Chicago Style Pizza

We love pizza at our house. We love to make it and order it. We like thin crust, hand tossed, NY style, and Chicago style. I don't know how to make the really thin and big sliced NY style pizza but last week we duplicated the delicious Chicago style pizza we love so much. No more having to order and have it shipped to Tennessee because now we can make it!

When I was making this Andrew wasn't home. When he came home he said it smelled just like he walked into Giordano's. So I knew we were on the right track.

Dough

3/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp instant or active dry yeast

1/4 cup cornmeal

1-2 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

 

Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz dice tomatoes with juice

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp red chili flakes

 

Toppings

Mozzarella Cheese

Sausage

Pepperoni

Veggies

Ham & Pineapple

...whatever toppings you like

If you use the active dry yeast, proof the yeast in the warm water and let it sit for 15 minutes. If you are using instant yeast, just combine it with the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, cornmeal, and instant yeast, if using instant. Add the water (or yeast/water if using active dry yeast), olive oil and honey. Stir until moistened then dump out onto a well-floured surface. Add more flour in 1/4 cup at a time while kneading dough until you achieve a soft dough that is neither sticky or stiff. Move dough to a well-oiled large bowl and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, prepare pizza sauce by heating oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature and simmer until sauce thickens. Taste and add additional seasoning if necessary.

When dough is ready, roll into a circle on a floured surface, big enough to fit your cast-iron skillet, allowing a couple of inches extra for the dough to come up the side of the pan.

Preheat oven to 425°. Grease bottom and sides of a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and lightly dust with additional cornmeal. Transfer dough to cast-iron skillet and press into bottom and side until even thickness. Cover bottom of pizza with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese. Top with your choice of toppings. Top with all of the pizza sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven about 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and set.

The original recipe had it baking for 45 minutes. I pulled it out at 25 minutes and still might pull it out even a little earlier next time.

 

*Source

 

Before putting the pizza in the oven.

 

 

And after cutting into it. I forgot to take a picture before we started eating. We couldn't wait!

 

 

Weeky Meal Plan

Breakfast

• English Muffins
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Fruit
• Waffles

Lunch

• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Peanut Butter Sandwiches
• Grilled Cheese
• Soup
• Salad

Dinner - all served with fruit and veggie

• Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs
• Spicy Bean & Rice Burritos
• Crockpot Chicken Philly Sandwiches
• Black Bean Burgers
• Deep Dish Pizza - sausage, peppers, and onion

Snacks

• Trail Mix
• Raisins
• Cheese & Crackers
• Yogurt
• Smoothies
• Popcorn

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Eggs
• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Granola
• Popcorn
• English Muffins
• Yogurt
• Fruit

Lunch

• Sandwiches
• Pepperoni, Crackers, & Cheese
• Leftovers
• Mac n Cheese
• Salads

Dinner - all served with a fruit and veggie

• Beans & Cornbread
• Paula Dean Pasta Bake (without the meat)
• Breakfast for supper - waffles, eggs, bacon
• Mexican Crockpot Chicken, Mexican Layer Dip, homemade tortillas
• Grilled Caprese Sandwich
• Frito Chili Pie
• Freezer Meal (something easy from the freezer stash!)

Snacks

• Fruit Smoothies
• Nuts
• Trail Mix
• Popcorn
• Cheese & Crackers
• Raisins

These Days

I am so so glad that warm weather is around the corner! We've been enjoying the warm days we've been lucky to get lately, especially Saturday. We ate at Garcia's for lunch and Colin would not sit still. He had so much energy built up that after we ate we got out his bike and headed to our neighborhood park.

He got his bike last summer for his birthday and wasn't super good at it. He'd get on for a few minutes and find something else to do because he just couldn't look forward and pedal at the same time. He'd want to look at his feet and he'd run into things. Well, he has is down now. He can pedal quickly and even has mastered his hand brakes!

When we are inside we have been working on handwriting and letters and building Lego's. Colin is way into Lego's and I am amazed at all the kits they have! I love putting a kit together with his help, and then seeing how he has altered it a week or so later.

Not sure how the photos will post on here. I am using the Blogger app for the first time on the iPad.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Yogurt
• English Muffins
• Fruit
• Popcorn (I know, strange. But some days Colin asks for air-popped popcorn, plain. Whole grain and no added sugar...I add a banana and call it breakfast!)

Lunch

• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Pepperoni, Cheese, & Crackers
• Peanut Butter Sandwiches
• Soup

Dinner - all served with veggies and fresh fruit

• Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken, potatoes, and rolls
• Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili with blue corn chips
• Chicken Lasagna Alfredo
• Chicken Enchiladas, rice, and beans
• Maggiano's

Snacks

• Popcorn
• Nuts and Trailmix
• Crackers & Cheese
• Celery & Peanut Butter
• Fruit Smoothies
• Yogurt

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti

12 oz spaghetti

28 oz jar of spaghetti sauce

1 lb sausage

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup grate Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a skillet, brown the sausage until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to direction on package. Drain and place cooked spaghetti in a bowl. Add cream cheese, Italian seasoning and minced garlic. Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the dish. Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

 

*Source

Creamy White Bean Stew

12 oz apple smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 onion, small dice

2 carrots, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice

4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press

2 tsp Italian seasoning

Pinch or two sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 (15 oz) cans small white beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed

4 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Place a large Dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot, add in a small drizzle of olive oil, and the chopped bacon. Crisp the bacon completely until nice and brown, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain it on some paper towel, and set it aside for a moment. Reserve about 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat, and set that aside for a moment, as well. Wipe out the pot, and return it to medium-high heat.

Next, add back into the pot the bacon fat, along with the olive oil and the butter, and allow them to melt together. Once melted and hot, add in the diced onion, carrots and celery, and allow them to soften and saute for about 5 minutes. Next, add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in about 2/3 of the reserved, crisped bacon, as well as the Italian seasoning, the sea salt and the pepper, along with the white beans, and stir to combine. Next, add in the chicken stock, stir, and allow the stew to gently simmer for about 40-45 minutes, partially covered with lid. About half way through the cooking process, mash the beans a little bit with the back of your spoon, or with a potato masher, to break up the beans a little bit and release their natural starch to thicken the stew. After about 40 minutes, turn the heat off and finish the stew by adding in the chopped parsley, the lemon zest and the lemon juice.

*Source

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• English Muffins
• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Yogurt
• Eggs

Lunch

• Peanut Butter Sandwiches
• Baked Potatoes
• Leftovers
• Hot Dogs
• Mac n' Cheese (attempting homemade)
• Salad

Dinner - all served with fresh fruit and a veggie

• Sister's Birthday Dinner - fried rice and Asian ribs
• White bean & Chicken Chili and Cornbread
• Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti and French Bread
• Patty Melts and Fries
• Chicken Pot Pies (new Pinterest recipe)
• Pizza

Snacks

• Crackers and Cheese
• Trail Mix
• Fruit Smoothies
• Pretzels
• Yogurt
• Celery with Peanut Butter
• Popcorn