Blueberry Topped Lemon Cheesecake

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Ah cheesecake – it can be so right, or go so wrong! This was our first foray into homemade cheesecake, and I think it was a great success!

I had a coworker moving departments, so we decided to throw him a farewell potluck. This is the dessert I brought. I had to make sure to bring home a piece for my wife, because she said she’d kill me if I didn’t. Luckily I was able to bring back a slice for her to try.

Everyone loved this flavor combination! You can’t go wrong with blueberries and lemon, and this cheesecake is proof! The crust also contains a surprising ingredient that shows this desserts deep Southern roots – corn meal. I’ve been seeing blueberry and sweet corn dessert recipes pop up here and there, and this is a tasty trend I can definitely get behind!

Blueberry Topped Lemon Cheesecake

Comfort Foods, Dessert, Fruit, Meals for a Crowd, Southern, Splurge, Summer

Blueberry Topped Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
32 oz cream cheese
8 oz mascarpone cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/8 tsp salt
Zest of 2 medium lemons
6 tbs lemon juice, divided *
3 cups blueberries, divided
1 tbs water

Instructions

Place butter, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and eggs on counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap a double layer of tin foil around the bottom and outer sides of a 9 inch springform pan to form a watertight seal. Lightly grease the bottom of the pan. Set pan aside.
To make the crust, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until fully combined. Add flour, cornmeal, and salt. Beat together ingredients until crumbly. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan, making as even and flat as possible. Bake for 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
While crust is baking, in a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Add beaten eggs, lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the cheese mixture, beating on low speed until just combined.
Pour cheese mixture over baked crust, spreading evenly. Place the foil-wrapped springform pan into a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until water reaches about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until 2 inch area around the outside edge appears set and the center appears nearly set when shaken.
Remove springform pan from water. Cook in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, loosen edges of cheesecake from sides of pan.
Allow cheesecake to cool completely on the rack. Once cooled, remove foil from pan, cover, and place in refrigerator. Chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
For blueberry topping, combine 2 cups of blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and water in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture begins boiling. Boil gently, uncovered, for 15 – 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in remaining blueberries. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow mixture to cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
To serve, remove sides from springform pan. Slice cheesecake, and spoon blueberry topping over each slice.

Notes

*3 tablespoons of lemon juice is about 1 medium lemon, juiced. Yield will vary by lemon.

Need a dessert, but you’re looking something a little less intense? Check out these sweet recipes!

October 24, 2019October 19, 2019

Meat Lovers Pizza

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Halloween parties are coming! When I was younger, my favorite part of Halloween parties (besides dressing up and getting TONS of candy that is) was eating some delicious greasy pizza paired with root beer someone’s mom had added dry ice to.

Of course as an adult, most of the time I’ll pass on the extra cheap, extra greasy pizza, and go for home made! Its easier than it seems, way cheaper, and you get a better quality product you can feel satisfied about.

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One of our favorite pizzas in the Cason household is the extra hearty, much beloved Meat Lovers pizza! The best part about Meat Lovers is you can smother it in your favorite kinds of meat and make it completely your own! We go towards a more traditional approach to it, but you can add whatever meat tickles your fancy!

Meat Lovers Pizza

Cheese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Pizza, Splurge

Meat Lovers Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

Toppings

14 oz can of Pizza sauce
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz Pepperoni
7 oz salami
7 oz Canadian bacon
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Make the Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread pizza sauce over prepped dough evenly to taste, leaving about 1 inch of dough exposed around edge. Top with mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, sprinkling evenly over sauce. Top with the meats, spreading it all out as evenly as possible over the pizza.
Place pizza in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after another 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Love this pizza, but need another flavor for your big pizza bash?! Check out our other pizzas here!

October 21, 2019October 19, 2019

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

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Crisp leaves falling outside, temperatures dropping, sweaters being pulled out of the closet… Fall is absolutely the best!

One of the best parts of when the weather gets colder is you can finally pull out your favorite soup recipes! Sure, you can make soup during the summer, but you’ll heat up the house like crazy! And the best part of soup is eating it to warm up!

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This split pea soup is made in the slow cooker, so you can easily start it in the morning and come back to it after a fun romp in the brisk outdoors! So hearty and good, your family will beg to have it again and again!

Now you’re going to need a ham bone or something similar to make this recipe! We save our bones from when we buy pork shoulders to make pulled pork. I’ve seen others save the bones from their spiral hams or use smoked ham hocks. If you don’t have one saved in your freezer, you can likely find something at your local butcher’s.

