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On Finding the Light, and Pepperoni Skillet Pizza Dip

February 17, 2018 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

My son made it to States. We are newbies to the wrestling world in that, this love started his sophomore year.

Some people on the team have wrestled since kindergarten, some of the kids at this competition come from long lines of wrestlers and dads who coached youth programs.

It is an amazing, taxing, hard to watch (sometimes) sport. It is not for the meek, and they make two minutes seem like two hours. Endurance, stamina, all of that. Even better though, I have seen strong, tough young men help each other up, chat before they take their spots on the mat, and shake hands with opposing coaches, win or lose. It’s pretty spectacular. It is a gift to watch my children as athletes. It is a greater gift to watch talented athletes who are also great human beings.

Back to States. We got to the hotel late, I checked into my room and promptly crashed as all good moms do.

But this morning I woke up to a ray of light in the room darkening curtains, can see the dust motes shimmering, can hear my daughter breathing softly, and so I write.

The last year of our lives has been difficult. A year ago some pretty ugly things surfaced and not only did I need to face some things as a parent, my children had to face some things that made them grow up quickly.

As a mom, you want the world to be perfect and your children to be healthy and happy. It isn’t an easy task on a regular day, but this year it seemed an overwhelming uphill battle. I am a life-is-blessed-search-for-the-blessing- girl and I am not going to lie, since December it has been a dark place.

On a regular basis when things seem tougher than normal, I kick into what I call “Chrissy Kick Ass Mode” (sorry if I offend but that’s what I call it). Where I buck up and put on my big girl panties and do my job. I’ve still kicked into that mode, but like a battery that is dying, sometimes the turn over is slow and sounds bad too.

The hard part about grief, and also joy, is when it takes us by surprise.

When your son makes it to States and you go to text someone, and that person isn’t there anymore. Or you realize that this is the first February vacation that doesn’t include a drop off or a pick up, or an argument about going, or any of the hard stuff you are used to. It isn’t liberating like you’d expect. It’s just plain …sad and weird.

But the joy part, the deep love part, the part that makes you see the light in the darkness part, is why we wake up and do our job and make it to States. We do the thing that gets us there. We do. Verb-and-Noun-Do. We search for the light.

Because the light makes it worth it.

I have been told that if you can get through all of the “Firsts” it gets easier. Having lost my own Dad, I can say it gets different, or you get tougher, but easier is a relative term.

Maybe we just get stronger, and the lifting gets lighter as a result. As a mom watching your kids go through the “firsts,” it is so much harder.

Some things, I can not fix. I can make it better, but the fixing is the work; and the work, we have to do ourselves.

I can shine the light. I can hold up the light. I can make the journey brighter. But, they have to find it.

I am not a wrestler, I could never be a wrestler, it is hard work. I am happy to take my place on the treadmill or bike path and WALK. I’m not lazy, but I don’t feel compelled at all to push like my son and his teammates push on the mats.

This is what my sports mom space looks like

My Sports Mom Pose

However, I am seeing, I need to push harder, do the work, find the light, in every moment. Be the inner wrestler I need to be, to be the mom I want to be, to be the daughter I want to be, to be the friend I want to be, to be the teacher I want to be, to be the blogger I want to be, to be the Chrissy I want to be. Because, when we push, we make States. Even if we don’t win States, we get there. I want to get there, my “States” in life.

There is no proper way to segue into Skillet Pepperoni Pizza dip. It is just this awesome recipe I made for the Super Bowl. Except, in a way, the Super Bowl of life aligns with this post. It takes a lot of hard work to get there, oh, and a team. So yeah, here we go. We are a team and we work hard. Boom. Now make this dip.

Pizza dip requires purchasing pre-made pizza dough in the deli section of your store. You can make your own, but this is about making your life easier. Buy two balls of dough, this recipe-be-banging.

Tie the dough into knots and line an oiled skillet. You can use a baking pan if you don’t have a skillet and it will still be amazing.

Mix cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, red pepper flakes, garlic, and make a magical dip.

Line the pan with the knots, line the knots with pepperoni, scoop the dip in the middle. Brush the dough with olive oil and fresh crushed garlic and more cheese if you want. Then stick that gloriousness in the oven and bake until the dough is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

You can serve this with sauce or without it. It will disappear and you will have no left overs. It is that good.

In life, for me anyway, making the dip and serving the dip is part of the work but also part of the joy. Writing about it is also part of the joy.

I realized today, that a-year-ago-Chrissy would have never taken a chance to start a blog. She would have never thought she could. But she did. See? The Joy part can surprise us too.

