Mac and Cheese Pizza

While I am not a super fan of mac and cheese, it does have a tendency to show up on our menu from time to time, especially around lunch time or when I am in a crunch to get something on the table before running out the door. When I saw this mac and cheese pizza, I knew that it was going to be a hit with the rest of my family. I was definitely a good guesser on that one! They thought it was fabulous, even the next day! It was an interesting combo for pizza, but it made be made again since everyone enjoyed it so much.

Mac and Cheese Pizza
(Recipe found at thegunnysack.com via pinterest.com)

1 box of mac and cheese
3 slices American Cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 premade pizza crust or I used my homemade pizza crust
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Start by making the macaroni and cheese according to the package. Add 3 slices of American cheese and 1/4 cup of milk to make a little more cheese sauce. Stir over low heat until melted. Make crust for pizza if using homemade crust. Prebake for 5-10 minutes first. Brush pizza crust with olive oil. Top with macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Pie Iron Calzones

We used this recipe when we went on our big camping vacation to Canada this summer and it couldn't have been easier... The poor hubs ends up sitting over the fire the entire time, which isn't super enjoyable for him, but these were totally worth all the grumping and groaning that he did! The kids AND adults raved about how wonderful these tasted and they didn't require a ton of prep work... Perfect for a camping meal!

Pie Iron Calzones
(Recipe found at mustardseeds.typepad.com via Pinterest)

pre-made pizza dough in a tube (one tube yields 3 calzones)
pizza sauce
shredded cheese
pepperoni
Other toppings of your choice
cooking spray
pizza sauce, for dipping

Spray cooking spray on both sides of the pie iron. Cut rectangle of dough into three even pieces and place one piece on the pie iron. Spread pizza sauce. Add cheese. Add pepperoni. Fold over the remaining dough to cover your calzone. With your fingers pinch the edges of the dough together before putting the top of the pie iron on. Cook over hot coals until warm and crisp. Time depends on how hot your coals are. Flip pie iron over and continue cooking second side. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

Pepperoni Pizza Waffles

These were a super fun meal that my kids thought were a lot of fun. They were easy to put together and another way to use my otherwise not so often used waffle iron. My oldest was at camp the week that we had these and just picked them this week as the meal that he wants - they should definitely be easy enough for him to put together on his own so we will see how that goes! We used pizza sauce to dip them into and they were a hit!

Pepperoni Pizza Waffles
(Recipe found on pinterest.com)

flaky biscuits, uncooked
pepperoni slices, chopped
mozzarella cheese, shredded
pizza sauce, for dipping

Heat waffle iron. Divide each flaky biscuit in half. Flatten each half, putting pepperoni and cheese on one half. Top with other biscuit half and crimp shut, with fingers or a fork. Spray waffle iron with cookie spray. Close waffle iron and cook until dough is done.

Pizza Stuffed Shells

Did someone say pizza? Magic words in this house! I love stuffed shells and this was a new recipe that I hadn't tried yet. It turned out great and everyone loved this pizza style pasta dish!

Pizza Stuffed Shells
(Recipe found at spendwithpennies.com via Pinterest)

15-18 jumbo pasta shells
1/2 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon oregano
4 ounces pepperoni, chopped into fourths
1 green pepper, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 cup pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided

Preheat oven to 350. Cook shells al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool. Brown ground beef, onion and garlic until no longer pink. Add 3/4 of the pepperoni and cook 3 minutes. Add green pepper, oregano and tomato. Cook 3 minutes or until green pepper is softened. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Fill each shell with pepperoni mixture and place in baking dish. Top with pizza sauce. Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil and cover with remaining cheese and pepperoni. Return to oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and melted.

White Chicken Enchilada Pizza

We love pizza around here and although I love it as much as the rest of the family - I'm not a big fan of red sauce. So, this recipe was right up my alley - chicken, cheese and no red sauce in sight! It was super yummy and the kids devoured it as much as Josh and I...

