French silk pie

 From Handle the Heat. Only sub is GF oreos.    

Ingredients 

For the crust

• 20 Oreo (230 grams) cookies (regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

• 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar

For the topping

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish if desired

Instructions

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the filling:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature (around 75°F), stirring occasionally.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.

Make the topping:

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.

buffalo chicken twice baked potatoes

From A Dash of Mandi

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 3 russet potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Filling

• 1 tbsp dry ranch seasoning
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• black pepper to taste
• 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup cooked and shredded chicken
• 1 tbsp sliced green onion
• buffalo sauce and ranch dressing for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash your potatoes and poke them all over with a fork. Coat them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and add to a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour.
3. Once cooked and slightly cooled, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully use a spoon to scoop out the center of the potatoes and place in a medium to large sized mixing bowl. Do this step gently so you don’t cut through to the skin of the potatoes!
4. Add ranch seasoning, smoked paprika, pepper, cream cheese, buffalo sauce, 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl with the potato insides.
5. Mix together until well combined. You can use a spoon for a chunkier mixture depending on your preference! I used an immersion blender to make everything super smooth and creamy but a hand mixer would work too.
6. Fold in the shredded chicken.
7. Fill the potato skins with the buffalo chicken potato mixture.
8. Top the loaded skins with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted.
10. Drizzle with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. Top with sliced green onion to garnish and enjoy!

chicken parm grilled cheese

 I used a whole loaf of Schar white bread and made these in the oven on a sheet pan for ease. It was an easy dinner with no complaints thanks to What's Gaby Cooking!

Ingredients

• GF Schar white bread
• red sauce (I used Rao's)
• 10 slices sliced mozzarella
• 1 lb deli sliced chicken
• salt and pepper
• olive oil and/or butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Generously butter or oil one side of each slice of bread.
3. Place half the bread, butter side down, on a sheet pan.
4. Spread red sauce on each slice of bread
5. Layer slices of cheese on each piece of bread, followed by sliced turkey and an additional slice of cheese. Add top slice of bread, buttered side up.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is toasted. Flip sandwiches and bake another 3-5 minutes until both sides are toasty
7. Remove from the oven and carefully and serve.

cheesy pizza tortellini

 We didn't make this Cooking in the Midwest recipe on the griddle, but boiled the tortellini as normal assembled in a large skillet. Everyone was happy with this one!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp each of onion powder and Italian seasoning
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• 19 oz frozen tortellini (Taste Republic)
• Pepperoni
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Brown 1 lb of ground beef on a griddle over medium heat and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
2. Add some pepperoni (I used half of a pack - 2.5 oz). Let that cook until pepperoni are getting browned. Drain any grease from the ground beef or pepperoni. Add the minced garlic and stir everything together well.
3. Lower the heat on the griddle to low and add one bag of frozen tortellini to the griddle and pour some water over the tortellini. Cover with a griddle dome and let cook for about 5 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.
4. Stir together the tortellini and ground beef. Top with one jar of marinara sauce and stir well. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with a griddle dome for just a minute to melt the cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

saucy chicken tikka meatballs

 Our first Defined Dish recipe and it's a keeper!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground chicken preferably dark meat
• 1 egg
• ½ cup almond flour 
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup minced cilantro leaves and tender stems
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Tikka Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced yellow onion ½ onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 lemon
• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
• Prepared Rice or Cauliflower Rice for serving
  

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°Fand line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, almond flour, salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic powder, and cumin. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
3. Roll the meatballs into 1-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, and transfer to the oven and let bake until just about cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Make the Tikka Sauce:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper and toss, toasting the spices until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined with the spices. While whisking, slowly stir in the coconut milk until it is well combined and there are no lumps. Add the broth and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly. Taste and add more salt and/or cayenne, if desired.
4. When the meatballs are cooked through, transfer them to the sauce and carefully toss to coat fully. Reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and let the flavors meld for about 5 minutes.
5. To finish, stir in the lemon juice and top with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice, and enjoy!

