‘Pillsbury’ Articles at Sweetnicks, Page 2

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pizzette {Pillsbury}

December 28, 2012 · Narrative

When it comes to Buffalo Chicken pizza, Nick and I are all in. Whenever we’re trying out a new pizza place, we usually get a slice of it so we can see how it stands up to others we’ve tried, but with my latest assignment for the folks at Pillsbury, I thought it was high time we try and make it ourselves.

And oh.em.gee.

Nick inhaled his and asked for a second slice as he was heading out the door for the weekend. The Ex gave his approval. And man, oh man, this might be my newest favorite homemade pizza.

Like seriously, it’s that good.

I will do my best to save the rest for Nick when he and his sister come home on Sunday.

But I make no promises.

In the meantime, if you’re a buffalo chicken fan, or like things with a little bit of a kick.

Make this.

Sliced in thin strips, pizzette-style, it’s the perfect little game-day appetizer. And given it’s so quick to make, it’s a great weeknight meal, and I promise it beats anything you can get from your local pizza joint.

Dig in.

Hungry for more homemade pizza recipes?
This Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza recipe is definitely my second favorite. That cheesy base gets me every time.
This Brown Sugared Pear Sweet Pizza is a delicious dessert. Light, simple, and unexpected.
Double Delicious Pizza is perfect for your favorite meat lovers.

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Recipe: Pesto and Garlic-Studded Crescent Rolls

December 10, 2012 · Narrative

I think garlic might be my love language.

Well, let’s be clear. It’s not my only love language. Sunrises. Sunsets. Heart-shaped things appearing magically somewhere unexpected. Someone cooking for me. Little colored drawings from Madeline. Seeing Nick treat others with kindness.

Those are all bits and pieces of my love language as well.

But garlic? Man oh man, that’s definitely on the list.

On the kids’ list too, but only if they can’t see it.

Last week, when we grabbed some pizza after checking out an art exhibit, I watched as the kids carefully picked off bits of garlic on their pizza.

First they said they didn’t like garlic.

As if.

But then I explained how it’s been in, oh, the last 163 things I might have cooked.

So then Nick went on to clarify that recently, he had something at a relative’s house, and there was this HUGER THAN JUPITER piece of garlic on his dish and he just couldn’t.

So it’s only the big pieces that he doth protest.

Which means he’s all over these little bits of garlic deliciousness.

And inhaled three as soon as they came out of the oven.

Bread is that little thing you need on the table to round out everything and make it just about perfect. And well, including garlic is just about a home run.

If you ask me.

If garlic happens to be YOUR love language, it just might be your lucky day. Bake up a batch of these babies and you’ll be whistling dixie in no time.

You’re welcome.

Really.

Tomorrow? Christmas Lists and Santa visits!
Wednesday? A review on a new grilled cheese restaurant!
Thursday? A new recipe for Gazpacho Salad!
Friday? A review on a new art exhibit!

I always love seeing the behind-the-scenes peeks at how photographs get set up. Here’s a look at how I got the first shot above:

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Recipe: Old School Mini Black Olive Pizzas {Pillsbury}

December 7, 2012 · Narrative

When it comes to pizza memories from my childhood, I have two very distinct ones that stand out.

Black olives were one of our favorite go-to toppings. A tradition that still continues when I order pizza for my own family.

Mini make-it-yourself pizzas were a fond after-school tradition. Those were the white bread (though sometimes on English muffins or bagels too), tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese variety. Very old school indeed, and a fun quick and easy bite that Nicholas now loves.

It should come as no surprise that the O’Malley family has a soft spot for pizza. So when the folks at Pillsbury asked me to develop another recipe using their pizza crust, I decided to combine two of our very favorites: mini individual pizzas and black olives as the toppings.

Because really, is there any better way to celebrate the end of the school day?

Or the week?

Or a day that ends in a Y?

I think not.

Because of the individual nature of these mini pizzas, you can mix-and-match your favorite toppings at will and keep everyone at your table happy.

