Super Bowl-worthy Pepperoni Bread

Here is the recipe for one of my FAVORITE football foods - pepperoni bread with banana peppers.  It was one of the highlights of this year's Super Bowl for me. 

The original recipe comes from our old Chicago friends Dave and AY (aka: the other Lindsay) who now live in Cincinnati with their beautiful new daughter Alaina.  Like all of the other AY recipes that pepper my recipe box, this does not disappoint! 

The most complicated part of this recipe is putting the process of making this bread into words.  Fortunately, I have photos to make the process easier :) 

Start by bringing some pre-made pizza dough up to room temp for 20 minutes so it's easier to work with (you can find pre-made dough in the deli/fresh foods section of your grocery store).  Then roll it out on a floured surface to be roughly the size of a cookie sheet. 

Starting in the top left corner lay down the pepperoni in rows leaving a half inch border around the edge.  As you can see from the photo below, this isn't like pizza.  Don't use the pepperoni sparingly.  Cover the dough, let the edges overlap a little.  I use turkey pepperoni because I think it's a little less greasey and I can't tell a difference between turkey versus real pepperoni.  Cover the pepperoni liberally with mozzarella cheese. 

Drain a jar of banana peppers, tear up the larger chunks and sprinkle them across the dough.

Then slowly gather the edge on the far side and begin rolling it towards you.

Your roll should look like this. You'll be able to see the pepperonis under the dough and you'll be worried it's going to bust but it won't, just be gentle.

Pinch the edges and ends closed and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pair with warm marinara sauce, brownies (Duncan Hines chocolate chunk), beer, friends, a good football game, and enjoy!

*****

Super Bowl-worthy Pepperoni Bread

1 pre-made pizza dough

1 package of turkey pepperonis (or about 15 medium thickness slices of regular deli pepperoni)

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella

1 jar of mild banana peppers

flour

Let refrigerated dough come to room temp for 20 mins.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is roughly the size and shape of a cookie sheet.  Starting in the top left corner lay down the pepperoni in rows leaving a half inch border around the edge. 

Cover the pepperoni with mozzarella cheese. 

Drain a jar of banana peppers, tear up the larger pieces and the sprinkle over the pepperoni and cheese. 

Slowly gather the edge that's farthest from you and begin rolling it in.  Gently place the roll on a cookie sheet and pinch the edges and ends closed.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and crispy. 

Yummy Turkey Chili

Few things go better with football than chili.  I make it a few times each fall and winter with the intent to save some and freeze it for later.  And yet, it always ends up disappearing into hungry bellies and I never get to stash the leftovers away.  Fortunately, it's crockpot chili so it's unbelievably easy to whip up whenever the feeling hits me (or Roy makes an impassioned request).

To me, chili is like BBQ.  It's personal.  Everyone likes it just a little bit differently.  I prefer this recipe because it's packed with veggies and I can swap in ground turkey without losing flavor. And like all good chilis, it's better on day two! 

This chili calls for corn in addition to green peppers, onions and tomatoes.  I like to serve it over corn bread to bring out the natural sweetness of the corn in the chili.  And because corn bread is delicious!  Tortilla chips, fritos or bread work just as well. 

I also don't drain all the fat when I use ground turkey.  I leave a tablespoon or two to give it a bit of flavor.  Is that gross?  Potentially, but I do the same thing with turkey tacos.  Judge me all you want.

Here's a photo of the Royfriend, Foster and I the last time I made chili.  It was so good we were still smiling even after the Hokies lost to Clemson (except Foster, who was rightfully upset with the performance of his namesake Bud Foster).  The beer may have also helped :)

*****

Yummy Turkey Chili

From Fix It and Forget It



1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
6 oz. can tomato paste, diluted with 1 can water
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
16 oz. can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 Tbsp. chili powder

sour cream and shredded cheese for toppings


Saute ground turkey, onions and green peppers in a deep saucepan (yes, all together, all at the same time, despite how awkward it seems).  Drain and season with salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and corn.  Heat until corn is thawed.  Add kidney beans and chili powder. 

Pour into slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Top individual servings with dollops of sour cream or sprinkles of shredded cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

The arrival of football season means the arrival of lots of things.  Cooler weather, pumpkin spice everything, cute new fall clothes, tailgates... 

It also means the arrival of comfort food season!  The cozy, simple kind of food that pairs perfectly with the game and a good beer.

To toast the start of the new football season, I tried this recipe which combines two of my favorite things - pizza and wings.  It was only my second time grilling pizza but I really like the outcome.  The crust gets toasty and firm which makes it perfect for a pizza like this one, which is loaded with toppings.  [Side note: below are alternate instructions for making this pizza in an oven, in case grilling isn't an option for you]

Because I made this on a Friday night and I was in full-on lazy mode, I used a rotisserie chicken.  Next time, I'll probably go to the trouble of baking some chicken breasts to keep it a bit healthier.  I would also add a bit more celery because I love the crunch.  And I'd toss in a few banana peppers because I love them and I think all the flavors would work well together.

The pizza was delicious.  Just the right amount of buffalo wing spiciness to go with the creaminess of the blue cheese.  This would be great for dinner, especially as a precursor to some Monday Night Football!  But it would also be just as delicious cut into small pieces and served as an appetizer.

