Snack Attack...Pizza toast...

I have to admit that I get the craving for pizza at some of the oddest times, and over the years I have perfected this little gem of a snack. It can even be a quick dinner if you wish, but you just have to make more is all. There is no real trick with this dish, very simple really, it's not really pizza, but it makes a fair substitute and even kids like it ( usually!) The real bonus is that you can make it with whatever you have around if you don't have real pizza fixin's around. I'll give you the basics and a few suggestions and then you can take it from there.

Ingredients:

2-4 slices sandwich bread
Ketchup, enough to cover each slice of bread
10-20 slices Pepperoni (I like 5 per slice of bread)
Garlic powder
Basil
Oregano
Cheese ( shredded or sliced) your favorite kind


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

On a dry cookie sheet place the bread slices, and coat liberally with ketchup.

gently sprinkle with garlic powder, basil and oregano.

Add layer of cheese and then arrange pepperoni and top with a little more cheese.

Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until bottom of bread is golden brown.

Cool for 5 minutes and serve.


EAT IT!!!!

Afterthoughts:

I like to sprinkle the top with some Parmesan before it goes in the oven.

You can use any topping that you usually like on Pizza, but remember that the bread is your limit, it's not as strong as real pizza crust. sliced onion, sliced olives, even them little fishies if you're so inclined.

You can use any bread you want, from hamburg rolls to french bread, even rye and pumpernickel, different strokes for different folks!

Ultimate Toasted cheese sammich

Ok, one of my favorite things to eat is grilled cheese sammiches. I love 'em, and they can be made in so many different combinations that it boggles the mind. Also, you can serve them with so many different things that they can become the saving grace of any diner. From potato chips and a pickle to a steaming bowl of vegetable soup, the standard diner-style grilled cheese sammy is the perfect lunch or dinner.

If you want to be crazy, you can make crazy combinations of cheese and breads. Ryes and artisan breads with all sorts of gourmet cheeses grilled in olive oil or some crazy goats milk butter. Add some sort of meat or you favorite grilled veggies to the sammich and you have a delight to go down in the cooks digest. But what I'm talking about here is that good old-fashioned comfort food, something that might remind you of what Grandma used to make on those cold winter days when you were out sledding. ( if you have never had a grandma make you something special while you were out sledding, you are missing a great part of life, so I don't wanna hear any whining about it.)

Ingredients:

Block of American Cheese from the deli - Cut into THICK slices
hearty ( dense) white bread- sliced for sammiches
soft butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

butter bread on one side and place butterside down on a cookie sheet, place one thick slice of cheese on the bread and then prepare second slice of bread and place butter side out on top of cheese. (I recommend making two at once, it just easier because I always want a second one!)

Bake on center rack of oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom side is golden brown, flip over and bake an additional 6-10 minutes until that side is also golden. (If it's done right the cheese will be just starting to ooze from the sides of the bread. I personally like when the cheese gets to the pan and gets brown and crispy!)

Remove from oven and cut in half serve on a plate with your favorite side dishes.

EAT IT!!!

After thoughts:

This style sammich is The Best with Tomato soup, but any tomato-y soup goes great with this style sammich.

If you live in the Northeast, the best bread is Monk's Bread. Their white is perfect for this purpose.

You can make half a dozen of these at once on the cookie sheet, so it is perfect for company, because it's fast and easy.