Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

This recipe for Pepperoni Pizza Pull Apart Bread kind of reminds me of a savory monkey bread. It makes a great snack, fun party appetizer, or light meal.  When I came across this recipe on In the Kitchen with KP, I just happened to have a craving for pepperoni. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. So, rather than order a pizza, I opted to give this a try. At first, I thought preparation was going to be a little labor intensive, but it was surprisingly easy to put together (especially with the help of pre-made pizza dough). Layer bite-size pieces of pizza dough, brush with flavored dipping oil, top with plenty of pepperoni and shredded mozzarella, and season with garlic powder, repeat layers. The final layer will be pizza dough, drizzled with oil and seasoned with garlic powder. Looks like bread, but tastes like pizza. Serve with a side of marinara sauce for dipping, and you’ve got the best of ALL worlds! And, it’s just as versatile as pizza. Add any toppings you prefer. Mmmm, I bet the addition of bacon bits would be killer!

Ingredients for Pizza Bread.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly spray bundt (or tube) pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Ingredients for Flavored Dipping (or substitute your favorite). Use jarred minced garlic to save on time.

If you don’t already have a favorite dipping oil on-hand, here’s a quick and easy dipping oil recipe, with the perfect blend of flavors for this bread. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, black pepper, rosemary, salt, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Whisk in grated Parmesan cheese. This makes 1 cup and you only need 1/3 cup for the bread. Store the leftover oil for another use.

Divide pizza dough into 3 equal portions (for the 3 layers). Take each third and roll into small balls. Don’t be “blond” like me and try to put rolled balls in a bowl (they stick together and you only have to re-roll….duh). Spread out in a single layer on wax paper, instead.

Layer 1/3 of dough pieces in bottom of prepared bundt (or tube) pan. The original recipe calls for drizzling flavored dipping all over dough pieces, but I would recommend brushing on the oil. Brushing gives you a more even coating of oil (and you’re less likely to get “pockets” of oil, like I did).

Layer 1/2 of the pepperoni slices over oiled dough balls. Sprinkle generously with 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the garlic powder.

Layer again with 1/3 of pizza dough; brush with 1/3 of dipping oil; layer with second half of pepperoni and cheese. Sprinkle with 1/3 of garlic powder.

End the final layer with last 1/3 of pizza dough pieces. Brush with last 1/3 of dipping oil and garlic powder.

Bake in preheated oven until bread is brown and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool on rack. 

Meanwhile, in small pot, warm marinara sauce (if desired) for dipping.

When cool, flip the bread out of the pan. 

I flipped it back again, as I thought it made a prettier presentation this way; and the bread pieces protruded more, making it easier to “pull-apart” in bite-size pieces. But, that’s a personal preference. 

PEPPERONI PIZZA PULL-APART BREAD
Sources: In the Kitchen with KP; All Recipes.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Flavored Oil (or use your own favorite):

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Pizza Bread:

• 1/3 cup flavored dipping oil, divided (use recipe above, or substitute your favorite blend)
• 3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
• 2 (16-ounce) packages pre-made pizza dough (or substitute home-made)
• 1 (7-ounce) package sliced pepperoni, divided
• 1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare flavored dipping (if not using your own blend). In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, basil,
    parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, black pepper, rosemary, salt, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice.
    Whisk in grated Parmesan cheese. This makes 1 cup and you only need 1/3 cup for the bread. Store
    the leftover oil for another use.
2. Divide pizza dough into 3 equal portions (for the 3 layers). Take each third and roll into small balls.
3. Layer 1/3 of dough pieces in bottom of prepared bundt (or tube) pan. Brush with 1/3 of the flavored
    dipping oil.
4. Layer 1/2 of the pepperoni slices over oiled dough balls. Sprinkle generously with 1/2 of the shredded
    mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the garlic powder.
5. Layer again with 1/3 of pizza dough; brush with 1/3 of dipping oil; layer with second half of pepperoni
    and cheese. Sprinkle with 1/3 of garlic powder.
6. End the final layer with last 1/3 of pizza dough pieces. Brush with last 1/3 of dipping oil and garlic
    powder.
7. Bake in preheated oven until bread is brown and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from
    oven. Cool on rack.
8. Meanwhile, in small pot, warm marinara sauce (if desired) for dipping.
9. When cool, flip the bread out of the pan. For prettier presentation, flip again before serving. Serve
    warm with marinara sauce (if desired).

Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings

You can never get enough chicken recipes, and, especially if they’re like this one….finger lickin’ good. These Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings remind me a lot of Buffalo wings, but, instead of being just spicy, these are a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Well seasoned wings, baked until crispy and golden, then tossed in a sauce of honey, Sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice. Hands down, these are the best wings ever! Mike was hesitant to try them at first, because he’s not a fan of “overly” spicy food. But, after one taste, he was hooked and couldn’t stop eating them. He said these are his new favorite. I made 4 pounds of them; and they disappeared in no time. You don’t have to be concerned about leftovers with this recipe, because there won’t be any. There’s really only one word to describe these wings….scrumptious!

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with a little olive oil. 

Split wings and remove tips. 

Dry chicken wings with paper towels.

In a large bowl, combine oil, butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. 

Add wings to mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.

Place wings, in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until browned and crispy. I wanted mine crispier, so I cooked mine for an extra 1/2 hour; but you can get the same results by placing under the broiler for a few minutes at end of cooking time.

Note: Quite a bit of grease will accumulate in pan as chicken cooks. About 15 minutes before chicken was done, I drained off some of the excess grease (using a turkey baster).

Just before chicken is done, prepare the sauce. In small pot, melt butter. Add honey, Sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.

Remove wings from oven and transfer pieces to a large bowl. Pour sauce over wings. Toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

BAKED HONEY SRIRACHA CHICKEN WINGS
Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing baking pan
• 4 pounds chicken wings, split, tips removed
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt

Sauce:

• 5 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup pure honey
• 1/4 cup Sriracha
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• Lime wedges, for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with a
    little olive oil.
2. Dry chicken wings with paper towels.
3. In a large bowl, combine oil, butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add wings to
    mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.
4. Place wings, in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until browned and
    crispy. If more crispiness desired, place under broiler for a few minutes at end of cooking time.
5. Just before chicken is done, prepare the sauce. In small pot, melt butter. Add honey, Sriracha, soy
    sauce and lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Immediately remove
    from heat and set aside.
6. Remove wings from oven and transfer pieces to a large bowl. Pour sauce over wings. Toss well to
    coat. Serve immediately.
7. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque

As you know, over the weekend I made my Tex Mex Tuna Melt Panini. When I think of patty melts, I think of grilled cheese, and what goes better with grilled cheese than tomato soup.  I’m ashamed to admit this, but, until now, my version of tomato soup required 2 simple steps: opening a can and heating it. This time, I decided to get a little more adventurous and make my own. Actually, this recipe is not that much more difficult than my go-to version; it still requires opening up cans and heating, but the final result has that distinct “made with love” homemade taste. The inclusion of aromatic ingredients such as garlic, celery and onion add even more depth. Instead of using plain diced tomatoes, I chose fire-roasted. Fire-roasted tomatoes have that subtle smoky flavor that I thought would pair so well with Tex Mex. To give it a slightly thicker “bisque” texture, I added some tomato paste, flour and heavy cream. Heartier than a soup, yet not chunky like a chowder, because you blend the ingredients for a smooth finish. From start to end, this bisque was on the table in less than 30 minutes, proof that you can be enjoying a steaming bowl of hot soup in almost the same amount of time it takes to pop a pre-made one in the microwave. And the taste? There’s just no comparison. Soup is the best homemade meal anyone can make: feeds the body and nurtures the soul!