I’m not going to lie, the next batch of recipes are not low cal but in the pushing part on my end, they will be getting healthier, because that’s my next step too. Don’t fear, my biscotti love is still going strong. You can pry my biscotti from my clenched up exercising hands.

Pepperoni Pizza Skillet Dip

This could be the heavy hitter for the calories and indulgence scale but for all that is decent and holy you need to make this dip. Because, it is the type of recipe you make and your kids stand around it saying “This is amazing.”

And every momma needs to hear that, especially the momma bears who want their kids to have joy and find the light, every day, too.

Much love readers. You’ve got this day. Find the light.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Chrissy

Pepperoni Skillet Pizza Dip

Print Recipe

AMAZING Pepperoni and garlic knots with a bubbly, cheesey dip baked to golden perfection. You will be a highly revered party attender if this is your contribution to the table.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

2 packages pre-made pizza dough (I purchase mine in the deli section of the grocery store near the pizza shop part)
4 Ounces of Cream Cheese (1/2 block)
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 Cup Ricotta
1 teaspoon-tablespoon (you control the heat) of red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon crushed Garlic
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1 Cup sliced Pepperoni
Fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*
Take dough out of package and let sit to rise, then cut into strips, tie off into knots.
In a pre-oiled skillet or baking pan, line dough knots around the perimeter. Allow to sit somewhere warm while you mix the dip.
In a bowl, mix cheeses, some of crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste, mix thoroughly. (You should sample it. Just saying).
Line dough ring of knots with sliced pepperoni to create a pepperoni border/bowl.
Spoon filling into center of pan.
Add remaining garlic to melted butter and combine. Brush over dough knots. If you want to add additional shredded cheese on top of garlic knots, do so!
Bake at 350* for 30 – 35 minutes, until dough is golden and the inner cheese dip is melted and bubbly.
Sprinkle basil on top of finished dip.
Serve with marinara sauce if desired

On Lasts and French Onion Soup

January 29, 2018 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

I am not what you would call a maudlin person. At least to the outsider. I tend to be a #blessed kind of girl.

That said, inside of this blessed heart I am a constant war of worry, and fear of failing. I battle it. Hard. But, it’s there.

If you have ever looked at your sleeping children, or been in the car coming home from a perfect day, or had a handful of amazing, then instantly feared it would all end, you aren’t worthy, and the bad is on its way, you get me. That’s how I roll.

I thought I was the only one until I read a book by Brene’ Brown that shared the idea of “Leaning into Joy.” Which, basically, requires us to stop that negative thinking, and practice gratitude when the fear sets in. I won’t say I worry less, but I combat it more. I can snap myself out of it for the most part, but it is not easy.

I fell in love with French onion soup at a restaurant named Tilly’s. It was served in a crockery with giant chunks of bread and melted cheese. I had never seen anything like it. I was amazed that it was onions…and it was all because my Dad had ordered it.

As I grew up and began to cook, my Dad would make this soup once in a while. So, this was his soup. Still is.

Ironically, or poetically, but sadly, this was our last meal as a family before he passed.

Ever have those amazing coincidences but totally ordained not coincidences in your life?

Me too.

When my Dad was going through aggressive chemo and radiation, one of the side effects was burning of the esophagus. Which, meant eating became more about survival and very bland. Salty foods, spicy foods, crunchy foods all disappeared from my Father’s diet. We didn’t know if that would return, but eventually it did.

I knew the day my Dad starting eating food again he had turned a corner.

For someone who struggles with loving food and yet still work at remaining a particular weight (have I mentioned I love food?), it’s an interesting perspective when someone you love can’t eat. Daily I am reminded to be kind to myself, and that healthy food is a gift. I also remember my Dad, who struggled with his weight his whole life, was thin when he passed, and not from a good way. Sometimes thin isn’t the end goal.

We had less than a year with my Dad from the point of his diagnosis to his passing. His prognosis was not spectacular, and a second round of chemo had started, when I got a text that Dad had made French Onion Soup and were we coming for supper?

When your Dad is sick and makes his favorite soup, you go to supper.

If ever there was a perfect soup, with the good cheese (we use Gruyère)and the bubbly soft sweetness of caramelized onions and wine and salty cheese, this was that soup, this was that night.

And this was the last. The last time we sat together around the table and talked and laughed and celebrated perfection in a bowl.

Celebrated that the first week of the second round of chemo was done, that food tasted good, that we were lucky, lucky, oh so blessed to be together.

I have no idea what we talked about that night.

