Tuscanala Thali irukku theriyumo nokku...

Well, if you are wondering what "Tuscanala Thali irukku theriyumo nokku... " means, then let me clarify that before proceeding.. "Tuscana has Thali now did you know?"

Tuscana  for us is synonymous with Italian, 

It is synonymous with thin crust pizza

it is where we tasted the 1st Gluten free pizza

It is where we tasted Tiramisu and Panna cotta first..

It is a place that has done a lot of firsts in Chennai.. 

Here is a brief glimpse into a few of the dishes served there. Pizza, Pasta, bell peppers& Mozzarella and then there was the Zucchini Mozzarella  fritters as well.  

Their extensive dessert section houses the infamous Panna cotta, lemon cheese cake, Tiramisu and a pizza with chocolate sauce, nutella and bananas as well. 

But the one thing you dont think of when I say "Tuscana" is Thali concept or Jain food. 

And that is something they have newly introduced!! 

The obvious questions that arise are 

"Really?"

"What is a Thali doing in an Italian restaurant?"

"Why are they serving Jain food?

"Will it work?"

There is just one answer to these questions!! Just go there and try it out,  you will see it actually works and makes sense. 

I walk into Tuscana and as always this guy greets me at the entrance. Walking up the winding staircase, we make our way to the table reserved upstairs in a cosy room [ideal for small groups or a private dinner]. And then we are presented with a menu that has not one but 5 Thali options in it. 2 for veg and 3 for non veg . And they offer quite a variety. 

A Thali is an Indian concept, where the entire meal is placed in one plate in small cups/bowls. You would have everything from the starter to main course to the dessert in that one plate. It is another name for a set meal :-) In some places it is bottomless thali [where you get unlimited servings of all the dishes] and in other places it is a set quantity [and in these places the portion sizes are good enough, you wont even think about going for a 2nd helping]

While I opted for the 2nd Veg Thali, another fellow vegetarian chose the 1st one and another friend opted for the Non veg Thali with chicken as the main dish .

All the Thalis have a soup, a salad, a few slices of garlic bread [w/wo cheese], a main course, and a dessert. The Thali I chose had Tomato soup, Garlic bread, a fresh crunchy salad with slices of pears and the main course was Eggless crepes filled with baby corn, mushroom  and parmesan and finally, the dessert [which was the reason I chose this thali]- Apple pie with vanilla sauce.

Priced around Rs600 = tax, these thalis make for a good sumptious lunch on a day when you are slogging away and suddenly realise you are hungry.  I must hand it to the Restaurant, they do come up with innovative concepts!!

If you still dont believe me about the Thali, check out the ad they released to announce the same..

[Image courtesy - http://chennaifoodguide.in/deal/view?id=76]

Address:

Tuscana Chamiers

No. 89, Chamiers Road, Opposite IN Gate of Park Sheraton,  Nandanam, Chennai-600065

To Book a Reservation - Contact : 044-45000008

Disclaimer:The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

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Pasta Bar Veneto rolls out new dishes..

When you think of something or someone, it is true that you end up seeing them often or that thing everywhere you go. Similarly, I haven’t been to Pasta Bar Veneto in ages, the 1^stvisit was years ago and in Alsa Mall. And then a brief visit to their outlet in Pondy. 2 weeks got the opportunity to visit the outlet in Burkitt Road. Who would have thought I would be back there once again. Yes it happened last evening!

Unlike earlier, these days I don’t mind going anywhere. Most places are a hop skip or jump away. It took me just about 12 mins to reach Burkitt Road from home and I was there before 7.30pm. Spotted the gang, said Hi hello, and everything else and we took a booth on the right side of the restaurant. We were greeted and shown the menu, including the new dishes that had been recently included. An interesting thing about the menu card here is that all the dishes have a code next to them.  Such a blessing, as it makes it easy for people who have difficulty in pronouncing the names to order. I shall take the G9 or E17 and your dish arrives with no confusion!!

