Smoked BBQ Blue Cheese Chicken Pizza

So we have been wanting to make pizza on the Traeger smoker but always thought we needed a pizza tray or something!!  BUT NOPE!!  This was SO delicious and tastes like it took forever!!

Ingredients:
1 ball of pizza dough
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon oregano
kosher salt and ground pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8oz)
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup store bought sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
3/4 cup sliced banana peppers, drained
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, about 3oz
3 green onions, chopped
red pepper flakes, optional

Bring your store bought or risen pizza dough to room temperature if it has been refrigerated.  Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on pan and then gently press and poke the dough onto a pan with your fingers.  Let it rise -- cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm area of the kitchen to rise for another 30 minutes or until it has doubled in height.

Preheat Traeger or grill to 450 degrees.

While the dough is rising, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn't burn.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium size bowl to cool.  Stir in the ricotta cheese, heavy cream, oregano, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Lay the dough on the grill for 5 minutes to cook one side.  Remove to from the grill and flip the dough so that the grilled side is facing up.  This is the side you'll put sauce and toppings on.  The bottom side should be the raw side.

Within a 1 inch border of the edge, gently press the middle of the dough down a bit.  Spread the ricotta cheese mixture on the dough leaving a 1 inch border.  Top with Mozzarella cheese.

Toss the chicken breast with BBQ sauce in a small bowl.  Distribute the chicken, banana peppers, and half of the blue cheese evenly over the pizza.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bottom is crisp and cheese has melted.  Top with the rest of the blue cheese and green onions.  Cut and Serve!

Smoked Margarita Pizza

So we have been wanting to make pizza on the Traeger smoker but always thought we needed a pizza tray or something!!  BUT NOPE!!  This was SO delicious!!!

Ingredients:
16oz ball pizza dough (Trader Joes has great dough or you can get frozen dough from Cub and just let it thaw and rise)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal
14oz pizza sauce of choice
8oz mozzarella
1-2 roma tomatoes
1 pint grape/cherry tomatoes
fresh basil

Preheat the Traeger or your wood pellet grill to 450 degrees.  This works best on a clean grill.

Stretch the pizza dough out with your hands and a rolling pin with the olive oil.

Dust the dough lightly with the cornmeal to help with sticking to the grill.

Lay the dough on the grill for 5 minutes to cook one side.  Remove to from the grill and flip the dough so that the grilled side is facing up.  This is the side you'll put sauce and toppings on.  The bottom side should be the raw side.

Spread the sauce and lay on the cheese and tomatoes.

Place the pizza back on the grill for 8-1o minutes, or until the edges are crispy and the cheese is melted.

Remove the grill, top with basil, cut and serve.

April Fools Day - Poop Cookies

You know I love a good April Fools joke on my boys :)  This one was GREAT!!! hahahah  They actually tasted pretty good too :)

Ingredients:

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix
• 3 ounces of cream cheese
• 4 TBS butter
• 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine egg, softened cream cheese and butter until well mixed.
3. Add cake mix and mix really well. Don’t be afraid to dig in with your hands to get it all combined, it’s pretty dry.
4. Roll and shape away! Let your imagination run wild (lol) You can even add peanuts or other gross features (Tip: make them on the small side, they expand when baking!)
5. Place poops in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes until cookies bounce back when touched gently.
7. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. 
8. Optional: Add sparkle gel or crushed sprinkles (see note) with a brush for that fresh poop sheen. I can’t believe I just wrote that!

Note: I didn’t have sparkle gel, so I put some silver sprinkles in a bag, rolled them until pulverized with a rolling pin and added a couple of drops of water. Brush on with a small brush and voila!

You can serve these on a plate, leave them scattered through the house, or toss them in a dish with graham crackers. Either way, they are super gross looking, but pretty delicious!

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

I don't like steamed cabbage but I love celebrating St. Patrick's Day - SOOOO tried a new recipe and it was delicious!!!  The only way I'm making cabbage now!!