Note: I doubled the recipe, which would easily feed 8, so if you are looking for smaller “cup-size” portions, then cut the recipe in half. During the cooking process, I ended up transferring my bisque from a large saucepan to a Dutch oven, because it made more than I had originally planned on. But, that’s okay, soup never goes to waste in this house.Chop onion and celery. Mince garlic. Chop basil. Drain tomatoes.
 

In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables just start to brown, about 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir for 1 minute, or until flour is fully incorporated. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and basil. Increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Cover partially and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer soup, in small batches, to a blender and puree until smooth. If you’ve had any success with an immersion blender, you can use that. You would think that being a kitchen gadget guru that I would own an immersion blender. Actually, I did, but after 2 disastrous attempts, I tossed it. Even on the lowest setting, my kitchen walls, counter and ceiling resembled a Jackson Pollock painting when I was done. Splatter everywhere. (Also, I was not comfortable with the steel blades, as all my cookware has a non-stick finish.) Needless to say, I quickly reverted back to my old stand blender. But, even with a stand blender, you still risk a kitchen nightmare if you try to overfill it. I strongly advise, filling the blender only half-way when pureeing (even if you have to blend in 4 batches, like I did).

 

Return the pureed soup to the saucepan. Add the heavy cream. Cook just until the soup is heated through. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir in the remaining butter.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with croutons and serve.

 
FIRE ROASTED TOMATO BISQUE
Source: Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 cups chicken stock (or substitute low-sodium broth)
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons chopped basil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper (or substitute black pepper)
• Garlic or cheese croutons, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic. Cover
    and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables just start to brown, about 5
    minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir for 1 minute, or until flour
    is fully incorporated. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and basil. Increase heat to
    medium. Bring to a boil. Cover partially and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally,
    until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer soup, in small batches, to a blender and puree until smooth. (Or, use an immersion blender,
    if you prefer.)
4. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan. Add the heavy cream. Cook just until the soup is heated
    through. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir in the remaining butter.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with croutons and serve.

Southwestern Deviled Eggs

Along with Easter comes an abundance of hard boiled eggs. You’ve dyed, decorated and hunted. How do you make the most of leftover Easter eggs? What always comes to mind first for me is deviled eggs. A popular party appetizer in the 50s and 60s, deviled eggs still have retro appeal today. Today you are more apt to see them at BBQs and brunches (more casual gatherings), but their popularity re-emerges during the Easter holiday. They are quick and easy to prepare, convenient (because they are a finger food), and always a crowd pleaser. But, just because you are serving a vintage canapé doesn’t mean you have to use a traditional recipe. By adding ingredients like salsa, green onion, cumin and Cheddar cheese, you can give these party staples a trendier spin. Now you have an “incredible, edible egg.” But, you better make sure you color enough eggs, because these will disappear fast.

Finely chop green onions. If Cheddar cheese shreds are on the large side (like mine are in the above pic), chop it a little more. 

Try to use the “chunkiest” salsa you can get. If the salsa has too much liquid in it, your egg filling can end up loose and not stiff enough to stuff eggs. Drain off any excess liquid from salsa before adding to yolk mixture. (If, however, your finished filling still ends up looser than you would like, you can still firm it by refrigerating it for a half hour or longer.)

Even though this recipe calls for 6 hard boiled eggs, I always boil 7 eggs. During the boiling process, I often end up with an egg that cracks in the water. I usually dispose of the whites of the 7th egg, but I do add the yolk of that additional egg to the filling mixture.

Over the years, I’ve had countless failures with the “simple” task of hard boiling an egg. I would overcook them, resulting in rubbery whites and gray shadowed yolks, or I’d mutilate the overall shape and appearance of the egg in my destructive attempts to remove the unyielding shell. After much trial and error, this method works for me 100% of the time. 

