It Burns Us

It being the freezer.  Us meaning ham.  Or actually most everything that gets left in there for ages.  The freezer burned turkey concoction was so bad it can't even make a blog entry. 

Hawaiian Pizza 
Adapted from Trader Joe's
Yield: 8 slices

1 to 11/2 pounds of pizza dough (see recipe)
1/2 to 1 cup favorite pizza sauce (depending how saucy you like it)
8-12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1-20 oz can of pineapple chunks (tidbits works well)
6 to 9 oz of Canadian bacon or deli ham slices, cut into bite size pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Flour as needed
Cornmeal as needed

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. On a lightly floured surface begin to shape the dough by hand or with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle. Carefully place the dough on a pizza stone dusted with cornmeal or lightly oiled baking sheet. Precook the pizza dough until the bottom of the crust is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. Spread the pizza sauce onto the dough and top with mozzarella. Place the pineapple, Canadian bacon, and scallions on top of the cheese. Place the pizza in the oven. Bake until the crust is fully cooked and the cheese starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven.
4. Cut the pizza into slices and serve.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 282 (approximately) 

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust
From allrecipes.com 
For 1-12 inch pizza
(This recipe yields about 20 ounces of dough)

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1 t. sugar ( I use 1 T)
1 c. warm water
2 1/2 c. bread flour
2 T. olive oil
2 t. salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. (I like to brush on olive oil before the toppings to help the crust stay crisp.) Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Ham, Mac and Cheese Soup
From Land O Lakes
6 servings

4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) uncooked dried small macaroni shells

1/2 pound sliced processed American cheese

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

1 1/2 cups fat free half and half

1 cup finely diced ham (or sliced or chopped hot dogs)

Salt and pepper, if desired

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, stack cheese slices.  Cut into thin strips; coarsely chop. Set aside.
Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan until sizzling; stir in flour and mustard. Add broth and half & half. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (4 to 5 minutes).
Reduce heat to low; stir in cheese until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni and ham. Cook until heated through (4 to 5 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.

Calories per serving: 370