Chicken Caesar Pizza Rollups

This is an easy recipe for a weeknight meal. I had made my big batch of pizza dough two weeks ago and put two rolls of dough in the freezer. I pulled one and made this homemade and quick rollup supper! 

Chicken Caesar Pizza Rollups

Pizza dough* 
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup Cardini's Caesar Dressing, more if desired
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil

1/2 tespoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Shape the dough or unroll if using store bought into a rectangle. Spoon dressing over dough. Top with chicken, cheese and seasonings. 

Add dressing and chicken

                             Add cheese and seasonings

Sliced and placed on a cookie sheet

Roll up the dough from short end to short end. You can wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to help with cutting the roll into pieces. Slice and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until dough is done and golden brown.

* For Dough recipe Click Here! or use a pizza dough from the store. 

Chicken Caeser Pizza and Homemade Pizza Dough

 

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Pizza dough, *recipe below*
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup Cardini's Caesar Dressing, more if desired
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Follow dough direction below. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread dough out on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes to prebake the crust before topping.

Spoon dressing over dough. Top with chicken, cheese and seasonings. Bake at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minute.

Pizza Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/4 teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in a work bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the water and olive oil. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with floured hands or by stand mixer for 10 minutes on medium or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

After mixing.

After doubling.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours., or until approximately doubled in size and puffy. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a tight ball. Cover and allow it to rise for 20 more minutes before baking.

Two of the dough balls.

As you can see, it doesn't have to be perfect! 

Preheat oven to 425°F and bake for 10-15 minutes to prebake the crust before topping. Take out of the oven and top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings and cheese.** Bake until the cheese us golden in spots and the crust edges are a light golden brown.

** Follow the instructions for my Chicken Caesar above. 

This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months before using.

Mine didn't have as much basil 

and pepper as the hubby's did.
Make it yours like I did! 

Christmas Tree Monkey Bread (Pull Apart Bread)

I saw this idea in a video online and decided to give it a try. I didn't like their choice in spices so I changed things to our taste. It is very easy and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. You can change the spices or the type of cheese. I want to add pepperoni or sausage next time! My best advice with this recipe is preheat your oven and start at the lowest time range and keep your eye on them. If you walk away and let it go to long, you'll have a tray of hollow bites and melted cheese all over the place! You can see that mine already started to melt and hollow.

1-2 packages refrigerated canned biscuits (depending on how big you want your tree)*
1 block mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 Parmesan cheese
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
Salt and Pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Cut mozzarella into 1” pieces. Cut each biscuit in half. Wrap biscuit halves around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball. Place biscuits seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of (any style or size) Christmas tree you would like (biscuits should be touching). Brush brush egg wash on biscuits and bake until golden 12-18 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese doesn't begin to melt out of the biscuits!
Whisk together melted butter, Parmesan and herbs. Brush on baked biscuits. Serve warm with marinara for dipping.

*This tree took 15 biscuits cut in half.

Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bombs!

The Kids love pizza and burgers, So I combined the two for these Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bombs! As you can tell by the picture at the bottom of the post... It got them all here! :-)

 This was the test run.
It tasted good, but not very pretty!

This was the second run.
Very good and looks good too!

Pizza Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated
1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Burger Bombs :

1 pound ground beef

Kosher salt and black pepper

Pizza dough, room temperature

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

4 ounces thin pepperoni (about 32 slices)

1/4 cup olive oil, for brushing

For the sauce: To a small saucepan over low heat add the oil, garlic and onion and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and seasoning, and mash with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

For the burger: Form the meat into four 4-ounce patties and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Grill until medium, then remove from the heat and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Divide the pizza dough into four 4-ounce balls. Press out each ball on a floured board. Top each dough round with a slice of mozzarella, a couple slices of pepperoni, then 1 burger patty and 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce. Repeat with cheese and pepperoni. Fold the dough over the burger as if making a large dumpling. Brush with olive oil and top with a little extra cheese and pepperoni. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with extra pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

Pizza Monkey Bread

Pull-apart bread, which we call Monkey Bread, is perfect for parties, showers or just a great supper. They can be sweet or savory. This one is made with pepperoni and cheeses, but you can add anything you want to it. There are no limits to the combinations that you can make. I made this one very simply using Krusteaz Garlic and Onion Flatbread mix. I highly recommend it. It was delicious in this recipe!

