Country Fried Mock Steaks, with Chipotle Gravy

Ingredients:

1 TBS plus 1 tsp chipotle in adobe sauce, divided

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers, divided

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, divided

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup AP flour

3 TBS vegetable oil

3/4 cup beef broth

- In a mixing bowl combine 1 tsp of the chipotle pepper, the ground beef, 1/2 cup of the crushed crackers, 1/4 cup of the buttermilk, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix until ingredients are well combined.

- Shape 5 patties, approximately 1/2 inch thick.

- Prepare 3 shallow dishes to coat patties: 1st dish - flour, 2nd dish - 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and 3rd dish - 1 cup of crushed saltine crackers.

- Coat each patty in the (1st) flour, (2nd) buttermilk, and (3rd) crushed crackers pressing slightly to well coat each patty.

- To cook "steaks" heat 3 TBS vegetable oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Cook each patty 4-6 minutes on both sides until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Set cooked patties on a plate so the skillet can be used to prepare the Chipotle Gravy.

- With the patties removed, add 2 TBS of the AP flour to the skillet. Whisk until smooth adding beef broth and 1 TBS of chipotle pepper. Continue to whisk until smooth mixture comes to a boil (1-3 minutes). Keep whisking and add in 1/2 cup buttermilk, cooking for an additional 1-3 minutes and continually whisking to keep gravy smooth.

- Serve gravy over "steaks"

**Adapted from The Pampered Chef, 29 minutes to dinner, volume 2**

Pepperoni & Mushroom Stuffed Heart Pizza Bread

As Valentine's Day approaches, I've been looking around my kitchen for a package of heart shaped cookie cutters in graduated sizes. As of this post, those cookie cutters are still MIA. (Sounds to me like a good reason to head to Hobby Lobby!)

What I did find in my cabinets were some heart shaped mini-cake pans, a silicone small hearts cupcake pan, a heart shaped cookie baking pan....and way back in the corner were the bread tubes that I fell in love with and never use but once in a blue moon. Why? Mostly because the recommendation for use is to buy the refrigerated bread dough to bake in them.

While I'll admit, I have in the past. I will also admit I don't like to buy the refrigerated bread dough in a can that costs more than a loaf of baked bread. It seems a bit over the top, so I just don't do buy it.

Then I came across a recipe for a basic bread dough that works beautifully in place of those store bought cans of dough, has many other uses, and doesn't cost nearly as much to make.

That allows to me to spend money on those other Valentine's Day specials: M & M's, candy sprinkles, conversation hearts, the boxed cake mix with the pretty Valentine colors and matching icing.



I decided to use that basic bread dough recipe with the heart baking tube, and experiment by making a Pepperoni & Mushroom stuffed Pizza Bread. I could have made cinnamon rolls in the heart tube with this same dough recipe, but I think I'll save that idea for this weekend!

Ingredients:

1 bread dough ball from Basic Bread Dough recipe
1 small can of tomato paste
1 small package of deli sliced pepperoni
1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend

- Allow the dough to come to room temperature. On a well-floured surface roll the dough out to a large rectangle shape.

- Top first with tomato paste, spreading almost all the way to each edge. Next add pepperoni slices, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. Last top with Italian seasoning blend.

- Using a pinching method, roll the covered dough along the longest side until you have a tube shape pizza roll.

- Prepare bread tube by spraying inside, (including the lid). Make sure oven is preheated to 350 degrees F and the racks have been removed or lowered so that the bread tube can bake standing upright in the oven for 1 hour.

- Carefully slide the pizza roll into the prepared tube with one end capped. I folded the end of my roll so that it would be sealed. (As it cooked, the melted cheese and sauce escaped, so this really had no impact.)

- Bake for 1 hour in the 350 degree F oven with the tube standing up, open end of the tube toward the top of the stove. To prevent spills or leaks, putting an oven liner or cookie sheet below the bread tube is a good idea.

- After the pizza roll has cooked for 1 hour, allow it to rest for 10 minutes before removing it from the bread tube.

- This stuffed Pepperoni & Mushroom bread is great served with additional pasta sauce for dipping and will make a great after school snack for my kids.

Basic Bread Dough

Ingredients:

6 1/2 cups all-purpose bread flour

1 1/2 TBS kosher salt

1 1/2 TBS active dry yeast

3 cups warm water

* combine dry ingredients in stand mixer bowl, using dough hook

* with hook speed on low, slowly begin to add water

* as water and dry ingredients begin to combine, increase the hook speed

* once water and dry ingredients are completely combined, continue mixing with dough hook until dough is in a soft ball and pulls away easily from the sides of the mixing bowl - you will be able to tell by the way the dough looks

* slow mixing speed to low, mixing about one minute before shutting off the mixer

* once you have stopped the mixer, remove the dough hook and cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel

* allow dough to rise in the covered mixing bowl for 2 hours in a warm, draft free space (if your kitchen or work space is cooler, use a heating pad under the bowl to help maintain a warm temperature)

* after the dough has risen for 2 hours, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 smaller dough balls

* each dough ball is ready for immediate use or can be put into a prepared plastic wrap (I use plastic bags without a zipper) to keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

* to use refrigerated dough - allow dough to come to room temperature before shaping or baking

HINTS:

- for crusty bread products (pizza, dinner rolls, pretzels) always cook at 450 degrees F

- length of time cooked will depend on what you are cooking - cinnamon rolls may cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, while a bread sticks cook at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes

- feel free to experiment with new ways to use this dough! Our family uses it for pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, breakfast bread sticks, calzones, garlic bread....the list is always growing!!

- use a pizza cutter to divide the dough into smaller balls or shapes

- when dough is tacky (sticks to your fingers or surfaces) use cooking spray or AP flour to help make it more manageable