White Chicken Enchilada Pizza
(Recipe found on pinterest via diaryofarecipecollector.com)

pizza dough - I use this recipe.
2 chicken breasts, grilled and diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can sliced olives, divided
1 can cream of chicken or I use one helping of this recipe.
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can green chiles, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425. While oven is preheating, spread dough into a 12 inch circle on a pizza stone or pan. Place in oven to partially bake while oven is preheating for about 7 -10 minutes. Remove. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olives, sour cream, cream of chicken, green chiles and mix well over medium heat. Remove from heat. Spread sauce on partially baked crust. Top with chicken, olives, and cheese. Bake pizza for 10-15 minutes or until crust begins to get golden brown and cheese is melted.

Garlicky Chicken Pizza

I was a little nervous about making this pizza for my kids... Putting tomatoes and onions on the pizza kind of sounded like a recipe for disaster at my house, but it looked so good that I had to try it at least once! My kids are usually game for anything on a pizza crust, so I have gotten them to eat some interesting foods this way. I have to say that everyone had a couple pieces of pizza and my oldest son is requesting it next week for his birthday dinner! Not too shabby for a meal that I was worried about flopping! I'm also not a huge fan of warm tomatoes on my pizza and I usually skip those types, but I thought it was fantastic also - AND it was pretty good for leftovers the next day as well! The only thing that I would change is to amp up the garlic factor on the crust... I didn't feel like it was very garlicky for a garlicky chicken pizza...

Garlicky Chicken Pizza
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust (or I used this recipe for pizza crust)
2 tablespoons olive oiul
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, well drained
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (I switched to black olives - my kids are obsessed with them!!)
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1 1/3 cups crumbled goat cheese (I used feta since my store didn't have goat cheese)
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Unroll and press dough onto bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a greased 15x10 baking pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. (I used my own crust and skipped this prebaking step.) Mix oil and garlic; brush over crust. Top with tomatoes, onion, olives, chicken and goat cheese. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic salt and pepper. Bake 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden.

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups

For some reason I enjoy lasagna roll ups much more then regular lasagna. They might take a litle more effort to prepare in the beginning but they are fabulous! When I saw this pepperoni pizza version, I knew that my family had to try this recipe because I figured that they would love it and I was right!! They dug straight in everyone wanted more. I would definitely double this recipe next time because there wasn't enough for everyone to have more than 1 and there definitely wasn't enough for leftovers the next day. Definitely a redo though!

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups
(recipe found on pinterest via rachelcooks.com)

10 traditional lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
2 cups pizza sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 ounces sliced pepperoni (50-60 slices)

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles according to directions on package and rinse with cold water. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup of pizza sauce into the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Meanwhile, prepare filling in a large bowl by mixing beaten egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper until well combined. To prepare lasagna rolls, lay out one lasagna noodle and spread it with about 2 tablespoons of cheese filling. Lay out 5-6 pepperoni on top of cheese filling. Roll up each noodle starting at one of the short ends. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all noodles have been filed and rolled. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups pizza sauce over the rolls and top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes (remove foil for last 10-15 minutes) or until hot and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Slow Cooker Pepperoni Chicken

Chicken and pepperonis are something that is always on hand at our house.. The kids love the taste of both of them and of course the chicken is always a healthy meal to serve up. I love that this recipe combines both of them AND throws it all into a crock pot to boot! Awesome! The family really liked this recipe and there wasn't any left over to send with the hubs the next day...

Slow Cooker Pepperoni Chicken
(recipe found on pinterest via www.skinnymom.com)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 3/4 ounces turkey pepperoni (about 40 slices), sliced in half
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
3/4 cup shredded, mozzarella cheese

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Cut pepperoni slices in half. Add pepperoni and olives to cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Pour mixture in cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Five minutes before you serve, sprinkle cheese on top of chicken. Cover with lid and allow cheese to melt.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, pepperoni and olives to plates. Discard cooking liquid.