I had no idea it was going to be our last. I was silently thanking God that Thanksgiving, a few weeks away, was coming and Dad would be there. That the last Thanksgiving wasn’t the last Thanksgiving.

Three days later, I said goodbye to my Dad for the last time.

Truthfully, I can’t bring myself to make his recipe, yet. I have it. It is slightly different, and one day I will make it, just like he did.

Now, this soup, which is actually not exactly the same…and I sprinkle the good cheese instead of baking it and I cut a slice of homemade bread instead of making croutons, isn’t Cliff’s soup. But it’s pretty darn close, and he would have liked it too. That’s the beauty of soup. You make it your own. Throw a bay leaf in, choose your onions, make it with different wine. It will still be delicious.

We learn that we can’t avoid sorrow. It’s a part of this life. A sad crappy, but very real part.

We can, however, combat the fear and the anxiety that tries to steal the good stuff. Those moments which are perfect in imperfection, which the “worry” or “anxious” thoughts want to diminish…you fight those with all you have.

You make the soup that makes you sad and think of how lucky you were to have had your Dad. You eat it and remember. You eat it and remember, and smile. Because, every day is a gift, and you are wise enough to know it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

On Lasts and French Onion Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Easy French Onion Soup that warms the heart and soul. This makes a stock pot full of soup, plenty to eat, share, and refrigerate leftovers.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

5 Pounds of onion of your choice (sweet, white, yellow) sliced thinly.
2 Tablespoons oil (or 1 Tablespoon Oil 1 Tablespoon Butter)
1 Tablespoon of White Granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Pepper
1 Cup Red Wine (or more, to taste)
64 Ounces Beef Broth
3 Cups Beef Stock

Instructions

Slice onions thinly, and saute in oil.
Sprinkle sugar over onions once wilted to encourage caramelization process- you don’t need to do this step, I find it speeds the process a bit.
Cook onions until they are golden brown and caramelized.
Add salt, pepper, red wine, and beef stock and simmer.
Add additional beef broth to soup and cook a low until combined. I let mine sit on top of the stove for an hour or so on low to let the flavors mellow.
Serve into individual servings in oven safe dishes, top with croutons or bread, and top with Gruyere cheese and bake until bubbly (I sprinkle shredded Gruyere on mine and call it a day).

Cheeseburger Chowder

December 5, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Cheeseburger Chowder

There is one meal I make in which I have takers for leftovers. This is that meal. This is that soup. Typically my children are one meal wonders. They don’t like leftovers. At. All. Where I am always trying to make “just enough” for this reason, usually I am bringing lunches that clean out the fridge to work, which isn’t a bad thing. Thursday is usually leftover night, which has no fans at all. Except, maybe the puppy, who loves a leftover turkey slice or a hamburger warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds.

However, this Cheeseburger Chowder is the no soup left behind miracle in my house. Very easy, a recipe I have only recently started to make as a result of my friend Erika (of the Eggplant Rollatini), and Beth (of the mandatory fun), I make this chowder in the cooler months at least once every three weeks. In my world, that is a regular rotation. It still gets eaten, every time.

The one part of this recipe that I love is the chunks of Sweet Potato. So pretty, and healthy too.

Sweet Potatoes and Onions on Cutting Board

Cheeseburger Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

The one part of this recipe that I don’t love but it literally makes the chowder and it is not the same without it, good old Velveeta Cheese. (Is Velveeta Cheese)?

Yes, this soup holds ground beef, onions, crumbled bacon, sweet potato, and processed cheese product. I have made this chowder with real cheddar and the consistency was different, the taste was just as good, but a chowder thats soupy isn’t really chowder in my son’s eyes, so off to two grocery stores to find the block of orange wonder that makes this chowder.

Essentially this whole chowder is made in the crock pot. I pre cook the ground beef and onions and bacon because I like the consistency and the sweet potatoes

Cheeseburger Chowder

cook in the crock pot with the melty cheese.

It can be prepped the night before, it is so yummy, and like I said, its a hearty well received soup in our house.

For serving, I either serve this with tortilla chips, or crumbled bacon, hot sauce, or extra shredded cheese. It’s also good with a fresh salad, so you feel good about basically eating a bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries in chowder form!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe!