tortellini with sausage and marscapone

 A simple yet delicious recipe from What's Gaby Cooking that the entire family enjoyed-- no leftovers! The only requested change is that I dice the shallot versus slicing. 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups of your favorite red sauce (I used Rao's)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 9-ounce package refrigerated tortellini (I used Taste Republic GF)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions

1. Take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into a skillet. Cook it over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it's browned. Drain most of the fat and leave the sausage in the pan.
2. Add the garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes to the same pan and saute for 60 seconds. Add the red sauce, cream, and mascarpone. Cook for 5-7 minutes until saucy.
3. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Save ¼ cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce along with the drained pasta. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve with fresh parmesan sprinkled over top.

Chicken alfredo tortellini

 An Instagram find from Cooking in the Midwest, this was an easy weeknight dinner that made everyone happy. Cooking in the Midwest

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 19 oz bag frozen tortellini (We used two packs of Taste Republic GF)
• 15 oz jar Alfredo sauce (We used Rao's)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 pieces of bacon
• dried parsley

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet or in the oven and chop into small pieces and set aside. Start a pot of water boiling on the stove.
2. Cut chicken into small cubes. In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
3. Once water is boiling cook tortellini according to the directions on the package.
4. Cook until chicken is cooked through and is golden brown. Stir in 1 tbsp of minced garlic and remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Add drained/cooked tortellini to the skillet and a 15 oz jar of Alfredo sauce. Stir well. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and the chopped bacon.
6. Let sit covered until the cheese melts or pop in the oven under broil for just a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
7. Top with some dried parsley and enjoy!

chicken alfredo tortellini soup

This rich, filling soup from The Slow Roasted Italian was a hit with the entire family. I used a full bag of spinach and stirred it in before removing from heat, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and we'll definitely make it again. We used Taste Republic gluten free cheese tortellini, which were perfect, as always. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 ounces baby carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 9 ounces cheese tortellini, frozen or fresh
• 2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach

Instructions

1. Warm a large pot over medium-high heat. Once you can feel the heat when you hold your hand 6 inches above the pot, add the butter and let it melt. Add the onion and carrots. Cook the vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Then add the chicken, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 minutes, just to get a little color on the chicken, stirring occasionally. Don’t worry about the chicken being cooked through, because we are going to continue cooking it.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and veggies. Stir to coat everything and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the floury taste. Stir in the chicken stock, half-and-half and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking until the soup thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the tortellini to the pot and cook until al dente (has a bite to it), 5 to 7 minutes (frozen takes longer). Stir in spinach. Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle a handful of cheese over the soup and stir. Once it has melted into the soup, add another handful. Slowly melting the cheese will give the soup a smooth consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. 

chocolate-glazed strawberry baked doughnuts

 From "Baked to Perfection" by Katarina Cermelj, all the kids were happy with these GF cake donuts and made them fully on her own!

Ingredients

Doughnuts

• 100g gluten free flour blend
• 20g almond flour
• 50g light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, room temp
• 50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
• 40g whole milk, room temp
• 40g full fat plain yogurt, room temp
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 6 teaspoons strawberry jam
• freeze-dried strawberries, gently crushed, to decorate

Chocolate Glaze

• 45g dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids), melted
• 15g Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 75g powdered sugar
• 3-3 1/2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temp

Instructions

Doughnuts

1. Adjust the oven shelf to the middle position, preheat the oven to 355 degrees F and lightly butter a 6 hole doughnut pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together GF flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk, yogurt, and vanilla paste. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and combine to a smooth batter with no flour clumps
4. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a very large round nozzle. Stir the strawberry jam to loosen it and spoon it into a separate piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. 
5. Pipe a layer of doughnut batter into the tin cavities, filling each about 1/3 full. Use a spoon or offset spatula to make a groove in the center of the batter. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the jam into the groove, then pipe more batter on top, so that each cavity is about 2/3 - 3/4 full. Use the spoon or spatula to gently spread the top layer of batter so that no jam is visible.
6. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the doughnuts have risen, are golden brown on top, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Turn the doughnuts out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Glaze