Which is pretty much a guarantee for bites filled with happiness, if you ask me.

Hungry for more pizza recipes?
This Cheesy Garlic Pizza with Lemon Dressed Mixed Greens was a recent unique twist.
This Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza is hands down my favorite.
This Double Delicious Pizza is hearty and totally kid-approved.

Tomorrow? A new recipe for Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo!
Sunday? Weekend wrap-up in photos.
Monday? Pesto and Garlic Crescent Rolls!
Tuesday? Christmas Lists and Santa visits!
Wednesday? A review on a new grilled cheese restaurant!
Thursday? A new recipe for Gazpacho Salad!
Friday? A review on a new art exhibit!

*Disclosure: I was compensated to develop this recipe for Pillsbury.

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Recipe: Cheesy Garlic Pizza with Lemon Dressed Mixed Greens

November 23, 2012 · Narrative

Inspiration for new recipe ideas comes out of nowhere sometimes. I have been a little obsessed with the cheesy base I used when I created this recipe, so I started there. But then I wanted to put a little healthy spin on it, and ended up putting salad on top of it. I mean, really, why does salad have to be separate? I love mixed greens topped with nothing else but fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and that’s what I used for this pizza topping.

Something slightly unexpected, but simply delicious.

And on a Friday night, what more do you need? I got the kids involved, rolling out the Pillsbury pizza crust, and we made two pies, this one and a more traditional one with tomato sauce and cheese.

Snack trays in the living room, a new-to-us movie on the tv (the kids chose the 2006 version of Shaggy Dog; decent movie but super slow start), and homemade pizza as a family.

Perfection.

Happy weekend!

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Recipe: Stuffed Spinach Cheddar Crescents

November 14, 2012 · Narrative

So did you hear? Thanksgiving is next week?

I know. I know.

No panic over here because my sister is hosting it, so short of making a few simple items to bring with us (like our favorite Cranberry Conserve!), I’ve got it easy.

Which is the perfect way to kick off the frenetic pace of every day that follows from then until, well, the end of the year, right?

But if I was hosting Thanksgiving (are you? whatcha making?), then these little bites of deliciousness would surely have a very important place on the table.

Like within reach of my seat.

Creamy spinach is one of those awesome sides that is perfect along side most meals. But then I thought … why not add some sharp Cheddar to it, and put it in a little hand-held vehicle to boot?

All the better to get it to your mouth, right?

I knew we were on the same page.

These tasty stuffed crescents come together in nothing flat. Mix a few ingredients in a bowl, unroll the crescents, stuff, bake, and devour.

Light from the buttery, flaky dough. A subtly sharp bite from the bits of Cheddar. Creaminess from the spinach.

Aw yeah.

I happen to think it’s the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table, and as a bonus, the spinach is disguised just enough to make it a little kid-friendly. While I am not a fan of completely disguising food (no sneakiness here, thankyouverymuch), if I can make it a little more palatable and delicious for the little mouths at the table, then, well, why not?

Hungry for more Pillsbury crescent roll recipes?
We first had these Bacon Cheese Crescents five years ago, and they’ve been a favorite ever since.
These Mediterranean Crescent Pinwheels pack a delicious flavor punch, and came courtesy of The Neighbor Husband some years back.
Crescent dough is perfect to make mini pigs-in-a-blanket.
And lastly, if you’re looking for a sweet dish, instead of savory, this breakfast danish from the early months of blogging was a hit at Nick’s school.

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Recipe: Mini Double Onion Cheddar Patty Melts

October 16, 2012 · Narrative

One of my favorite places to eat, particularly during high school and the later years, is a good old-fashioned diner. Basic menu, something for everyone, reasonably priced … and comfort food to the nth degree. One of my favorite diners used to have jukeboxes at every booth and became one of our go-to spots when I was in my late teens and early twenties. We’d pile into a booth after a game. Or a school concert. Or Christmas play. Or to dissect a break-up. Or talk about our latest crush. We’d see and be seen. And our biggest cares would be our collection of rubber bracelets a la Madonna or the latest George Michael tune.