Pizza Buns

I am always on the look out for something new and exciting to send with the kids in their lunches for school. All of a sudden my boys have decided that they want to take lunches to school a lot... I don't mind making them lunches, but I don't want to send them the same thing day after day. These turned out super yummy and the kids liked them hot or cold, which is definitely a bonus when you send a lunch box to school 3 hours before lunch!

Pizza Buns
(recipe found on pinterest via simpleasthatblog.com)

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 1/2 cups flour
preferred pizza toppings

In a mixer combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Add salt. Stir. Add half of flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour until dough pulls away from edges of the bowl when mixing and it isn't sticky. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. Remove dough from bowl. Separate into three equal parts. Prepare your pizza ingredients. This is going to be just like making cinnamon rolls, only with pizza toppings!

Take one portion of the dough and roll out on a lightly greased or floured surface. Roll dough into a long skinny rectangle as you would for cinnamon rolls. Once your dough is rolled, you can begin layering your pizza ingredients starting with the sauce. Spread sauce over the dough leaving the very edge of one of the long sides of the rectangle free from sauce so the edge will seal when rolled up. Layer meat, cheese and any other pizza toppings you would like. After all your pizza toppings have been added, begin rolling up the dough starting at the long side of the rectangle where the sauce is all the way to the edge - you want to leave that sauce free edge to be rolled up last. Roll all the way up and then pinch the edges to seal. Cut into equal sized rolls. Place rolls in a greased baking dish. Cover and allow buns to rise 30 minutes. Bake in the oven at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

We have actually made this recipe a couple of times already because it is so good and my family is a bunch of pizza fanatics! I would double the topping recipe if you are going to use the homemade dough so that it is a little heartier - it definitely makes a bigger crust then just 12"! :)

Barbecue Chicken Pizza
(recipe found in Good Housekeeping)

1 pound ground chicken (I used diced chicken)
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 package (14 ounces) Italian pizza crust (12") or you can use this recipe for homemade pizza dough, like I did!
1 1/2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425. In nonstick 10" skillet, cook chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink. Stir in frozen corn, green onions and barbecue sauce; heat through. Place pizza crust on large cookie sheet. Spoon chicken mixture onto rust and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake pizza until cheese is melted and crust is browned. If you are using a prebaked pizza crust, it will be about 10 minutes. If you are using the homemade recipe it will take about 15-20 minutes.

Pizza Casserole

Again, a freezer meal that is super simple, LOVE IT!! This one actually makes enough for two pans, so you can easily freeze one and have one for your supper.... As always, anything pizza is a huge hit in our house and this was no exception. I made it up early and was able to finish up homework by the time that this came out of the oven - winner, winner!

Pizza Casserole
(recipe found on pinterest via thisfarmfamilyslife.com)

2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounces) jars spaghetti sauce
1 (16 ounces) package rotini, cooked
1 (16 ounces) package shredded mozzarella cheese
5 ounces sliced pepperoni

Brown beef and chopped onion. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta. Place mixture in 2 greased 9x13 pans. Sprinkle with cheese and pepperoni. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. To freeze: Cover unbaked casserole tightly with aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Uncover and bake as directed.

Pepperoni Pizza Rice

I made this as a main dish and added in the sausage and it was delicious... The kids loved it and it was pretty filling. I think that it would be great as a side dish as well, but this was super quick and easy to throw together!

Pepperoni Pizza Rice
(recipe found on pinterest via greenlitebites.com)

2 slices onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup raw spinach, chopped
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/2 ounce shredded mozzarella
1 pound sausage, browned and drained (optional)

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray and saute onion and bell pepper. Add rice, spinach and pepperoni. Continue to saute until spinach cooks down and is wilted. Add pizza sauce and sausage if adding and stir until everything is warmed through. Remove from stovetop and add cheese to the top, allowing it to melt before serving.