This dump-and-go soup is one you’ll want to keep on hand all season long!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Pork, Soup

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 ham bone
2 lbs cooked ham, chopped
16 oz bag dried green split peas
1 lb carrots, sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
3 tbs dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

Place the ham bone in the slow cooker.
Layer in the rest of the ingredients in listed order above, spreading through the entire crock pot. Pour over the chicken broth last, making sure broth covers everything in the pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Stir occasionally during cooking.
Once peas are tender, remove ham bone from the soup, allowing to cool for a few minutes. Tear off any ham on the bone and return to the soup.
Discard bone and bay leaf. Using a spoon, smash some of the peas against the side of the slow cooker and stir until desired consistency is reached.

Check out some of our other soups for chilly season! Tried any of them yet? Let us know in the comments!

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019

Creamy Oyster Stew

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Hey all! This week’s post doesn’t contain any pictures. We ate this stew so fast we didn’t get a chance to snag a pic!

Seriously, it is so good! We LOVE oysters in this house, but living where we do we don’t get them very often. Here they cost an arm and a leg and are canned. Though there’s nothing wrong with canned, you can’t beat fresh oysters.

We stock up on fresh seafood when we visit family in Oregon and freeze most of it for use during the next year. These oysters were the last of the ones from our last trip (yay for another trip in a few weeks!), and boy was it worth it to use them!

With soup season finally being here, this soup goes together fast and easy and is great paired with some fresh bread!

Creamy Oyster Stew

Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Seafood, Soup, Splurge, Uncategorized

Ingredients

1 pint oysters in their liquid
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet onion, minced
1 stalk of celery, minced
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes (see below)

Instructions

Prepare the Oysters

Set a colander over a small bowl. Add the oysters into the colander, allowing the liquid to flow into the bowl.
Place a fine mesh sieve over another bowl and pass the liquid through it, filtering out sand, grit, and small pieces of broken shell from the liquid. Discard solids and set liquid aside for later.

Make the stew

In a stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced onion and celery, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and translucent.
Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the oyster liquid, milk, cream, and thyme. Heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until the broth just reaches a simmer. Do not boil! Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Add the oysters to the broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes. The oysters are done once the edges start to curl.
Serve hot with desired garnishes.

Notes

We didn’t garnish ours, but some garnishes we would suggest would be celery leaves, Old Bay seasoning, a dash of hot sauce, and/or slivers of butter.

Do you love oysters as much as we do?! Let us know in the comments if you want more oyster recipes!

September 23, 2019September 23, 2019

Easy Set and Forget Mexican Chicken

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We’ve all been there – you get going through your day and realize you haven’t thawed anything for dinner! You get stuck between trying (and usually failing) to get the meat thawed in time or throwing in the towel and going out to eat.

Well not when you’re making this recipe!

Slightly spicy with crispy skin without being dry, this chicken is cooked low and slow, so you can start with frozen chicken!

You’ll need to grab a 9×13, and this one is only $18.99! (Price accurate at time of posting)

You’ll need some tinfoil too! Snag it for $9.49 (Price accurate at time of posting).

This chicken is perfect paired with some refried beans, Mexican rice, and a couple of corn tortillas to sop up all the delicious juices at the end! And, since its made from some pretty common spices, you more than likely have all the ingredients on hand, meaning its a great go to in those DOH! moments!

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Mexican Chicken

Chicken, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Mexican

Mexican Chicken

Ingredients

4 lbs partially frozen chicken thighs and legs
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBS butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place chicken into a 9×13 glass pan, skin side up for the thighs. Pour juice over chicken, making sure each piece gets some juice.
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Sprinkle seasonings liberally over chicken.
Cut butter into pieces and place directly on pieces of chicken. Cover pan with tinfoil and place in oven.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes or until skin is crispy and brown and chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Rest and serve.

Need a different chicken recipe?! Check these out!

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019

Creamy Harvest Soup

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Along with cooking, I also love gardening. The smell of damp soil, the tang of a sun-warmed tomato, making my own fresh salsa – I can’t resist the fresh veggies!

Its budget friendly as well. As long as you can re-use your supplies year after year, you can save lots of money growing your own produce and prepping it for long term storage.

One of our favorite ways to use our spoils is to make this super hearty soup! Though there isn’t any meaty protein in it, this soup is ultra filling and it gives you a full feeling without being too heavy.

The only thing more amazing than the flavor is how easy it all is! Throw the veggies on a pan to roast, then blend them with some broth and dairy to add a touch of creaminess.

The best part is you can mix and match whatever you’ve grown in your garden! Keep it simple, keep it hearty, and keep it delicious!