Sometimes that seems like so long ago. Sometimes I can visualize enough details that it could have been yesterday. Which is surprising because my memory sucks a lot of the times. Ask my kids.

The menu items I ordered rotated amongst a few favorites, depending on my mood. Grilled cheese with tomato and bacon. A juicy medium rare cheeseburger. Disco fries. As a young adult, my go-to dish was a gyro, with no lettuce, sauteed onions instead of raw, and extra tzatiki sauce on the side (for mixing with ketchup and dipping my fries into). My friend Allison and I would order our gyros nearly the same way, and the waiters quickly learned what we wanted as soon as we walked in the door.

I loved that.

And Patty Melts. Oh man, patty melts. Crispy bread. Perfectly caramelized onions. A juicy burger. And cheese. Oh yes.

When the folks at Pillsbury asked me to develop a recipe using their frozen biscuits, I knew exactly what I’d make. Something that reminded me of my diner days. But with a twist or two. How about a mini version Patty Melt? With double the onions? And adding mushrooms? And a different kind of cheese?

Well hello there.

The recipe is super simple to make, with the longest part going to caramelizing the onions, but even with that, you’re done lickety-split. Nick devoured his in nothing flat, so they’re kid-friendly in both size *and* taste, and he was looking for a second one when he came up for air. And I don’t blame him. Full-bodied burger flavor, a little sweetness from the onions, woodsiness from the mushrooms, and a slightly sharp bite from the Cheddar? You can’t go wrong. For realz.

The frozen biscuits, which I didn’t even know existed before this assignment, are a great thing to stash in your freezer, particularly if you want just a couple. Take out and bake what you need, and keep the rest in the freezer. I kind of love that. When I made this batch, I made extra burgers (but didn’t cook them), and wrapped them up individually and popped them into the freezer. Now with the biscuits on hand, and some pre-mixed, pre-formed burgers all ready, I’m more than halfway to another easy grab-and-go meal on a crazy weeknight.

And we all know how valuable THAT is.

Tomorrow? We talk pink.

PS One more day left to enter the Subway gift card giveaway – hop to it!

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Recipe: Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

September 24, 2012 · Narrative

Hearty, tummy warming, cheesy bacon goodness on a homemade pizza with a whole wheat crust. Dig in.

Years ago, in our old house, I had a bacon-themed party. It remains one of my favorite party themes to this day. And one that we totally need to have again. I mean, really, bacon? How can you go wrong?

When I cook bacon (in the oven so there’s much less grease), the kids always snatch up half the pieces before I can use them in a recipe. Extra crispy, please. So twice as much than I actually need is always cooked. Fact.

So when the folks at Pillsbury wanted me to create a recipe that uses bacon and their new Artisan pizza crust (whole wheat), it was seriously a no-brainer. Like I could make up bacon-centered recipes all the live long day.

No problem.

When I was coming up with the ideas behind this recipe, I wanted to do something completely different. Like turn-it-on-its-ear different. And what was born from my brainstorming was one of the most delicious homemade pizza to come out of our kitchen in a long time. Like this is now the one to beat.

Throw out all your preconceived notions about what pizza should and shouldn’t have. Let’s go clean slate and open mind. Let’s go big.

First, the whole wheat pizza crust. My first time using it, and we would definitely use it again. It has a nice chew, really good pan coverage, rolls out easily, and, perhaps in the biggest note of all, it’s all gone.

Then, let’s smooth a creamy, garlic, cheese sauce on the crust as our base. Oh man, the garlic.

And top it with seasoned, tomato-y ground beef.

Mouth watering yet?

And then crispy bacon. And a smattering of chopped scallions.

And then let’s call it a masterpiece.

I gave the kids their slices and went back to the kitchen to grab something.

“Mom, did you make this? Oh my God, it’s soooo good.”

Says Nick who plowed through three slices before eventually calling it quits.

