Copycat Costco Chicken Packets

Ingredients

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded provolone

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 cups skinless chopped rotisserie chicken meat

4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/3 cup good-quality prepared creamy Caesar dressing

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan in a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture to a small bowl and reserve.
• Add the chicken, bacon and chives to the large bowl with the cheese. Drizzle with the Caesar dressing and season with several grinds of black pepper. Toss until everything is combined and well coated.  
• Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll one piece into a 7-by-9-inch rectangle. With one of the long sides closest to you, arrange a quarter of the filling in a log across the center of the rectangle, leaving an inch of space at each side edge. Fold in the sides, then fold the bottom piece of dough over the filling and roll up to enclose it, trimming away any excess dough. Pinch the seams together to seal well. Place the roll seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, leaving about 2 inches between each on the baking sheet.  
• Brush the rolls all over with the melted butter and sprinkle with the reserved cheese mixture. Bake until the rolls are golden and the cheese topping is crusty and browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. 

Notes

• I didn't have provolone so I just doubled the mozzarrella
• I used precooked, crumbled bacon  (pantry staple around here)
• I used this pizza dough recipe, but if there were a TJ's around here, I'd probably buy it.
• It says "good quality Caesar, but I used a cheap-o bottled dressing and it was good.  I saw other versions of this recipe that used ranch.
• These get a LOT of filling, but it melts down as it bakes, so go for it.  Also, they looked like lumpy messes but I soon figured out that once I placed them on the baking sheet it was easy to mold them into nice rectangles.
• They are a pretty big serving, but it might be good kid food if it were divided into 6 portions instead of 8.  Or just cut the big ones in half.  
• Nick declared the filling to be "just like the Costco" version.  The crust is a little different, but it was still good.

Bread Bowls

2 packets yeast (4 and 1/2 teaspoons)
2 and 1/4 cups (540ml) warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt*
2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
6 cups (780g) bread flour
egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk


Pour the warm water over yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Or, if you don’t have a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 

Add the sugar, salt, olive oil, 4 cups of bread flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then add remaining 2 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be thick, yet soft. And only slightly sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. If it’s too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Then place into a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. (I just use the same mixing bowl– remove the dough, grease it with nonstick spray or olive oil, put the dough back in.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled, about 90 minutes(mine didn't take this long).

Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed.

Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 6 even pieces. Form each into a large ball.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place 3 dough balls onto each. Cover lightly and set aside to rest for 20 minutes as the oven preheats.

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Brush each dough ball with egg wash and, using a sharp knife, score an X into the tops of each.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Once cool, cut around the top and scoop out the insides, fill with soup and enjoy.


Notes:
*The original recipe didn't specify what kind of salt, so I guessed and used kosher. They came out very under-salted, so try it with table salt instead.

*I've only used these with chowder so far, so I'm not sure how they'll hold up to a brothy soup.

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

NOTE: next time try this one with more leavening. https://www.themediterraneandish.com/lemon-ricotta-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-87544

So if I were an annoying recipe blogger I'd start with a too-long story about buying huge tubs of ricotta for practically nothing at Sam's or Costco, but then what to do with all the leftovers?  Anyway, make this cake.

¾ cup butter, softened 1 ½ sticks

1 ½ cups sugar

15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large lemon, zested and juiced

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups flour

powdered sugar for dusting top of cake (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan using butter and powdered sugar; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add in the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix to combine. In the same bowl, stir in the baking soda and salt. Lastly, add in the flour and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of bowl to full incorporate all of the ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing the collar and base of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

NOTES:

• This cake is recommended for brunch or even breakfast and we agree it would be delicious.  It's denser, like a pound cake and not too sweet.  It would be pretty excellent with fruit on top,
• I didn't have a lemon (alas, no zest) but I did add 4 Tbsp of lemon juice and about a teaspoon of lemon extract.
• I also put a little lemon glaze on top (juice and powdered sugar).  It was good.
• AND, we didn't have it in the oven long enough and ended up throwing out all the center part.  The edges were excellent though and I'll definitely make it again.
• It would probably be amazing as a layer cake with lemon curd spread in the middle.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

 1 lb. chicken breast sliced or pounded to 3/8”

BBQ sauce

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked

4 slices of havarti

1 medium onion, caramelized(optional)

4 onion rolls

Butter

Coat chicken with BBQ sauce and grill for approximately 3 minutes per side, until just cooked through, slice each piece in half.  Toast and butter the onion rolls, top with 2 pieces of chicken, bacon, onions, and havarti; broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly, top with second half of bun.

Notes:

We buy frozen chicken that’s pre-sliced to a good sandwich thickness; 1lb. is usually 4 pieces.

The onion rolls I use have onion pieces in the dough not just on top, so I usually skip adding caramelized onions.

Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Flatbread Pizza

Flatbread

• 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water, (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and surface
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for brushing the dough
• 1 teaspoon salt

Toppings

• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tablespoons milk, to thin
• 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or a few cloves, chopped)
• 2 cups sliced zucchini (about 1 medium/large)
• 6–8 ounces goat cheese (depending how much you like!)
• optional: crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil to top

Instructions

Make the crust: 

• Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. 
• Pour warm water on top. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. 
• With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the flour, olive, oil, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as it all combines and becomes smooth. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-2 more Tablespoons of flour. 
• Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to sit and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. Once it has rested and slightly risen, you can place it in the fridge for up to 2 days. More instructions in the make ahead tip below.

As the dough is resting and rising, prepare the toppings. 

