Marvelous Recipes

As the title of this recipe suggests, I threw in a “little of this & a little of that” and came up with this better than expected skillet dinner. Hubby declared it a “keeper” and asked me to repeat it later in the week!

2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (14 ounces) jar pizza sauce
1 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce
1 (6.5 ounces) can mushroom pieces & stems, drained
1 (2.25 ounces) can sliced black olives, drained
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1-1/2 cups pasta (your choice)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat cook ground beef, onion and green bell pepper until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain well.

2. Stir in the next 8 ingredients; reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in the sour cream; top with the cheddar cheese. Cover and simmer until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Emily

I have been playing around with finding some low-carb recipes to meet the dieting needs of some of my family members. This one just sort of “came together” and turned out to be really good.

1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup pizza sauce
2 ounces pepperoni, chopped

1. In a small bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, oregano, parsley and basil; blend well.

2. Spread mixture in bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

3. Spread with the pizza sauce. Top with the pepperoni and the remaining cheeses. Cover and microwave on High for 5 minutes; serve hot. Makes about 8 servings each containing less than 2 net carbs.

Emily

This lower-calorie, lower-fat pizza recipe from Weight Watchers “Simply the Best” cookbook is perfect for those of us who are trying to drop a few pounds. All the great pizza flavor we crave without all the guilt!

1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 onion, chopped
2 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups trimmed cleaned spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound refrigerated ready-made pizza crust dough
3 large plum tomatoes, sliced
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a 15-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large nonstick saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of the milk with the flour; stir until smooth. Stir in the remaining milk, the onion, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cloves. Add the spinach and Parmesan cheese; stir until the spinach is moistened and slightly wilted.

3. Press the pizza dough into the bottom of the pan; pinch the edge to form a rim. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the dough. Top with the tomatoes and the mozzarella cheese. Bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Per Serving: 261 Calories, 8 g Total Fat, 4 g Saturated Fat, 19 mg Cholesterol, 542 mg Sodium, 33 g Total Carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 15 g Protein, 301 mg Calcium.

Serving Provides: 2 Breads, 1 Fruit/Vegetable, 2 Protein/Milks.

Points Per Serving: 5.

Emily

The delicious robust flavor of pepperoni pizza in a convenient taste appealing casserole! I made this for dinner last night and my family loved it!!

8 ounces rotini or other spiral pasta, uncooked
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 (14 ounce each) jars pizza sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (3.5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
2 cups ( 16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain and return to the skillet. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and pizza sauce; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk and Parmesan cheese. Drain the pasta; toss with the egg mixture. Transfer pasta mixture to a greased 2-quart casserole. Top with the beef mixture, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.

Emily

Hot pizza bread sticks right out-of-the-oven and dipped in warm pizza sauce; the perfect appetizer! Be sure to make plenty because they will disappear really fast!!

1 (11 oz) package refrigerated French bread dough
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 oz) can pizza sauce

1. Unroll the bread dough. Using your hands, pat the dough over the bottom of a 12×15-inch baking sheet with sides. Brush dough with the olive or canola oil.

2. Spread the garlic over the prepared layer. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and oregano.

3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Pour the pizza sauce into a small microwaveable bowl. Heat on High for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until heated through.

4. Using a pizza cutter, cut the baked bread layer into long strips. Serve with the warm pizza sauce for dipping. Makes 20 servings.

Emily

This spicy delicious casserole will bring a smile to your family’s appetite!

1 (8 oz) package ziti or other tubular pasta
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (15 oz) cans pizza sauce
10 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 (3.5 oz) package sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend*

1. Cook pasta according to package directions using minimum cook time; drain and return to saucepan.

2. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic powder. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and onion is softened; about 7 minutes. Stir in pizza sauce, crumbled bacon and pepperoni. Pour mixture over pasta ; stir to blend. Spoon 1/2 pasta mixture into casserole; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon remaining pasta mixture on top.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes; top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted and bubbly. Makes 8 servings.

* In place of Italian cheese blend, use a mixture of shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and provolone cheeses.

Emily

A delightfully different way to enjoy the taste of pizza! Be sure to grab a fork, since this is not your usual finger-food pizza!

3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup water
4 ounces sliced pepperoni
1 (14-15 oz.) jar pizza sauce
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup shredded pizza cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In a 3 quart saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to the saucepan.

2. In a 10 inch skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Stir sausage, bell pepper, water, pepperoni, pizza sauce and mushrooms into pasta in saucepan. Spoon pasta mixture into the casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese.

3. Cover casserole and bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Yields 6 servings.