Category Archives: Casserole

Loaded Breakfast Stromboli

Bread, Breakfast, Casserole, Kids, Snack, Vegetables

This past week, a couple of my colleagues and I took a nice long walk to a local pizza place that we love near work. Sal’s Pizza to be exact. We typically head there for a slice (or two), but on occasion we will take on one of their stromboli’s. These things are awesome, and they make a really great stromboli. I’ll admit theirs can probably feed a family of three, and you can load it how you want it. The result is a perfectly crisp and garlic butter exterior, loaded with your favorite pizza toppings, and then a bowl of marinara served on the side. It’s genius, and I love them.  But that got me thinking, while conversing with my coworkers, and the topic came about regarding the endless stuffing’s you could come up with, and that led me to making a loaded breakfast stromboli.

Loaded Breakfast Stromboli

I’m a big fan of utilizing leftovers so this breakfast stromboli was right up my alley. You can use whatever ingredients you desire that you love for breakfast, but here was my take as I had plenty of things just laying around waiting on me.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients for the Pizza Dough:

  • 3 3/4 cup of bread flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 3/4 plus a pinch of sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups of room temperature water

Make the dough by adding the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix. Add the water, and with your wooden spoons, or hands, mix until blended. I use my KitchenAid for this process to keep everything in the bowl during the rising process. Mix for about 30 seconds. The dough should be a bit stiff. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Ingredients for the stuffing:

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1/2 cup of onion, diced
  • 1 cup cooked steak, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 whole serrano chili, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cooked asparagus, chopped
  • 1 yukon gold potato, cubed, and cooked until tender
  • 1/2 cup corn, cooked
  • 1/2 cup of sauteed mushrooms
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1/4 cup grated cheese
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite marinara
  • Grated parmesan cheese, optional

Again, use what you want. Much of this was from the previous night’s dinner, with the exception of the potato and eggs, so it was pretty much a throw together for me.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees, with pizza stone if you have one, otherwise a pizza pan, or cooking sheet.

Start by heating a skillet on medium heat. Add in the oil, bring to temperature, then toss in the onion, peppers, and garlic. Stir, then toss in the mushrooms, potatoes, corn, asparagus, eggs, and steak. Season with the salt and pepper, add the cheese, and reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, just to warm things through.

How to make a loaded breakfast stromboli

Add the butter, and garlic powder to a small bowl. Heat until melted. Toss in the parsley and set aside.

Lightly sprinkle a work surface with some bread flour, or all purpose flour.

Next, take about half of the batch of pizza dough, and work your dough on the surface, making about a 12 inch diameter. Add the toppings onto the middle, and spread out a bit, only to leave some room for folding and sealing.  Seal all edges, slide onto the pizza stone, then liberally brush with the garlic butter.

Place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove, shower with parmesan cheese, and serve with a small bowl of marinara.

The result is awesome. This is a gut buster so be ready to share with hungry kids. You get the great smell off the bat from that garlic butter, and when sliced into you get all sorts of great textures from the soft potatoes to the slight bite from the peppers, steak, and onion. If you are looking for something new and fun to make for breakfast or brunch, give this a shot. Hope you enjoy!

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Loaded Breakfast Stromboli
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-4
 
Ingredients
  • Ingredients for the Pizza Dough:
  • 3¾ cup of bread flour
  • 2½ tsp active dry yeast
  • ¾ tsp table salt
  • ¾ plus a pinch of sugar
  • 1⅓ cups of room temperature water
  • Ingredients for the stuffing:
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • ½ cup of onion, diced
  • 1 cup cooked steak, chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 whole serrano chili, chopped
  • ½ cup cooked asparagus, chopped
  • 1 yukon gold potato, cubed, and cooked until tender
  • ½ cup corn, cooked
  • ½ cup of sauteed mushrooms
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • 2 whole eggs
  • ¼ cup grated cheese
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
  • ½ cup of your favorite marinara
  • Grated parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
  1. Make the dough by adding the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix. Add the water, and with your wooden spoons, or hands, mix until blended. I use my KitchenAid for this process to keep everything in the bowl during the rising process. Mix for about 30 seconds. The dough should be a bit stiff. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
  2. Again, use what you want. Much of this was from the previous night’s dinner, with the exception of the potato and eggs, so it was pretty much a throw together for me.
  3. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees, with pizza stone if you have one, otherwise a pizza pan, or cooking sheet.
  4. Start by heating a skillet on medium heat. Add in the oil, bring to temperature, then toss in the onion, peppers, and garlic. Stir, then toss in the mushrooms, potatoes, corn, asparagus, eggs, and steak. Season with the salt and pepper, add the cheese, and reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, just to warm things through.
  5. Add the butter, and garlic powder to a small bowl. Heat until melted. Toss in the parsley and set aside.
  6. Lightly sprinkle a work surface with some bread flour, or all purpose flour.
  7. Next, take about half of the batch of pizza dough, and work your dough on the surface, making about a 12 inch diameter. Add the toppings onto the middle, and spread out a bit, only to leave some room for folding and sealing. Seal all edges, slide onto the pizza stone, then liberally brush with the garlic butter.
  8. Place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove, shower with parmesan cheese, and serve with a small bowl of marinara.
  9. The result is awesome. This is a gut buster so be ready to share with hungry kids. You get the great smell off the bat from that garlic butter, and when sliced into you get all sorts of great textures from the soft potatoes to the slight bite from the peppers, steak, and onion. If you are looking for something new and fun to make for breakfast or brunch, give this a shot. Hope you enjoy!