Pizza dough or canned biscuit dough

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 tbsp. basil leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 (8 oz.) package of mini pepperoni

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan well.

Cut pizza dough or biscuits into small pieces.

Add all the ingredients in a bowl, except the dough and toss. Add the dough pieces a few at the time and toss so that the oil is spread evenly on each piece of dough. If you add them all at once, they stick together and just make a huge ball... I found that out the hard way! LOL

Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked. If the middle is still not cooked thoroughly, leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes at a time until it’s done. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with marinara, pizza or spaghetti sauce for dipping.

No Yeast Pizza Dough

 

1 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp oil
1/2 to 2/3 c water


Mix dry ingredients, then add 1/2 cup water and oil. Stir until it forms a ball. If dough is stiff, add more water. If it's wet or sticky, dust with a little flour. 

For pizza: Add sauce, toppings and cheese.Bake at 400°F for 15-25 minutes.

... add sauce

... pepperoni, cheeses, basil and S&P.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Emile Henry Flame Pizza Stone, 12-inch - red - Flame (Google Affiliate Ad)

Caesar Crab Pinwheels

At Christmas, I made some Bacon Parmesan Pinwheels. They turned out really well! The hubby remarked that they would be even better with Caesar dressing on them. He even got a small bowl of dressing for dipping them. Well this past week, I had the dough leftover and the dressing, but no bacon. However, I did have some crab meat that I was planning on using to make some Cheddar Crab Biscuits. (I'll have those on here soon... as soon as I get more crab!)

1 can refrigerated dough (pizza or crescent)
1/4 cup Caesar Dressing *
1 cup Crab Meat
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough. If using crescent rolls, pinch the seams back together, making one sheet of dough. Spread dressing over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with crab and cheeses. Starting at one end, roll the dough using even pressure to roll the dough without pushing the filling out. Roll the dough into a log shape. Once rolled to the end, cut the log into approximately 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet. (I sprinkled mozzarella cheese on the top of each roll.) Bake about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

* The amount of dressing, crab and cheese may vary according to what dough you use. You control the amount of toppings you choose... however, too much will make it hard to roll.

Eggs Benedict Pizza

with Prosciutto, Eggs and a side of Hollandaise Sauce for dipping...

Thin Pizza Crust Recipe

.25 oz. pkt. active dry yeast

1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
3/4 cup 110 degree water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.

Place dough on a lightly greased pizza pan and stretch dough to edges.

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

1 cup butter

3 egg yolks 

1 tablespoon heavy cream 

1 dash ground cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

Melt the butter until bubbly in a small pan. Remove from heat before butter browns.

In a blender or large food processor, blend the egg yolks, heavy cream, cayenne pepper, and salt until smooth. Add half of the hot butter in a thin steady stream, slow enough so that it blends in at least as fast as you are pouring it in. Blend in the lemon juice using the same method, then the remaining butter.

To assemble the pizza:

Spread a little of the Hollandaise sauce over crust and top with bacon*, eggs, salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden and the eggs or done to your liking.

*Pan fry the bacon until done but limp... this way your pizza is not swimming in grease and the bacon takes on a little crunch!

Eggs Benedict Pizza (more instructional recipe if you need it)

4-6 slices Prosciutto or bacon

4 eggs 

1 cup butter 

3 egg yolks 

1 tablespoon heavy cream 

1 dash ground cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 pizza dough

In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the Prosciutto or bacon on each side until done but not completely browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter until bubbly in a small pan. Remove from heat before butter browns. In a blender or large food processor, blend the egg yolks, heavy cream, cayenne pepper, and salt until smooth. Add half of the hot butter in a thin steady stream, slow enough so that it blends in at least as fast as you are pouring it in. Blend in the lemon juice using the same method, then the remaining butter.

Place pizza dough on a pizza pan. Cook for 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and drizzle with a little of the cream sauce. Top with prosciutto and carefully break eggs on top. Bake for another 6 minutes or until eggs reach desired doneness.

Not as runny as I like... but good!

