Stuffed Bread

This time of year it's nice to get cooking with the kids in the kitchen. My brother Greg visited last weekend and we made stuffed bread (aka, pizza rolls).

I used to make these in my pre-kid days, when the husband and I spent our weekends watching various sporting events with friends.

The rolls are easy to prepare and they make for a quick dinner that goes nicely with a salad. These also make great appetizers, snacks and party or lunch-box fare.

Our favorite part? You can dress them up or down, make them sweet or savory and really use any kind of filling you want. We made three stuffed breads: pepperoni, sausage supreme and taco. Other ideas: brie, cranberry and nut; peanut butter and jelly, etc.

Just remember not to overstuff the bread, or you'll end up with the filling exploding out of the bread and onto the pan (which might even happen anyway.)

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

P.S. If you like this recipe, check out more of my brother's creations by searching #gregssundaydinner on Instagram and Facebook.

Pepperoni Stuffed Bread

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (not thin crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce, plus more for dotting on top
6 slices provolone cheese
Pepperoni slices (about 1/2 a package)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll pizza dough onto parchment and gently spread it out to a rectangle shape.

Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer on the dough. Top with the provolone slices. Add the pepperoni slices.

My son Sam and my brother Greg working on the pepperoni roll.

Top with shredded mozzarella. Dot with small dabs of additional tomato sauce.

Starting with a short side of the dough, gently roll the dough up. Smooth out and seal the opposite end of the dough. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the roll.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Bake stuffed bread for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top.

As you can see, some of the filling escaped from one of our stuffed breads.

Let stuffed bread cool a bit before cutting.

Sausage Supreme Stuffed Bread

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (not thin crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce, plus more for dotting on top
6 slices provolone cheese
3/4 cup scant cooked sausage crumbles
1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll pizza dough onto parchment and gently spread it out to a rectangle shape.

Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer on the dough. Top with the provolone slices. Add the sausage crumbles, pepper and onion slices. Top with shredded mozzarella. Dot with small dabs of additional tomato sauce.

Starting with a short side of the dough, gently roll the dough up. Smooth out and seal the opposite end of the dough. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the roll.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Bake stuffed bread for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top. Let cool a bit before cutting.

Taco Stuffed Bread

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (not thin crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup salsa or taco sauce, plus more for dotting on top
6 slices cheddar cheese
3/4 cup scant cooked taco meat (use your favorite)
1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll pizza dough onto parchment and gently spread it out to a rectangle shape.

Spread taco sauce or salsa in a thin layer on the dough. Top with the cheddar slices. Add the taco meat. Top with shredded cheddar. Dot with small dabs of additional taco sauce or salsa.

Starting with a short side of the dough, gently roll the dough up. Smooth out and seal the opposite end of the dough. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the roll.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Bake stuffed bread for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top. Let cool a bit before cutting.

Not to be left out, our dog Trixie also tried to get in on the action of making stuffed bread!

Our top Cinco de Mayo recipes

Need ideas for your Cinco de Mayo menu? We've got you covered from appetizers, to dinner to dessert.

We have a special affinity for Mexican flavors here at Hot Dinner Happy Home, which means there is no shortage of recipes.

Today we're serving up some of our most popular Latin-inspired dishes.

What does your family eat for Cinco De Mayo? We'd love to know!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

P.S. Need more ideas? Simply type "taco" or "tortilla" or "enchilada" or "quesadilla" or "Mexican" into the search function in the upper left hand corner of this page to discover more recipes.

Taco Pie is easy, tasty and the perfect comfort food.

Tacos are fun and family friendly, especially when the kiddos get to build their own. Skip the packet and give DIY Taco Seasoning a try.

Amy's Guacamole is the perfect appetizer or topping for tacos — or any of the these dishes.

Crockpot Queso is a yummy way to honor Cinco de Mayo, especially as an appetizer.

Enchilada Casserole is spicy, cheesy and a great weeknight meal.

Don't forget dessert. These Cinnamon Crisps are a great way to end the meal.

Taco Pie

The husband is the middle child of three boys. Needless to say, my mother-in-law spent a lot of time in the kitchen when they were growing up. (It's no surprise that she's a fantastic cook.) Taco Pie was one of the fast and easy meals she relied on to quell their endless appetites. The boys loved it. No...they love it. Present tense. And so do I.

Whenever the husband has had a particularly rough week, Taco Pie makes its way to the dinner table. If I'm going out of town for a few days, I'll leave a Taco Pie in the fridge for him to heat up. Whenever I need a fast, easy, delicious dinner, it's time for Taco Pie.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Taco Pie

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1/3 cup chopped onion (optional)
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning (or make your own with Andrea's recipe)
1/3 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1 can refrigerator biscuits
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Saute beef and onion (if using) until the beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and olives (if using) and remove from heat.

Press biscuits into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate to form a crust. Add taco meat on top of biscuits. Spread sour cream on top of meat and sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips. Bake for 20 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Allow taco pie to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Pork Tomatillo-Verde Tacos

My love of tacos just got stronger, thanks to Herdez Tomatillo-Verde sauce.

This jarred Mexican cooking sauce is the latest addition to our stash of secret sauces that help us busy moms get an easy and tasty meal on the table fast.

Toss some Herdez in the slow cooker with your favorite cut of pork. After a few hours all you need to do is shred the meat and dinner is served! Add Amy's guacamole and your meal is complete.

Another plus: This dish holds up well on the warm setting, so don't worry if it needs to sit while you are still at work or swimming at the pool with your kids.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Pork Tomatillo-Verde Tacos

1 tablespoon olive oil
3.5 to 4 pounds pork butt, shoulder, tenderloin or roast
1 and 1/2 jars Herdez Tomatillo-Verde cooking sauce
Soft corn tortillas
Taco toppings (shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, guacamole)

Warm oil in a 12-inch skillet. Brown pork on all sides. Note: If you are pressed for time, don't bother to brown the meat.

Place pork in a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker. Pour 1 and 1/2 jars of tomatillo-verde sauce on top.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 5 to 7 hours. Remember, the pork can sit at the warm setting for awhile too, so don't worry about that.

Remove pork from slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks. Return meat to slow cooker and stir into sauce to heat through.

Serve with soft corn tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

DIY Taco Seasoning

There's no better day for a taco than Cinco de Mayo!

At my house, we need no excuses to eat tacos for dinner. My DIY taco seasoning is quick to prepare and my kids have fun experimenting with all kinds of ways to top the meat in their taco shells.

One day, after promising tacos for dinner, I went to pull the fixings from the taco shelf in my pantry (yes, I do devote an entire shelf to this cuisine) and found no seasoning packets. So I went looking for fixes in the spice cabinet. After lots of experimenting, I've settled on this make-your-own concoction.

We think it tastes way better than the pre-mixed envelopes of spices. Bonus: No additives.

Of course I've used this seasoning on ground beef, turkey and chicken and diced leftover roasted chicken and turkey. Works every time!

Ole!
Andrea

DIY Taco Seasoning

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (red) pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. This recipe makes enough for a few taco dinners, so store what you don't use in an airtight container.

Stir 2 tablespoons of DIY taco seasoning into 1 pound of cooked and drained meat, along with 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water. (Note: If you want to avoid the cornstarch, just leave it out and reduce the water.)

Heat through over medium heat.

Now you're ready to dish up some tasty soft or hard tacos along with your favorite toppings. Enjoy your fiesta!