We started the evening by ordering a few beverages. Hot chocolate, fresh lime soda salt [my standard order] and Green apple mojito. The hot chocolate came in the most gorgeous mugs and looked yumm.. I slurped my lime soda with glee and the mojito was also good [tad sweet for my liking]. With a little one to keep us smiling, we started the evening on a high note. While we flipped through the menu, our eyes locked at the Zuppa section [Soups]especially the Zuppa di Arachidi Zucca [pumpkin soup] [C3], and the other option was Zuppa di pollo [chicken soup] [C5]. I loved the pumpkin soup, but felt it was a tad salty [probably cos of the herbs that were sprinkled on top which had a bit of salt in them]..

Moving on, for starters we were served a crostini platter- two kinds- one with peas & potato[A4] and other had mushrooms & cheese[A5]. The former was a tad mushy and bland while later was good. We also tried their other mushroom starter- Funghi Saltati con pesto [ mushrooms tossed in garlic and cooked with pesto]-[A8], the pesto was very subtle in this, but being a mushroom freak, I loved it.

And then came the plates filled with more starters, 2 non veg and one more veg.. The veg was Brocolli and cheese grill [A9] which was yumm, the broccoli had been cooked just right. The non veg eaters had fish fingers[A14], pigs in a blanket except here it was chicken[A12]  and prawns batter fried. Amidst the food, we also chatted with the manager about the new dishes and asked him for recco for the main course. After much deliberation, we decided to go with 4 different dishes..

I chose the Macaroni & Corn bake  [D4], which was served alongside a slice of bread and it was quite good. It is quite a large portion and filled with corn and spinach as well, a tinge of red chilli that added to the flavours. The others went for non veg dishes- Panna con prosccuitto di pollo e piselli  [Cavatappi pasta[longer twisted version of macaroni]cooked with chicken ham and chicken sausages in white sauce], Salsa rosso con pollo  e funghi[E19]- grilled chicken, red paprika and mushroom that had been tossed in peri peri spicy sauce which was ordered with fettucini pasta and finally, the Involtini di pollo ripieno [F3] which was stuffed chicken breast on a thick tomato creamy sauce served with a side of grilled veggies. The main dishes were good….

Before we knew it, time had flown by and it was nearly 9.30. We quickly ordered desserts-   I chose the Apple Strudel with vanilla cream [I14], the others chosen were Mud pie [I6], Pizza dolce [ fruit pizza] [I2] and Poached pear in berry soup [I5]. Loved mine and the poached pear the best. The pizza was alright, dint like the texture and thickness of the sweet focaccia bread and the mud pie was confusing.

And with that the evening was done!! We had a  good time needless to say- good company, good ambiance, amazing music [yes i knew most of the songs J] and good food..

I would definitely recommend the Pumpkin soup and poached pear to anyone who is curious about Pasta Bar Veneto.  J

Address:

OLD No 59,New No #32,, Burkit Road,T.Nagar  Burkit Rd, Parthasarathy Puram, Thiyagaraya Nagar, Chennai, TN 600017

Ph- 044 4212 6680

Website: http://www.thepastabarveneto.com

Directions: Get into Venkatnarayana road, and go all the way down, and take the last but one right. Within 200yards you will find Pasta Bar Veneto on your right, adj to Canara bank 

Psst- the numbers in the bracket are the code for the dishes!! :D 

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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White Bean Italian Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Did you know that an entire cauliflower is like 150 calories?  Full of potassium and fiber. So healthy and tasty. But for some reason I forget to buy them. I rarely eat them. 

I've been seeing a cauliflower crust pizza recipe floating around and I've been waiting to try it. So when cauliflower was on sale, I snatched one up right away.  

I've made a white bean pizza before and absolutely loved it. I knew it would be perfect on this cauliflower crust.  

I did have a problem getting all the moisture out of the cauliflower.   I needed to leave it in the oven longer and it didn't get super crispy.  It was more of a knife and fork kind of pizza.  However, it did taste fantastic!  

This was an incredible vegan meal for my 30 Days of Vegan recipes. 