And then Madeline lectured him on his use of God’s name. Because she’s now three weeks into her first foray of Catholic school and quotes religion. Like alot. Which is, of course, a good thing. But it’s also supercute coming from the little spitfire that she is.

The pizza? It’s satisfying. Tummy-warming. Filling. Has flavor layer upon flavor layer.

Like now I need to make it again because I can’t stand it.

And you, too. Make it. For realz.

Crispy bacon, cheesy garlicky goodness, hearty beef … all wrapped up in a super-simple homemade pizza that’s easy enough to make on your busiest kids-sports-filled kind of night.

One … two … three … go!

Hungry for more bacon recipes?
This twist on grilled cheese sandwiches is ah-mazing. Swear.
You can take care of your sweet and salty cravings with this one cookie recipe. Yes, bacon in cookies.
Feeling more virtuous? This salad is a regular mainstay at our holiday table, and the crispy bacon is perfect in it.

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Recipe: Mint Buttercream Sandwich Cookies

November 17, 2011 · Ad-Free, Narrative

The folks at Pillsbury recently asked me and a few other bloggers to come up with new holiday cookie recipes. The requirements were straight-forward. Must use one of a handful of Pillsbury products. And must be three steps or less.

I knew exactly what I was going to do.

Let me be completely transparent. Any time I have an excuse to use buttercream frosting, I will.

And ESPECIALLY if I can smush it between two sugar cookies.

I mean, really.

As if we need a reason for EXTRA buttercream.

Am I right? Or am I right?

The sugar cookie dough that Pillsbury makes is great when you need to cut some corners. Or time. Or both. And honestly, with the holiday season nearly swooping in for the kill, who doesn’t need to save a few extra minutes?

And with those extra minutes? I cut the cookies into fancy star shapes, and dressed them up even further with a little bit of sanding sugar on top.

You know, to make ’em sparkle.

Because if the holidays aren’t an excuse to sparkle a little extra, I don’t know what is.

You can see the complete cookie recipe collection right here….

Nutty Chocolate Hot Bites

June 10, 2010 · Narrative

I promised you chocolate this week, and even though I waited until the very end, I’m delivering. These little sweet treats were the dessert that Nick and Jamie made for my belated Mother’s Day dinner a few weeks ago. The recipe comes from a Pillsbury magazine (one of those small grocery store check-out ones) and as the cover recipe, totally drew me in. I’m not going to dive into a long explanation on this one, not this time. Madeline woke up at 5:45 am this morning, and this Mama can barely keep her eyes open anymore. Nick and Jamie reported that the recipe was uber-simple to make, and we all thought it was a cute little ending for a great dinner. I loved the chocolate chip cookie crust, and can think of many new things to make using that as a base. So go forth and conquer. Chocolate. It does a body good.

Project 365
June 10, 2010, Photo #109

I got my nails done today, and as soon as I walked in the door, Madeline was all over me, examining each and every nail and demanding I take my shoes off for further inspection. And then she wanted her nails done. She’s finally at the age (hurrah!) where she’ll sit still long enough for the nail polish to dry, so she and Jamie took off in search of colors. With a very iffy week weather-wise, it was a perfect indoor activity for them. Madeline knew exactly what colors she wanted, going with a hot pink for her fingers and a funky, sparkly blue for her toes. Then she wanted to do Jamie’s nails. Jamie was very brave.
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Charmin’ Cherry Bars

February 4, 2010 · Narrative

I just love that naughty piece of toasted coconut standing straight up in the back of this picture. Kind of reminds me of my grey hair. I have just a few pieces, but they’re wiry as all get-out and there are one or two shorter pieces that are stubborn and stick straight up. Drives me mad.

So desserts. Desserts are one of the overlooked categories of Super Bowl parties. Dips. Chilis. Finger food galore. Beer. Chips. And then dessert. A complete after-thought. But given that Valentine’s Day is right on the heels of the big game, it’s fair to say we more than make up for it with the thrust of chocolate, sweets and desserts that quickly follow. But if you’re looking for a dessert recipe for this weekend, you just might want to try these bars. They cut nice and neat, are easy to eat with your fingers, and taste good to boot. What more could you want, right?