 

Stuffed Butternut Squash with Boerewors

Baking, Casserole, Game Day, Kids, Milwaukee, Pork, Vegetables, Wisconsin

I love this time of year. The fall weather slowly approaches, the color of the leaves on the tree are beginning to turn color, and well, it’s comfort food season. That’s probably what I really love about this time of year! Back when our farmer’s market opened for the year, I was browsing some vegetable plants, and a lady next to me was saying that she had purchased from this one particular farmer last year, and the squash planted yielded an abundance of butternut squash. So with that said, I decided to but the plant for four dollars, and went on my merry way. Weeks later that plant began to grow in, and all over my backyard. I was cool with that, and recently after rummaging through the long grass, I also had an abundance of squash! I’ve been waiting for something to make with it for some time now, and I was giving a unique opportunity to also make something with a local sausage maker in Milwaukee.

Stuffed Squash with Boerewors

SA Braai, LLC make really amazing sausage known as Boerewors, typically known by many South Africans, but not so many Wisconsinites, well, at least not until now. This sausage is made with beef and pork and plenty of spices. Let’s just say that this husband and wife are making a really phenomenal sausage. With all of this said, I set out to create something I knew my wife would fall in love with, and hence where the stuffed butternut squash with boerewors came into play.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1/2 cup of barley
  • 1/2 basmati rice
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 cups of red chard, chopped
  • 2 cups of chicken stock
  • 3 links Boerewors Sausage, casing removed
  • 1 butternut squash, sliced lengthwise in half
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Start by making the stuffing for your squash. Bring a medium-sized pot to medium-high heat. Add in the butter, and let that melt. Toss in your lentils, rice, and barley and give this a good stir. Cook, and continue to stir for a few minutes. Next add the carrots and onion. Season with salt and pepper, then toss in the red chard. Stir, then add in your chicken stock. Give another good stir, then simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from the hit, and partially open the lid to prevent it from over cooking.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Once you have sliced your squash, take a knife and make score marks, about 1/2 inch down. Rub the skin with the canola oil, and place the squash onto a baking sheet, skin side up. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

During this time, heat another large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the Boerewors sausage to the preheated skillet, and cook until the sausage is fully cooked. Make sure you crumble it along the way. Add the lentil mixture to the sausage, and give a good toss and stir.

How to make stuffed squash

When the squash are done cooking, let them cool until you can handle the squash, about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the squash over, and use a spoon to remove the cooked squash, leaving the shell in tack.

Add the squash to the lentil and sausage mixture, mixing well, then add this back into the cavity of the squash. Place the stuffed squash back into a preheated 425 degree oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the sausage mixture gets nice an crunchy.

Plate and serve.

Stuffed Squash Recipe

The result is nothing but a truly comforting fall recipe. You get this great bite of the lentil mixture. The lentils are not overcooked so there is still a bite to them, and when paired with the chard, and carrots, you know you are in good hands. It reminds you of a warm bite of mashed potatoes, but then you get this great texture and spice of the Boerewors sausage that just brings everything together. Let’s just say my wife fell in love with this one.

Pizza Tots

Appetizers, Casserole, Cheese, Game Day, Kids, Pizza, Sides, Snack

Last week I was thinking of things to make that would be easy and delicious. As you probably know, I have been on a pizza making rampage recently, and as I thought of creating a couple of more pizza recipes, I decided that I would take what I love in a pizza, and substitute the dough, well, with tater tots. Why not right?

I’ve made pizza nachos in the past, as well as Idaho nachos, so I decided to come up with pizza tots and see how they would go over. Let’s just say they were awesome.

Pizza Tots

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 bag of tater tots, cooked according to directions
  • 4 portabella mushrooms, cleaned, and diced
  • 1/2 whole green pepper, diced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 1/2 cup of pepperoni slices, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of pizza sauce, warmed
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of Mozzarella & Provolone, mixed, shredded
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pinch of cracked black pepper

Start by baking the tater tots. We will remove them from the oven about 75% into the cooking process.

Add the minced garlic to the pizza sauce, and bring to a simmer on the stove.

Mix the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.

Add the green pepper, mushrooms, and shallots to a skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, just to sweat the vegetables.

How to make pizza tater tots

Check the tater tots. As soon as they start to get crispy, remove them from the oven and sprinkle on the Italian seasoning mixture. Shower the tots with the sliced pepperoni, and place back into the oven for about 4 minutes. Remove again, then drizzle over the pizza sauce. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the tots. Top with cheese, and place back into the oven until the cheese just begins to get golden.

Serve immediately. The result is everything you want in a great pizza with the unexpected tater tots. You get that great crispy exterior, and soft interior from the tots, that when pulled along with that awesome stringy cheese, and along with the vegetables and spicy pepperoni, well, I’ll say no more. Give these a shot!