Place eggs in pot of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce temperature to medium. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 12 minutes. (Other sources say after the water boils to immediately remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 12 to 15 minutes. I’ve found that this method is not always fool-proof; that’s why I give it an additional 5 minutes on lower heat. It ensures the egg is hard boiled, yet you still get a perfect yellow colored yolk and non-rubbery white, each and “every” time.) 

Drain hot water from pot and continue to add cold water to pot until water is completely cool. Add a generous amount of ice cubes to the pot and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the egg no longer has any warmth to it. The colder the egg is, the easier the shell will be to remove (and less likely to stick to the egg white). 

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bow. 

Mash yolks with a fork. Add mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, salsa (well drained), sour cream, green onion and cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all up. I usually use a hand mixer to do this, but that's a "personal" preference, as Mike likes a "creamier" filling (with no lumps).

Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with additional green onions, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator. 

SOUTHWESTERN DEVILED EGGS
Source: Cooking with Paula Deen, Mar/Apr 2006
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled* (See note below)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chunky salsa, drained
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Additional green onions, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.
2. Mash yolks with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onion and
    cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Use fork or hand mixer to blend, depending on consistency you
    want.)
3. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with additional green onions, if desired. Store in
    refrigerator.

Yields: 12 servings

*Note:  You only need 6 hard boiled eggs (not 7). The extra egg will allow for breakage of 1 during the boiling process. Make use of the 7th yolk by adding to filling mixture, but discard of the egg white on extra egg. This will also allow you to put more filling in the eggs.

Easy Crab Rangoon

Although, allegedly, derived from an authentic Burmese recipe, Trader Vic’s, a Polynesian-style restaurant, in San Francisco, is believed to be credited with the invention of the crab Rangoon. This Tiki bar canapé has been existent on their menu since the 1950’s. “Still” popular, this appetizer can be found in countless Chinese-style restaurants across America. Crab Rangoons are deep fried dumplings stuffed with cream cheese, crab meat, scallions and garlic. (Who ever heard of cream cheese in authentic Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisine?) Regardless of its origin, these tasty little morsels are so much better when prepared at home. This recipe, from Big Red Kitchen, takes the labor and fuss out of preparation, without sacrificing on flavor. Mini Fillo cup shells are stuffed with the crab mixture, then baked. How easy is that? Let’s face it, what everyone loves most about a crab Rangoon is the filling. You get so much more filling this way, and because the crab mixture is not fully enclosed in a wrapper, the tops brown a bit, making it the best tasting ever. Quick, easy and addictively delish!

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and green onions. Beat on low speed with hand mixer until creamy and well combined.

Fold in crab meat.

Using a teaspoon, evenly fill each Fillo cup with crab mixture. You should get anywhere from 25 to 30 filled shells.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. If additional browning desired, just before taking out of the oven, turn the broiler on for 1 to 2 minutes. 

Serve with duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, hot mustard or any dipping sauce you prefer. 

Note: if you can't find mini Fillo shells, you can always substitute wonton wrappers. Spray a regular muffin tin with cooking spray, line each cup with a wonton wrapper. Bake for 8 minutes at 350° F., until golden brown.

EASY CRAB RANGOON
Source: Big Red Kitchen
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 to 3 green onions, sliced
• 6 ounces lump crab meat
• 25 to 30 mini Fillo cup shells
• Duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, hot mustard, or any dipping sauce you prefer

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. In bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and green onions. Beat on low speed with hand
    mixer until creamy and well combined.
3. Fold in crab meat.
4. Using a teaspoon, evenly fill each Fillo cup with crab mixture. You should get anywhere from 25 to 30
    filled shells.
5. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. If additional browning desired, just before taking out of the oven, turn the
    broiler on for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Serve with duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, hot mustard or any dipping sauce you
    prefer.

TIP: If you can't find mini Fillo shells, you can always substitute wonton wrappers. Spray a regular muffin tin with cooking spray, line each cup with a wonton wrapper. Bake for 8 minutes at 350° F., until golden brown.