Pizza Lasagna Rolls

I made these for my husband after my pizza chicken was such a success. Eric loved them (there was little doubt that he wouldn't) so we now have another pizza dish to add to our repertoire.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
8 lasagna noddles, cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
3 cups marinara sauce (pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce would also work)
1 egg
1 1/4 part-skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divide
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
40-50 slices of pepperoni (thicker slices work best)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 7x11-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spread about 1/2 cup pizza sauce on the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese filling along each lasagna noodle. Place 5 or 6 pepperonis on each noodle. Roll up the noodles and place in the baking dish, seam side down.

Pour remaining sauce over the rolls. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup Parmsean over the top of the dish.

Cover the bakingdish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pizza Recipes:
Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ricotta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza 
Pizza Inspired Chicken
The Pizza Quiche
Pizza Zucchini Boats
Pull-Apart Pizza French Bread

Chicken Nugget Casserole

Even though we don't have any children, I buy a big bag of chicken nuggets every time I go grocery shopping at my husband's insistence. It's not that he's madly in love with the bland little nuggets. It's just that they're an easy meal when he has to fend for himself. And I'm not going to lie, I'll make them for myself when I'm feeling lazy too. But I've come to discover I don't really like chicken nuggets. They're just food for the belly, and I'm a believer that food should be more than that; it should be enjoyed. Since chicken nuggets are a staple in our house, I decided to find a way to make them enjoyable.

Eric thought I was a little nuts when I told him I was going to use chicken nuggets to make a casserole. But after one bite, he was convinced. This casserole is so full of flavor. And you can easily change it up just by switching out the sauce. Swap out the spaghetti sauce for BBQ sauce or ranch dressing. Or change it up by playing with different cheeses. A whole new world of chicken nuggets has just opened up.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
12 frozen chicken nuggets
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup your favorite spaghetti sauce
2/3 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Spread the spaghetti sauce over the chicken nuggets. Toss mozzarella and Italian seasoning together then sprinkle on top of the casserole.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes:
Provincial Chicken
Southwest Chicken Panini Sandwich
Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Tomato and Artichoke Chicken
The Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole
Zesty Shredded Chicken (Crockpot)

Pull-Apart Pizza French Bread

I usually pack Eric a lunch for work during the week, and I'm the one who cooks dinner pretty much every night (sometimes that's a frozen pizza or a can of soup, but hey--I'm still the one heating it). On the weekends, I may make dinner, but he has to fend for himself for lunch. Well, last weekend I found him standing in front of the fridge, door open, trying to figure out what to make for lunch. I decided to take pity on him and made him this bread. He loved it! Of course, he loves pizza anything.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (store bought or homemade)
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup pepperonis, cut in half
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup marinara sauce or pizza sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Using a bread knife, slice your bread making each slice about 1-inch thick, but DO NOT slice bread all the way through; do not slice through the bottom crust of the bread.

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter and Italian seasoning. Carefully drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of butter mixture into each cut. Next, gently stuff the mozzarella and pepperoni between the bread slices. Be careful not to accidentally tear the bottom crust. Brush or drizzle the remaining butter mixture over the top of the bread.

Wrap bread completely in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread browns lightly. Warm sauce in the microwave and serve with bread.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Bread Recipes:
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug 
Grandma Betty's Banana Bread
Homemade Bread Sticks 
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Homemade Pita Bread
Only the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls 
Parmesan Onion Rolls 
Pull Apart Pizza Bread  
Pull-Apart Spinach and Cheese Bread
Pumpkin Bread!
Sour Cream Dinner Rolls 

Quick and Easy Chicken Parmesan

Over the years I've made many chicken parmesan dishes, yet none have really been a keeper (except for my parmesan chicken casserole which is by far thee most popular recipe on this blog). I never would have thought a recipe this simple would become my go-to parmesan chicken recipe.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast
3/4 cup panko
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup marinara sauce
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine, panko, oregano, basil, and Parmesan. Place melted butter in a second shallow dish. Set aside.