I was actually looking for a good muffin recipe (got one?) when I found this one for Charmin’ Cherry Bars. It from a Pillsbury cookbook, Best of the Bake-Off Cookies and Bars. And the recipe? From the 1951 Bake-Off. I love that it’s a recipe that is some 60+ years old, but is still just as relevant today as it was back then. The base is shortbread, and the filling is just a touch creamy with just a bit of crunch from the walnuts and a bite from the cherries. The only change I made was that I used dried cherries, instead of maraschino cherries. No real reason why except for the fact that the maraschino jar in the fridge had just the juice in it, no more cherries.

If you’re watching your figure, these aren’t too terrible, with 130 calories per piece and 6 grams of fat. Not wonderful, but not terrible. More nachos on Sunday for you!

Project 365
February 4, 2010, Photo #35

I have a lidded jar on a shelf in the middle of the pantry. A tight-fitting lidded jar. On the fourth shelf down. Inside the jar are some assorted mints and gum. See that leg of the chair in the left side of the picture? That would be the chair my daughter dragged over to the pantry. To get the lidded jar. With the tight-fitting lid. To help herself to some gum and mints. When she was caught red-handed, she scurried over to try and clean up her mess, but I told her she had to wait so I could take a picture of her thievery. She liked that idea enough that she wanted to be in the second picture herself. The scene of the crime. And the perpetrator.

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Monkey Bread

May 25, 2009 · Narrative

The first time I had a bite of this Monkey Bread, my mom put a plate in my hands and said, “This is to-die-for.” That’s very high praise from my mom. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say that a dish was to-die-for. I put the plate on the counter and several hours later, the munchies hit and I took a few nibbles. Good, but I wouldn’t have qualified them as to-die-for. I just chalked it up to different tastebuds, even though my mom and I tend to like a lot of the same things.

This past weekend, we headed down the shore to celebrate Memorial Day. I was armed with a few new recipes I wanted to try, and Nick was armed with plans for a grand seashell search. And my mom? She had plans to make this Monkey Bread again and one afternoon, her and Nick set to work in the kitchen. When they were done, she pulled the dish from the oven and set it down on the table. “I love this stuff,” she said. “Go on, try it again. I think it makes a difference if you eat it when it’s warm.”

And it does. The difference between eating just one piece and restraining yourself from inhaling the entire plate yourself. Honestly, warm biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and butter, how could you go wrong? Lesson learned? Eat them warm and they truly are to-die-for. Thank goodness half the platter came home with us as leftovers. I think.

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White Castle Clones

March 19, 2008 · Narrative

This weekend, with The Husband working late on Saturday night, and the kids and I left to our own devices, I wanted to make something fun for them for dinner. I happened to get an e-mail from Pillsbury last week, extolling the virtues of their pie recipes for Easter dessert, and I started poking around their site. I happened upon a recipe for a clone of White Castle’s slider burgers. For those that aren’t familiar with White Castle, it’s a fast food joint known for their mini size burgers that they sell for a pint-size price by the sack.

I think I’ve had White Castle burgers perhaps twice in my life. Although the price is attractive (I think they were 39 cents a piece at the time), they tended to be a little too greasy for me. This recipe, though, looked better because the meat is baked, thereby omitting the grease factor, or most of it anyway.

Although the burgers are supposed to be tiny, I don’t know how anyone could conceivably get the suggested 48 of them from this recipe; I think maybe I got 14 or so. And the bread sticks SO did not work as the rolls, and I ended up using regular biscuits for the rolls instead. That being said, the taste is spot-on (sans the grease) and I would definitely make these again. In fact, after a few bites, my stepdaughter asked if they were White Castle burgers, without knowing they were a clone. Just the cuteness factor alone makes them perfect for kids and a fun thing for a get-together. …