Flashback Friday - Christmas Morning Traditions

 

Flashback Friday

My typical breakfast during the week is apple & cinnamon oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or some type of non-sugar cereal.  During the holiday season, I like to make a nice breakfast for myself and Jon.  I kick breakfast up by adding whip cream or Irish cream to coffee and sprinkling cinnamon or nutmeg on top.  

Last year was our first Christmas as a married couple and I wanted to make it extra special.  If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times... the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!  I plan to make a "breakfast casserole" for Jon again.  This time I will add bacon instead of sausage.

Check out December's Flashback Friday recipe for "Set it and Forget it - Christmas Morning". 

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  God's blessings on your holiday season.

We could all use a hint of more time.

Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

*Image taken from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images.

Meat & Potatoes - Man Style

Who puts potatoes on a pizza? ... This girl! 

My husband, Jon, would probably eat anything that included bacon or potato.  If your man is anything like my husband, I suggest giving this recipe a try.

If you've ever ordered from Toppers Pizza, then maybe you have seen a Potato Pizza on their menu.  The concept of putting potatoes on a pizza does seem strange at first.  After the first bite of my recipe... you will completely change your mind. 

Get ready to send your man's taste buds on a trip.  Guaranteed to please the male tummy!

Prep time:  15 to 20 minutes
Cook time:  10 to 12 minutes

Mara's Bacon & Potato Pizza
- 1 roll of store bought pizza dough (I used thin crust)
- 8 slices of bacon, diced (Healthy Option: Use turkey bacon)
- 2 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1/2 a medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 TBSP of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1/2 TBSP of dried Rosemary
- 1/2 TBSP of dried Parsley
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup of Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded (Healthy Option: reduced fat cheese)
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: Sour cream or BBQ for a topping or dip (per the suggestion of the husband)

We'll break the pizza down by layers. 

Step 1:  After you have very thinly sliced the potatoes... add them to a non-stick saute pan and cook until fork tender or golden brown.  Make sure that the potatoes are separated and each one has been browned.  In the mean time, slice the onion and dice the tomato. 

Step 2:  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Roll the pizza dough onto the baking sheet.  Add the EVOO, rosemary, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper directly to the pizza dough.

Step 3:  After the potatoes are done cooking, add them to the pizza crust.

Step 4:  Add the bacon, onion and tomato over the potatoes.

Step 5:  Add the cheese.  Bake at 425 for 10 - 12 minutes.

Step 6:  Serve and enjoy.  The optional toppings or dips are suggested above.

This is obviously not the healthiest choice for a meal but it's something that my husband enjoyed very much.  I hope that you man enjoys this recipe just as much as mine did. 

The best part of this recipe is that it didn't take much time.  I served it with a salad on the side.  After all, we could all use a hint of more time.  :)


Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Can You BLT My Pizza, Please?

If you like pizza's with unique flavors and are more than just the average meat and cheese, then you need to try this recipe!  

When I was a kid, my family and were visiting family in Iowa and happened to try a very unique and new style of pizza.... the BLT pizza.  It was delicious - the kind of dish that you never forget.  Years later my Mom found a recipe for making it at home.  The rest is history.  It has become a family favorite and something that my sister and I always try to make when we're together.

Honestly, it's probably not as scary as you might think.  :)

Prep time = 10 minutes

Cook time = 12 minutes

American BLT Pizza

- 1 thin pizza crust (just get the store bought stuff in the dairy section.. it will save you a lot of time)

- 1 1/2 cup of diced tomato

- 8 chopped bacon slices (healthy option alert: use turkey bacon for fewer fat and calories)

- 1 TBSP of olive oil

- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese

- 1 bag of shredded lettuce OR 3 cups of shredded Iceburg lettuce (of course you can always make it fancy with romane lettuce but iceburg seems to have the best texture for a topping)

- 2 or 3 TBSP of light mayo

- Salt and pepper to taste

That's it!  Preheat the oven to 425.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay the pizza crust on it.  There is not a traditional red pizza sauce in this recipe.  Instead, add the olive oil directly to the pizza crust and spread until the dough is covered.  Add salt and pepper to the dough.  Apply an even layer of tomato and bacon.  Cover with mozzarella cheese and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. 

While the pizza is baking, combine the lettuce and mayo in a separate bowl.  Stir until the lettuce has a light coating of mayo.  It should be wet but not drenched.  Add salt and pepper.  This will not taste nearly as good if it's not seasoned properly. 

After the pizza is done baking, let it cool off for 2 or 3 minutes.  Add a thin layer of the lettuce across the entire pizza.  Serve and enjoy.

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It's so easy and definitely a crowd pleaser.  You're friends and family will be asking you to make it again and again.  Plus it gives you something that we could all use more of..... a hint of time!

Have a great week, readers!

Quick Fix Super Bowl Ideas

Let's be real about this.... who wants to spend time in the kitchen on Super Bowl Sunday?  I certainly would rather be gathered in front of the TV with my family and friends to cheer on my favorite team (Go Packers!!) while also supporting delicious hops of a local brewery.  So when you're creating a menu for a Super Bowl party it's important to come up with ideas that can be created ahead of time and also won't take a lot of time. 

My recommendation is to make home made pizza's or subs for the main course.  If you don't have time for that then I would suggest calling your local sub or pizza place and placing an order.  This will save you the hassle and a whole lot of time. 

With the main course down.. this will give you plenty of time to create sides and appetizers.  Of course you don't have to do this all by yourself.  Is there a foodie coming to your party?  Assign them a specialty.  I am typically asked to bring a pasta salad. 

Pasta salad's are great for side dishes because it keeps the men full and the light-weights less tipsy.  Starchy and filling.. it's a great choice.  You can always go the traditional salad route too... Caeser salad, Asian salad, what ever you prefer.

We all know who the stars of the show are (well besides the teams on the screen)!  .... Appetizers!!

One of my favorite appetizers to make is Rumaki - also known as bacon wrapped water-chestnuts.  If you have any bacon advocates at your party then this is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!  Do you really know any men that don't enjoy bacon?  Doubtful.

The technique that I use is simple... Pre-heat the oven to 425.  Get about 2 or 3 cans of whole water-chestnuts (typically found in the Asian food aisle).  I would recommend getting Center Cut Bacon, which won't have as much fat on the edges.  Cut the bacon in half twice - length and then width.  So essentially you make 4 pieces out of 1 piece of bacon.  Wrap the bacon around the water-chestnut and secure with a toothpick (for a little fun.. pick the colors of your favorite team).  Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and place the wrapped pieces onto the sheet.  When completed.. sprinkle a little seasoning salt over the Rumaki pieces.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the bacon is brown and crispy.  To keep warm, I will place them in a slow cooker and set to warm.  You can leave them plain OR add a sauce to the slow cooker.  Choose your favorite BBQ sauce (which would be appropriate for this year's Super Bowl) OR a Sesame Ginger Marinade.  Yum!!  The guests will love it.

Taco roll-ups are also a crowd-pleaser.  Basically.. just mix up taco dip in a dish - a combination of salsa, cream cheese (at room temperature), green chili's in a can, and taco seasoning.  Spread over large tortilla (buritto size would be best).  Then choose your favorite toppings or make an assortment of toppings.  Diced tomato, black olives, scallions, cheddar cheese.  Spread a thin layer over the entire tortilla and then roll it up.  Cut into bite size pieces and serve!

Check out the Spinach dip appetizer recipe that I provided during the Christmas season. 

Enjoy the big game and enjoy the food without being in the kitchen too long! 

Go Packers!!