White Bean Italian Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Crust adapted from Nutrition Stripped

Cauliflower Crust

• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 cups yield), after pureeing and squeezed dry
• 2 whole eggs or Vegan: 2 Tbs. ground flax seed + 6 Tbs. water.
• 1 Tbs. flour or gluten free flour
• 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• 1 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp. dried basil and oregano (each)
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To create the pureed cauliflower, simply chop all the cauliflower florets into small pieces, place into a blender and blend until pureed (it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth).
3. Place the pureed cauliflower mixture into some paper towels over a large bowl (to catch the liquid) and squeeze the excess water from the cauliflower. Or keep changing the paper towel until it's dryer. 
4. The end result will resemble a firm puree.
5. Combine the remaining ingredients into the large bowl and hand mix with a large spoon or whisk until thoroughly combined.
6. Spread the “dough” into either 1 large pizza shape or 2 small pizza rounds on parchment paper on a baking pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and firm to touch. You might have to leave it in for another 15 minutes or so if you are like me and can't get enough liquid out of it.
8. Take out of the oven and top with your favorite toppings.
9. Bake for another 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until everything on the top has warmed.

White Bean Puree

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. water

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Puree in blender until smooth. 

Pizza Assembly:

Spread White Bean Puree on top of crust.  Top with favorite toppings.  I used squash, onion, peppers and spinach.  Put pizza back in oven for 10 minutes to warm everything. 

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Tuscana.. un'altra [once more]

 For someone who has been bitten by the travel bug, am one of those who enjoys visiting new places everything I plan a trip. But since I was not really travelling, but just revisiting a familiar cuisine, I was ok to head back to Tuscana in Wallace Garden. This is a slightly smaller place when compared to the one on Chamiers Road. 

I have been here quite a number of times, sometimes with friends and other times for a meeting. This is the restaurant that introduced me to thin crust pizzas and panna cotta. From then on, I have had these dishes numerous times and quite like them. 

Another thing that was going to be different about tonight was that there was a new lady in the house, Neha had left and Priyanka was in her place. She wanted to meet the gang and introduce us to some of the new dishes that had found its place on the menu.

We were seated in the room near the pizza oven, which had quite a rustic interior. The walls were covered with paintings made by specially abled people and were up for sale. And then suddenly the  place was pitch dark, power had gone. But luckily restored in a few minutes! By then all had arrived and finally the evening was on its way. The 1st to arrive was an appetizer of sorts- a plate with crisp pizza base served alongside a tomato dip and some cut veggies. We were all quite hungry and the plates were polished within moinutes. Next up arrived the hot juicy garlic bread, it was called Baguette all’Aglio and was oozing with butter and garlic.  We had quite a few of these, which shows how hungry we all were.

Thankfully, there came along plates of fresh salads- Insalata Caprese and Insalata Toscana. the1st was a salad that we all loved- fresh slices of mozerella cheese, tomato, basil, and crisp chips. The other salad was a total contrast, it had heaps of lettuce, olives, crunchy pears, cheese and a splash of Chives.   

As the conversation flowed, we went through one more round of black out and then came the pizzas. There were quite a few pizzas, one with a variety of veggies- colour capsicums & onion, then came the Chilli pizza which I felt was quite spicy [ couldnt even finish the 1 tiny slice I cut, the heat of jalepenos was a killer in this] and I have lost count of how many glasses of water I gulped down. Phew... 

Along came the pastas, showing off their flavours and hogging the limelight.. First up was the Alla Norma (Gluten Free penne).. Next up, put your hands together for the show stopped, the winner of the evening- Aglio Aromatizzata, fettuccine that was filled with oomph. What a way to end the meal.

 Oh wait, i see something squarish small arriving on a plate. What is it? it is a chocolate cake? or was it a tiramisu.. Yes, it is a tiramisu, served alongside some gooey custard it was heaven. Unfortunately I cant say the same about its friend, the expresso panna cotta- dint like it too much, and the texture was tad weird as well, we literally had to cut through it to take a bite.  

And with that ladies and gentlemen we shall draw the curtains on yet another evening.. Was it good? Was it bad? well, it was definitely somber, the entire evening was missing the usual buzz and energy.. wonder why!! 