Bacon Cheeseburger Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

Print Recipe

Hearty Bacon Cheese Burger with chunks of sweet potato!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

3 Pounds 80/20 Ground Beef
32 Ounces of Velveeta Cheese (The BIG BLOCK)
1/2 Package Thick Sliced Bacon chopped into 1/2 inch dice.
24 Ounces Beef Stock
24 Ounces Beef Broth
3 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
1/2 Sweet Onion
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Chop and saute 1/2 Sweet White Onion – set aside.
In a fry pan, cook diced bacon until crispy. Drain off fat and add chopped onion
Saute onion until translucent. Add bacon and onion to crock pot set on low.
Fry your ground beef until brown and cooked. Drain off the fat and add meat to the crock pot.
Add chopped sweet potatoes to the crock pot and season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire.
Add beef stock, and beef broth to crock pot.
Cook on low heat 4 hours or until sweet potatoes are soft.
Cube Velveeta cheese and put in crock pot. Turn heat up to High.
Stir melted cheese throughout the soup until combined.
Serve with tortilla chips, or soft rolls, and a smile.

Easy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

October 3, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I know, I know. Macaroni and Cheese is daunting. It requires many steps and making something like Mac and Cheese from a box is easier, and cheaper. Hey, even the organic box mix goes on sale 10/$10.00 every once in a while.

However, homemade Mac and Cheese is actually pretty simple and painless to make. It involves making a basic béchamel sauce (read: butter, flour, milk) and adding cheese, and then wait for it, boiling noodles separately…and then adding them together. Like I said, pretty easy.

The difference between box Mac and Cheese and homemade is significant. As in, your family will burst out into song significant.

Basic Béchamel Sauce Ingredients

If you want to put things over the top, throw what we call “The Crunchies” on top, and throw it in the oven until it is creamy, melty, golden brown. Oh yeah. This is comfort food. Comfort as in, fill your belly and grab a blanket and snuggle comfort food. It has butter, and cheddar cheese, and it is pasta. It is to be eaten with the full knowledge that it’s an indulgent meal. Which is ok, because, making it in the first place seems scary, right?

Here are the basics: Melt your butter completely and add your flour. Stir, stir, stir. This does two things: 1, it cooks the raw taste out of the flour, and 2, insures there are no lumps. Then, add your milk. This will thin out the mixture, and make it like a thick, creamy gravy. At this point, you add your cheese.

Bechamel Sauce

I am a huge believer that recipes are to be changed. As in, we are a cheddar family. White, extra sharp. I also like messing around with adding Romano, or provolone, or even American if I have it in the cheese drawer. (The cheese drawer is literally a drawer in my fridge where we keep an assortment to of cheese…if I were lactose intolerant I would be thinner and this drawer would not exist). So, if you have a favorite cheese or an assortment of cheeses you’d like to try, have at it.

I add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to mine. I like a little kick. You can add more and make it buffalo Mac and cheese. You can do a lot with this. If you do, write a comment and let me know!

Béchamel with Cheddar Cheese

Now, for pasta. We do medium sized shells. YOU can do small shells, elbow, bow ties, whatever you want. It is your dinner. I use one pound of pasta, and cook and drain.

Now for the blessed arrangement that brings us together today:
add your cooked pasta to your cheese sauce and fold. Oh yes, this moment is the reason you are trying this recipe. The look of stringy cheese sauce enfolding pasta is a beautiful thing.

At this point you are done. It can and should be tasted out of the pan over the stove, so you can add whatever you need if you need it. OR, you can place this glorious mixture into a buttered casserole dish, top with buttered Panko breadcrumbs, and bake for 25 minutes.

My children who do not like crumbles on their muffins do love crunchies on their Mac and cheese. So, at this point I am making a salad, putting final touches on the pulled pork, or setting the table. Because, as soon as that timer goes off, we are ready for this meal.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Topped with Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

The best part? It heats up nicely as leftovers, should there be any. The gross but even better best part? It’s not bad cold either. There, I said it. But it’s true.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

Easy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Print Recipe

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese that is quick and easy to make…and even easier to eat!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

8 Tablespoons/1 Stick of butter
1/3 Cup Flour
1–2 Cups Milk (depending on how loose you would like your Macaroni and Cheese to be! – I start with 1 cup and add as needed as I go.
4 Cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce to taste
1 pound of pasta of choice

Instructions

Boil pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a medium sized pan, melt butter completely over low heat so as not to burn.
Add flour, salt, and pepper into melted butter and raise heat slightly.
Stir mixture until flour is completely dissolved and looks like a light roux. Flour taste will be cooked out and thickened.
Gently add 1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups of Milk (I use 2% but this can be really decadent and add 1/2 and 1/2 if you want) and stir.
Slowly add shredded cheese to the mixture and melt until creamy and smooth.
Combine pasta and cheese sauce until thoroughly combined.
If you would like to add additional milk, hot sauce, etc. at this point, this is the time!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 12