Italian Cheese Bread

If you like Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread, you'll want to try this recipe. After having an order of these one night, I decided to give it a go to see how close I could come to replicating this delicious bread. I was quite surprised at how easy it was. We ate it so fast I wasn't able to get a picture, but next time I make it, I'll be sure to snap a photo to post here.

2-1/2 to 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 T sugar
1 T active dry yeast (can use instant)
1 cup warm water (110*F), bottled water is best
3 T extra virgin olive oil

Topping:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
Dash pepper
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1/3 cup shredded muenster cheese (or monterey jack)

In a bowl, combine the sugar, yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes until yeast foams. Add the oil and 1 cup of the flour, stir well. Let stand 30 minutes.
Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, adding additional flour as needed until smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in bulk. (Optional: if in a hurry, just skip this rise.)

Stir together the butter, salt, garlic, herbs and pepper. Set aside.

Punch the dough down, divide in half, set one aside. Roll out to fit an 11 x 7 inch baking pan. Top with the mozarella and monterey jack cheeses. Cover and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Pre-heat the oven to 450*F. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately spoon half of the seasoned butter over the top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 8 slices.
Serve hot.

Easy Cheesy Potato and Kielbasa Casserole

This is a very easy and economical recipe using frozen potatoes, kielbasa sausage and frozen broccoli. Everything is basically tossed together (no need to thaw) with a cheesy sauce made with canned cheddar cheese soup and baked. It doesn't get much easier than this!

2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 soup can of milk
1 - 28 oz. bag frozen O'Brien potatoes (hash browns)
1 - 1 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces
1 - 1 lb. bag frozen cut broccoli or other vegetable of your choice

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

Whisk together the soups and milk in the baking dish. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
Serve hot.