Tuscana is a place you to go for the thin crust pizzas and interesting salads. 

Add:

Wallace Garden 3rd St, Thousand Lights

Chennai, TN

044 4503 8008

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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California Pizza Kitchen

It was Saturday evening when a friend- Av popped in Whatsapp and announced that CPK was opening the subsequent Monday. For those who are unaware, CPK is California Pizza Kitchen. The two times I have been to Phoenix I noticed the huge banner with a “coming soon” on it. After our Bangalore trip, I learnt that CPK serves alcohol and so maybe they were waiting for license [just as HRC has been waiting]. But alas., they have given up or not pursued the same, for they are open in Phoenix Market City, Velachery.

So, coming back to the Saturday evening, this friend & I decided we will do Monday night dinner at CPK. Most others were tied up and we froze our plan. On Sunday evening, another friend announced she was at CPK and gave us feedback on the dishes and the place. Av who discovered they were opening on Monday was surprised they had opened on Sunday. But anyways, we stuck to our plan and Monday evening I was there in Phoenix around 7pm. Did some shopping at Big Bazaar and waited for Av to arrive.

The entry to CPK is from the outside. So, you can actually park, and walk all the way around the mall on the same side as Nandos and you will spot CPK right at the end. It is located near the children’s play area and near the dancing water fountain. There is also a huge monitor on top that was showcasing random sports events.

We walked in around 8 and the place was fairly empty. Chose a booth and made ourselves comfortable. The menu was brought and the waiter asked for our water preference and if we wanted a beverage. Av ordered Coke while I opted for the Strawberry Italian Soda [going against my usual fresh lime soda-salt] We also ordered the Lettuce Wrap. The drinks arrived within 2 minutes, followed closely by the starter. There was a plate with a few fresh lettuce leaves and another plate with peanut sauce and filling [it had paneer, seasonings, and sat on a bed of something that resembled friend rice noodles]. We had to place a few spoonfuls in the lettuce sheet, add some sauce, roll it up and chomp on it. I loved the flavours, and the crunchiness of the Lettuce was just perfect.

Spent a few minutes catching up on life and other things that dint matter, and Av shared her experience at CPK in the USA. Going with her recommendation, we ordered the Toastada Pizza [it is a hot & cold pizza, there is a thin crust base with black bean sauce on it, and above that is a healthy serving of shredded lettuce and tortilla chips] with a side of salsa that was divine. It arrived on the table and is possibly the ONLY healthy pizza i’ve ever had in my life.

The thin crust had a nice crisp texture and the hot & cold was perfect. Within minutes the plate was wiped clean and we were grinning. The only thing that kind of put us off a bit was the occasional bugs that found their way to the table- tiny mosquitoes [possibly because it was located near trees and water in the outdoor area]. Oh and it was a whole new experience having staff come over ask us how the drinks were, the starters and the main as well.

Since our friend had told us about the desserts, we opted for the White Chocolate Cheesecake. And it was delicious. With a healthy topping of grated white chocolate, the cheesecake was rich and perfect. Yes, it was different from others I’ve had but I liked this one.

Phew, what a fun evening it had been. We asked for the check, paid the bill and spent a good hour or two sitting on the bench outside yapping away to glory.

Price: This meal costed us Rs2100 [incl taxes]

Ambiance- Simple and elegant.

Service- Very good

Address:

California Pizza Kitchen

Phoenix Market City, Velachery

Chennai 

Ph- 044 65108888

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Pizza by the slice- Sbarro

Thanks to the unscheduled powercut last evening, friend & I decided to get out of the house, go somewhere with AC and when I mentioned not having been to Vijaya Forum Mall, that is where we headed to. From the  exterior appearance to the main entrance, I felt like I had been transported to Bangalore Forum mall [Hosur road]. The place is huge, we did spend a bit of time checking out some stores, did some shopping as  well.

