Slow Cooker Pizza Bake

This is a great meal to have in the freezer for unexpected guests or a quick dinner when you forget to plan ahead. The sauce can be used to make a delicious crockpot meal or an oven baked casserole. Best of all it's pretty much a guaranteed crowd pleaser...it's Pizza on Pasta with Cheese!

Slow Cooker Pizza Bake

Serves 6

1 lb Ground Beef

1 lb Italian Sausage (casings removed)

1 Onion, diced

1 Green Pepper, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 cup Sliced Mushrooms (or a can of sliced mushrooms)

2 cups Tomato Sauce

1 cup Pizza Sauce

1 cup Water

1 Tbsp Oregano

3 cups Mozzarella, shredded

3 cups Cooked Pasta

Brown ground beef and sausage. Add onion, green pepper, garlic and mushrooms and cook until onions become transparent. Add mixture to a slow cooker. In a separate bowl, combine tomato sauce, pizza sauce, water and oregano and pour over meat mixture. Stir well and cook on high for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low. Serve over cooked pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.

This can also be made in the oven: add cooked pasta to the bottom of a casserole dish. Pour meat sauce over noodles and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes (or until cheese starts to brown) at 350F.

This meal freezes really well and perfect for those "what's for dinner" days. Just take out of the freezer and defrost in the microwave or pop freezer bag into a sink of cold water for about an hour before using.

~Adel~

Big Batch Canned Pizza Sauce

I've been making so much pizza sauce that I thought I'd make a huge batch and can it this summer with all the lovely tomatoes available right now!

So, I used my regular pizza sauce recipe and quadrupled it so I could can a big batch. Turns out I may have to do this a few times...I've already used 2 jars.

Big Batch Canned Pizza Sauce

1/4 cup Olive Oil

4 Onions, diced

8 cloves Garlic, minced

14 cups Diced Fresh Tomatoes

1/2 cup Tomato Paste

6 Tbsp Honey

8 tsp Anchovy Paste

3 tsp Oregano 

1 & 1/2 tsp Marjoram

3 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper to taste

Lemon Juice (add 2 Tbsp to each canning jar)

In a large stock pot, heat oil. Cook onion until it starts to brown, add garlic for 1 minute and then add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then blend with a hand blender or carefully with a food processor. 

Sterilize and heat jars before filling. Add 2 Tbsp of Lemon juice to each jar before adding hot pizza sauce to jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Add lids and rims and cook in a water bath canner for 35 minutes. Let cool for 24 hours and any unsealed jars should be refrigerated or used immediately.

Get homemade pizza sauce without all the work of making sauce from scratch. Try it with Best Ever Pizza Dough for a fabulous family pizza and games night!

~Adel~

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

Daddy Ladybug loves all things convenience. He especially loves the food of his childhood, so today I decided to try my hand at Pizza Pockets.

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

2 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

2/3 cups Regular or Butter Flavoured Shortening

1/2 cup Cold Water (more or less as needed)

1 cup Pizza Sauce, divided in 2 (make your own!)

1/2 cup Pizza Pepperoni, chopped in small chunks

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 egg, beaten

Make pastry crust by mixing flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening until it is the consistency of oatmeal and slowly add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing with hands, until the dough sticks together but not sticky. Roll out to about 1/4" thickness and cut 5" circles. Should make about 12 circles.

In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup of pizza sauce to bowl, saving remaining sauce for dipping. Mix in pepperoni, mozzarella, parmesan and seasoning.

Spoon 1 Tbsp of filling into the middle of each circle, fold in half and crimp edges together with a fork, fingers, or a pastry pocket maker, ensuring edges are well sealed. (note: It's easy to want to overfill, but I've learned that adding more than a Tbsp of filling makes it run out or be difficult to seal well) 

Place filled pockets on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes at 375F until tops start to become golden.

Heat remaining 1/2 cup of pizza sauce and serve on the side as a dip.

A great homemade lunch option, or make a double or triple batch and freeze partially cooked (about 15 minutes) and cook in the microwave to heat up for a quick snack. Great for kids, hungry teens, and Daddy Ladybug's post-hockey starvation!

