Pizzadillas (Pizza Quesadilla!)

   

Don't you just love my creative little name?  Half pizza + half quesadilla = PIZZADILLA! This is such a quick and yummy dinner/lunch/snack/appetizer that you can whip up in no time at all. The next time your family is having an argument about whether they want pizza or Mexican food for dinner, why not get a little creative in the kitchen and find a way to blend the two?  This recipe is so versatile. Whatever you want to add to your pizzadilla, it will always turn out awesome.  So experiment!  Use different types of cheeses, pizza sauces (or no sauce, if you want...for a white pizza), vegetables, and meats!  Be sure not to use too much sauce (no more than a tablespoon and a half) or else it will ooze out and be very messy (I made this mistake once and found myself eating a plain tortilla, while a hot, cheesy, marinara mound was sitting on my plate after falling out).  Sprinkling cheese on the tortilla before and after adding the toppings assures a "seal" - since cheese is sticky...it acts like glue - so the toppings won't fall out of the tortilla.  Now your family won't have to argue between pizza or Mexican food...you can thank me later.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 16 ounces cheese (your choice of type(s))
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 4 ounces sliced pepperoni, sausage, vegetables, or other desired toppings

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Spread margarine (about 1 teaspoon) over one side of a tortilla, and place it margarine-side down in the skillet. Spoon a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of the tortilla. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the sauce, top with desired toppings, and sprinkle another 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the toppings. Fold the clean half of the tortilla over the filling, and cook until golden on each side. Repeat with remaining tortillas.  Serve with your choice of sauce (garlic, marinara, etc.) if desired.

Grandma Louise's Hamburger Dip

This is a sacred family recipe.  I almost didn't post it because it's so special to us.  I honestly had to BEG my mom to let me post this.  This is the hamburger dip written by my Grandma Louise.  She created it herself and got it perfect after many attempts.  Now, let me tell you: I'm really picky when it comes to a good burger.  But this hamburger dip is the bomb!  The cream cheese makes it so creamy and filled with cheesy deliciousness.  But the most special, secret ingredient is the sugar, which helps bring out the flavors of all the other ingredients.  This is definitely one of my favorite dips, and it's a great dish to have at parties or other events because it will always be eaten completely.  We usually make it for big get-togethers with friends when we watch the super bowl, and there's never any leftovers.


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 garlic clove, minced


Instructions:
1.  Cook hamburger until evenly browned all over and no longer pink.  Drain juices.
2. Add garlic, onions, ketchup, oregano, and tomato sauce.  Mix until well blended.
3.  Add cream cheese and sugar.  Mix until blended. 
4.  Let the cheese melt and serve hot with chips.

Chicken Parmesan

This is the best chicken Parmesan ever.  I won't order it in restaurants because I never like any other nearly as much as this one.  My mom makes this every week, and it's always perfect.  I think the secret is that the chicken breasts are thick and juicy, instead of pounding them thin.  I hate when chicken Parmesan has breasts that are really breaded...and then the chicken is really thin.  It makes the breaded part way too overpowering and you can't taste the chicken as much.  In this recipe, every bite is a thick, juicy, full of flavor, cheesy chicken chunk slathered in tomato sauce. Mmm-Mmm!


Ingredients:
6 skinless chicken breasts - about 1 inch thick
Tomato (Spaghetti) Sauce
Shredded Mozzerella cheese
Italian seasoning 
3 cloves of crushed garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
Italian bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Your choice of pasta (I usually use penne, angel hair, spaghetti, or bow tie)


Instructions:
1. Cover chicken breasts with bread crumbs in a thin coat until evenly coated.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 cloves garlic in a large skillet.  Fry chicken breasts 2 minutes on each side.  Place on paper towels to remove excess liquid.
3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4.  Place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish.  Pour spaghetti sauce on top of breasts, and coat evenly.  Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese on top so it covers nearly all of breasts.  
5.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and add a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.  Cook for 5 more minutes (until cheese is completely melted).
6.  Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes.
7. Cook pasta according to manufacture's instructions and serve chicken breasts over pasta.