 

And before leaving, decided to grab some dinner [take away]. This is when we hit the Foodcourt, and my friend mentioned Sbarro and how good their pizzas are. Though I am not a pizza fan, decided to give it a shot and was not disappointed. This is the only place [outside of that one stall in bessie beach] where I saw pizzas being sold by slice. They had about 4 kinds of Veg pizzas and 3 Non veg pizzas on display. Apart from this, I also spotted another counter with 2 kinds of pastas, different sauces and veggies. Interesting~! 

Sbarro is a chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in New York style pizza and other Italian-American cuisine. Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York. [Source: Wikipedia]

I ordered for 2 slices of Paneer & Brocolli, while the friend ordered for Margarita, Standard Veggie and a Chicken pizza.  Took them about 10 mins to get the order ready, we grabbed our bags and got out of there. 

The pizzas are priced at Rs120 for a normal pizza and premium pizzas -Veg was Rs135 and Non Veg- Rs155

After about an hour or so, at home, we warmed the pizza in the microwave and had them. They were soft, and quite fresh [the base had not become chewy or hard].  What surprised me was I had 1 slice and was nearly full, the 2nd one I could barely finish. Friend mentioned the slices were about 30% smaller than what she got back in Doha.. *gulp*

They also served fountain soft drinks along with the food items.  And as it goes in most malls, you need one of those Food coupon cards [buy a credit card like card, load it up with cash and swipe it across restaurants, recharge if reqd] ...  

Highlights about Sbarro:
1. Veg & non veg pizzas in separate shelves
2. They dont give you a bag unless you ask for one [ bags are charged Rs3 each]
3. No cutlery and so you end up eating it by hand [and you need 2 hands to hold the slice]
4. Quick service

Address:
Sbarro
Forum Vijaya Mall, Arcot Road,
Vadapalani, [opp kamala theater]
Chennai

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A cookout with a difference at Dario's

I for one began cooking, or atleast entering the kitchen quite early. Mom & Gramma used to say - at the age of 3 I was making dosas and thus began my love for cooking. I began full fledged cooking in 10th or 11th Std, mainly making my own lunch and weekends/holidays would experiment.  But then today, when I see kids all around me, they not only know how to cook [a few select dishes] but are quite proficient in rattling out the most complicated names of dishes. Blame it on TV? No blame, it is a good thing~! 

After watching Masterchef Australia Juniors edition, I was all set to be blown away by kids from Chennai. And they indeed did just that. I was amazed at the amount of exposure and knowledge these kids had, especially since most of them were between 8-12yrs of age.   

The Kids cookout is a summer workshop from Dario's restaurant, spanning across 5 days. Parents had the option of signing their kids for the entire course, or pick a session and sign them in just for that. In all there were about 12-15kids in the session I attended on Monday. It was all about Desserts. The Dario's Chef and Anusha were holding fort and making sure the kids got some learning out of the sessions. There were a few, tiny ones that were lost in their own world, and while it was cute to watch, they did manage to distract the others... Kids will be kids, right?! 

I have been seeing, eating Tiramisu and Pannacotta maybe over the past 2years, prior to which I had no clues what they were, leave alone how they were made. So, watching the chef whip up the 2 desserts while the kids worked parallely was quite a sight.  

Anyways, the 1st dessert that Chef was prepping for was Panna cotta- with each step explained in detail, the kids then got a chance to pour the hot milky liquid into the little moulds they had before it was whisked away to be chilled.  Not giving them time to break out into a frenzy, the Chef moved on to the next one. Aptly called "pick me up" Tiramisu is quite a delicious dessert. But unlike in other restaurants, Dario's being completely vegetarian, the Chef was teaching the eggless version. 

While Anusha got the kids all excited in guessing what went into Fresh Cream, we were dazzled by the kids when one commented "we can make mascarpone cheese at home, right?" and another asked "where is it available in Chennai?" and one more said "I am going to make this at home one day". Kids do know a lot. It was quite insightful listening to the various explanations of the ingredients, being shown the product, the whisking of the cream to a stiff peak and following the entire process. I was amazed at how engrossed the kids were, they sat patiently waiting their turn, no screaming, no throwing tantrums. And once completed, some stylishly pulled out an iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy note and clicked a picture of their creation~!

