"Nancy's Pizza Pie"

Yikes! I only have a hand full of days left in February to make a couple new meals. Tonight we tried out a recipe from my cousin Nanny Bear :)

I guess it is considered lasagna? But no noodles involved. I guess because it's built in layers.


It is definitely the heaviest meal I think I've ever made! I only used 16oz of sauce (1. because my kids are red sauce snobs 2. because there was no way it was all going to fit in the casserole dish!) It did overflow, the cookie sheet is a must.


And I used a bigger casserole dish, because these days I make everything bigger :) So I used 1 1/2 pkgs of crescent rolls and 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, less sauce . . . everything else as written.


Huge Hit! It didn't seem like much while I was putting it together. I was a little worried that it might not go over as well as I thought when I picked it out. Audrey (my daughter hates red sauce) had seconds :)It was given 4 stars by all, but everyone agreed that it is a definite 5 star meal with personal family tweaks. Zoe wants to add pepperoni to it next time. K.C. wants me to make the mixture and somehow put it over biscuits, he wanted it breadier.

Nancy's Recipe

The following will make an 8 x 8 pan.  Recommend a pan with high sides (2-3 inches).

Ingredients:

One tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls

1 lb hamburger

32 oz jar Spaghetti sauce

16 oz of ricotta cheese

1/3 to ½ c. grated parmesan

1 large egg

8 oz. shred cheddar cheese

8 oz shred mozzarella or pepper jack cheese

Layer 1 and Layer last:  One tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls ***  (one tube completes both layers)

Layer 2:  1 lb hamburger (can substitute half ground turkey or ground pork, depending on amount of grease desired)

Spaghetti sauce – I get Prego, 32 oz jar.  Work with this as some like it soupy, some don’t.  You can get whatever flavor you like such as garlic, mushroom, etc.  If you get plain, then recommend you add some chopped garlic and maybe green peppers.

Layer 3:  One 16 oz of ricotta cheese (use to use cottage cheese – this works tons better and you can get it low fat)

1/3 to ½ c. grated parmesan  (if using Kraft brand, use more. If using fresh, use less)

1 large egg

Layer 4: 8 oz. shred cheddar cheese

8 oz shred mozzarella or pepper jack cheese

Assembly:

A. Open crescent rolls and carefully unroll. If you keep them connected, you’ll see that they are square. Take 4 of the triangles and line the bottom of your pan.  Set the other 4 aside for later.

B. Assemble layer 2:  Brown hamburger; drain grease. Add sauce to the soupiness you like. Keep this on low simmer.

C. Assemble layer 3: Put egg in a bowl; mix with a fork until yoke and white are broken up. Add parmesan and ricotta. Mix thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients. Set aside.

D. Assemble layer 4:  mix shred cheeses together in a large bowl

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put "lasagna" together as follows:

Scoop hamburger to cover the layer of crescents.

Taking an icing knife and take about half of the ricotta mixture; spackle it over the meat.

Sprinkle a healthy amount of the shred cheese over this layer.

Repeat – depending on how much you use each time you might only make it one more layer of each; you might make it two.  You want to end with the shred cheese on the top.

Final Layer:  Set the last 4 triangles on top of the cheese layer.  The more you cover, the less toasty (i.e., burnt) looking your cheese layer gets.

Bake on a cookie sheet, especially if you are close to the top of your pan. Recommend 30 minutes.  I start watching it at about 25 min. to see if the top crusty is golden brown.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving so the cheeses set. This is VERY hot so be careful when serving.


Thank you Nancy, your recipe passed the family test. We will definitely make it again :)

K.C. Gave It 4 Stars!!!

First of all, I had to use K.C.'s name in the title, because he told me I didn't have his permission to use his name in my blog. I'm showing K.C. that I will be using his name in my blog :)


Going to the grocery store inspired me to make a new meal tonight and tomorrow. At least that's the plan. I accomplished tonight's meal and it wasn't painful at all.


Dinner was a success, I think. Well, we decided that it was too messy for the twins, they wouldn't really be able to pick it up well with their fingers. And Cameron didn't get a nap today and fell asleep just before dinner, so he didn't eat, but I knew he wouldn't. So I don't consider it a failure with him, just bad planning.


Girls loved it. Zoe gave it 4 1/2 stars! Audrey gave it 4 stars! And I give myself 3 3/4 stars. I told them that anything over 3 stars means they want me to make it again.