Creamy Harvest Soup

Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Soup, Vegetable

Creamy Harvest Soup

Ingredients

4 lbs Roma tomatoes
1 lb On the Vine tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
3 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 cups low sodium chicken broth OR 3 cups water, 3 TBS low sodium chicken base
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cut all tomatoes into quarters. Peel garlic cloves. Dice onions and bell pepper.
Place vegetables into a large bowl. Add in oil and toss to coat.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide vegetables onto two baking sheets, making sure to leave plenty of space around the vegetables.
Place sheets into oven. Bake for 25 minutes, mixing vegetables after about 15 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 500 and broil for about 3 minutes or until you see a slight char on the tomatoes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large soup pan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Once bubbling, add the vegetables. Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy and almost all vegetables have been broken down.
Add the seasonings, heavy cream, and Parmesan. Blend again until mostly smooth.
Serve hot, and refrigerate leftover soup.

As cooler weather rolls in and harvest time comes, what is your favorite fresh treat from the garden? Comment below!

Like the sound of this soup? Check out these others!

Slow Cooker Baked Potato | New England Clam Chowder | Slow Cooker Taco Soup

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019

Eating Salads on a Budget (with Spinach Apple Salad recipe!)

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A simple way we try and keep our family healthy while making our food last as long as possible (read: less money spent on food!) is pairing foods with a great salad!

When we had our pizza night the other day, we paired those delicious slices of carb filled glory with this tart and savory salad!

We splurged a little on candied walnuts, and found the feta in bulk on sale at a discount store that sells excess products that restaurants didn’t end up needing.

Eating healthier doesn’t always have to break the bank. Here are our tips for eating salads on a tight budget!

Eat produce that is in season

When you eat produce that is in season, you’ll have fresher, better tasting salads that cost you less! If you garden this can get even cheaper! Not to mention, nothing tastes better than a warm tomato that was on the vine less than 5 minutes ago!

Not sure what is in season? Check out a list here.

Make it yourself

Sure, grabbing those bag salads as you walk through the produce section is easy and convenient. You tear open the bag a few minutes before you’re ready to eat, throw everything in a bowl (or not – sometimes we get lazy) and boom! You’re done.

However, those salads cost way more than the sum of their parts! You are trading convenience for cost. You also usually don’t know everything that goes in the dressings. If you like to keep your costs down and know what is going in your body, you’ll need to take a little extra time and make your own salads.

Buy some ingredients in bulk

Obviously, unless you have a very big family, you can’t buy some produce in bulk and eat it all before it goes bad. You can, however, buy some of your favorite salad mix ins and keep them on hand for when things go on sale.

If you know you love tortilla strips or chia seeds, buy them in bulk! Then you’ll always have them ready to go when your produce is in season or on sale!

Watch for deals and utilize them

I mentioned before that we bought feta cheese on sale. It was a HUGE 15 lb restaurant supply tub. Feta is typically a cheese we feel is out of the budget, but this tub was less than $0.60 a pound! We took it home, crumbled it, divided it into 1 lb bags, and froze them. Now, if we know we’re going to need feta we thaw a bag overnight, and use it up before it goes bad. We then can be on the lookout when we hit the store for things that pair well with feta.

If you watch for amazing deals and take advantage, you’ll cut your costs in the future.

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Anyone can consistently eat salad when they follow the above tips. Next time you’re planning your menu, keep them in mind!

Now without further ado, our yummy Spinach Apple Salad!

Spinach Apple Salad

Appetizer, Meals for a Crowd, Salad, Sides, Tips and Tricks, Vegetarian

Spinach Apple Salad

Ingredients

4 TBS red wine vinegar
4 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp powdered mustard
1 bunch of spinach, rinsed, dried, stems removed
1/2 lb glazed walnuts
2 Granny smith apples
1 cup packed feta cheese

Instructions

In a small jar or bowl with a lid, combine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, and mustard. Shake or mix thoroughly, making sure dressing is fully combined. Set aside.
Roughly chop the spinach into bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Chop apples into 1″ pieces and add to bowl. Add in walnuts and crumbled feta cheese. Toss salad.
Re-shake dressing again if separated. Pour over salad and toss again to combine.

What is your favorite salad mix in? Do you buy it in bulk? Share your favorite salad making tips and tricks in the comments below!

September 5, 2019September 5, 2019

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

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As summer is winding down, my wife loves to get into the kitchen and start baking! She loves making desserts galore, and this week she had to make some to take to the first football game of the season (Go Ducks!).

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She decided to lean a little fancier and look for something that was easy but wouldn’t taste like it.

Cue the deliciousness that are these super sweet blondies!

Soft with bits of crunch, super sweet paired with the tang of cranberries and orange zest, you’ll please everyone with this bar!