As we made our way down the stairs and headed out of the restaurant, I wondered what was in store the remaining 3 days. There was also a small twinge of jealousy , I wished  I had been born in this day and age when there were so many opportunities and exciting activities.

So, if you are interested, 2 more days remain. Sign up now and let your kid come home with some interesting recipes or inputs on dishes that you have loved. 

For the workshop:

Please call 044-49193333 | Ms. Anusha - 9841615232

URL for further details: Kids cookout at Dario's

Dario's is a Pure vegetarian restaurant, you can read my view of the place here

Address:

No. 11, Kasturi Rangan Road, 

[Take the 1st right on the road and it is the building right next to Aswene Hospital]

2nd Street, Teynampet, 

Chennai-600018

Ph-  044-49193333

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In with the new, out with the old at Tuscana in Chamiers

"hum chup nahin bait sakthe [we cant sit quiet]" is what Vipin says leads to such new concepts... The reason why they keep innovating, rolling out new dishes and coming up with interesting dishes. This time around, they have literally revamped their entire menu- adding a few new dishes, removing some and making sure customers are spoilt for choice. Oh, and did i mention there is a slash in prices as well? yep! There we were at Tuscana in Chamiers Road, with Chef Willi greeting us and ushering us in. Vipin explained the whole process of how their menu has changed, the new software they are creating in house which will keep track of stock, making it easy to monitor and audit and of the new plans they have for the days to come. 

But wait, you need to wait till Saturday before you can taste the new dishes. We got a sneak peek into what is to come and must tell you, some of the dishes are a treat for our senses.  After gulping down a glass of Orange-Cranberry juice, i was chatting away with Vipin and others in his team to understand the new menu and the changes to expect. 

The table was set with a few bowls of different kinds of Olives, some were stuffed while others were plain, few bread sticks and two martini glasses- Hummus and Salsa. The Hummus was divine, and i loved it with the bread stick.

The food began to arrive within minutes and the 1st plate to land on the table was Bruschetta- Crisp slices of bread with mushroom and assorted pepper topping, fresh and full of flavours. The next in line were the sinful  Cheese veg tarts- with cauliflowers, leeks and bell peppers, it was just amazing. 

And then came the much awaited, spoken about dish that Tuscana is famous for- their Pizzas. Apart from the plain white flour pizza, there were also a few Gluten free pizzas that came out of the kitchen. What else is new? Well, they are launching a range of Multi grain pizzas- quite good i must say. Was a bit skeptical, but i quite liked it- the texture, the flavours and the light base. I tried a slice from each of the pizza, and loved the one with the Broccoli on it. 

Just as the conversation flowed without a pause, so did the trays of food. The last to arrive were the dessert- coffee panna cotta [tasted a bit like instant coffee & was a tad strong] and vanilla panna cotta with blueberry compote[was yumm, but different from their usual panna cotta].  

We left the place wondering about the dishes that were going to disappear from the menu and of those that were making an entry.  As i walked down the spiral staircase, conversations flowed and so did the food from the kitchen.... 

Wishing Tuscana all the very best!!!

Location:

Tuscana

Chamiers Rd, Nandanam  Chennai

Adj to Park Sheraton Hotel, few doors down from Amma Nana Store.

Ph- 044 45038008

 

The 2nd outlet is 

Wallace Garden 3rd Street, Aayiram Vilakku  Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600034

Ph- 044 4500 0008

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Stuffed Potatoes

 

 My family asks for stuffed potatoes a lot.  We make them so much, the kids can basically make their own. I like it when they can do that.  Less work for me to do.  My eldest sons favorite is ham, cheese and broccoli.  We always have those ingredients and for us, that is the basic potato.  I'll add onion and garlic to mine of course but not the eldest son, he sticks to the basic. 

 

Above you'll see our pizza potato.  This time we made a vegetarian version, just because we didn't have any pepperoni or meat. We just scooped out the potato and added black beans, pizza sauce, onion and red pepper.  Then we shoved it back into the potato skin and topped it with more pizza sauce, some garlic powder and cheese.  This is ooey gooey GOOD!