*****

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
from Boboli

1 12" Boboli® Original Pizza Crust (I used whole wheat)
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 c. hot cayenne pepper sauce (NOT hot sauce, but hot wing sauce)
2 c. chicken, cooked and diced
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 c. crumbled blue cheese
1 tsp. chives 

Preheat the grill for 10 – 15 minutes on medium-high heat.  If you have a gas grill, turn off one of the burners.  If you use charcoal, push charcoal to one side. 

In a medium bowl, combine the butter and hot sauce and mix well.  Add the chicken and celery, toss to coat well. 

Brush a tiny bit of olive oil (or melted butter) on each side of your pizza crust.  Place the crust on the side of the grill with the burner turned off or without the charcoal.  Grill the crust 2 – 4 minutes per side. 

Remove from grill and spread the chicken and celery mixture evenly over the pizza crust.  Sprinkle with blue cheese and return to the grill for 8 – 10 minutes.  Grill until the cheese melts a bit and the crust is golden.  Remove from heat, let cool for 2 minutes, and enjoy!

If you're baking it in the oven...
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the butter and hot sauce and mix well. Add the chicken and celery, toss to coat well.  Spread the chicken and celery mixture evenly over the pizza crust.  Sprinkle with blue cheese and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust gets crispy and it's heated through.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Last weekend Roy and I loaded up the car and went to celebrate the 4th of July at a friend of a friend's lake house. 

It was a -- perfect -- Midwestern summer day.  The kind that make all those brutal winter days worth it.  It was toasty, but not so hot you broke a sweat.  The sun was shining and had warmed the lake water up, but it was still refreshing when you jumped in.  There were literally tables and tables of food and the most welcoming and friendly group of people I've ever met.  And the day wrapped up with some fireworks over the lake that easily rivaled (and to be honest, beat) the city of Chicago's firework show.  It was one of the best "4th's" I've ever had.

My contribution to the feast was Buffalo Chicken Dip.  It's spicy, filling and can be made ahead of time, making it one of my favorite dishes to bring to a party or tailgate. 

I also decorated a batch of pretzels with red, white and blue sprinkles after seeing some inspiration online.  The ones with M&M's are just Hershey Hugs melted on top of pretzels with an M&M in the middle.  The other set were just dipped in some white chocolate and rolled in sprinkles and candy sugar. 

Anyway, back to the good stuff... for the 4th I made Hungry Girl's version of the buffalo chicken dip which features a handful of substitutions to eliminate some of the fat and calories.  My fellow "foodie" friend Rachel introduced me to this recipe and having had both the full fat version and this skinnied down version... I can promise you - you will not know the difference. 

I serve the dip with tortilla chips, celery and carrots.  Hungry Girl also suggested red bell peppers.  Whatever you do, don't be afraid to hang on to any leftovers and turn them into lunch! 

Happy Eating!

*****

Hungry Girl's "Buff Chick Hot Wing Dip"

Two 10-oz. cans 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained
One 8-oz. tub fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (Fage 0% is the best)

Place softened cream cheese in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Mix in Frank's RedHot sauce, mozzarella cheese, ranch dressing, and yogurt. Stir in chicken until thoroughly combined.

Spoon mixture evenly into a deep 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until mixture is heated through. Stir well and enjoy!

PER SERVING (1/15th of recipe, about 1/4 cup): 68 calories, 1.5g fat, 616mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 10g protein -- PointsPlus® value 2

Lazy Woman's Pulled Pork BBQ

I love BBQ.  I think it should be it's own food group.  Right next to oreos and cheese plates. 

That's why it was the natural thing for me to make for my Masters Sunday Party.  The recipe below could not be any simpler but everyone will be amazed at your homemade pulled pork.  Plan on half a pound of pork per person and make sure you give yourself enough time for everything to cook.

As with most crock pot recipes, your house is going to smell spectacular.  The ingredient list is short but powerful.  It has the most wonderful, almost tangy flavor (thanks to the vinegar) that you don't get with the store bought stuff.  I had to force myself to stop sneaking bites while I was shredding it.

I served mine straight from the crock pot with two sauce options on the side - my fave, Sweet Baby Ray's, and a new one, a Culinary Circle Carolina Mustard sauce. I even put them in squeeze bottles to be authentic!  Turns out my attempt to make it official was the way to go.  It made it a lot easier for everyone to make their sandwich to taste while trying both the sauces.  

Not pictured here is the slaw I served to go with BBQ.  I got a pre-shredded cabbage mix and dressed it myself using Marzetti's Slaw Dressing, so I could keep it from drowning in the sauce.  When you're fixing up your sandwich, put the slaw on top of your BBQ.  It's magical. 

Moral of the story... hang on to this one.  It's a fantastic, easy recipe that's perfect for a party, pot luck or tailgate.  One of those that makes it seem like you worked a lot harder than you did ;)  And great when you want to stay out of the kitchen and spend time with your guests. 

Happy Eating!

*****

half shredded, half falling off the bone

back in the crock pot after shredding

Pulled Pork BBQ  - the lazy woman's version

3-4 lb Pork Shoulder Roast
1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. water
2 T. sugar

Place your roast in the crock pot.  Add apple cider vinegar, water and sugar.  Cook for 12-15 hours on low setting. 

After 10-12 hours, take the pork out of the crock pot and place it on a cutting board or platter (leave the liquid in the crock pot!!).  The roast should be falling apart.  Shred it with two forks or your hands. 

Place the shredded pork back in the crock pot with all the liquid.  Keep it on low or warm until you're ready to serve. 

The sauce in the crock pot is good, but your pork will probably need a real BBQ sauce.  Use your favorite and enjoy!