Twice-baked potatoes

My last post of twice-baked sweet potatoes had me thinking about twice-baked potatoes.  I love twice-baked potatoes - and aside from the amount of time they take, they are really very easy.  You can mix anything into the middle that you want - I usually keep it pretty simple.  What follows is my basic recipe.

4 mid-sized potatoes
1/3 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheese, plus extra for topping
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Wash and prick potatoes and then bake in the oven or in the microwave (I have a potato setting on my microwave, but it is usually about 15 minutes, or almost an hour in the oven).  Slice the tops off and scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about a 1/4 inch so your potato boats are sturdy.  Place the potato flesh into a bowl with the sour cream, 1/2 c. of cheese, butter, onion, salt and pepper; mash well and spoon back into potato boats.  Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven (or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and brown).  Serve hot.

Twice-baked sweet potatoes

This is a recipe inspired by some of my favorite flavors and one of my favorite ways to prepare regular potatoes - twice baked.  Since the sweet potato packs the biggest nutritional punch for your money in the produce department, this is another great way to get them into your meal rotation.  It does take some planning ahead, since they take a while, but they are well worth it.

4 small to mid-sized sweet potatoes
1/2 a stick of butter (4 Tbsp.), sliced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
miniature marshmallows

Wash and poke potatoes with a fork to pierce the skin.  Either bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or microwave until cooked through (I have a potatoes setting on mine, but it's about 15 minutes).  Remove and slice off the top of each and scoop out most of the innards, leaving a boat (with about 1/4 inch of the flesh so your skins don't fall apart).  Place scooped out potato into a mixing bowl with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt.  Mash well so ingredients are well mixed and butter is melted.  Scoop back into potato boats (it will be heaping full).  Carefully press marshmallows into the top of the refilled potatoes and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until marshmallows are browned and form a delicious, gooey crust on top.  Dig in and eat!

Oven stew

This is one of my favorite recipes from when I was growing up.  It is simple and tastes phenomenal.  I usually serve it over cooked egg noodles.  It does take some planning ahead as it has to cook for 3 hours.

1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton's beefy onion soup mix
2 c. water

In a 2-quart greased covered-casserole dish, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, beefy onion soup mix, and water.  When thoroughly combined, add in stew meat, making sure to break up into individual pieces.  Cover with foil and then casserole lid.  Bake at 350 for 3 hours.  Serve hot.

Note: I don't like cream of mushroom soup, so I always make this with cream of chicken soup.  It doesn't taste weird, I promise, lol.

Empanadas

Most of you are probably familiar at least with what an empanada is - it is a folded pastry pocket with either a savory or sweet filling.  I discovered these while I was studying in Argentina and I love them.  Unfortunately, the only empanadas I have been able to find stateside here are nothing like the ones I grew to love while in Argentina.  Therefore, I was left to come up with my own.  I totally cheat and use crescent rolls.  Sue me.  Also, this recipe uses chicken, but these are equally delicious with ground beef.  The recipe originally calls for sliced green olives, but I omit those.  If they tickle your fancy, feel free to use them.

2 tubes crescent rolls
1 (rotisserie) chicken breast (from the deli), cooked and shredded
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten with 1 tsp. water (egg wash)

In a saute pan, melt butter; add onion and cook over medium-low heat until translucent and season with salt and pepper.  Add in chicken and stir to heat through.  Remove from heat and stir in paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and hardboiled eggs.  Spoon 1-2 tsp. of mixture into center of crescent roll triangle; fold over to create a pocket and press with a fork to seal the edges.  When all pockets have been formed, brush lightly with egg wash mixture.  Bake at 375 for roughly 20 minutes, until crusts are golden brown.  Serve hot.

Pumpkin chiffon cake

I am not a fan of pumpkin pie (*GASP*!), so I was excited to find this recipe.  I love pumpkin, but the custard of the pumpkin pie is just really too rich and heavy for my tastes.  I made this last year for Thanksgiving in lieu of a pie.  I was worried my dad would miss his usual pumpkin pie, but he loved this cake!  This gives you the same pumpkin flavor and spice from the traditional pie, but it's a much lighter dessert option.