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 8 thin chicken breasts. Dip the chicken breast in the butter then coat it in the panko mixture. Place on cookie sheet and repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Lightly spray a little cooking spray on the top of the chicken breasts. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip chicken over and bake for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from oven and spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce over each chicken breast and then sprinkle with mozzarella, dividing the cheese equally between the breasts.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes:
Baked Garlic Chicken
Orange Chicken with Fried Rice
Parmesan-Seared Chicken
Pizza Inspired Chicken 
Potless Chicken Pot Pies
Provincial Chicken

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe comes from Eric's aunt Sally. Every year his family has a Christmas celebration/family reunion a few days after Christmas, and Eric's aunt always makes this amazing buffalo chicken dip (she also makes chocolate chip muffins to die for). Eric took some to work for the lunch and said all his co-workers were jealous.

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
1/2 cup Buffalo style hot sauce
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
20 ounces canned chicken, drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an 8x8-inch pan, combine the cream cheese, dressing, hot sauce, and cheese. Stir in the chicken.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until dip is thoroughly heated.

Serve with chips or crackers.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Appetizer Recipes:
Homemade Pepper Jack Cheez-its
Homemade Pita Chips 
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Fried Dill Pickles

Pull Apart Pizza Bread

Dinner the other night was an interesting mixture--sweet and sour chicken (three or four chicken breasts, a small jar of sweet and sour sauce, a couple tablespoons of soy sauce, and a healthy dose of garlic powder in the crockpot for 5-6 hours on low) and pull apart pizza bread. I had planned on making my Tomato and Artichoke Chicken, which would have made at least a little more sense with the pizza bread. But the husband loved the random meal--sweet and sour chicken just happens to be one of his favorites (I feel eh about it) and he definitely loves anything pizza. I may have been indifferent about the chicken, but I think I loved the pizza bread just as much as he did.

Recipe adapted from my Pull-Apart Spinach and Cheese Bread recipe.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

64 pepperonis 
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cans of crescent rolls

Pizza sauce or marinara sauce for dipping

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. (I used a loaf pan but only because I couldn't find my bundt pan).

 

Combine melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, oregano, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Set aside.

 

Separate crescent roll dough into 16 triangles then cut each triangle in half lengthwise so you have 32 small triangles. Roll out the triangles to make them slightly bigger. You may want to lightly sprinkle your work area with flour to prevent sticking. Place 1 pepperoni on the dough then spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture into the center of each triangle, place a second pepperoni on top of the cheese mixture, and pull the dough around the filling to form a ball. Press the edges of the dough together to seal. Dip each ball in the butter mixture then place in the bundt pan.

 

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread turns a golden brown. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. To remove the bread from the pan, place your serving plate upside down over the pan then turn the plate and pan over. Serve with pizza sauce or marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pizza Recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ricotta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza 
Pizza Inspired Chicken
The Pizza Quiche
Pizza Zucchini Boats

Pizza Inspired Chicken

I don't think I've ever met anyone who loves pizza more than my husband. I swear, he could happily eat it every day. But he only likes it one way: with pepperoni, which for me gets pretty boring. So I decided to try something a little different, keeping my fingers crossed that Eric would like it. He absoultely loved it. (I like it too.) It's definitely going into our meal rotation.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1 cup pizza sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
10 pepperonis, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine flour with salt and pepper. In a bowl, beat egg and milk together. In a second shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, basil, oregano, and parsley.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour. Dip the breasts in the egg mixture and shake off excess liquid. Coat the chicken in breadcrumbs and place in baking dish.

Bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from oven, pour pizza sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni pieces. Turn oven to broil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pizza Recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ricotta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza 
The Pizza Quiche
Pizza Zucchini Boats

Parmesan Chicken Casserole

I'll keep this short and sweet: If you love chicken parmesan, you're going to love this dish. Chicken, pasta, tomatos, cheese, what's not to love?