 

Sometimes I will make a leftover stuffed potato.  That is - whatever-is-in-the-refrigerator-that-would-be-good-on-a-potato. Sometimes the ingredients can get interesting.  Above you'll see my most recent leftover stuffed potato.  This one has some leftover pork carnitas, a bacon ranch dipping sauce from Little Ceasars pizza place and the few squirts left in the BBQ sauce bottle.  It turned out really, really good. I just scooped out the potato and mixed in the rest until it looked good. 

 

 

 Baby always has his own potato. His way. (incidentally, Baby is 10 so he really isn't a baby).  He likes his potato with the potato scooped out and JUST ham and cheese layered in his potato skin.  He doesn't want the potato back in the skin, JUST the ham and cheese.  Whatever, as long as he eats it, I'm good. 

 

See, you can make a stuffed potato any way you want.  Check out my recipe for a Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potato. 

Stuffed Potatoes

Wash potatoes.  Microwave or stick in the oven until soft.  Slice potatoes in half, the long way and wait until they are cool enough to handle. Or if you're impatient like me, just grab with a paper towel and scoop the inside potato flesh into a bowl.  Don't take too much out or they will fall apart on you.

Throw the potato skins into the oven at like 375 to crisp up just a bit. Just 6 - 8 minutes is fine.

Add whatever to the inside of the potato mixture. I usually add a bit of butter, salt and pepper right away and then whatever flavors you'd like.

Broccoli Ham & Cheese Potato

Cut broccoli and ham into small chunks and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add to potato mixture. Add some cheese and mix. Scoop into potato shell and top with more cheese.  Stick into the oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until melted. (feel free to add onion, garlic or whatever seasonings you'd like)

Pizza Potato

Saute onion and pepper for a few minutes to soften.  Put some pizza sauce, pepperoni (or beans for vegetarian) and onions and peppers into the potato and mix.  Scoop back into the potato shell, top with more pizza sauce and cheese.  Stick into the oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until hot and melted.  You can add mushrooms, sausage, ham or whatever you like on a pizza into the mix as well.  
 

Shredded BBQ Pork Potato

Heat leftover shredded pork, chicken or beef and mix with a bit of BBQ sauce.  Mix in with the potato and stir.  Scoop into the potato shell.  Stick into the oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until hot.  I also like to add a bit of ranch dressing to the BBQ sauce. It's your potato. Do whatever tastes good! 






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Flatout Flatbread Artisan Pizza

 We used to do Friday Night Pizza night with the kids all the time.  For some reason, we just don't do it as regularly anymore.  There are 6 of us here and all of us like different things on pizza.  This means either a lot of compromise or just make your own pizza. 

 

Oh yeah, making your own pizzas is so, so much fun! I was thrilled when I was asked to review Flatout new Flatbread for pizzas.  I'm always on the lookout for a new pizza crust.  These are healthy too!  Only 140 calories and 7 grams of fiber.  So much healthier than regular pizza crust! 

We invited friends over and had a Make Your Own Flatout Flatbread Pizza Party.  I put out a whole bunch of toppings and everyone got to make their own.  It was a blast.  These crusts are brand new and have just hit Walmart a couple of weeks ago.  The crusts come in Heritage Wheat, Rustic White and Spicy Italian.  They are all very good but the smell of the Spicy Italian Flatbread is amazing.  It does have a zip to it though. 

 

The best thing about these crusts is that they stay crispy!  They prebake in just a flash, then you top with your favorite toppings. Throw it back in the oven for a couple of minutes and you have a crispy, delicious pizza! And for 140 calories, you can pile the toppings on and keep it low calorie and healthy! 

 

The temperature dropped and it is officially fall here in Minnesota.  The colors on the trees is beautiful and the leaves have started dropping. So it seemed right to have a Fall Themed Pizza Party!  I also tried to make some fall themed pizzas.

 

Sundried Tomato Ricotta with Bacon Pizza

 

Rustic White Flatout Flatbread

Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

Bacon, chopped in bits

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Green onions, chopped

Fresh rosemary or italian seasoning

Spread ricotta over prebaked crust.  Top with sundried tomatoes, bacon, mozzarella cheese and green onions.  Sprinkle with fresh rosemary or italian seasoning.