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

Comfort Foods, Dessert, Meals for a Crowd

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

Ingredients

For the Bars

3/4 cup butter, plus some for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 oz white baking chocolate chips

For the Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
Zest of 1 medium orange
6 oz white baking chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9×13 glass pan with butter and parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, microwave butter to melt. Beat in brown sugar until fully combined. Allow to cool slightly. Beat in one egg at a time, combining until fully incorporated between each. Add vanilla extract and mix in.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring until fully combined. Gently mix in white chocolate chips and cranberries.
Pour thick batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly as possible. Place pan in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.* (Do not over bake) Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack.
While baking, prepare the frosting by beating the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and zest together until fully combined and fluffy.
Allow blondies to almost completely cool. Frost, top with remaining dried cranberries, and drizzle with white chocolate.
Once they have fully cooled and melted chocolate has melted, remove blondies from pan. Cut into 36 bars (3 columns, 12 rows). Serve, then store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Check more than just the center for doneness – the first time we made these somehow the center was done, but the cracks near the edges were still underbaked.

Which do you prefer?! Blondies or brownies? Leave your vote in the comments!

September 2, 2019October 21, 2019

White Chicken Pizza

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Happy Labor Day everyone!!

I hope the last long weekend of summer gave you lots of laughter and fun, and that you’re ready to face the work week again.

If not, may we suggest having a pizza night to brighten the mood?!

We already posted about our killer Hawaiian Chicken Pizza. If you crave more than one flavor (or if you disagree with us on our stance that pineapple definitely belongs on pizza), then today’s recipe will be right up your alley!

Creamy white Alfredo-esque sauce paired with slightly crispy grilled chicken makes this simple pizza staple an instant classic! Pair it with our homemade crispy crust and you’ll find yourself craving this pizza again and again!

Of course you can purchase pre-made dough for this recipe, but we believe making it yourself makes all the difference in texture and taste!

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White Chicken Pizza

Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Italian, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Pizza, Sauce

White Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

White Pizza Sauce

2 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large clove of garlic, minced
3 TBS flour
1 cup milk, plus 1/4 cup as needed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Toppings

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp ground Dean Jacobs Spicy Garlic & Himalayan Pink Salt Seasoning
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Making the Sauce

Heat butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, cooking until tender and fragrant – about 1 minute. Add in flour and stir until flour is lightly browned and onion is translucent – about 2-3 minutes.
Add 1 cup milk, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper into onion mixture, stirring continuously until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened slightly.
Remove from heat. Add additional milk as needed if sauce becomes too thick.

Making the Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken and Dean Jacobs spice into pan, stirring to coat chicken. Cook chicken through. Set aside to cool to handling temperature.
Spread warm white sauce over prepared pizza crust. Sprinkle over mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add prepared chicken, sprinkling over entire crust.
Place pizza into preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

What is your favorite pizza topping? Leave it in the comments below!

August 26, 2019

Hawaiian Chicken Pizza

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Pizza night!

I love whipping up a ton of pizza dough and going to town with my family, making a bunch of new flavors each time!

I have been ruined for store bought dough. The one I make is super simple, and is crispy (which my wife loves) but not too thin. Topping it with cheeses and other toppings I grab on sale makes it a simple meal with lots of leftovers. Pair it with a salad, and you’ve got a complete meal!

We’ll be having a bunch of flavors coming out over the next little while, but today’s may continue a debate that has the internet on fire…

Does pineapple go on pizza?!

We say yes… (be sure to subscribe if you agree!)

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We added chicken and onion to this classic Hawaiian pizza to make it our own, and we were so surprised by how much of a difference it made! So yummy!!

Hawaiian Chicken Pizza

Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Italian, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Non-Traditional, Pizza

Hawaiian Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

Toppings

14 oz to pizza sauce
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 TBS olive oil
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste
7 oz Canadian bacon
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Making the Pizza

Chop chicken thighs into 1 inch slices. Place in skillet with 1 TBS olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Cook through. Set aside and allow to cool before handling.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. While preheating, place pineapple chunks on a baking sheet to remove excess liquid, for about 10 minutes.
Spread pizza sauce over prepped dough evenly to taste, leaving about 1 inch of dough exposed around edge. Top with mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, sprinkling evenly over sauce.
Top with Canadian bacon, chicken, prepped pineapple chunks, and onion.
Place pizza in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

*Amount of additional flour and water will vary based on humidity and other factors.

* * Dough makes 2- 14″ round pizzas.

What is your favorite type of pizza? We have a ton of new recipes coming soon, but we’d love to hear your suggestions!