~Adel~

Creamy Garlic Chicken Pizza

One of my favourite pizzas is a garlic chicken pizza from a little italian bistro. It is so yummy. I have attempted to replicate it, sorry, it's not as good, but still pretty fabulous!

Creamy Garlic Chicken Pizza

Best Ever Pizza Dough Recipe 

(If making thin crust, save 1/3 of the dough for pizza sticks or freeze for another day)

Garlic Pizza Sauce Recipe

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

1 cups Grilled Chicken

1 Red Pepper, sliced thin

1 Tomato, diced

1/4 Red Onion, sliced thin

1 Roasted Garlic Bulb, cloves squeezed out and chopped

4 Mushrooms (your choice), sliced thin

Fresh Basil Leaves, ripped or chopped

Parmesan Cheese

Spread pizza dough on pan, creating a little ridge around the outside to keep the toppings in. Spread sauce on pizzas and top with 1/2 mozzarella and the rest of the toppings. Top with remaining mozzarella and bake in a 375 F oven for 17-20 minutes until crust is golden. 

Makes 1 large rectangular pizza or 2 -12" pizzas.

Pizza Friday here we come!

~Adel~

Creamy Garlic Pizza Sauce

Sometimes I just want a creamy sauce on my pizza, chicken pizzas just seem so much better with a little creamy garlic sauce. Here's my favourite!

Creamy Garlic Pizza Sauce

2 Tbsp Butter

3 Garlic Cloves

2 Tbsp Flour

1 & 1/4 cup Milk

Salt & Pepper

dry mustard powder

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

In a sauce pan, melt butter. Add minced garlic once bubbly and cook for 30 seconds before adding flour. Stir flour in and cook for about 1 minute. Add milk and stir until bubbly and thick. Season with salt & pepper  and mustard powder as desired. Add parmesan cheese after removing from heat and stir well. 

Makes enough for 1 large rectangular pizza or two 12" pizzas.

Make this sauce tonight for a delicious Creamy Garlic Chicken Pizza or make your favourite Pizza with my Best Ever Pizza Dough!

~Adel~

Pizza Subs

Daddy Ladybug has been working on perfecting one of his favourite lunches, so I thought I'd share it!

Pizza Subs

6 Submarine Buns

Pizza Sauce

Sub Sauce (I use Maple Leaf Ezee Sub Sauce) or Zesty Italian Dressing

18 slices Pepperoni Sausage

18 slices Salami Sausage

18 slices Ham

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, grated

Italian Seasoning

Slice sub buns horizontally (leaving it hinged on one side) and open. Place open on a baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce on both halves and squeeze a bit of sub sauce or italian dressing on each side. Place 3 slices of each kind of meat on each sub. Top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Bake in a 350F oven for 10 minutes or until cheese gets bubbly and starts to brown. Fold closed, slice in half, and serve. 

Delicious hot or cold. I wrap any leftovers individually in the fridge and save for snacks or lunches. Can also be done on the grill if you don't want to use the oven. Add other toppings (mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, pineapple) if desired - my family likes them plain!

~Adel~

Pizza Sauce

I've been searching for a great pizza sauce, so tired of using bottled stuff from the store. I've tried many recipes, but they never seem to work out quite right. I added all the things I liked about other recipes and finally came up with this one. A bit sweet and a bit spicy - perfect for a pizza.

Pizza Sauce

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

796 ml Diced Tomatoes (28 oz)

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 & 1/2 Tbsp Honey

2 tsp Anchovy Paste

3/4 tsp Oregano 

1/2 tsp Marjoram

3/4 tsp Basil

pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a saucepan, heat oil & add onion. Cook until onion starts to become clear then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, anchovy paste, oregano, marjoram, basil, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and cook for 5 more minutes. Let cool. Blend the sauce to get rid of the lumps of tomato & onion. Tastes even better if you let it sit for a day before using. Makes enough for about 2-3 pizzas. Also makes great dip for pizza sticks.

Try it with Best Ever Pizza Dough for a delicious home made meal. 

~Adel~