dinner tonight

Good morning!  How was your weekend?  Will was away on a youth retreat so my parents came down to spend a couple days with me and the kids.  Tommy had them playing trucks, making puzzles, and playing ball, while Annabel had them reading books and playing with the dollhouse and chasing her through the house.  We made some good food and went out for ice cream.  It was a great weekend!

I know I've been posting quite a few recipes in the past week, but I wanted to share this one in case you have no idea what to make for dinner tonight.  I took some time to think ahead for you...you're welcome.


Mom's Stromboli

As far as I know, this recipe is my mom's own creation, and goodness it couldn't be easier or tastier!  My mom uses frozen bread dough, which needs to be taken out of the refrigerator in the morning and thawed on a cookie sheet all day with a towel over top of it.  You can go that route if you want, but it's even easier if you use a packaged pizza dough like Pillsbury.  This recipe feeds our family of four with some leftover for lunch the next day.

1 Pillsbury pizza crust
mozzarella cheese
toppings of your choice (we like chopped deli ham and sauteed mushrooms)
dried oregano
garlic salt
your favorite spaghetti sauce

Preheat the oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush a little olive oil over the whole thing.  Open up the pizza crust and spread it out on the foil - it doesn't have to stretch all the way to the edges.  Prepare your toppings - chop the ham or pepperoni or black olives, saute the mushrooms or onions and peppers or spinach and tomatoes, or squash and zucchini, open up the pineapple, etc, etc, etc.

Put a layer of mozzarella down the center of the dough.  Pile the toppings on top of the cheese.  Fold the bottom half of the dough up over the toppings, and then fold the top half of the dough down until it overlaps the bottom half.  Press gently so the dough sticks together, and press the ends together as well.  Turn the whole thing over so the seam is on the bottom.  It does not have to be pretty.  Once it bakes up, it'll be perfect!  Using a serrated knife, slash 4 or 5 openings in the top.  Shake some dried oregano and garlic salt over the top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.  Cut and serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.  

Believe me when I say that your family will love this one, especially since you can make it specifically to their tastes.  And believe me when I say that YOU will love this one because it can be thrown together in 10 minutes if you choose toppings that don't have to be cooked.  And believe me when I say that your husband (or you if he does the cooking!) will love this one because clean up is a cinch...just ball up the aluminum foil and throw it in the trash.  

Hope you'll give this a try, and if you eat it tonight, think of me since we'll be eating it, too!  Have a great Monday!