Personal Pizza

This is something new I decided to try. Ordering pizzas, although convenient, is pricey. (If you insist on ordering the pizza I have found Dominos pizza often has the best deals. They have a 2x Tuesday deal where you can get 2 large pizzas for the price of one...this only works for carryout though. If you live on campus or close it, there's a dominos on St. Johns Bluff so all in all this doesn't pose as much of an inconveneince.)

I was browsing through Publix's website looking for their weekly cupons and buy 1 get 1 free deals when I came across buy 1 pizza sauce jar, get 1 free. They also happened to have buy 1 package of shredded cheese, get 1 free. Pizza sauce + mozzarella cheese = pizza night!!

There are several options for buy pizza crust. I got the Martha White Pizza Crust Mix package that you just add water and oil to but there are also some that come completely premade or frozen so you only have to heat it up. Just depends on what quality you want and what your price range is.

Personal Pizza
-mozzarella cheese
-pizza sauce
-pizza dough mix package
-1/2 cup HOT water
-1 tsp oil
-favorite toppings

 Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Spray a 12-14 inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. I however just used a nonstick cookie sheet.

Combine the pizza crust mix and the hot water in a medium mixing bowl, stir about 30 strokes with a fork or until well blended. (I found it easier and faster to use my hands). Shape the dough into a ball (if the dough is too sticky add 1-2 tbs of flour). Brush with oil and then cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Then spread out in the pan and prick generously with a fork.

Bake on the lowest oven rack for 5 minutes.

Top the pizza as desired. I added sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Bake an additional 9-11 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the topings have been throroughly heated. Store leftovers loosly covered in the refridgerator.

This pizza was labeled "Thin and Cripsy" but I didn't spread out the dough as much as I could have therefore it was more of a "Pan" pizza. If spread out it would be slightly bigger and much more crispier.

This is a very good and easy way to make pizzas that everyone can have just the way they like it. Buy a few packets of the crust mix and everyone can have their own personal pizza for a very low price :)

Taco Dip

This may just be my favorite recipe. It is absolutely delicious! Robert and our friends love it so much I have had several people ask for the recipe. Not to mention every UFC fight or football game I make this dip for everyone. It is a easy appetizer, tailgating food or even meal itself. Yummm :)

I must admit I am not a fan of refried beans or sour cream (this dish contains both) but I absolutely love this! With all the flavors and textures combined it is difficult to distinguish one ingredient from another. Everything compliments each other and you don't even realize what you are really eating! Don't knock it 'till you try it.

Hot Ground Beef Mexican Dip A.K.A "Taco Dip"

-1 pound ground beef

-1 16 ounce can refried beans

-1 envelope taco seasoning

-1 cup sour cream

-1 16 ounce jar of salsa

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

*optional: jalapenos and/or black olives

Brown the ground beef and drain the grease. Stir in the refried beans and the taco seasoning. Ill admit at this point it doesn't look too appetizing but trust me, it will!

Spoon into a 9x13 baking dish. Combine the sour cream and salsa and then spread over the meat mixture. (I know, I know...it still doesn't look to appetizing...just hang in there!)

 Sprinkle with cheese...

Now bake it at 400 degrees until bubbly; about 30 minutes. Serve it with tortilla chips or "scoops" Frito's. We prefer the Frito's :) You can even put it in a taco shell if you want.



See, it finally looks better doesn't it! You'll definitely have to try this one out for yourselves...its a guaranteed favorite :)

Fish Pasta and Easy Mac 'N Cheese

This fish dish was once again made by Robert. I simply made the mac 'n cheese and the pasta. Robert deserves all the credit for not only making this dinner but for inventing it as well.

I would also like to give thanks to my MaMaw for the beautiful plate pictured below and in the upcoming posts. She thought I should spice up my blog with colorful plates instead of using bland whites ones all the time. They are from Target and contrary to their pottery-like looks, they are plastic and "unbreakable". I put that in quotations because me being me, have been able to break several "unbreakable" plates and bowls so only time will tell if the plate will live up to its name.