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Pizza Tots
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ½ bag of tator tots, cooked according to directions
  • 4 portabella mushrooms, cleaned, and diced
  • ½ whole green pepper, diced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • ½ cup of pepperoni slices, chopped
  • ½ cup of pizza sauce, warmed
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of Mozzarella & Provolone, mixed, shredded
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp salt
  • pinch of cracked black pepper
Instructions
  1. Start by baking the tater tots. We will remove them from the oven about 75% into the cooking process.
  2. Add the minced garlic to the pizza sauce, and bring to a simmer on the stove.
  3. Mix the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.
  4. Add the green pepper, mushrooms, and shallots to a skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, just to sweat the vegetables.
  5. Check the tator tots. As soon as they start to get crispy, remove them from the oven and sprinkle on the Italian seasoning mixture. Shower the tots with the sliced pepperoni, and place back into the oven for about 4 minutes. Remove again, then drizzle over the pizza sauce. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the tots. Top with cheese, and place back into the oven until the cheese just begins to get golden.
  6. Serve immediately. The result is everything you want in a great pizza with the unexpected tator tots. You get that great crispy exterior, and soft interior from the tots, that when pulled along with that awesome stringy cheese, and along with the vegetables and spicy pepperoni, well, I'll say no more. Give these a shot!

 

Mexican Picadillo

Beef, Casserole, Game Day, Kids, Mexican, Onions, Rice, Vegetables

It was not too long ago when I started to think of a vacation we took years ago to South Carolina. It was a great family trip, and even cousins from the west coast decided to join us as well. Let me just say we had a great time, especially at dinner time when everyone would rotate cooking responsibilities. My night was a feast of Mexican chimichangas, guacamole, rice, beans, and a salad. It was good. But one quick dish stood out on morning, being made from our cousin Marlon, and that was his take on Filipino torta. I loved it so much I made it when I returned home. It was that torta however that made me realize that not only do Filipinos make this dish, but a lot of Latin cultures do the same, but slightly different. The Latin take is called picadillo, and basically refers to ‘minced’.

Mexican Picadillo

The great thing about this dish is for one that it uses up a lot of things you most likely have in your pantry or refrigerator, and furthermore, it has this great sweet taste to it that it can be served with rice, or stuffed into enchiladas, tacos, or heck, even empanadas.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs ground chuck, cooked and drained
  • 1 whole medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup of green olives, chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup of raisins
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp your favorite hot sauce
  • 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice, optional
  • 1 thin omelet, optional

Start by preparing all of your ingredients.

Add the oil to a large dutch oven, or deep skillet as this will all be cooked in one pot. Bring the oil up to medium heat.

Toss in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for about 7 minutes.

Add in the ground chuck, and start breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Raise the temperature to about a medium high, and cook the meat until it begins to brown.

Add the lid to the top, with just a slight opening, and pour out the fat. Return the dutch oven back to the heat, and toss in the tomato paste. Give a good stir to cook the tomato paste, about 4 minutes or so.

How to make Mexican Picadillo

Add in the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, hot sauce, and worchestershire sauce, and give that a good stir. Let this come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add in the olives, capers, and bay leaves. Give another good stir. Cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes to let all of the flavors meld together.

You are ready to plate.

Again, the Mexican picadillo can be served in a variety of ways. I served mine on a very thin omelet, on a bed of rice, and served with some sliced serrano chili peppers.

The end result is comfort. It’s got this sweetness to it that keeps you wanting more. Then comes the olives and brininess from the capers that is just perfectly balanced.  If you are looking for a one pot meal, that serves a bunch of people, give this one a shot.

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Mexican Picadillo
Author: 
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs ground chuck, cooked and drained
  • 1 whole medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1½ tbsp worchestershire sauce
  • ½ cup of green olives, chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup of raisins
  • ½ tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp your favorite hot sauce
  • 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice, optional
  • 1 thin omelet, optional
Instructions
  1. Start by preparing all of your ingredients.
  2. Add the oil to a large dutch oven, or deep skillet as this will all be cooked in one pot. Bring the oil up to medium heat.
  3. Toss in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for about 7 minutes.
  4. Add in the ground chuck, and start breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Raise the temperature to about a medium high, and cook the meat until it begins to brown.
  5. Add the lid to the top, with just a slight opening, and pour out the fat. Return the dutch oven back to the heat, and toss in the tomato paste. Give a good stir to cook the tomato paste, about 4 minutes or so.
  6. Add in the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, hot sauce, and worchestershire sauce, and give that a good stir. Let this come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add in the olives, capers, raisins, and bay leaves. Give another good stir. Cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes to let all of the flavors meld together.
  7. You are ready to plate.
  8. Again, the Mexican picadillo can be served in a variety of ways. I served mine on a very thin omelet, on a bed of rice, and served with some sliced serrano chili peppers.
  9. The end result is comfort. It's got this sweetness to it that keeps you wanting more. Then comes the olives and brininess from the capers that is just perfectly balanced. If you are looking for a one pot meal, that serves a bunch of people, give this one a shot.