Odds and Ends

So, I had a refrigerator full of partially eaten random things this weekend. Normally, I don't mind having a good selection of bits and pieces to choose from for snacking but the collection of random things was getting a bit out of control. I thought about it and came up with a way to use up about 75% of the stuff in one dish. Perfect. Not only did this recipe work. It was really freaking good. Not too spicy and HUGE quantities!

I used the remains of a whole chicken that I had roasted earlier in the week but you could skip the roasting part and just cook down a whole chicken and pick the meat or even buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and use that.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

1 whole chicken, roasted then simmered and picked clean (reserve simmering liquid)
1 Cup prepared Blue Cheese dressing (we used Wish Bone)
4 oz bleu cheese crumbles
1, 5 oz bottle Franks Red Hot
1 cup bread crumbs
2 TB olive oil

1 1/2 lb (dried) pasta - cooked (I cooked pasta in the reserved chicken cooking liquid)
4 oz smoked sharp cheddar, shredded
4 oz Gruyere Cheese, shredded
4 oz Gouda Cheese, shredded
16 oz velveeta cheese, cubed
1 pint half and half
S & P to taste

Preheat oven to 375F
In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, salad dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir to combine, set aside
In a zip lock bag, combine bread crumbs and oil. Shake until oil is distributed and bread crumbs are coasted, set aside.
Cook pasta until done and drain is a colander
While pasta is draining return pot to stove and combine half and half and cheeses over low heat, Stir until completely melted. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine.
Once combine pour pasta mixture into a baking dish, top with chicken mixture, and then top with breadcrumbs
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Broil for a couple minutes to brown up crumbs, if desired.

The Path of Least Resistance

I am not a new year resolution type of person because, quite frankly, I break resolutions almost as soon as I am done making them. Such a pointless waste of time. However, this year I did make a promise to myself to take more time for me, to put myself first for a change and, most importantly, to NOT apologize or feel guilty about it. And while I do love my time in front of the stove cooking up delicious things, I am doing it for ME now and nobody else. If the hubs wants baked goods to take to work, he can stop and pick some up on the way in unless I already made myself something, in which case the leftovers are fair game.

This recipe came about at the perfect time for me because it is a game changer where pizza is involved. I HATE making pizza at home because it is a lot of work and never comes out as good as take out. Even if you buy pre-made dough. Stretching that shit out is a total pain in the ass. Then regular home ovens aren't hot enough to give you that crust so what is the damn point? Yeah, you saved a few bucks but now your tired and cranky with a messy kitchen and a shitty pizza. Just stop. Please.

Try this instead. It is NOT, I repeat, NOT a traditional pizza recipe. What it IS, is a fantastic alternative to traditional pizza using a batter based crust that takes only a few minutes to make and won't trash your kitchen in the process. The batter has no leaveners but is not cakey or doughy. It is more like a soft bread dough. I personally prefer this cooled to room temperature because the crust firms up a bit and is more reminiscent of traditional pizza but is good either way. With this recipe in your arsenal, you will be able to crank out a decent pizza-esque dish at any time YOU have a hankering for pizza without trashing your kitchen!

Batter Crust Pizza (adapted from PlainChicken)


1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Meat toppings of choice
Pre-cooked vegetable toppings of choice
1-1/2 cups pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Spray a 15x10-inch rimmed, foil-lined, baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, eggs and milk.
Pour into prepared baking sheet. Top with your meat and vegetable toppings of choice.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven. Spread pizza sauce evenly over pizza and top with mozzarella cheese.
Return to oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

NOTE: Even with cooking spray, this pizza can be tough to get out of the pan. We recommend using foil to make things a tad easier

NOTE: if using vegetable toppings, saute or roast first to remove excess moisture and top pizza along with the meat toppings.