leave it be. Actually I take it out only for T-day feast cooking). Rectangle or circle, roll out that dough. Place in oven to parbake (I sometimes have to keep a skewer handy to POP the bubbles). Just cook about 8-10 minutes to cook it through. Remove from oven.

Place sliced mozzarella on baked crust (yes you heard me right, cheese first, don't argue with me!). Place sausage/veggie sauce on cheese. Slide dough back into oven until crust is browned, cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cut into 8 slices and add fresh parmesan on top before serving.

Look at that thing of beauty. You couldn't get a tastier pizza from any box or restaurant, trust me. Homemade pizza rocks. The little extra effort is soooooooooooooo WORTH it!

Commanding you to make more homemade pizza,

Supreme Pizza Bubble Bread

When you have all the makings for a nice supreme pizza...it really bites when your only 'bread' is some canned biscuits. I said to myself...."I REFUSE to press them out to make mini pizzas! Nor am I going to press them all together to FAKE pizza dough!"

So here is what I did to make my pizza 'outside' the box....

Supreme Pizza Bubble Bread
JennyMac Lipsmack Creation

2 cans of refrigerated biscuits (10 count each)
1 cup of chunky tomato sauce (mine is just canned whole tomatoes mooshed with my hands with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and parmesan cheese added to taste)
1/2 cup onions, chopped.
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 pint mushrooms (raw or sauteed)
1/2 cup pepperoni, chopped in half
1/2 cup Italian sausage, (however styled, mine was leftover from a hot sausage sub night, chopped)
4 mozzarella cheese sticks, chopped
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded.
Freshly grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the sauce, onions, peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage and chopped mozzarella sticks. Cut each biscuit into quarters and mix into the 'supreme' mixture.

Put supreme mixture on lightly oiled pizza pan (not the ones with holes). Spread it out about 1 inch from edge. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with freshly grated Parmesan. Pizza can be served as a slice and eaten with fingers or just serve from pan in center of table and everyone just pull and eat!

Here have a bite!

Fun pull apart type of dinner that is kid friendly and chocked full of veggies! Also, this was NOT a supremely EVIL pizza if that is what you are thinking, I used turkey pepperoni and sausage, the mozzarella was reduced fat. So there.

Supreme Lipsmacking,

Cutting a corner....

Hey there guys! I took a little time to get settled back into my teaching schedule. Hope you didn't miss me too much. LOL. Although, catching up on my 'reader' has been difficult. You guys have been cooking up a storm. Sheesh!


What I've made for you to try at home is:

4 Cheese No Boil Manicotti

1 box manicotti
16 oz ricotta
2 cups mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup cheddar
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
French's onion rings for garnish
fresh chopped parsley

Grease your 9X13 pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl. Put your ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan and mix well.
Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of your 9X13 pan. Now is the time to stuff your manicotti. Yes, you are NOT boiling them. A little secret about pasta people don't tell you....sometimes you don't need to boil them. You are going to use either a spoon or your fingers to stuff the cheese in the tubes. If you want a cleaner and easier method, use a pastry bag with no tip or a heavy duty ziploc bag with the corner snipped. You may want to reinforce that corner with some tape for the cheese mixture is thick!

Squeeze the cheese in the tubes and lay them in your 'sauced' pan. One box of pasta will fit fine. Cover all the manicotti with the remainder of the sauce and bake covered with foil for 1 hour.

When time is up. Toss all the remaining cheese on top (and the onion rings if you desire). Turn off oven and let cheese melt.

Lift out your manicotti and garnish with chopped parsley.

Mmmmmm, simply delicious. I should have made this on earlier for a Meatless Monday! One day a week being meatless is all they suggest....doesn't matter the day! I can't wait for the leftovers when the flavors will have married more!

Enjoy!