Common Cuisine |

In my search for less expensive food, I discovered that I can make pizzeria pizza in my very own kitchen! Not too long ago, I was shopping for an “It’s Not Delivery…” pizza in the freezer section. My family will tolerate freezer pizza only if it is a certain brand. We have our standards, after all.

It so happened that my brand was not on sale that day, and I was outraged at paying $6.89 for one when I normally buy at the sale price of 3 for $10. I thought, surely I can make a pizza from scratch for less than that!

So off I went in search of ingredients. Turns out I was right. For a net price of $5.10 (after dividing out the appropriate percentage of larger packages), I was able to get frozen dough, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni and canned mushrooms.

Not only that, preparation only took 15 minutes longer than traditional frozen pizza. I just had to set out the dough far enough in advance to thaw. After that, the hardest part was getting the dough to stretch out to the perfect size and shape. I just let it rest while opening up the other ingredients, then came back for more pulling and stretching. The dough eventually came around to my way of thinking.

What I know about authentic pizza is this: the secret of good pizza is to bake it on a stone, with cornmeal to keep it from sticking, and to bake quickly at high heat. I didn’t have cornmeal so I used polenta. I thought it was a little gritty but nobody else noticed.

Despite how beautiful this pizza turned out, the real test was the taste. I had made this as a peace offering for the troops since Mommy was headed out the door for a playdate that night, and I was floored to come home and find not a scrap of it left. Two small children and two grown men with average food intake managed to polish off the entire thing. And to hear them talk about it afterward, apparently I am on to something good. I wish you could have seen the look in their eyes…

I think one could easily make this pizza without a recipe, but here is my formula:

• 1 loaf bread dough

• 1/2 jar pizza sauce
• 8 oz (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 oz sliced pepperoni
• 2 oz drained canned mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp butter
• garlic salt

Preheat oven to 475. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza stone. Stretch out the dough using a combination of pulling, throwing, and rolling pin, until it is just larger than the stone. Tuck the edge under.

Spread pizza sauce on dough, leaving an inch clear around the edge.

Reserve 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on sauce. Arrange toppings over cheese, then top with remainder of cheese.

Melt butter, then brush on edge of crust. Sprinkle garlic salt on buttered area, or over entire pizza if desired.

Bake 15 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Make sure you lick your fingers for every drop of deliciousness!

This dish can be as everyday as a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup. Or switch the fillers and presentation to make it company special. Two options are presented below.

SPECIAL: Serves 8

• 1 can cream of chicken soup

• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 small fresh zucchini, diced
• 1 can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 4 cups cut-up cooked chicken (about 4 breasts, or 1 whole bird)
• 1 pound whole-wheat rotini, cooked and drained
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 small can french fried onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine soups, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Place cooked noodles, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes and chicken in a large bowl. Pour soup mixture over noodle mixture, and gently stir to combine.

Portion into eight individual 2 cup ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes until bubbly. Top with shredded cheese and onions, and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve.

SIMPLIFY: Serves at least 8

• Use any kind of cream soup you have on hand
• Use 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, instead of mushrooms, zucchini and artichoke hearts
• Use cheddar instead of mozzarella cheese
• Stir everything together and place in 3 qt. casserole dish
• Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Top with cheese and onions, then serve.

Whether you choose to make this special or simple, your audience will be delighted. May you be empowered to make similar variations to your own favorite recipes!

You can use any kind of cream soup here, for a variety of results. You can also add vegetables in the last 30-60 minutes, such as fresh mushrooms with mushroom soup, asparagus tips with asparagus soup, etc.

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 onion, cut into slivers

Place chicken bites into slow cooker, then onion.

Stir together cream cheese and soup. Pour over top of chicken and onions, then mix gently.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. High setting not recommended.

Serves 6.

Oven roasting brings out the full flavor of vegetables. You can use a variety of winter vegetables, including sweet potatoes, parsnips, or whole peeled garlic cloves.

• 2 large potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 1 red pepper
• 1 large zucchini
• ½ head cauliflower
• 8 oz package fresh mushrooms
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning or Oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Scrub potatoes and carrots. Wash all vegetables. Cut potatoes into 1″ chunks. Cut carrots into 2″ chunks. Cut red pepper and zucchini into ½” x 2″ chunks. Cut cauliflower into small flowerets. Cut mushrooms in half.

Place vegetables into large mixing bowl and toss with oil and garlic bits. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.

Spread vegetables in 1″ deep cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes, stirring twice, until golden brown and a little crispy.

Serves 8.

Start this baby very early in the day, or let it cook all night while you sleep (although it makes me wake up super hungry in the morning). Put it in the fridge while you are at work all day, then shred it and put it back in the pot to heat up for an hour before dinner.

• 2 ½ to 4 pound beef chuck roast
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 small onion, sliced (optional)
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1 lb broad egg noodles

Place roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mix all over roast, and pat it into the meat. Spoon mushroom soup over roast, and seal it down to the bottom of the pot.

If desired, sprinkle onions and mushrooms over all. Pour water into bottom. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until meat shreds easily with a fork. Drain off gravy, shred meat, and stir sour cream into gravy, if using. Then stir gravy back into meat, and serve over noodles.

Serves about 6.