1 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (recipe follows)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, separated, plus 5 egg whites, at room temperature
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 c. sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and pumpkin puree.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.  Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the remaining 9 egg whites at medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes.  With the machine on, gradually add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and whip until stiff but still moist, about another 2 minutes.   Fold the whipped egg whites into the pumpkin batter carefully in four parts - fold each portion of whites in until no white streaks remain, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.  Gently transfer batter to a greased and floured Bundt pan.  Bake until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.  If using a tube pan, invert pan after 5 minutes and allow to cool 90 minutes before removing from pan.  Dust with confectioner's sugar to serve.

Grandma Jessie's potatoes

This recipe is very simple and yet very delicious.  The leftovers are great reheated as is, or put into a quick frittata.  If you wanted to shortcut this recipe, you could use some chunky frozen hashbrowns.  I usually cook one medium potato per person, so we'll do this as a four-serving recipe.  This recipe is special to me because it is one of the recipes from my husband's family, something he grew up eating.  It is also one of the first recipes my mother-in-law shared with me.  Grandma Jessie was actually my husband's great-grandmother, so this is a true heirloom recipe.

4 medium potatoes, peeled and largely diced
1 stick butter
2 Tbsp. (olive) oil
1-2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

Place potatoes into a saucepan and cover with cold water; cover with a lid.  Bring to a boil and remove lid - allow to cook for 20 minutes.  Drain potatoes and place into a baking dish.  Cube butter and sprinkle over potatoes.  Drizzle with oil; bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Toss with parsley flakes and serve hot.

Note: to infuse some extra flavor into the potatoes, use cold chicken stock instead of cold water to cook the potatoes.  This is a great alternative to mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

 

Guest contribution: Easy peasy (but oh-so-tasty) meatballs

This is from the same friend - she is a vegetarian, but regularly cooks meat dishes for her husband and daughter.  She doesn't eat the meatballs, but says she loves the sauce on cheese cubes!  Enjoy!

1 bag of frozen, pre-cooked meatballs
8 oz. grape jelly
1 jar Heinz chile sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Mix chili sauce, grape jelly, and brown sugar in a crock pot. Jelly wont mix in too well yet. Add meatballs and cook on high for 3 hours or until meatballs are done. Stir around a little and enjoy.

Note: My mom made some similar meatballs last year for a family get-together and used a small jar of cranberry sauce instead of the jelly.  She said it was delicious.  So now you really have two recipes!  And even though you use an entire jar of chile sauce, I have been assured that these aren't spicy in the least.

Guest contribution: Mediterranean brisket

My friend mentioned making this in a post on facebook - I was sold.  I love Mediterranean flavors, and I really don't know how to cook a good brisket, so when she agreed to share the recipe with me, I had to turn around and share it with you all!

1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c. dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup kalamata (or other black olives) pitted and chopped
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1-2 1/2 lb. piece flat-cut brisket, trimmed
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Place tomatoes, wine, garlic, olives, and rosemary in crock of slow cooker and stir to combine.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper to season.  Place brisket on top of tomato mixture and spoon half of it over the meat to cover.  Cover and cook on high until meat is fork tender, 5-6 hours.

Carefully transfer brisket to a foil-lined pan and tent loosely with foil, allowing to rest 10 minutes.  Skim excess fat from sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Slice brisket against the grain; spoon some sauce over the meat and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Note: to thicken the cooking juices left in your crock, mix 3 Tbsp. cornstarch in 1/2 c. cold water and stir into juices in crock.  Turn on high and cover.  After 15 minutes (enough time to let you meat rest and then slice it), you should have a thick and succulent sauce to serve with your meat!

Slow cooker beef stew

I kind of cheated on this one, lol.


1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 small onion, minced
3 small potatoes, diced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 box frozen peas
1 12 oz. beer (I used a RedHook ESB)
2 c. cold water
1 packet Lawry's beef stew seasoning

In a 4 qt crock pot, put onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, and meat. And liquids and seasoning packet; stir well. Add peas, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6.

Slow-cooker beef, bacon, and lentil soup

Lentils are a great addition to your diet as they bring not only fiber but also vitamins and minerals to the table.  And, since they are pretty much a blank-canvas, tastewise, in my opinion, you can pretty much include them in anything!

