Grilled Personal Pan Pizza Bar

This Grilled Personal Pan Pizza Bar has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareItForward #CollectiveBias

At least once a week we try to get together with friends, just to catch-up with each other over a delicious meal. With the warmer weather rolling in we are spending this time together outdoors - most likely with the grill fired up! This past weekend we invited a few of our buddies over for our weekly catch-up and a Grilled Personal Pan Pizza Bar. We've enjoyed these tasty little Grilled Personal Pan Pizzas as a family, but this was the first time preparing them with a larger group. They were perfect and SO much fun! We also shared awesome personalized cans of Classic Coca Colas with our cronies. With names on the cans like Adventurer and Explorer, I knew they would be a hit with our crowd!

Cast Iron Pizza Pan Crust {Family Favorite}

Sometimes I seriously wonder if my 4 kids are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reincarnated. Seriously. They can pack pizza away like high school boys {but they're only ages 2-6} and I find myself having to cut them off. Yes, cut them off like drunks at a bar. {I used to bartend, so I have good experience with this! haha} And as you probably know, ordering pizza from a restaurant can add up quick - real quick. So, I have 4 kids {+1 husband} who can eat pizza like they're competing in an eating challenge and I am trying to save money where I can - it only made sense to start making their favorite food at home. From scratch. Through many, many, many trial and errors - I present to you Cast Iron Pizza Pan Crust!

Garlic-Chicken-Pizza Potatoes

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Good Cook, as part of the Good Cook Kitchen Experts program. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.

One thing that I love is one-pot dinners. Plain and simple, less dishes = happy momma. Another thing that I {and the Hungry Harps clan} love is pizza. Oh, it's a serious love. Perhaps an addiction, but I'm not trying to kick the habit. Anyhow, the inspiration for these Garlic-Chicken-Pizza Potatoes is one of my favorite pizzas from Mountain Mike's Pizza, the Robber's Roost - it's sooooo delicious! But the only problem I have with making pizza is not always having dough ready, so I thought of doing a potato-base instead of pizza dough. The result was amazing and I am so excited to try different toppings on this new creation!

Pepperoni Pizza Bowls and Good Cook Bake-A-Bowl Giveaway

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Good Cook, as part of the Good Cook Kitchen Experts program. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.

What's better than personal Pepperoni Pizza Bowls? Not much. A giveaway for the pan that made them possible!! Trust me when I tell you that this pan is a life-changer and you want one in your life.

I was beyond excited to receive my Good Cook Bake-A-Bowl pan set and get started making some sweet creations.  When my son and I opened up the package from Good Cook he immediately started asking to make the brownie bowls that are shown on the product packaging...

Hawaiian-Pizza Meatballs

A couple weeks ago I made Triple Bacon Meatballs that were inspired by Papa Murphy's Bacon Bacon Bacon Pizza. They turned out freakin' amazing!! I was so smitten with the idea of a pizza-inspired meatball that I decided to make another. This time I opted for a more classic and family favorite - the Hawaiian Pizza.

After rounding up the ingredients I was almost tempted to make a pizza. Almost.

Pepperoni Pizza "Cookies"

Ok, so by definition, these Pepperoni Pizza "Cookies" are not really cookies. But don't tell my kids that - they are pretty sure that they ate cookies for dinner the other night. And for lunch the other day. Oh, they think I am pretty freakin' cool. They might be a little right... ;)

I made some big cookies, pictured above, and some smaller ones, pictured below. The kids liked them both the same - I liked the bigger ones since they reminded me of good ol' regular sized cookies, but they both tasted the same.

Total random fact about me - I hate people watching me eat or checking out the food that I am eating. It's odd, it's comical and it's just a part of who I am. However, I will tuck that little pet peeve away for a second so I can show you how the inside of the "cookies" turn out. Beautiful!

All you need for this little creation is 4 simple ingredients. Pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese and refrigerated crescent rolls. 

Roll out the crescent dough. Put 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce on each rectangle, some cheese and pepperoni. Just not too much because you will be rolling these bad boys up!

I did 3 rolls - 1 had two rectangles rolled up together. The other 2 were single rectangle rolls. After they are rolled put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

I used a smaller bread knife to cut the rolls into 1" slices. I used a cookie sheet for the larger "cookies" and a baking sheet covered in foil, sprayed with non-stick spray, for the smaller ones. Both worked great. I then baked them for about 30 minutes at 350.

