Chicken Parmesan Pizza

What's better than combining chicken parm with PIZZA? You get the best of both worlds! I chose to put sliced fresh mozzarella on this rather than shredded and I am glad I did. I think it makes it seem more like an actual chicken parm with the sliced cheese, and more delicious! Breaded chicken is one of my all-time favorite foods (which may be why Chuck makes it for me), so I will definitely be making this pizza again. The amounts of ingredients below are what I used, but feel free to use more or less depending on your tastes.

And once again, I apologize for the pics...I was doing way too much at one time!

Chicken Parmesan Pizza
from Colleen's Kitchen
Makes 1 pie

1 recipe pizza dough
3/4 to 1 pound chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce, either homemade or store-bought
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
basil and oregano, to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven and heat it for 30 minutes. Or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (do not preheat).

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan (don't skimp). Dip chicken in egg to coat, then breadcrumbs, and add to hot skillet. Cook until golden-brown on each side and chicken is cooked through. (If your chicken is thin enough, by the time the crust is golden-brown, it will be cooked through anyway). Remove chicken from pan and blot with paper towels. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Roll pizza dough out on a lightly floured surface. Spread with marinara sauce, then evenly scatter slices of mozzarella. Top with chicken pieces and sprinkle with basil and oregano.

Transfer dough to preheated pizza stone, if using, and bake for 15 minutes or until crust is crispy and golden.

Roasted Garlic and Herb Pizza with Artichokes and Sundried Tomatoes

I got the inspiration for this idea from the fabulous Katie (and I apologize for the pictures, I had some hungry guests waiting for me!). I was looking to do a cheese-less pizza as one of my options for Pizza Night and she suggested a garlic-herb topping with some veggies.

So after thinking about it for awhile, I decided to roast the garlic first, then combine with some herbs and more olive oil. I only roasted one head of garlic, thinking it would be overpowering, but actually the roasting sweetens up the garlic so much that I didn't get the full taste I was looking for. Therefore, the below recipe has my recommendation for TWO whole heads of garlic - don't be shy! I then chose artichokes and sundried tomatoes because I love those two flavors together, but get creative! Roast some tomatoes of your own, use some arugula, maybe some sauteed zucchini; your options are limitless!

Roasted Garlic and Herb Pizza with Artichokes and Sundried Tomatoes

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes 1 pie

1 recipe pizza dough

2 heads garlic, stems cut off so that all cloves are exposed (see here for pic)

olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 small jar marinated artichoke, drained and chopped

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a small baking dish with foil. Liberally pour olive oil over both heads, making sure that all the cloves are covered. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and cloves are soft and mushy.

When garlic is cool enough, squeeze each clove into a small bowl and mash with fork to desired cosistency. Add about 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and the dried herbs. (This can be done in advance.)

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven and let it sit at 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. If not, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (do NOT preheat this).

Roll out prepared pizza dough to desired shape. Spread garlic and oil mixture over the top of the dough (a pastry brush helps). Sprinkle with chopped artichokes and tomatoes.

Transfer to pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crispy.

200th Post and Colleen's Caramelized Onion Dip

Wow, I can't believe I have reached 200 posts in a little over 6 months of blogging! I hope all of you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have cooking and posting them! I read each and every one of your comments and appreciate them all.


This dip is my own creation and it was gone so fast that I barely had leftovers! It is relatively simple to make, you just have to allow time to caramelize the onions. This picture shows the onions barely caramelized:

and that took about 40 minnutes on my stove! You can make the dip with the onions like that, or keep going until they get darker - the flavor will just get richer the longer that you cook them. I served this with kettle-cooked potato chips, but it would also be delicious with any kind of pretzel, cracker, or raw cut veggie. Enjoy and thank you for reading!!


Colleen's Caramelized Onion Dip
from Colleen's Kitchen
Makes 8-10 appetizer servings


1 very large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
olive oil
1 (8-ounce) block low-fat cream cheese
1 cup low-fat mayo
1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
dash of garlic powder
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste


Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until edges begin to turn golden, 5-10 minutes. Turn heat to medium-low and continue cooking until caramelized, stirring often, about 40-50 minutes.


Turn heat to very low and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Remove from heat when all cheeses are melted.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put mixture in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheeses are bubbly and top is turning golden brown.