1. In a microwave-safe bowl or in a small pan, whisk the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk to a thick paste. Heat in a microwave or over medium high heat until warm, then add the remaining milk, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, to a thick, runny consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
2. Dip the cooled doughnuts into the icing, place them on a wire rack so any excess icing can drip away.
3. Sprinkle with the freeze-dried strawberries and allow the icing to set for at least 20-30 minutes before serving. 

french silk pie

 This French silk pie from Handle the Heat was an overall hit at Thanksgiving. It was a little dark for Kory, but the rest of us loved it. 

Ingredients

For the crust

• 20 gluten free Oreo (230 grams) cookies (regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

• 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar

For the topping

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish if desired

Instructions 

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the filling:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to just warm, stirring occasionally.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
3. In a clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.

Make the topping:

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.

omelet roll

This Taste of Home omelet roll was a simple baked egg recipe that looks impressive (at least to teenagers...). We used ham, bacon, and sauteed mushrooms in ours, but any toppings would work. 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (we used GF)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green

Instructions

1. Line the bottom and sides of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with parchment; grease the paper and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add flour and salt; mix until combined. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Add cream cheese mixture; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake at 375° until eggs are puffed and set, 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Immediately spread with mustard and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle with ham, onions and 1 cup cheese.
4. Roll up from a short side, peeling parchment away while rolling. Sprinkle top of roll with the remaining cheese; bake until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes longer.

sheetpan lasagna

Using Jovial lasagna noodles, this sheetpan lasagna recipe from Abby Thome was easily adapted to gluten free, made a TON of food, and was an overall hit. 

Ingredients

-Ricotta Dollops -

• 5 ounces organic spinach, sautéed
• 2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• good pinch of salt + pepper

- Meat Sauce -

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb sweet or mild italian ground sausage
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder, garlic powder + italian seasoning
• Good pinch salt + pepper
• 2 (28 ounce) jars Rao's marinara

• 1 box Lasagna noodles, par boiled (5 minutes of boiling in salted water) + cut into 3rds
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

-Extra Toppings-

• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• few tablespoons grated parmesan
• Chopped Parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. Drizzle 10x17 baking sheet with olive oil
3. Par boil your lasagna noodles, then cut into thirds - set aside
4. In a large add the spinach, with a drizzle of olive oil + pinch of salt + pepper. Allow it to wilt completely and then remove from the pan + set aside
5. To the same pan, add the chopped onion with a drizzle Olive Oil, pinch of Salt + pepper and sauce until tender
6. Add in the ground sausage, beef, garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning + good pinch of salt and pepper and cook all the way through 
Stir in the two jars of marinara, lasagna noodles, 1 cup shredded mozzarella + parmesan cheese and stir to combine everything
7. Pour lasagna noodle/meat sauce onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer
8. Add more mozzarella cheese + parmesan
9. In a separate bowl mix all ingredients for the ricotta mixture
10. Top lasagna with dollops of the ricotta cheese
11. Bake at 425° for 25-30 minutes until bubbly

huevos rotos

 A delicious dinner from Milk Street Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 TBSP sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces spanish chorizo, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (or ground chorizo if that is what you can find
• 1 large poblano or cubano chili, stemmed, seeded, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin strips
• 6 -8 large eggs
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced on the diagnol
• hot sauce, to serve

Instructions

1.  Place the potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool slightly and, using a potato masher, gently crush them until slightly flattened but still in large chunks. If the potatoes are too firm to flatten, cover and microwave on high until tender, then crush. 
2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the potatoes in an even layer and cook without stirring until crisp on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir, redistribute in an even layer and cook until crisp on the bottom, another 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in the onion, vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. If using ground, raw chorizo, add it here as well. Cook, stirring, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. 
4. Add the garlic, chorizo (if using cooked links) and chili, then cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
5. Distribute the mixture in an even layer and reduce to medium-low. Using the back of a large spoon, make 6 evenly spaced indentations in the potatoes, each about 2 inches in diameter. Crack 1 egg into each, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 4 to 6 minutes. 
6. Sprinkle the scallion over the top. Using a paring knife, cut a small X in the top of each egg and allow the yolk to flow out. Serve with hot sauce.