There are definitely a few things that I would change next time I make it. This meal is 5 star worthy, I'll just tweak it next time.


Recipe found on www.campbellskitchen.com 

Beef Taco Bake
			Ground beef, spicy tomato sauce, tortillas and cheese are layered and baked for a hearty one-dish meal.
			Instructions
			Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often.  Pour off any fat. Stir the soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese in the skillet.  Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Cover the baking dish. Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbling.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
							At a Glance
							Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 30 minutes.
			Ingredients:
			1 pound ground beef 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup 1 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa or Pace® Picante Sauce 1/2 cup milk 6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Cooking went smoothly. I didn't burn anything, forget any ingredients and no one cried when dinner was placed in front of them. So already, I could pat myself on the back before a bite was taken.


Zoe helped cut up the tortillas and black olives, she loves to help in the kitchen and I love the help. K.C. made "Jiffy" Corn Bread muffins to go along with the meal. He was just checking on me, making sure that things weren't going wrong, no trust in my cooking skills, not that I blame him. Not everyone can have a chef as a father.


We made some changes to the recipe. We choose to add Mexican Style Corn to the meat mixture. K.C.'s idea, I give him full credit. It was definitely a good add. We also set the table like we would for taco night. Bowls of black olives, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream, taco sauce and salsa. This made it more kid-friendly, because everyone was able to top their plate however they wanted.


Next time I make this meal, I will add taco seasoning to the meat and maybe some onions too. Needed more flavoring in my opinion.


Overall I consider the meal a success.


My plan isn't to just make 24 new meals and make everything else from a box as normal. I plan on adding all the successes to my regular meal nights. I am now +1 meal for the year  :)

K.C. also asked for credit for the plate presentation. He added the sour cream and tortillas on top, kinda cheesy if you ask me :)


Hoping that it goes this well tomorrow.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Hope I Can

My first meal attempt.

This isn't really my first big meal. I have tried before.

In the past, I have totally gone overboard, became overwhelmed and failed. But even I have had some successes, but failed to continue to try. I have always wanted to love cooking. I just don't feel that I know enough about cooking or food to enjoy it, so it always feels like it takes so much effort. I would love to take a cooking class. Maybe that's something that I will try out this year.

I believe that the more you do something, the more comfortable you get. That is what I am attempting to do. Make myself comfortable in the kitchen. I'll be honest. Most nights I plan, make and serve dinner all within a half hour. I know that a good meal takes more planning than that. I have to set aside the time to make more of an effort.

Also, the fact that I have five kids to please is discouraging. Also my husband :) I don't know if I've ever made a meal that all of them "loved", besides the boring basics like Mac and Cheese with hot dogs. I've gotten them all to eat a meal, but the differences in taste buds are working against me.

I refuse to be a short order cook. 

My least picky eater is Emmitt. Most anything I put infront of him, he eats. LOL, past blog. The only thing he won't eat is buttered noodles, which all the other kids love. And again, boring! Castiel is super picky. I never know if he will eat something or throw it all over my floor. He prefers a liquid diet, juice and milk. Cameron has issues with too much on his plate. I think he gets overwhelmed. Casseroles look scary to him. Audrey hates any red sauce and tuna and will only eat take-out pizza. Zoe will eat just about everything, if she can smother it in hot sauce.

Even when I've made a meal that I'm proud of. K.C.'s plate is empty in two minutes. He eats so fast, I can't believe that he's even tasted it. Which in a way, is as insulting as refusing to eat it. In my head, all I am thinking is "I just spent two hours on that".

So along with the new meals. I think I have to come up with better dinner etiquette for my family to live by. It's not like they are a bunch of monsters at the dinner table, but I can feel that things are starting to get out of control. And with five children, keeping things in control is everything. So I think there might be some new changes to our dinner routine besides my cooking.

So, I have bacon, ground beef and chicken breasts in my freezer and I'm going grocery shopping on Saturday. If you have any suggestions of what I can do with them, send them my way. Please don't send me anything overwhelming to start with. Think basic and delicious. Maybe something that your family loves. I will be looking for something too. First meal is planned for Sunday night.

Wish me luck, I'll need it :)

I would like to think I'm not the only mom with these issues. So I promise to share the recipes and let you know if how many of them ate it.