Pizza Dip

I'm planning on making this pizza dip for the Super Bowl. It's a crowd pleaser for meat eaters as well as my vegetarian friends. Sometimes I make this with alfredo sauce to make a white pizza dip. Comes out great every time and is super easy.

Meat Lovers Pizza Dip
1 tsp of dried Italian seasoning
1 package of Philly Cream Cheese
1 cup of mozz
1 cup of marinara sauce
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup of cooked ground Italian sausage
1/2 cup of parm
Diced green peppers and onions

Veggie Pizza Dip
All of the same ingratiates as above, but replace the meat with:
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup diced green peppers
1/4 cup canned mushrooms
You can adjust the amount of veggies you want - I like a lot!

Mix the Italian seasoning with the cream cheese. Let set in fridge for 30 minutes for flavors to blend. Layer on top of cream cheese base, the mozz cheese, parm, marinara sauce, and toppings of choice. If you are making the Meat Lovers Pizza Dip, garnish with the diced onions and green peppers. Spinkle the top of dip with parm before serving. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.

I serve this with garlic bread that I prepare with lots of butter, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and a sprinkle of parm cheese. Delicious!!

Taco Turkey Meatballs

I'm trying to stay true to my new years resolution of eating healthier, but 4 days of terrible mass produced food at my company conference set me back a bit. My first night home I went to my default: ground turkey. Tonight, I made low carb turkey taco meatballs stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese. I didn't get extra lean turkey this time to make sure the meatballs stayed moist and I would suggest doing the same since it made a pretty big difference. Here is the recipe:

1 pkg Ground Turkey
8 Cheddar Cheese Cubes (or 1 per meatball)
3 Tbs of Taco Seasoning
1/2 Tsp of Garlic Powder
1 Egg
1 Green Onion, chopped
Sour Cream
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Fresh Salsa

Mix ground turkey with egg, taco seasoning, 5 hits of Louisiana Hot Sauce, and garlic powder. Let set 5 minutes for flavors to mellow. Scoop turkey mixture with ice cream scoop to ensure even sized meatballs. Press 1 cube of cheese into center of meatball and form the meat around the cheese. Make sure no cheese is showing otherwise it will bubble out during cooking. Place meatballs in a 400 degree oven for 17-20 minutes or until cooked through. I mixed a few tablespoons of sour cream with Louisiana Hot Sauce and used this as a dipping sauce. This was a very healthy alternative to what I really want to eat. Pork and beef meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese. Maybe I'll give in this weekend. I'll keep you posted.

Sausage Bread

I came up with this recipe because a lot of people I cook for don't like mushrooms, but love my stuffed mushroom filling. Guys tend to love this one so break it out during football season and it'll be a hit.

1 Small Loaf of French Bread
1 Pkg of Jimmy Dean Reduce Fat Sausage
1 Pkg of Philly Cream Cheese
1/2 Tsp of Garlic Powder
2 Green Onions chopped

Saute the sausage. Once cooked through, pour over cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Let sit for few minutes so cream cheese softens. Cut the french bread in half lengthwise. Gently spoon out some of the bread to hallow out the center so the topping lays in the bread (otherwise topping will fall of the crisp bread too easily). Brush inside of bread lightly with olive oil and then toast in a 400 degree often so bread is crisp. Mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, and sausage mixture together. Add the chopped green onions right before spooning into the bread so they stay vibrant and colorful. Spread mixture into the bread and place under the broiler in a 425 degree oven just so the topping sets (about 7 minutes). Once bread is done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cut into slices. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy!

You might want to double the recipe - I'm always asked for seconds :)

Theory Chicago

We had a few friends staying with us for New Years Eve which gave us a good excuse to try out a new restaurant, Theory. Theory markets itself as "home away from home." I don't know if I would totally agree with this description. Aesthetically, the upscale sports bar is beautiful. It's small and intimate, lending a nice ambiance upon arrival. However, one of the first things we all commented on was the fact that the bar stools were really uncomfortable. They didn't seem big enough for my 5'3" frame, so the three guys I was with definitely were feeling it. There were plasma TVs every where you looked, so that was a plus. For a sports bar, the menu is pretty upscale, offering everything you'd expect from a sports bar (wings, nachos, sliders, etc) but with a unique gourmet twist. I tried the following:

Better Than Buffalo (wings tossed in homemade hot sauce) - I'm basically obsessed with wings, but not these in particular. I give Theory props for coming up with their own buffalo sauce, but it wasn't really buffalo sauce. It was more sweet/tangy than spicy, but it was still good. If you order these, I'd ask for them well done. I like my wings really crispy and these were not. The blue cheese dressing was delicious - perhaps the best I've ever had. I hid the container of dressing behind my drink so I could dip my super fancy sliders in it. $12 for double order.

Lightweight Tagliata (grain mustard marinated, grilled and sliced NY strip steak served on toasted rosemary ciabatta rolls with caramelized shallots and horseradish cream) - So these were Theory's version of sliders and boy did these exceed my expectations. DELICIOUS. The steak was unbelievably tender and so flavorful. The ciabatta rolls were pillowy soft and fresh out of the oven. The steak was so perfect, I almost think the caramelized shallots were an unnecessary addition. Regardless, these were awesome. They came with a side of homemade sweet potato and regular potato chips. This was an impressive portion for an appetizer. For $9 I'd totally order this again.

Pulled (18 hour cherry and apple wood-smoked pork on a toasted soft roll with a side of their house BBQ sauce) - This was ordered because of the waitress' enthusiastic suggestion. When I think of pulled pork, I think of moist pork that has been tossed in BBQ sauce. This pork came dry with the sauce on the side (as noted in the description) but I think it would have been better pre dressed. I'm only saying that because the pork seemed a bit dry. The pork was very high quality and was served piled high on the roll. The sides were just ok. The coleslaw was fresh and tasty, but the fries were terrible. Fries are almost more important to me then the sandwich itself so I was pretty disappointed in these. They seemed to be fresh cut, but totally under cooked. They were flavorless, stale, and dry. For $14 I was expecting a little more oomph.

Overall, the menu was pretty good. It was limited to appetizers, soups, and sandwiches which I think was a smart move for Theory. They chose a few options and execute well, besides a couple hiccups. I enjoyed my experience, but I believe the restaurant is marketing to older clientele. On that note, I don't believe I will attend Theory for any upcoming games. I think I'll stick to the more casual hole in the wall located directly next door, Mother Hubbards. There is something to be said for Golden Tee during half time and the acceptance of screaming at the TV. Just my thoughts anyway.

http://www.theorychicago.com/