Ingredients

• 1 green cabbage head (large)

• 4 tablespoon avocado oil (plus more for baking sheet)

• 3 teaspoon minced garlic (divided)

• 1 teaspoon sea salt (divided)

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)

• 1 lemon (freshly juiced and zested)

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Drizzle a little avocado oil over the parchment.
Prepare the cabbage by peeling away any yellowed or dry outer leaves. Cut the cabbage in half, leaving the core intact. Cut each half into 1-inch thick wedges.
Place wedges in a large bowl of cool water and allow to soak for 3-5 minutes to remove excess dirt. Pat dry with a clean dish towel.
In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoon of minced garlic with 2 tablespoon avocado oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle or brush the garlic oil over the cabbage, making sure some get in between the layers.
Place the baking sheet into the oven. Roast 25-30 minutes, or until toasty looking and tender. While the wedges are roasting, prepare the parsley sauce.
In a bowl, stir together lemon zest and juice with the remaining 2 tablespoon avocado oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon sea salt, red pepper flakes and paprika. Add the chopped parsley. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
To serve, transfer the cabbage wedges to a serving platter and drizzle with some of the parsley sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes

• Leaving the core intact while baking helps prevent the wedges from falling apart before you're ready to serve them. 

• I recommend using cannonball cabbage (the green head you typically see at the grocery store) in this recipe for the best results. 

• Avocado oil works great since it has a high heat point, yet you can swap with coconut oil or olive oil if needed.

Homemade Pretzels

I usually don't like pretzels but making them yourself makes them taste even better!!!  So good and even more delicious when dipped in this yummy cheese dip!!

 Ingredients:

• Yeast
• Salt
• Sugar
• Flour
• Baking Soda

These pretzels are easier than you think to shape. First you’ll want to separate dough into 12 sections. Using your hands roll the dough into ropes about 15-20 inches long and 1 inch thick. Then form the rope into a circle and twist the top ends together. 

Next bring the twisted ends down the center of the circle and pinch together with the bottom to form the pretzels.

You may wonder if you really need to do the boil with baking soda, but it is an important step. This is what will help give the dough that classic pretzel texture, flavor and color. All you’re going to do is boil about 8 cups of water. Then once it has started boiling, add in the baking soda.

Place the pretzel dough into the water for about 20 seconds, then remove it with a slotted spoon and place on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle salt on top.

Once you’ve given all of the pretzels the baking soda boil, it’s time to bake them. Let them bake until they’re golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sometimes I’ll broil them during the last minute of cooking to help brown the tops even more.

Pretzel Cheese Dip

This was DELICIOUS!!!!  Worked perfect to dunk pretzels in but also was tasty with just chips!!

Serves 8

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 Tablespoon corn starch (or all-purpose flour)

• 1 cup  milk , more as needed
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese or Velveeta
• 2-3 teaspoons hot sauce (I prefer Frank's) , more to taste
• cayenne pepper or chili powder , to taste
• S&P , to taste

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the cornstarch or flour over the butter, stirring constantly and cook for 1 minute.

Warm the milk in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Next slowly pour in the milk while whisking it fast. Continue whisking and cooking until it has thickened (but still pourable). Be careful to watch it.

Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese until and stir until smooth. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools

Season with salt and pepper, to taste (I start with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of hot sauce depending on heat preference. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to take up the heat. If it's too thick, you can whisk in a Tablespoon or two more of warmed milk.

Place in a mini crockpot to keep warm and gooey. If it thickens, reheat in the microwave for 15 seconds. Serve with pretzel or tortilla chips. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Made up some frozen meals for my Dad and Penny when they watched the boys, and this one was SUPER easy!!!  Hope it tastes great :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dry brown rice cooked according to package instructions
• 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken
• 2 cans 15 oz each black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can green enchilada sauce (heat level of your liking, I usual do mild or medium)
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon cumin optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Spray a dish (1- 9x13 inch baking dish or 2- 8x8 inch baking dishes or disposable pan(s)) with cooking spray.
• Cook rice and chicken and shred chicken (see note for cooking chicken)*
• Drain black beans
• In a bowl combine shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, black beans, sour cream, and seasonings
• Put rice at the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spoon chicken mixture on top of rice. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
• Freeze or bake, cooking instructions below.
• For baking from frozen, remove from freezer and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until cheese is melted and center of the dish is warm.
• For baking right after prepared - bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown on top.

Notes

*cook the chicken to your liking (poach it, bake it or fry it) or use a rotisserie chicken. I like making salsa chicken in the slow cooker for this casserole, just put chicken breasts and 1 jar of salsa in a slow cooker (high for 4 hours, low for 8) and shred the chicken to use in this casserole.