Broccoli and Cheese Stromboli

The cooking with my kid blog... I very rarely actually do these recipes with either of my kids but, regardless, I do find the simplicity of the recipes very appealing! Here was another of her simple but tasty treats. It's basically a pizza that is rolled into a log before you cook it. Interestingly, I enjoyed this more as a reheated dish than I did when it was straight out of the oven. Straight out of the oven the cheese is too melty and so it oozes out the side when you cut it up. If you let it cool completely first and then cut it up and microwave it, the cheese stays (more) in place and allows you to eat this like a sandwich. Max loved it... Stella was dubious but ate about 1/3-1/2 of what I served her. As with any pizza-like recipe you could easily change the "toppings" (or filings, in this case) but this is one of those great ways to sneak some green veggies in to whomever you are serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 package pre-made pizza dough (we used whole wheat)
• 2 cups broccoli florets (blanched and chopped)
• 1 cup good marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella
• Grated Parmesan for sprinkling
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. In a small bowl mix together ricotta, sauce and oregano. 
3. Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface into a rectangle. Spread sauce mixture evenly on dough leaving room on the sides for crimping. Top with broccoli and mozzarella. Sprinkle the top with some Parmesan. 
4. Starting at one end roll the dough up and crimp the edges to seal. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet. 
5. Crack egg into a small bowl, add water to egg and whisk to form egg wash. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and poke a few holes to let steam out. 
6. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is well cooked and golden brown. Be sure to let it cook until it’s good and crusty – otherwise the inside will be too doughy. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. 
7. Serve with extra marinara for dipping. Makes approximately 8 slices.

Recipe and photo courtesy of cookingwithmykid.com

Whole Wheat Pizza Puffs

 
Pizza puffs are genius! No surprise (since I got the recipe from cookingwithmykid.com) it is a great recipe for making with the kids. They vastly prefer the mini pepperoni version I make that doesn't use broccoli or olives but I generally make both. I have never once made a single batch of this recipe. They freeze amazingly well and are delicious. I prefer to eat them with ranch dressing but go great with whatever dipping sauce sounds good to you.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup lowfat or nonfat milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup black olives (pitted)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan.
2. Blanche the broccoli and chop small, set aside. (I generally cook the broccoli and then stick both them and the olives in a blender and hit pulse a few times... I like having fewer big chunks of anything).
3. Chop olives and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg.
5. Stir in the mozzarella, broccoli and olives and let stand for 10 mins.
6. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, microwave the marinara sauce until warmed through, then serve with the pizza puffs.

Recipe and photo courtesy of cookingwithmykid.com

Baked Potato Pizza

I can't believe this hasn't yet been added to the blog as it is one of the recipes that started it all! And has been enjoyed by many, if not all, club members. It has been modified from a recipe that started out as low fat... but given the club's battle cry of "More Cheeeeeeeese" it is probably not quite low fat any longer. But it is delicious and a nice change of pace from regular pizza.

• 1 large potato
• 1 loaf (1 pound) frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ranch powder
• parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 6 turkey bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• Reduced-fat sour cream, optional 

1. Unroll dough onto a 14-in. pizza pan coated with cooking spray; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter with garlic; brush over dough.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350°.
2. Scrub the heck out of the potato. Bake potato for 5 minutes in the microwave.  Use a bread knife to slice up with skin still on.
3. Stir up leftover garlic butter, ranch powder, parmesan and small amount of mozzerella.  Spread evenly over pizza dough.
4. Arrange potato slices in a single layer over dough; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 20-22 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  Add bacon with about 5 minutes of baking time left and sprinkle with a small amount of cheese
5. Sprinkle with chives. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Broccoli & Cheese Calzones

 

As much as I love Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation (she would have been my childhood hero), she is wrong about calzones! This is a basic but very solid recipe that allows for improvisation in terms of veggies & seasonings.

 
INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional - I live with a mushroom hater)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper/red pepper flakes
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 16oz package frozen pizza dough - thawed (keep in fridge to prevent rising)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

• Pizza/marinara sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for ~5 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll each portion into ~6 inch circle.
4. Place 1/4 cup broccoli mixture and 1/4 cup cheese in the center of each circle.
5. Fold dough over in half, pressing to seal (brushing the edges with water helps).
6.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Recipe via Cooking Light

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for muffin pan
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1/2 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

 Recipe & photo from marthastewart.com

Naan Pizza

I recognize the food isn't the focus of this photo but who wouldn't want to try a recipe that prompted this photo. One of our handful of cooking soirees at Caroline's (soon-to-be) old apartment.

Doesn't need to said... very adaptable.

Ingredients:
1 piece of naan
2 to 3 heaping tablespoons tomato sauce
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomato sauce in a small bowl and give your kid a pastry brush to spread sauce all over naan. Then let him sprinkle with mozzarella and add any other pizza toppings he likes. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place in hot oven directly on the rack for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Eat while hot.

Recipe from Cooking With My Kid