CONFESSIONS OF A SHORTCUT COOK...

several weeks ago our MOPS (moms of preschoolers) group had an iron chef/recipe night.

each mom brought a favorite go-to recipes for everyone else to sample.

after eating, we were divided into teams and given certain ingredients.

we could win additional ingredients by answering trivia questions correctly.

then we used them all to create new concoctions, as the contestants on iron chef do.

our team's creations turned out tasty and pretty if i do say so myself.

i left that night with many recipes and we have been enjoying them ever since.

below is one of my easy, new favorites-

tomato and bacon basil squares.

ingredients

pizza dough
2C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4C shredded parmesan cheese
2T fresh basil leaves (OR 2t dried basil leaves, i used italian seasoning)
2/3C light mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 plum tomatoes (OR roma)
8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (OR real bacon bits)
directions
1) preheat oven to 375.
2) spread pizza crust on rectangular baking stone or sheet.
3) combine mozzarella, parmesan, basil, mayo, and garlic in bowl.
4) spread mixture over pizza dough.
5) thinly slice tomatoes and arrange in a single layer on the cheese and crust.
6) sprinkle evenly with bacon.
7) sprinkle a little more cheese on top.
8) bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on top and crust is fully cooked.

i've come to realize, there's nothing fancy about the way i cook.

in fact i'll let you in on a little secret,

i'm all in favor of a good shortcut.

there are many products out there that save me time while preparing recipes.

using these items mean i'm more likely to be done in the kitchen, BEFORE someone is cranky or hungry.

for the recipe above i used canned pizza dough, already minced garlic, and precooked bacon.

sure, the real deals might have a tiny bit more taste or be a few cents less.

but these items help me cook more and takeout less so,

i hearby declare some shortcut ingredients worth using!

do you have a favorite shortcut item?