Elliott's Pizza

Tonight my son, Elliott, who is 14 asked me about making a pizza. "Where's the stuff for my pizza Mama?" I used the crust on the Garlic-Onion Mini Rolls the other night, so I told him I'd make him a crust. I couldn't reach the little box that holds all the baking stuff, like yeast. So I called out to him for help... He says, "In a minute, Mama!" So... I wait. I go back to the computer and poke around my recipes. He finally comes in and says, "What are you doing? I want to make my pizza!" I got him to help get all the stuff for the pizza together and he walks out, again! I made the crust for him and hollered for him again...

I activated the yeast in 110 degree water and 1/4 tsp sugar for 8 minutes, then combined with the 1 3/4 cups a/p flour and 1/2 tsp salt... following my thin pizza crust recipe.









... my hands covered in dough! He yells, "WHAT?"
Hmm! hmm! hmm! (That's me humming to keep from killing him!) I finally get him back in the kitchen to help... I was holding a clump of dough that was now stuck to my hand, in between my fingers and trying to oose out of my hand due to the heat. I got him to spray the pan so I could put the dough ball down and work with it (after washing my hands). As I was working with it, I told him how to do it and he says, "My hands aren't clean."
Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! "Wash your hands Elliott!" He does and then he turns to me and says, "Stop it. You're messing up my pizza dough!"

I had to snap this quick...

He kept putting him hands in front of the camera!

Teenagers! LOL

Earlier this month, I had some pizza sauce left over. Here's handy little tip... I froze what was left in popsicle molds. I removed them from the molds, into plastic bags and back in the freezer. I told Elliott to get two of the frozen pizza sauce blocks and pop them in the microwave. He says, "What sauce? That's not sauce!"
"Yes, it is Elliott... just put it in the bowl and melt it in the microwave!"
He put the sauce on the dough. I said, "Next the pepperoni..."
"No Mama! Cheese is next!" He reaches over, then looks at the pizza, back at the cheese. He grabs the pepperoni and says, "Next pepperoni! Bahahaha!"
"Funny Elliott!"

I had forgotten to preheat the oven... I know, bad mama! So, I turned it on to 450 degrees.

He adds the cheese... and says,

"How about add some basil or something... otherwise it will just taste like cheese!" I agree and ask "What else do you want? Maybe some oregano also?" "I don't know Mama! You're the chef!" as he's gesturing rabbit ears in the air! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! (Humming, remember?)

So... I add basil, a little oregano and some kosher salt aaaaaand he's walked out again! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Well, I'll wait on the oven to come to temp... I go back to the computer to go through some more recipes. He comes back in about 5 minutes or so and says, "Um Mother!?! I don't mean to criticize your cooking skills, but my pizza won't cook unless you put it in the oven!" I'm thinking 'my pizza... unless you'... what?!?! AND WHAT DID I DO???!!!??? I got up and put the stupid thing in the oven!!!

He did slice it when I called him and told him that it was done... and he ate every last piece! :-)

Well... I will say that it looked and smelled good!

Garlic - Onion Mini Rolls

This recipe came about today basically by mistake, accident, expiration dates... you name it. Everything I tried to cook today threw me a curve in some way or another. Do you check the expiration date on all your groceries? I don't mean just the milk, eggs and meat... I mean everything! It seems like every time I come home from the grocery store for the last few months, something is close or past its sell date. The hubby brought home a bottle of Caesar salad dressing last month that expired in May of 2011! Today it was a 4 pk of canned biscuits that I bought to make monkey bread. Luckily, I had just bought a pizza dough to make a Chicken Caesar Pizza, and now that the dressing was expired, I could use it in place of the biscuits. It just wasn't enough dough to make monkey bread, so I came up with these little clouds of yumminess!!!

 I started with

pizza dough, raw and rounded into 1/2" balls

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

 Place the dough balls into the butter mixture

about 5 or 6 at the time.

Scoop them out with you fingers so some of the

onion and garlic bits

transfer to the greased baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Buttery little clouds of yumminess! 

Must have been pretty good... This is all that was left for me :-)

Here is the recipe as I intended it to be... But I like it better the way it turned out today! :-)

Garlic-Onion Monkey Bread Recipe

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough or 24 frozen unbaked white dinner rolls, thawed

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Herb-seasoned olive oil, optional

Divide dough into 24 pieces. In a small bowl, combine the onion, butter, garlic, parsley and salt. Dip each piece of dough into butter mixture; place in a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with olive oil if desired. Yield: 1 loaf (24 pieces).