I was like a giddy little kid when these came out - I love cooking moments like these!

And just like that - your kids think you are awesomesauce! Hope your kiddos enjoy them as much as mine did. :)

Pepperoni Pizza “Cookies”
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
adapted from Krafty Cards etc.
Ingredients
1 roll refrigerated crescent rolls
½ cup pizza sauce
1½ cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
20 slices pepperoni, diced
Directions
1.  Heat oven to 350.
2. Roll out crescent rolls, separated in half lengthwise.
3. Divide toppings over the two unrolled halves.
4. Roll up and freeze for 20 minutes.
5. Cut into 1” slices and place on cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
7. Cool on rack. Enjoy!

#FreshTake Easy Southwest Pizza

This post is about two things I completely LOVE – pizza and a new product that is totally awesome.

The other day I went to buy some shredded cheese for a homemade pizza and saw Kraft’s new Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb mix – I knew I had to try it! There is a photo of delicious looking chicken on the cover of the package but that is not what I had in mind. I had pizza on the brain – warm, cheesy, tasty-pizza goodness.

In all honesty, I wanted to buy each one of the Kraft Fresh Take varieties. They all would work great for different pizzas, but it wasn’t time to be acting all crazy just because I was excited about a new product. So, I hoed and hummed and finally decided on the Southwest Three Cheese. (This is probably the part of the shopping trip that my husband wonders why he agrees to come with me… haha!)

This is what I was thinking – I already use parmesan cheese in my homemade pizza dough, so why not replace that with a little something special? Something to give our homemade pizza a little “pop” of flavor. Not to brag or anything, but this was an awesome idea I had…

I picked up the rest of the ingredients I needed for an easy pizza and headed home. Check out my shopping trip here on Google+ - we found some real fun stuff.

Now that I have been able to check out Kraft Fresh Take, let me tell you a little about it…

It’s a mixture of breadcrumbs and cheese, sold in a resealable bag. The two are not mixed together in the package – but divided by a removable separator. Once the divider is unsealed, the breadcrumbs and cheese can be mixed in the resealable bag. Then you can add chicken, pork or fish to the same bag and coat with the breadcrumb mixture. I love how Fresh Take uses fresh cheese and helps make clean-up a little easier. Although I made pizza this time – I really want to try Fresh Take with chicken, I imagine the tastes are awesome!

With all that said, I must share what I created with my very own bag of Kraft Fresh Take: Easy Southwest Pizza. Oh yes, it’s easy and it screams with Southwestern flavors. A couple notes about the recipe real quick...

1) The recipe is written to be made with a stand mixer – the job can get done by hand as well, it will just require a little elbow grease and a bit of patience. 

2) I use a pizza docker that places rows of holes on the dough before baking it. This helps the dough to NOT rise in those areas thus making the middle of the dough flatter than the crust when baked. A fork works for this task as well. 

3) All ingredients used in this recipe can either be made fresh or bought pre-made in the store. I used homemade black beans, but of course canned would work just fine. 

4)The hardest part of the recipe is waiting for the pizza to cool enough to take a bite without scalding all of your tastebuds – true story.;)

#FreshTake Easy Southwest Pizza
Ingredients
½ tablespoon active dry yeast
¾ cups warm water
1 ½ cups flour
Kraft Fresh Take – Southwest Three Cheese
2 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup ranch dressing
2 cups monterey jack cheese
2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed
¼ cup black beans
¼ cups corn kernels
¼ cups tomatoes, chopped
Directions
1. In stand mixer, add ½ tablespoon active dry yeast with ¾ cups warm water
2. In separate bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour with ½ cup Kraft Fresh Take - Southwest Three Cheese
3. Wait about 7 minutes or until yeast mixture is foamy. Add flour mixture to stand mixer and mix on speed 2 for about 7-10 minutes, adding olive oil once most dry ingredients have been incorporated into dough.
4.Either using your hands or a rolling pin, spread dough out. I was able to make a 14” pizza, with crust, using this recipe. Poke holes into base of pizza dough once rolled out using a fork or pastry docker.
5. Bake for 6 minutes, rotating dough once.
6. Remove and add ingredients in the following order: ranch dressing, monterey jack cheese, chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes and remaining Kraft Fresh Take.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pizza once.
8. Let cool, slice and devour. I find that devouring the pizza is SO much easier than waiting for it to cool. ;)

From March until July the Kraft Fresh Possibilities Tour truck will be making stops across the country! Check their site here to see if they will be making a stop in your town!!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kraft Foods #FreshTake #cbias #SocialFabric

Meatball Monday: Pizza Meatballs

I can’t believe it’s already been a week since posting the Green Chicken Enchilada Meatballs! Time is flying by a bit too fast since bringing the twins home. They just turned 8 weeks this past Friday and it seriously feels like we just brought them home…

But anyhow, let’s get to these Pizza Meatballs!