This is actually last nights dinner. I was in a rush to get to work and didn't have time to post this beforehand. The dinner is a delicious fish pasta, mac 'n cheese and teriyaki vegetables. Again, Robert deserves the credit and the tilapia used in the pasta is the best fish he has made yet. :)

Fish Pasta

-Tilapia filets (we used 2)

-Knorr Pasta Sides Butter & Herb

-Garlic Salt

-Lemon Juice

-Pam or other nonstick cooking spray

Mac 'N Cheese

-Elbow Macaroni

-Velveeta Cheese

Green Giant Teriyaki Vegetables



This fish is made the exact same way as it was in my first post, so if you need instructions refer to (Robert's) Easy Tilapia.

Cook the fish using the pan, garlic salt, and lemon juice. Meanwhile boil water in 2 3 quart saucepans; one for the maraconi and one for the butter and herb pasta.

Once the water boils add the Knorr side to one of the saucepans and follow the intructions given. In the other pot add the elbow macaroni. Once it is cooked, drain the water and replace the macaroni in the saucepan. 

Meanwhile, chop up the velveeta cheese into cubes. Once the water is drained, reduce the heat to low and add the cheese cubes, constantly stirring until completely melted. 

Chop up the fish in the pan. You can just leave it whole and eat it with the pasta but we chopped it up into fine peices and added it directly into the pasta itself. This allowed us to conserve the fish filets. 

This is what the pasta will look like after the pasta is fully cooked and the fish is added.

Bona petit! It is absolutely delicious and very fulfilling. I hope you enjoy it just as much as we do!



Although we specifically used Knorr Sides, there are many variations you can use. You can just make rotini or speghetti noodles and add the fish to that. You could also add some alfredo sauce to that and make a whole new dish. Let me know if you need or want any ideas! I have plenty :)

If you do decide to use Knorr Sides there is a Butter & Herb Rice dish along with other noodle/rice variations if you would prefer one of those instead.

Also keep in mind there are several store brand names of side pasta/rice items if you would prefer those instead.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. My mom used to make this a lot so I made sure to bring this recipe with me when I moved out. I absolutely love it, and haven't met anyone who doesn't.

This dish is paired with Green Giant's Green Beans & Almonds. The veggie is for you mom ;) Roberts mom was the one who introduced me to Green Giant, and I thank her for that. All their side dishes require little to no work and are delicious...and healthy! You really can't beat that! You can cook the green beans on the stove top or you can take the easiest method and microwave them. They come in a pouch so they steam in the bag while they cook. Delicious.

Side note: I tend to buy brand names such as Green Giant when there are "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" deals at the local grocery store. If you're looking to save money the store brands are typically cheaper but have the same great taste :)


Chicken and Rice Casserole
-1 can french onion soup
-1 can water
-1 stick margarine
-1 cup rice (uncooked)
-chicken peices (skinless)

Melt margarine in a 9x13 dish. Add soup, water and rice. Salt and pepper chicken and place in the rice mixture.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.

Easy right?! Digg in! 2 minute assembly and the work is done :)

Don't forget to follow me and submit your favorite recipes that you would like to see on here :)

Hamburger Helper

I have always seen the Hamburger Helper ads on TV but never really thought much of it. Now that I am cooking every night and always looking for new and inexpensive ideas to spice up the routine dinners, Hamburger Helper has become my new best friend. There are over 40 Hamburger Helper kits, each one being just over a dollar at Publix. The combined price of ground beef makes a complete meal for roughly $5. It can't get better than that. Not to mention it feeds me, my boyfriend, and his roommate AND leaves some for leftovers. It's the perfect meal. Oh, and if the idea of making a complete dinner in a few easy steps for a low price isn't enough, there is also a Chicken Helper and a Tuna Helper. You could use these every night for a month and have a different meal. Every. Single. Night.

