Doin' Some Cookin'... Pizza Casserole

My company was hosting their annual potluck of "homemade" dishes only this year.

Ugh! I don't mind picking something up from the store but cooking for the entire office. Hmm...

I get cooking anxiety when cooking for people for the first time. Hell, I have a hard enough time cooking for my biggest critic, Little Man. So I end up doing a run through of the recipe ahead of time to make sure it turns out okay.

The potluck was today and I made this recipe on Tuesday, however, while it was absolutely delicious it was incredibly heavy and didn't settle well on my stomach. I couldn't risk serving this gut bomb to my coworkers so I ended up opting out of the potluck.

Little Man loved everything about this dish and polished off his bowl of pasta for the two nights of leftovers. That is a win for me! He exclaimed, "It tastes like Papa Johns but with pasta!"

This was an incredibly easy dish to make on a busy work night and came together fairly quickly. You can customize the toppings to include your family's favorite pizza flavors. I'm thinking next time ham, pineapple, and red onions for a Hawaiian version. Yum.

Pizza Casserole

Adapted From: Taste of Home

Makes 12-14 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 package (16 oz) of rigatoni
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 package of hot Italian sausage
• 1 package (8 oz) pepperoni, sliced
• shredded mozzarella cheese or pizza blend, to taste
• 2 cans (15 oz) pizza sauce
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup

And Action:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, brown the beef and Italian sausage. Drain the fat. 

Add the pasta to the meat mixture, add cheese, pizza sauce, mushroom soup, and pepperoni. Stir to combine. Heat over medium until sauce is heated through and cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Pizza Night with Rustic Crust

We have a love/hate relationship with pizza in our household.

Little Man claims he only likes certain kinds of pizza but the boy cannot tell me what it is that he likes. We have ordered pizza from every franchise and have had numerous at home make your own pizza nights. The boy claims he eats pepperoni and cheese pizza elsewhere but I have yet to see in his 6 years of eating solid foods him eat a slice of pizza. He'll take one or two nibbles and state he is not hungry. I've given up and have come to accept he does not like pizza.

Because of his dislike I don't have pizza anymore unless my boss orders it for us at work for lunch on occasion.

I cannot explain how excited I was when the generous folks at Rustic Crust considered me for this opportunity to create an at home pizza night. I was gifted with not one but three pizza kits containing three different kinds of crust and three sauce pouches. That's three attempts to figure out what this boy will eat in terms of pizza.

... and if I cannot get him to eat it, oh boy!!! my poor waistline, cause I can take down a pizza with no shame. So not diet compliant for Whole30 but when I'm in between rounds their products are perfect for following the 80/20 rule.

Their crusts are hand-formed using all natural ingredients with no GMOs, no trans fat, and no added sugar. Less guilt.

The first pizza I made was a white pizza with chicken, garlic, spinach, and artichoke. The second pizza was a Hawaiian pizza with Canadian bacon, prosciutto, pineapple, bacon, black olives, red onions with two types of cheeses and topped with arugula.

The Hawaiian pizza was hands down the absolute best I've ever made at home. The crust was perfect too with the right amount of crunch and the best part is you can actually taste the cheese in it. I'm sold on Rustic Crust and cannot wait to make this one again and again.

All three of these pizzas were ready in less time than it takes to order delivery. You can find out where to buy so you can give their products a try for yourself and see what I'm talkin' about. Just a heads up... if you are a heavy sauce kinda person know that three pouches come in a box but two would be needed for one pizza.

To stretch pizza night we served with a side salad so we could get an extra meal out of each pizza. That's winning, one less night I have to cook. 

*Disclosure: No monetary compensation was offered or received for this post. I was provided product for review, however, all opinions are my own.  

Website: Rustic Crust 
Twitter: @RusticCrust
Facebook: facebook.com/RusticCrust 

Doin' Some Cookin'... Zucchini Pizza

A healthier pizza?! Sign me up!!

I'm going to be honest. This does not satisfy a pizza craving, especially a specific craving for Pizza Hut's buttery pan pizza crust but it definitely is a tasty and healthier Game Day option. This recipe is simple making it a perfect weeknight dinner without all the guilt and carbs. Winning!

Zucchini Pizza

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 tbsp parmesan reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 oz pepperoni

And Action:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat zucchini dry with a paper towel. Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay zucchini down and spread marinara sauce on top. Sprinkle with the cheeses and top with pepperoni. Bake for 5-8 minutes. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Potato-Crusted Pizza

Tator tots create a fun kid-friendly crust that makes for a light meal and one that's easy enough for the little ones to join you in the kitchen.

Potato-Crusted Pizza

Adapted from: Southern Living Magazine, September 2014

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (30 oz) package frozen tator tots
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (1 oz) package fresh basil, torn
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange tator tots in a single layer in pan. Bake 10 minutes. Flatten tator tots with the back of a wooden spoon until rounds touch and cover the entire baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes more or until crisp. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake 5-10 minutes more or until cheese melts.