I LOVE pizza. It always sounds good to me and I’ll eat it warm or cold. Lucky for me, my husband and kids share my love of the ol’ pizza pie! We have it at least once a week if not more – homemade of course. (I nearly have my crust recipe perfected and will be sharing it soon!)

So, when I was brainstorming what meatballs I could cook for this week I started thinking about what foods I really LOVE – and of course pizza came to mind. It was a no brainer – I had to cook some Pizza Meatballs! These lovelies are packed with pepperoni, green bell pepper, onion, olive, cheese and mushrooms - all held together with ground pork. Delicious!

Serve them with some marinara sauce to complete the flavor. An afterthought (darn 20/20 hindsight…) was to sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to the top of the Pizza Meatballs before serving. 

Happy Monday – hope you all have an awesome week!! :)

Pizza Meatballs
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
Ingredients
½ tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup onion, chopped
1lb ground pork
10 slices pepperoni (small size), diced
1 tablespoon olives, chopped
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup mushrooms, chopped
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and green bell peppers until soft – about 7 minutes. Remove heat and set aside.
2. Combine all ingredients
3. Roll into 1.5” balls
4. If using meatball bbq rack – cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat, flipping every 5 minutes. If cooking in oven – bake for 20-25 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown.
5. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak Mini Pizzas

I am wild for sandwiches. WILD! ;)

It never crossed my mind to turn one of my favorite sandwiches into a pizza until I saw Reuben Quesadillas over at Closet Cooking. My mind has a tendency to go a mile a minute, so within no time a Reuben Quesadilla turned into a Philly Cheesesteak Pizza... I can’t explain the madness; I can only live with it. :)

These were so delicious, I can’t wait to try a different sandwich next time!

Philly Cheesesteak Mini Pizzas
Ingredients
2 English muffins
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ cup shredded cheese, I used a mozzarella & provolone mix
¼ lb. deli roast beef, sliced
½ green bell pepper, sliced into strips
¼ white onion, sliced into strips

Directions
1. Heat oven to broil. Split English muffins in half and place open-faced into oven to broil until golden brown. Let cool
2. Warm skillet up over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and add green bell peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add onions and roast beef. Continue cooking until meat is starting to turn golden brown. Remove from heat
3. Heat oven to 375
4. Spread ½ tablespoon of mayonnaise on each toasted English muffin half. Top each muffin with meat mixture and cheese
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to bubble
6. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Cranberry, Apple and Sausage Mini-Pizzas with Hummus

Through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program I was recently offered the opportunity to try out a Sabra product of my choice. I am already a HUGE fan of Sabra Hummus, so I could have just got the container of hummus and went home to devour it with my husband. Instead, I decided to create a recipe using it - still leaving enough hummus to enjoy with some pita chips later. ;)

I got the idea for the pizza from a wonderful Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing that I made for Thanksgiving a few years ago. The flavors worked great together and I vowed to make it again and again. I am not going to lie – I never made the stuffing again, just thought about it as the holidays came and went each year. 

The idea for using Hummus on a pizza came from my trip to the 2011 Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. At the Welcome Reception there was an array of items made with Sabra Hummus. One of my favorites was the Jalapeño Hummus Mini-Pizzas. They were so, so, so good. I had never fathomed of putting hummus on a pizza, but it was pure genius. So I vowed to make my own little hummus pizzas one day… and I did. ;)

Cranberry, Apple and Sausage Mini-Pizzas with Hummus
Ingredients
3 whole wheat English muffins
¼ cup Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus
2 Granny Smith apple wedges, sliced
½ cup cheese, I used a blend of Mozzarella and Provolone
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
¼ cup maple sausage, cooked and crumbled

Directions
1. Preheat oven to BROIL
2. Slice each English muffin in half and place on baking pan face up. BROIL until golden brown, about 4 minutes
3. Let cool for 5 minutes
4. Heat oven to 425
5. Spread hummus evenly over each english muffin and top with ingredients in this order; apple, cheese, dried cranberries and maple sausage
6. BAKE for 10 minutes or until cheese is turning golden brown
7. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Mediterranean Shrimp Pizza

I have been shopping at Smart & Final for as long as I can remember, so when I was asked to create a recipe using products from their La Romanella line – I was totally game!!