Crescent Roll Pizza

I saw this recipe on pinterest and had to recopy it immediately! I knew that the daycare kids (and my kids!) would love it and I was right... They thought that they were the best things ever and wanted more and more! It is a fun way to switch up the menu with something that I knew that they would like.



Crescent Roll Pizza
(recipe found on http://www.pinterest.com/)

1 can crescent rolls
turkey pepperoni
string cheese
pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 375. Unroll crescent rolls. Layer pepperoni on large side of the triangle.



Place 1/2 of string cheese on top of pepperoni. Roll up crescent roll and place on baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, until browned and crescent rolls are no longer doughy. Dip in pizza sauce.

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza

This was one of the best pizza recipes that I have tried so far! It might be the fact that it doesn't use pizza sauce and I'm not a big fan of red sauces, but none the less - it was delish!! We had a picnic out in our front yard and we gobbled this down with a big pail of watermelon... what a great way to spend a summer day.



Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza

Pizza Dough Crust
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast

Toppings
olive oil
garlic powder
1/2 jar alfredo sauce
1 pound cooked and chopped chicken
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese
sprinkled parmesan cheese
sprinkled cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon

Proof yeast in warm water. Combine all dough ingredients and mix until well blended. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Let rest and rise. Divide dough into 2 crusts and roll or spread out onto a pizza plate. Prick crust with fork. Brush crust with olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder over top. Spread 1/2 jar of alfredo sauce over dough. Sprinkle chicken, mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan cheeses over sauce. Top with bacon. Wrap and freeze at this point, if desired.

To serve: Let thaw completely. Bake in a well preheated oven at 475 for 8-25 minutes or until done.

Chicken and Artichoke French Bread Pizza

My one and only experience with artichokes is spinach and artichoke dip. Man, the yummiest appetizer in the world!! So, when I found this recipe I was curious to try it out. Oh man... talk about heavenly!! Do you see how much cheese is on this thing? How can it not be heavenly?? There was a lot of chopping and prep work, but oh so worth it!! Let me tell you - we had leftovers and my son has been asking to eat them for lunch for the past couple of days - that's how good it is! :)

The one complaint that I had was something that I did myself. I used miracle whip instead of mayo... I am usually a miracle whip girl and don't mind substituting it for mayo at all, but this time it was a mistake. I didn't like the sweet undertone taste that I kept having with each bite. I would definitely stick with the mayo.



Chicken and Artichoke French Bread Pizza
(recipe found at www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com)

1 loaf french bread
1/2 cup mayo
2 teaspoons garlic seasoning
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoons juice from marinated artichoke jar

In a small bowl, combine the mayo and garlic seasoning. Slice french bread open. Slather the mayo mixture all over. Place the bread on a cookie sheet and top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese on each piece.

Evenly distribute the chicken, spinach, tomato, red onion and artichoke hearts over each bread half. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses. Drizzle artichoke juice over the top of each pizza. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browned.

Scrambled Eggs and Cheese Pizza

I'm working on eating healthier with my family and shedding the rest of that baby weight, so I am busting out my weight watchers recipes... Now, if it doesn't taste good, I just can't keep up eating right, so you know I won't be posting something that tastes like cardboard! I used my own crust for this pizza and you can find the recipe for it here. I also doubled the toppings because my pizza stone is bigger then the 13" that they call for in the recipe. It was super tasty and hit the spot with my family! I served it with a side of fruit for a light and healthy meal.



Scrambled Eggs and Cheese Pizza
(recipe found at www.weightwatchers.com)

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
16 ounces frozen pizza crust dough, thawed
1 serving cooking spray
1 1/2 cup fat free egg substitute
1/2 cup fat free skim milk
1/2 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces ham, lean only, diced

Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle flour on a clean, flat surface and roll out pizza dough into a 13" circle; lay dough on a baking sheet or stone. Build up edges of dough to make a crust and then prick dough generously with tines of a fork; bake until light brown, about 15 minutes.