1 1/2 c. dried lentils, washed and drained
5 c. cold water
8 oz. bacon, cut into lardons
1 lb. stew meat
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter OR olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
2 c. warm water mixed with 1 tsp. beef soup base
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp. good vinegar (balsamic or sherry would be great)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground mustard

Brown the bacon in a skillet; remove bacon to paper towels to drain and discard most of the bacon drippings (leave just a tad bit in the pan to add flavor to the beef and vegetables!).  Turn the heat a little higher and sear the stew meat; remove to a plate to rest.  In the same skillet, without cleaning it out, quickly sear the vegetables, except the garlic, in the butter or olive oil.  When the vegetables have some nice color on them, stir in the flour, making a roulx.  Stirring constantly, allow the roulx to cook for a few minutes, otherwise your soup will taste like paste.  Then add in the salt, pepper, paprika, coriander, mustard and vinegar (standing too close when adding the vinegar will literally knock the breath out of you!).  Pour in some of the beef soup base dissolved in water to deglaze the pan (scrape all of that wonderful color and flavor off the bottom of the pan!), then combine everything in your crockpot.  Cook on low 7 hours or high for 3 hours.

Sidenotes: this recipe originally called for ground beef - I classed it up a bit with stew meat, but there is no reason you can't go back to just ground beef; the difference would be that the ground beef should be cooked completely before you put it into your crock.  A roulx is a mixture using (usually) flour or arrowroot (I've never used it) used to thicken sauces and soups; cornstarch dissolved in cold water is another technique for thickening a soup/stew or sauce.  As far as I'm concerned, they are interchangeable, as long as you know that cornstarch is ALWAYS dissolved completely in cold water before adding to a hot liquid, brought to a boil, and then allowed to simmer.  Flour and arrowroot are always added to some kind of fat in a hot pan and cooked off some before the liquid is added; to ensure that your roulx isn't lumpy, I recommend whisking as you add your liquid to the pan.  If you use a cold liquid, you deglaze your pan, pulling up all those lovely flavor notes from the bottom of the pan (as well as making clean-up easier as you've eliminated the need to scrub!).  Also, you don't need to cook/brown anything but the bacon (and ground beef, if using it) before adding it to the crock.  But the browning step adds a definite depth of flavor, so if you have the time, make sure you do it - you won't regret it!

Upside-down French toast

This is absolutely one of my favorite plan-ahead company's-here breakfasts.  It has to refrigerate overnight, so plan-ahead.  Also, it is super duper rich and filling.  I usually don't even serve anything else with it, although if we had a lot of people, I would probably make some bacon or sausage to accompany it.  I just make this with my traditional sandwich bread that I buy, but if you really want to class it up, you could buy some French bread and slice it up.  To make it even more rich and flavorful, use whole milk or a combination of milk and cream (or coffee creamer!).

1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
8 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
enough slices of bread to stack two high and completely fill a 9x13 pan

In the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish, melt butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg on stovetop and stir together.  Once the mixture is well-combined, remove from heat and allow caramel to distribute evenly along bottom of pan (you may need to don some ovenmitts and tilt the pan this way and that to help it along).

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla until it is a well-combined custard mixture.  Layer bread slices two high on top of caramel sauce in baking dish - you will need to cut some slices of bread to ensure that the bread goes from end to end and side to side without any gaps.  Pour the custard over the bread, making sure to soak each slice.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until bread is golden.  When serving each slice, flip it over so the caramel sauce is on top.

Honey mustard glazed salmon

I love salmon, and I usually only get it when we're out to eat.  However, if there's a good price at the grocery store, I like to have a few tasty and easy recipes on hand.

2 salmon fillets (12 oz. total)
2 T butter
2 T dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey

Place frozen salmon fillets skin side up in a small baking dish lined with heavy foil.  Broil 4 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes.  Turn and broil another 5-7 minutes.  Brush with glaze, and broil until glaze is golden brown, approximately 3-5 minutes.

*For thawed fillets, broil 3-5 minutes, skin side up; flip, glaze and broil another 3-5 minutes.

Crispy parmesan onion chicken

A tweak on your basic chick parm recipe, courtesy of my new love of onions (thank you, pregnancy).