 

This pizza was amazing. I'm a sucker for bacon and I love sundried tomatoes so I knew this would be a hit. 

 

I love roasting vegetables when it's cool outside. The whole house warms up and smells so good!  For this pizza, I chose butternut squash, sweet potatoes and red potatoes.  Any veggie mix will work fine though.   My friends son declared this to be his favorite pizza.

 

Roasted Winter Vegetables & Spinach Pizza

 

Spicy Italian Flatout Flatbread

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes and Red Potatoes, sliced thin and roasted

Spinach, fresh

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese

 

This pizza was super simple.  We just spread some olive oil on the already baked crust. Followed with some mozzarella cheese.  Then topped with the roasted winter vegetable mix, spinach and parmesan cheese. 

 

I love squash and have been buying many different kinds this year to try. My favorite is butternut squash so I used that on this pizza.  I also love caramelized onions.  I really put a lot of onions on this pizza!

 

Butternut Squash & Caramelized Onion Pizza

 

Heritage Wheat Flatout Flatbread Pizza Crust

Butternut Squash, sliced and roasted

Onions, sliced and caramelized (I used bacon grease!)

Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Parmesan cheese, shredded

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Green onions, chopped

Olive oil

 

We spread just a bit of olive oil on the already baked crust.  Topped with caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash and pumpkin seeds.  Sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheese and garnish with green onions. 

 

 

I couldn't let the pizza party go by with out dessert!  So we made dessert pizzas!

 

Cream Cheese & Apple Dessert Pizza

 

Rustic White Flatout Flatbread Pizza Crust

Cream cheese cooking cream

Apple pie filling

White chocolate chips

Icing (powdered sugar, vanilla and milk)

Orange sprinkles (optional)

 

We put a layer of cream cheese over the prebaked crust.  Then we topped with apple filling and drizzled with icing.  We wanted to make it more pretty so we added some white chocolate chips and orange sprinkles.  Everything tastes better with sprinkles, doesn't it?

 

 

You could use any pie filling but keeping with the fall theme, we chose the apple. 

 

 

When I think of fall, I think of candy corn. So we just had to make a dessert pizza with candy corn.  I also found pumpkin spice marshmallows which were perfect!  If I had a little flame torch, I would have slightly melted the marshmallows on the pizza.

 

Candy Corn & Pumpkin Marshmallow Dessert Pizza

 

Rustic White Flatout Flatbread Pizza Crust

Vanilla frosting

Candy corn

Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows

Sprinkles

 

Put a layer of vanilla frosting over the already prebaked crust.  Top with candy corn, marshmallows and sprinkles. 

 

This was sweet but the kids loved it!

 

 

 

There were 10 of us here so we all took turns creating our favorite pizzas.  Look at my counters! I told you I had lots of pizza toppings!  BBQ chicken pizza was one of the favorites on the Spicy Italian Flatbread.  It was just to see what everyone liked!

 

Here is my pizza with garlic alfredo white sauce, caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, bacon, squash and cheese on the Heritage Wheat Flatout Flatbread Pizza Crust. 

 

 

Of course we just had to use Nutella on a dessert pizza too! 

 

Sweet and Salty Nutella Dessert Pizza

 

Rustic Wheat Flatout Flatbred Pizza Crust

Nutella hazelnut spread

Mini pretzels

Peanuts

Mini chocolate chip cookies

M & M's

 

Spread Nutella over prebaked crust.  Top with pretzels, peanuts, chocolate chip cookies and M & M's.

 

 

Isn't that a pretty pizza?? 

Thank you Flatout for some great pizza ideas and some wonderful pizza crusts. You'd better believe that Friday pizza night will be resurrected!  My kids are already planning the next one and getting ideas for more pizzas!

 

Remember, these are new so if you can't find them on the shelves yet, be patient, they will be there.  Keep looking, they are worth it!

Be on the lookout next week for a flatout flatbread giveaway!!!

 

 

 

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