For those who have not had the pleasure of shopping at a Smart & Final, let me share with you why I love them. :) They are a small warehouse store that carries quality food and supplies – no membership required and the prices are AMAZING! I have never been anything but satisfied with my purchases from Smart & Final, from their produce to their wonderful selection of foodservice items.

La Romanella is Smart & Final’s line of food products that are inspired by the cuisine of the Mediterranean. Yum! To help get me started with the creation of a recipe, I was sent the most amazing gift basket!  My gift basket included pasta, pasta sauces, olive oil, marinated artichoke hearts, grated parmesan cheese & more! I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but I was too busy ripping it open like a kid opening presents on Christmas... I was ready to get cooking so I set off to Smart & Final to see what other La Romanells products were available. I was like a kid in a candy store and ended up buying enough supplies for a few Mediterranean dishes. ;)

Here is everything that came from Smart & Final for my Mediterranean Shrimp Pizza: (I already had a red onion and the fixin’s for a pizza crust)

Mediterranean Shrimp Pizza
Ingredients
1 cup cooked small shrimp
1 cup La Romanella Tomato Strips with Basil
pizza dough - we made our own, but a pre-made crust would work great too
½ cup La Romanella Original Basil Pesto
2 cups shredded cheese, pizza blend
1 cup La Romanella Marinated Artichoke Hearts, sliced in half lengthwise
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup La Romanella Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
1. Combine shrimp and tomatoes – set aside
2. Spread pesto over pizza crust, we used a spatula and it worked great!
3. Top pizza evenly with cheese
4. Add toppings to pizza; artichoke hearts, red onions and shrimp-tomato mix
5. Follow directions to your crust, baking until golden brown on edges and the cheese is a bit bubbly
6. Let cool, serve with grated parmesan cheese and Enjoy!

The pizza came out great. I am beyond impressed with the quality of products offered in the La Romanella line. Each product is full of flavor and tastes so fresh! Next time I am wanting to cook anything Mediterranean, I will be shopping at Smart & Final for their La Romanella products. I also purchased Italian Style Meatballs, Pizza Sauce, Fired Roasted Whole Red Peppers and Pepperoni - all La Romanella and to be cooked into wonderful dishes very, very soon. ;)

If you live in California, Nevada or Arizona check out Smart & Final’s store locater to find your nearest location. If you can make it in to your nearest store by October 18th and buy a bottle of Redwood Creek Wine ($4.99) you will receive one 16 oz. La Romanella Pasta for free. Yes, for free!

As part of the La Romanella promotion, Smart & Final is giving one winner a trip to Sonoma for wine tasting! Click here or on the picture below to get to their Facebook page to enter the contest. (The winner must live within 20 miles of a Smart & Final) Good luck!

 

This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias #CBias
All opinions of #LaRomanella products were honest and that of Jess Harp

Bruschetta Pizza

In case you don’t know, I LOVE cheese. So when I was selected through Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker Program to host a Sargento cheese tasting gathering – you know I was stoked! The purpose of this cheese tasting gathering was to compare Sargento natural cheese with processed cheese.

I can’t tell you the last time I had processed cheese in my kitchen. However, I can tell you that it was my first cheese love. I remember being young, around 4 or 5, and wanting nothing but processed cheese slices, plain. My favorite sandwich was two pieces of bread, mayonnaise and a slice of processed cheese. Aw man, I have come a long way since my processed cheese eating days. ;) Now I am a cheese snob, and how could that possibly be a bad thing?

One of my favorite sayings is, “The only thing better than cheese, is melted cheese.” It’s so true for me. Grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, cheeseburgers and pizza – all have melted cheese, and if the cheese is not melted it could ruin your eating experience. I chose to make a pizza for my guests, half made with Sargento cheese and the other half made with processed cheese.

Bruschetta Pizza
Ingredients
¾ cup tomato, chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 premade pizza crust
½ cup pizza sauce
2 cups cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Mix first 4 ingredients, let marinade for 20 minutes
2. Evenly spread pizza sauce on pizza crust
3. Cover pizza with cheese
4. Top with tomato mixture
5. Cook pizza according to premade pizza crust package
6. Enjoy!