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (or 2 T each: parmesan, romano, and asiago)
small can of French's French fried onions

Combine mayo, pepper and cheese in a mixing bowl.  Slather on top of chicken breasts and press onions into mixture.  Bake loosely tented on a foil-lined sheet tray at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Note: not tenting (i.e. a piece of foil folded in half length-wise and just placed over the top) will cause the onions to burn.  Changes the flavor some, but also not a bad taste.

House dressing

I got this dressing recipe from my mother-in-law.  I first had it at her house one night for dinner and I couldn't get enough of it.  It is best made in a blender or a leak-proof food processor.

3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. dry mustard
5 Tbsp. honey
1 c. salad oil (I just use classico olive oil or canola oil)
1/4 c. white wine vinegar (I've also used red wine and raspberry vinegar)
dash of worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. minced onion
parsley
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients and process or blend until emulsified (the oil and mayo are no longer separated).  Chill 1-2 hours before use to let flavors marry.

Zucchini bread, by special request

So, I'm not much for baking, generally, because it tends to be very exact.  When I cook, I tend to play fast and loose with measurements.  In fact, almost all of my recipes are just guesses for measurements since I almost never actually measure anything in cooking.  However, baking??  Baking deals with chemistry.  Your measurements need to be precise so you don't totally screw up what you are baking.  But there is one thing that I always hit out of the park - quickbreads.  What's a quickbread?  A quickbread doesn't use yeast and therefore doesn't need to rise, making it quicker.

My friend's son is a picky eater.  In a bid to get him eating more vegetables, she is test driving the quickbreads with him.  Now, mind you, quickbreads can have a high sugar content, so they should not be relied upon as a sole source of vegetables.  But they are very tasty!!  So, by request from my friend, I bring you a recipe for zucchini bread (don't knock it 'til you've tried it)!

3 c. zucchini, unpeeled and shredded
3 eggs
1 c. oil (or 1 c. butter softened)
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir in zucchini.  Add in flour, stirring as little as possible to combine (over-mixing will result in tough bread).  Pour into loaf pans, filling only 2/3 full.  Place loaf pans onto foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Note: I usually get three loaves out of this recipe.  And if it weren't for the sheet pan, I'd also have one hell of a mess in my oven.  Do NOT skip the sheet pan, I'm telling you!!

Chimichurri

I first experienced chimichurri sauce in Argentina, while I was studying abroad.  Chimichurri is a sauce that is rumored to have been created by Jimmy McCurry or another similarly named person.  You can read the wikipedia article I linked there if you're curious.  There is apparently a green version, but I am really only familiar with the red version, which is the recipe I've included below for you.  This sauce is used on all meats, either used during cooking or afterward for dipping, and for anything else.  As a double whammy for you, I'm including my absolute favorite use for it - grilled half chickens.  Enjoy!

2 Tbsp. good vinegar (I like white wine or champagne vinegar)
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.  Allow to sit for at least 1 hour prior to use.

 

Chimichurri chicken
1 whole chicken, bone in, skin on, halved (2 breast/thigh/leg halves)
1 batch chimichurri sauce
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat a charcoal grill, using only about 15 briquettes and spread evenly into a thin layer once ready.  Gently slide your finger between the breast meat and the skin, being careful not to puncture the skin, and create a pocket down to the thigh joint.  Slide your finger under the skin covering the thigh from the side, again being careful not to puncture the skin.  Gently push the chimichurri down into the pockets using almost all of the mixture.  Spray or brush the skin with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and the remaining chimichurri.  Grill skin side down over low heat for about 22-25 minutes (chicken skin should be crispy and dark golden brown).  Oil back side of chickens, flip, and grill another 20-25 minutes.  Finger lickin' good!

Bacon and eggs pasta (aka pasta alla carbonara)

This is one of my favorite Italian meals.  Before I really knew what pasta alla carbonara was, I used to make a fake version for my hubby and I; it consisted of frying up a bunch of bacon, cooking a pound of pasta, and using an entire jar of alfredo.  Definitely not a healthy meal choice!  This is true pasta alla carbonara, and us Americans may (or may not) be more familiar with the term bacon and eggs pasta.  Not every culture treats eggs as a breakfast food, and this is one dish that will bring eggs to your dinner table, instead of just your breakfast table.  Buon apetito!