Serve with crackers, pretzels, potato chips, raw veggies, or anything else you can think of!

Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini Sticks

When I choose appetizers to serve at a get-together, I often turn towards the hot dips or something heavy with carbs and/or cheese (who doesn't like that, right?). So when I was planning my Pizza Night menu, I knew that I wanted to do something a little lighter since the actual meal was basically carbs and cheese itself!


These little guys popped up in my Google Reader and they looked perfect - veggies PLUS served with a tomato-based sauce to fit into the pizza theme. They were a great little snack coated with bread crumbs and cheese (ok so I can't totally get away from that!). The only things I would do differently next time is season the zucchini more before coating them and drizzle with a little olive oil before baking so they don't turn out as dry.


Parmesan-Coated Zucchini Sticks
slightly adapted from For the Love of Cooking via Closet Cooking
Makes 4-6 appetizer servings


1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pound zucchini (about 2 large)
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (lightly beaten)
olive oil
marinara sauce, either store-bought or homemade


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.


Slice the washed zucchini into wedges, then pat wedges dry so all excess moisture is removed. Season zucchini liberally with salt and pepper.


Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and oregano in a shallow bowl. Place egg in another shallow bowl. Dip zucchini in the egg, then the bread crumb mixture, place on baking sheet.


Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Tortellini, Mozzarella, and Tomato Skewers

This recipe isn't even really a recipe, you just need to make sure you have enough of each ingredient to feed your guests. It's so quick and easy to prep and assemble; and personally, I think it looks pretty impressive to set out in front of your company! The amounts below are all approximate - the key is to have an equal number of bocconcini (small bites of fresh mozzarella), tomatoes, and tortellini. For a pint of tomatoes, you will need about 3/4 lb. of bocconcini, 10 ounces of tortellini, and 20 skewers. Enjoy!

Tortellini, Mozzarella, and Tomato Skewers

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes as much as you want!

equal amounts of:

frozen cheese-filled tortellini

cherry or grape tomatoes

bocconcini (small mozzarella, usually found around the deli section in the olive bar)

your favorite Italian dressing or vinaigrette

skewers

chopped fresh basil

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add tortellini. Cook 4-5 minutes until al dente, or as directed on the side of the package. Drain tortellini and rinse with cold water.

Cut each tomato and bocconcini in half. Combine cooled (important so you don't melt the cheese!) tortellini and tomato and bocconcini halves in a large, sealable container. Liberally add dressing of choice. Seal and marinate 4-24 hours in the refrigerator, shaking several times so that dressing is equally distributed.

Assemble each skewer: tortellini, tomato, bocconcini, tortellini, tomato, bocconcini. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve.

Delicious Turkey Burgers

I love this turkey burger recipe. It takes very little time to put together and turns out a moist, delicious burger that you feel healthy while eating! This is adapted from a recipe I have scrawled in my recipe book so I am not sure exactly where the original came from.

If you don't have an outdoor grill available to you, you can make these in a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan on the stove. Just make sure they are cooked all the way through - no one wants a rare turkey burger!

Delicious Turkey Burgers
adapated from an old recipe
Makes 4 burgers

1 1/3 pounds turkey (standard ground turkey package)
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 medium onion, minced
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together (just using your hands is best for this) until just combined. Form into 4 patties, all roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.

Grill over medium heat, 6-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

with all the fixin's!

Oven-Roasted Chili Fries

This recipe is a nice alternative for those fries from the freezer section. Yes, those Ore-Ida waffle-cut sure are good every once in awhile, but these guys are healthier and take just about the same time to make! Use any spices you like on these - I tend to serve the chili fries with burgers or something of the sort.

I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, because then I don't have to peel the potatoes. But this would also work with red skin (you would not have to peel those either) or regular white baking potatoes (peeling necessary). Don't forget the ketchup!

Oven-Roasted Chili Fries

from Colleen's kitchen

Makes 4 servings

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

chili powder

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil (non-stick helps).

Wash and dry potatoes. Cut lengthwise into thick wedges. Try to make all the wedges the same size to ensure even cooking.

Place potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic and sprinkle with as much chili powder as you would like, then season with salt and pepper. Toss potatoes to coat.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, flip potatoes, and bake 10 minutes more, or until crispy.