For our pizza I chose to use Sargento Provolone and Colby Jack on one side and processed American cheese on the other side. While picking out the cheeses at the store it was hard to pick which Sargento cheeses I wanted to use – their selection is huge! Their selection? Muenster, Colby Jack, Swiss, Pepper Jack, Havarti, Parmesan, Cheddar, Romano, Gouda, Mozzarella, Colby and Provolone. I wanted them all – honestly. When it came to picking which processed cheese to use, it was real easy – there is only one “flavor”, American.

Since I could not find any shredded processed cheese, I had to get slices. For comparisons sake I ended up getting Sargento slices as well, just to make it as fair as possible. Since the cheese was going to be used for pizza I hand cut the slices of cheese into shreds. I cut the Sargento first – the cheese cut very nicely and was in shreds in no time. Then I cut the processed cheese, completely different story. The cheese shreds stuck to each other, the knife and my hands. It was a mess – and the grossest part came when I washed my hands. There was a film of slime on them, and it did not just rinse off.

Sargento cheese is on the left. Each plate of cheese had the same amount on it,
however the processed cheese is heavy - weighing itself down and making the pile look smaller.

I made the pizza, half real Sargento cheese and half processed cheese. Visually, the main difference between the two cheeses was the shine. Processed cheese is very shiny – which is a quality I have never wanted in anything I have cooked.

I popped the pizza into oven and within 5 minutes of cooking my husband asks me, with a disgusted look on his face, “What is that smell?” It made me laugh because he has never made this face while I was cooking before – and I knew it was the processed cheese he smelled. It is amazing that I could cook a pizza with toppings and all that could be smelled in the kitchen was melting processed cheese. Yuck!

Final Result?

The cheese on the Sargento side of the pizza came out wonderful! The cheese melted, bubbled and browned. Just like good cheese should. It looked amazing. The cheese (can it really be called that?) on the processed side came out not so wonderful. The cheese didn’t really melt; it liquefied more than anything else.

Both of these pieces are from the same pizza and are the same temperature.
I suspect you want the one on the left?

Taste? The two most common words describing the processed cheese were pasty and gross. Everyone agreed that the Sargento side was wonderful – in both texture and taste.

I had to Google what the advantages of processed cheese were – there have to be some, right? Well, if you consider the following advantages; extended shelf life, does not separate when cooked (it liquefies) and it is cheaper to make than traditional, natural cheese. Then we look at the disadvantages; processed cheese contains chemical preservatives, artificial colors and flavors and trans fat. Oh, let’s not forget the flavor – I would have to class that a disadvantage. So, reviewing the pros and cons I can only come up with one conclusion; processed cheese is not for my family.

Thank you Foodbuzz & Sargento!

Pizza Sauce & Wheat Pizza Crust

I have to apologize for not posting anything new lately. I have not cooked anything I deem worthy enough of sharing. Hear me out…

• I tried a Lemon Chicken Slow Cooker recipe, but it was gross – seriously.
• We had a couple of roasts on Father’s Day, but again – nothing to write home about.
• There were the BLTs (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Sandwiches), but with spinach instead of lettuce, so I guess they were BSTs – wonderful, but not original enough to share.
• I made some homemade pizza pockets – but I did not seal them correctly…. tasty, but definitely not picture worthy.
• There were brownies, but I missed a step in the recipe and it is kind of an important step – so, another recipe that will have to wait to be shared.

Geez, who let this girl have a food blog?

Ah, now there is something new I can share with you! We are officially hungryharps.com :) Very exciting, very official. Yay!

Ok, ok a recipe. I am totally excited about this one. Pizza! We all love pizza here in the Harp House, it has the key essentials of a perfect dish; bread, cheese and meat. And I can’t lie, I like the veggies too. This was the first time I had ever made pizza “from scratch” and the outcome was delightful.

Wheat Pizza Crust
Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/3 cups wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution.
3. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
4. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface. Add garlic and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
5. Preheat oven to 425. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
6. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Pizza Sauce
Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

Directions

1. Mix everything in bowl
2. Let sit for 30 minutes
3. Enjoy!

The toppings I used were as follows:
Cheese, chopped spinach, more cheese, mushrooms, red onions, grilled chicken, more cheese, minced garlic and minced rosemary… and I may have put a little bit more cheese on there too. The pizza turned out delicious, Super Yum!

Pizza Sauce and Wheat Pizza Crust are both recipes adapted from Allrecipes.com