Chicago style deep dish pizza

This No Gluten, No Problem recipe has been our absolute favorite gluten free homemade pizza since Cael's celiac diagnosis. I think there is no telling that it's GF and, while it requires a lot of ingredients and some time, it's been worth it. We do one 1/2 cheese, 1/2 pepperoni and one full sausage, pepperoni.

As written below, this makes two 9" pizzas. We do one 1/2 cheese, 1/2 pepperoni and one full sausage, pepperoni.

Crust

• 310 grams warm water
• 1 TBS sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast 
• 100 g brown rice flour
• 100 g cornstarch
• 100 g potato starch 
• 24 g cornmeal
• 24 g millet flour
• 2 tsp ground psyllium husk
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• 6 TBS melted butter

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate, about 5 minutes, until foamy.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch, cornmeal, millet flour, psyllium husk, salt, and xanthan gum.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of the butter into each of two 9-inch (23 cm) round nonstick cake pan. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to spread the butter over the bottom of the pan.
4. When the yeast mixture is foamy on top, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and stir to combine.
5. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir vigorously with a spoon until it is smooth, there are no lumps, and it forms a wet dough.
6. Use a spatula to scrape the dough into the prepared pans. Using a piece of plastic wrap, press the dough into a uniform layer on the bottom and 1½ inches up the sides of the pan. Set aside and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Sauce

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups canned San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
• 1 TBS tomato pasted
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until fragrant, about 2 min. Add the garlic and saute 1 additional minute. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutees, stirring occasionally until sauce is no longer watery.

Pizza

• 8 slices mozzerella
• 16 ounces shredded mozzerella
• 1/2 pound cooked italian sausage crumbles
• pepperoni

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. After the dough has risen, layer sliced mozzerella (4 slices per pizza) over the dough, tearing slices to be sure dough is fully covered.
3. Cover sliced cheese with shredded mozzerella.
4. Add toppings of choice to each pizza.
5. Divide sauce on top of each pizza's toppings and spread to fully cover. 
6. Bake pizzas side by side on the center rack for 30-35 minutes.
7. Use a spatula to lift pizzas out of their pans onto a wooden cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing with a large chef's knife. 

sorta pasta alla norma

 Another Caro Chambers hit recipe--Sorta Pasta alla Norma. My eggplant-hating children didn't complain much and didn't even realize the hidden veggie was eggplant until I told them, so I think this is a keeper! We used Rao's marinara and Jovial GF fusilli. Below are the instructions of how I adapted from Caro's original recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) globe eggplant
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt 
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 4 garlic cloves
• 12 ounces gluten free pasta
• 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves (slice thinly right before adding to pasta)
• Optional: red pepper flakes 

Instructions:

1. Peel 1 eggplant like a zebra then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Warm 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a wide skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the eggplant and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until very tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl. 
2. While eggplant is cooking, prepare your pasta in a separate pan according to package instructions.
3. Return the eggplant skillet to medium-high heat and warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1 pound mild Italian sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles, until almost cooked through. Meanwhile, mince 4 garlic cloves. Add the garlic to the sausage, then continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through. 
4. Add the cooked eggplant back to the pan with the sausage. Stir in 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce, cooked pasta, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. 
5. Stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (make sure it has no anti-caking ingredients) and most of the basil (leave some out for garnish).
6. Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of Parm, basil, and red pepper flakes i.