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
6 ounces pasta
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Over medium-high heat, heat oil in a large skillet (oven safe if you have one). Cook garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes--liquid and all--the water, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and pasta to the pan. Stir to combine. Brinng to a vigorous simmer, cover pan, and simmer (you may need to reduce the heat) until the pasta is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir mixture frequently.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove the cover and stir in the parmesan cheese, pepper, and chicken. If the mixture is dry, add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth (I had to do this). Now, if your skillet is oven safe, sprinkle the top of the casserole with the mozzarella. If your skillet isn't oven safe (mine wasn't) tranfer the mixture to an 8x8-inch baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 5 or 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and bubbles have formed around the edges of the pan.

I made bread sticks to go with this casserole and we have spiced rum brown butter cookies for dessert!

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Casserole Recipes:
Alfredo Green Bean Casserole
Black Bean and Sausage Stovetop Casserole
Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 
Pumpkin Penne Casserole
Sausage and Bean Casserole
The Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole

Pesto Lasagna Rolls

I've had this recipe in my collection for a few years and I can't believe I haven't shared it yet. I love your typical lasagna . . . the cheeses, the pasta, the tomato sauce. But sometimes it's nice to change things up. I do that with pesto.

Pesto Lasagna Rolls with Meat Sauce

A small batch with just tomato sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup pesto sauce*
8 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 cup tomato sauce**
1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of shallow casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan, 1/4 cup mozzarella, and pesto sauce together. Season with salt and pepper.

 
Evenly divide the cheese mixture between the 8 noodles, spreading the mixture over the entire noodle.

Roll the noodles and place the lasagna rolls seam-side down in the casserole dish.

 Pour tomato sauce over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Pesto Sauce

*I prepare my pesto sauce using Knorr's powdered pesto mix. One day I hope to make my own basil pesto sauce. If you make pesto sauce, make sure it's cold before you add it to the cheese mixture or else you will melt the cheese. You can also use jarred pesto sauce.

**Prego Roasted Red Pepper is my all time favorite tomato sauce. If you read this blog, you probably already know that. But you can use any tomato sauce or meat sauce that you like.

You could also use this recipe to make pesto stuffed shells.

 Enjoy!

~Krissy

Homemade Pizza Rolls

There have been a package of wonton wrappers sitting in the fridge for about two weeks now. At first I thought I was going to use them to make homemade pizza rolls for Eric, then I thought about using them to make cream cheese rangoons which we both love, and then I made some homemade Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread) and couldn't wait to make chocolate-hazelnut ravioli. So today I decided to make the whole trio of appetizers. First, I'll share with you my homemade pizza rolls.

Ingredients:
16 wonton wrappers
16 pepperonis
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup pizza sauce
cooking spray
water

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Pour about 1 teaspoon of pizza sauce in the middle of your wonton wrapper.

Add a large pinch of cheese--about 1/2 teaspoon--on top of the sauce.

Place a single pepperoni on top of the cheese.

Brush all four edges of the pizza roll with water then fold the wonton wrapper in half and press the edges together to seal. Place on the cookie sheet and repeat the process with the rest of the wonton wrappers.

Spray the tops of the pizza rolls with cooking spray and place them in the oven. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until they turn a golden brown.

Allow to cool and enjoy!

When Eric took his first bite of the pizza rolls, he just turned to me with a large smile and I knew he'd want me to make them again, so much so that he even offered to help next time (working with wonton wrappers is a bit of work). You also can do a million and one variations of these. Eric's a pizza traditionalist--pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. But you could add minced onion, green pepper, mushrooms, olives . . . pretty much any veggie you'd like. Or you could make a buffalo chicken pizza roll, sausage pizza roll, and so on.

Tomorrow I'll post the cream cheese rangoon recipe.

Chocolate-hazelnut ravioli, cream cheese rangoons, and homemade pizza rolls

~Krissy