While crust is baking, coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Beat egg substitute and milk together in a large bowl; pour into skillet and scramble. Place scrambled eggs on pizza crust and sprinkle with cheese and ham; bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

Points Value: 5 per slice (if you don't double the toppings!)

Pizza by the Yard

Josh's mom used to make something called Pizza by the Yard when they were little. He still talks about it all the time and wants to make it. It's okay, but I tweaked it a bit and made it a little more my own! It makes quite a bit, but between the kids and us we manage to mostly polish it off, with a little bit of leftovers for Josh the next day! :)



Pizza by the Yard

loaf of french bread
1 pound ground beef
green pepper
onion
spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce (I like the taste of spaghetti sauce better...)
2 cups cheese (I like mozzarella, but use what you want!)
pepperoni

Preheat oven to 400. Slice french bread loaf in half and place on baking sheet. Add small amount of olive oil or butter to a pan and saute green pepper and onion, whatever amount is desired. Set aside. Brown ground beef until no longer pink, drain. Add desired amount of spaghetti sauce and heat through. Place a layer of pepperoni on the french bread. Cover with green peppers and onions, then hamburger mixture. Top with cheese and place in oven. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Easy Deep Dish Pizza Pie

Oh this was so easy and so yummy that I can't wait to have it again and we just had it last night... Even my kids who are going through an eating hiatus right now finished every last bit of it!



Easy Deep Dish Pizza Pie
(recipe found at www.pillsbury.com)

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1 can (11 ounces) refrigerated crusty french loaf
2 cups shredded italian cheese blend
1 package (3 ounces) pepperoni slices
1 egg
1 tablespoons water

heat oven to 350. Spray 9" glass pie plate with cooking spray. In 10" skillet, cook beef and onion over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pizza sauce until well mixed. Carefully unroll dough in pie pan so edges extend over sides. Pat dough in bottom and up sides of pan, leaving dough extended over sides. Spoon beef mixture into crust. Top with half of the cheese, the pepperoni and remaining cheese. In small bowl, slightly beat egg and water. Fold extended edges of dough up and over filling; seal all edges. Brush crust with egg mixture. Bake 38-48 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Cut pizza into wedges; serve with additional pizza sauce.

Pepperoni Bread

Found this recipe in our local paper. They were having a recipe section during the holidays and I thought that it sounded pretty good. I was right. It was easy to throw together and Josh raved about it the entire meal!! I think that it would be good with all kinds of different toppings, but this time we stuck with the original recipe!


Pepperoni Bread
(recipe found in Sebeka Review Messenger via Verne Milbradt)

1 loaf frozen white bread, thawed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread thawed bread dough out on a cookie sheet. Brush egg on the dough and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Add pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Roll up dough the long way, pinching ends together tightly. Brush with cold water. There is no need to let the dough rise. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Chicken and Bacon Ranch Pizza

Pizza - like I said before, it is a family favorite! We tried this new recipe the other night with my brother and his kids and everyone enjoyed it... not as much as the hot dogs that they were having with it, but the adults really like it! :) (Yes, hot dogs and pizza, it was a random meal night...)

Chicken and Bacon Ranch Pizza
(recipe found in Pillsbury cookbook)
serves: 8

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated thin pizza crust
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 packages (6 ounces each) refrigerated cooked Italian style chicken breast strips, chopped (I just used regular chicken breasts cooked and chopped)
4 slices crisply cooked bacon, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup onion
1 large plum tomato, seeded, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400. Spray or grease 15x10 inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet, starting at center, press dough into 15x10 inch rectangle. Spread ranch dressing evenly over dough. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake 13-16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

I made this without the tomato and onions, basically because I forgot to buy them when I went grocery shopping... whoops! It was still really tasty and Josh said that it was good as leftovers when he got back from hunting that night!