• Toss the halved cherry tomatoes with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400°F (204°C) oven for about 20 minutes until blistered and roasted. Set aside. Turn the oven up to 475°F (246°C). 
• Whisk the ricotta, basil, milk, lemon juice*, and garlic together in a medium bowl. You can use a mixer for this if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shape the dough: 

• Punch the dough down to release any air. Divide the dough into two. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands and working with one dough piece at a time, begin shaping and stretching the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. You can use a floured rolling pin for this too. Don’t worry about the shape of the dough, just make sure it’s pretty thin. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Carefully transfer both pieces of dough to a parchment paper or silicone-mat lined baking sheet, or use a pizza stone. Poke your fingers all around the surface of the flatbreads or prick a few holes with a fork. 

Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto each, then top with zucchini, tomatoes, and finish them by crumbling the goat cheese on top of each.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust and toppings are browned to your liking. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, fresh basil, and/or freshly ground pepper. Slice and serve warm.

SALLY'S NOTES

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The tomatoes can be baked about 2 days in advance; just keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Likewise, the ricotta mixture can be mixed and prepared 2 days in advance. Cover and keep in the refrigerator. The dough can be prepared through step 3, then after it has risen, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 3. After it has risen, punch it down to release any air. Divide it in 2, if desired, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before stretching out/shaping and topping. If the thawed dough keeps shrinking back as you try to shape it, lightly cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest on the counter or your work surface for 15 minutes. (The gluten just needs a chance to settle.)

MY NOTES

• I didn't mix any milk with the ricotta and about half the lemon juice called for.  (I didn't want the ricotta to be too liquid-y)
• Obviously I didn't use honey goat cheese.  But I did use some feta so I guess that still counts.

Pretzel Buns

3¾ cups (20⅔ ounces) bread flour

2 teaspoons plus pinch table salt, divided

2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

1½ cups (12 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon water, room temperature, divided

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

¼ cup baking soda

1 teaspoon pretzel salt

1 large egg

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

We use coarse pretzel salt on the exterior of the buns, but kosher salt may be substituted. Do not use pretzel salt in the dough; if using kosher salt in the dough, increase the amount to 4 teaspoons. If you don’t plan on serving these buns immediately, skip sprinkling them with pretzel salt until you are ready to reheat and serve; over time the salt crystals dissolve and can create a soggy exterior.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Whisk flour, 2 teaspoons table salt, and yeast together in bowl of stand mixer. Whisk 1½ cups water, oil, and sugar in 4‑cup liquid measuring cup until sugar has dissolved. 
• Using dough hook on low speed, slowly add water mixture to flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl, about 8 minutes. 
• Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place dough seam side down in lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. 
• Lightly flour 2 rimmed baking sheets. Press down on dough to deflate. Transfer dough to clean counter; stretch and roll into even 12‑inch log. Cut log into 8 equal pieces (about 4 ounces each) and cover loosely with greased plastic. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), pat into 4‑inch disk. Working around circumference of dough, fold edges of dough toward center until ball forms. Flip dough ball seam side down and, using your cupped hand, drag in small circles until dough feels taut and round and all seams are secured on underside of ball. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let rest for 15 minutes. 
• Arrange balls seam side down on prepared sheets, spaced evenly apart. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let rise until nearly doubled in size and dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, about 30 minutes.
• Adjust oven racks to upper­-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Dissolve baking soda in 4 cups water in Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-​high heat. Using slotted spatula, transfer 4 buns seam side up to boiling water and cook for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through cooking. Transfer buns seam side down to wire rack and repeat with remaining 4 buns. Let rest for 5 minutes. 
• Line now-empty sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Lightly beat egg, remaining pinch table salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon water together in bowl. Transfer buns seam side down to prepared sheets, spaced evenly apart. Gently brush buns with egg mixture. Using sharp paring knife or single-edge razor blade, make two 2‑inch long slashes along top of each bun to form cross. Sprinkle each bun with ⅛ teaspoon pretzel salt. 
• Bake buns until mahogany brown, 16 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer buns to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour, before serving. (Cooled buns can be stored in zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Wrapped in aluminum foil before being placed in bag, buns can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw before reheating. To serve, mist buns lightly with water, sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake in 300‑degree oven for 5 minutes.)

NOTES:
A 4-ounce bun makes a largish hamburger roll.  2 ounces would be a perfect bun to serve with soup or something like that.
Source: ATK

Greek Lemon Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups long grain rice (uncooked)
•  extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (just over 1 cup chopped onions)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta
• 2 lemons, juice of (PLUS zest of 1 lemon)
• 2 cups low sodium broth (chicken or vegetable broth will work)
• Pinch salt
• Large handful chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dill weed (dry dill)
• 
  
• Wash rice well and then soak it for about 15 to 20 minutes in plenty of cold water (enough to cover the rice by 1 inch). You should be able to easily break a grain of rice by simply placing it between your thumb and index finger. Drain well.

1. Heat about 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large sauce pan with a lid (like this one) until oil is shimmering but not smoking.  Add onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and orzo pasta. Toss around for a bit until the orzo has gained some color then stir in the rice. Toss to coat.
2. Now add lemon juice and broth. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (it should reduce a little), then turn heat to low. Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is done (liquid should be fully absorbed and rice should be tender but not sticky.)
3. Remove rice from heat. For best results, leave it covered and do not disturb rice for about 10 minutes or so.
4. Uncover and stir in parsley, dill weed and lemon zest. If you like, add a few slices of lemon on top for garnish. Enjoy!

NOTES:

The flavor was delicious but the texture was too mushy.  Next time just try a regular rice method.

Use more than a pinch of salt.

I served it with tikka masala.

Source - https://www.themediterraneandish.com/greek-lemon-rice-recipe/