Peppery Pizza Loaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
12 teaspoon salt
2 loaves (8 ounces each) French bread, halved lengthwise
1 jar (8 ounces process cheese sauce
1 can (4 ounces) sliced jalapenos, drained
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in garlic powder and salt. Place each bread half on a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Spread with cheese sauce. Top with beef mixture, mushroom, onions and jalapenos.
Drizzle with tomato sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Wrap and freeze. May be frozen for up to 3 months.
To bake: Unwrap loaves and thaw on baking sheets in the refrigerator. Bake at 350º for 18 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 8-12 servings
Roasted Carrot Salad
2 pounds carrots, peeled and
thinly sliced, diagonally
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cut extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 (4 ounce) package blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 cups arugula
Preheat oven to 400º. Mix together carrots, almonds, and garlic in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread evenly in pan.
Roast, stirring twice, until soft and edges turn brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Transfer carrots to a large bowl. Drizzle with vinegar and honey; toss to coat. Add cheese and cranberries; toss again to combine. Stir in arugula.
Serves 6
Caramel Apple Strata
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 large apples, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 loaf (1 pound) day-old cinnamon bread
1/2 cup chopped pecans
10 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, sugar and pie spice. Arrange half the bread slice in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Spoon apples over bread; drizzle with half the caramel sauce. Sprinkle with pecans; top with remaining bread.
In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and vanilla. Pour over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining caramel sauce.
Remove strata from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake, uncovered, 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
In a small microwave-safe dish, microwave reserved sauce uncovered 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Drizzle over strata. Makes 12 servings