1 lb. pasta
2 T olive oil
4 oz. bacon or pancetta, cut into lardons
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 large eggs
1 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. reserved pasta cooking water
parsley
black pepper

*Prepare sauce while pasta is cooking.

Cook pasta and reserve 1/2 c. of the water for the sauce (the starch from the pasta will help to turn runny eggs into a creamy sauce).  Heat oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat; cook bacon in oil for about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and parmesan; slowly add cooking water to temper eggs (prevent them from becoming scrambled when you add them to the pasta).

Drain pasta and add to pan, tossing quickly to coat pasta with bacon fat (about 2 minutes).  Remove pan from heat.  Add eggs mixture and toss quickly - the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs.  You should have pasta with bacon in a creamy "alfredo-looking" sauce.  Season with parsley and black pepper.  Serve hot.

Guest contribution: Slow-cooker ribs

This is a recipe from my friend.  She is so amazing, because she doesn't eat meat, but she dutifully prepares it for her husband and two-year-old daughter.  It is very hard to properly cook something if you don't eat it (and thereby taste what you have done to it), but she consistently hits it out of the park.  This is an easy meal for her to prepare and her husband absolutely loves it.

1 package ribs (you choice of cut, she used boneless country ribs)
1 bottle of barbeque sauce
1-12 oz. can of Dr. Pepper

Place ribs in crock and slather with 3/4 of bbq sauce and pour in can of Dr. Pepper.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove from crock and place on cookie sheet lined with foil; top with remaining sauce and bake at 350 until the sauce carmelizes (about 20-30 minutes).  Serve with your favorite vegetable as a side.

Sweet and smoky sloppy Joes

This recipe was inspired by my deep and abiding love for barbeque sauce.  I love the sweet and smoky flavors and how they complement just about any meat perfectly.  The carrot in the sauce, grated finely, melts away, leaving only a sweet background in the sauce but giving you (or should I say me?) some much needed vegetables.

1 lb. ground beef
1 small (sweet) onion, minced
1 large carrot, finely grated
1-8 oz. can (garlic) tomato sauce
1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Put beef into cold high-sided skillet and break up to create one even layer of meat in the bottom of the pan.  Meanwhile, chop the onion and peel the carrot.  Add the onion and break up the meat some more; redistribute to again achieve an even layer of meat in the pan.  Grate the carrot over the meat and onion mixture, stirring well when finished.  Add the sugar, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir well.  Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to begin to thicken.  Add the spices and stir well.  Serve hot on buns.

Note: if you like spicier sloppy Joes, you could substitute chipotle pepper powder for the smoked paprika.  I think the next time I make this, I'm going to try a combination of the two, as I really love the flavor of paprika.  You could also add more black pepper and chili powder, as each form of pepper hits your tongue in a different place, thereby deepening the flavor.

Easy pizza dough

I've tried a few pizza dough recipes, and this is my new favorite one - the crust isn't dry and crumbly and if you make it thin (i.e. two pizzas from one batch instead of one), it gets deliciously crispy.

2 packets of dry active yeast (or 1 Tbsp., 1 1/2 tsp.)
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

In a food processor with a dough blade, combine flour and salt.  Pulse a few times to mix.  In a large measuring cup or in a mixing bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast.  Stir well and allow to proof for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add olive oil to food processor in a slow stream while running.  Turn off the food processor and add the water and yeast mixture in batches, making sure to pulse in between additions to combine well.  Once all water is added, pulse until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the blade (note: there shouldn't be very much loose flour along the bottom and sides.  If there is, pulse until excess flour is worked into dough.).  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well for about 15 minutes - dough will become shiny and very elastic.  Form into a ball and put into a bowl drizzled well with olive oil, turn the ball all around in it to make sure dough is well coated.  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a warm draft-free location and allow to rise at least 20 minutes (the longer it rises, the easier the dough is to work with to get a thinner crust).  Press into a sheet pan or onto a pizza pan.  Top as desired and bake in a 450 degree oven 12-20 minutes.  Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before cutting to avoid cheese that just slides off the crust.

Note: I usually turn my broiler on high for 5 minutes with the oven door closed before I start mixing.  Then, when the dough is ready to rise, I place the covered bowl in my oven that is still warm.  This helps the dough to rise, it is draft free and no one will mess with your precious dough (kids, husbands, etc.).