In the past hour I have made dinner, gotten ready for work (did I mention it practically cooks itself?), and updated my blog all before work. It'd say its been productive evening. Thank you Hamburger Helper!

The kit posted is "Cheesy Enchilada". There hasn't been a Hamburger Helper kit yet that I haven't liked, but this is by far my favorite.

Hamburger Helper: Cheesy Enchilada
-1 pound lean ground beef
-1 cup milk + 3 tablespoons milk for the topping
-2 1/4 cups hot water

Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain the fat. Then stir in 1 cup milk, hot water, sauce mix and uncooked rice.



I'll admit, at this point it doesn't look very appetizing, but trust me. It will. The sauce will thicken, so don't be alarmed when it seems too "watery".

Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender. Meanwhile stir together the rest of the milk and the topping mix and set aside. Remove from heat and then pour the topping over the beef mixture.



Mmmmm. If you want, you can put this in a flour tortilla and add some salsa and have a delicious enchilada. :)

Enjoy! Leave a comment or email me, and follow me for more yummy meals :)

Onion-Roasted Chicken

This is an instant favorite. It's ridiculously easy to make and insanely good. I cut the recipe in half when I made the 3 chicken breasts but the recipe posted is the full serving amount. The chicken itself is very juicy, tender and incredibly flavorful when done. Sooo yummy :)


The rice pictured was Publix's chicken flavored rice mix and was dirt cheap but surprisingly delicious. It  greatly complimented the chicken.


Onion-Roasted Chicken
-1 envelope onion soup mix
-1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
-1/2 tsp garlic power
-2 pounds boneless chicken breast halves

Add all the ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Toss to coat the chicken.

Roast, uncovered, in a baking pan at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. (Mine only took about 30 minutes so be sure to keep an eye on the time)

Baste halfway through cooking time and vola. A delicious chicken meal :)

Enjoy!

Let me know what you think! And don't forgot to follow me for more yummy meals and recipes!

(Robert's) Easy Tilapia

My first post! If you don't know this by now, I love cooking, but I was especially looking forward to making tonight's dinner because I knew it would end up on my blog! :) I do have a confession to make though, the fish pictured in tonight's post was not made by me, it was made by my boyfriend Robert. It's delicious and super easy to make. A guaranteed favorite of anyone who likes fish!

Tilapia is one of the cheapest fish available, not to mention one of the easiest and most versatile. Tonight's dish is very simple. It only requires 3 ingredients and takes 10-15 minutes to make. (Including prep time!)

We paired the fish dish with a "Knorr sides" chicken and broccoli rice dish to complete the meal. The packets are incredibly cheap and everything you need is included. Minus the water, obviously. Just combine everything in a pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover with a lid until the rice is cooked. This brand has so many varieties of side dishes they will compliment almost any meal.

(Robert's) Easy Tilapia

-Tilapia Fillets
-Garlic Salt
-Lemon Juice

(you will also need a can of PAM or some other nonstick spray if the pan you are using is not nonstick)

Spray the pan down with cooking spray if needed and set the temperature on high and place the fillets in the pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt and lemon juice. Use as much or as little as your heart desires, just season it to your desired taste. You can't mess this recipe up!

Cook each side of each fillet 5-7 minutes and you're done! The fish will be very tender and flake easily with a fork. It will be solid white on the inside and white/golden brown on the outside when completely cooked.

Yummm :)

This fish is delicious but very simple so feel free to spice it up and season it with other spices and seasonings to give it a more powerful seasoned flavor if you'd like. The garlic salt and lemon juice are very subtle and still allow much of the "fishy" flavor.

If you would rather bake the fish, just place the prepared fillets in a 9x13 dish and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. When doing this I like to place lemon slices on top, rather than using lemon juice but that's just my personal preference.


Feel free to ask any questions or even email me of suggested recipes for me to share on here :)

Happy eating!