Dinner – Page 2 – Feasting Is Fun

Hello lovely people, I have been wanting to share my Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizza recipe with you for ages. The trouble is I always forget to photograph the pizza once it’s cooked. I’m sorry, too many blonde moments! Yesterday though, I was resolute. That pizza was getting it’s picture taken no matter what.

Pizza Love And Baking With Kids:

So, I have been making pizzas with our children and many of their friends who’ve come to dinner, since, well, they could stand on a chair and smoosh pizza dough about. And over the years we’ve had various shaped pizzas, including; guinea pigs, batman (and pretty much every superhero a little boy could think of), lemons, flowers, cats, hearts and many more. It’s a great cop out. Invite your children’s friends for dinner, then get them to make it. First of all, they absolutely love it, secondly, I’ve never had a child who didn’t want to make their own pizza and lastly every single piece of their creation gets eaten. Also there’s no worrying about fussy eaters, just allow them to decorate their own pizza, whatever it’s shape, with a selection of toppings; pepperoni makes a great piggies snout.

Resulting in the perfect child friendly combination, messy hands, creativity and they bake and eat their creation. Because each child’s pizza is different, they happily chatter over the dinner table deciding whose is the biggest, most realistic, it literally goes on and on. I kinda miss those days. These days all 3 children can make large pizzas for the whole family, with a bowl of salad or homemade coleslaw to go alongside.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends!

These pizzas are made from scratch except for one teeny tiny cheat. I use a 500g bag of Ciabatta bread mix, instead of making the pizza bases from scratch. Although I have made ciabatta pizza dough from scratch in the past, Wright’s Ciabatta Bread Mix gives such a fantastically crunchy, crisp crust, that is reliable and a lot less work than making your own!

Recipe: Makes 2 Large Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizza – serves 6 Adults.

500g Bag Ciabatta Bread Mix – Olive oil according to packet instructions, plus 2 tbsp extra – I use Wright’s – bread mixes are available from Morrison’s, The Co-Op, Sainsbury’s and Asda, as well as directly from their website.

Tomato purée – approx 4tbsp – I use Waitrose own brand

Optional – Dried Oregano/ Mixed Herbs – 1tsp per large pizza. When baking with kiddies I don’t add any herbs.

300g Mozzarella – drained weight

Toppings – I used a Spanish charcuterie selection : Serrano ham, Chorizo and Salchichon – use whatever you like, mushrooms, meatballs, sweet corn, bell peppers, sliced chillis, more cheese. The options and combinations are endless!

Method :

Making The Ciabatta Pizza Base

First of all, make the Ciabatta bread dough according to the packet instructions. I use my bread maker to mix, prove and knock back. Alternatively a stand mixer with dough hook attachment works well. Also you can make the dough by hand. Leave the dough to prove.

While the pizza dough is proving thoroughly oil 2 x 38cm x 28cm (14″ x 11.5″) baking trays. I prefer to use trays as it creates a crunchy pizza crust and avoids any molten cheese drips dropping and burning on the oven base.

Shaping The Pizza

As soon as the dough has reached the knocked back stage tip the dough on to one of the baking sheets. Rub the palms of your hands over the oiled baking sheet, this will stop the dough sticking to them.

Using a dough cutter or knife, divide the dough in half.

Now comes the fun bit. Especially for children or the child within us! Using your hands pat the dough out so that it is flat.

Keep patting with your hands, very gently stretching the dough as you do... — Keep patting with your hands, very gently stretching the dough as you do…

Work with the dough, gradually patting/stretching so that it reaches the edges of the baking tray.

The base to your Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizza is complete!

Drizzle a little Olive oil on your pizza base, smoosh about with your hands and then cove with cling film.

If you haven’t got a child or someone else to do the other pizza base, repeat with the second half of the dough.

Leave the pizza bases, covered in oiled cling film, in a warm place until doubled in size, or placed on separate shelves in the fridge for a few hours until needed.

Time To Add The Toppings

When the pizza is ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7, 425F.

I find it easiest to have all the ingredients prepped and ready before I start assembling the pizza. In fact when I make pizza with little people, reckon on 1 x 500g batch of pizza dough to make 4-6 individual pizzas. I also have ham, cheese, sliced peppers (they make great light sabres) in bowls ready for little fingers.

Place 2tbsp tomato purée on each pizza base – smoosh with the back of a spoon or your hands to roughly cover the dough.

Now add the cheese and other toppings. I have learnt it is best not to overload with toppings, as you will end up with a soggy pizza base.

Baking The Pizza

As soon as both of the Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizzas are ready, place in a hot, preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.

The pizzas are cooked when they are crusty around the edges and cooked through in the centre. I test this using a knife, the centre won’t be as crusty as the edges but you should feel resistance. If it’s still soft give the pizza another 5 minutes baking, reducing the heat slightly if the top is cooked.

Using a palette knife loosen the pizza around the edges and run it underneath. Slide the pizza out of the baking tray onto a large wooden board, or I have glass worktop saver (don’t use knives on glass it’ll blunt them) which I only use for pizzas. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter. I usually get 15 squares per pizza.

This Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizza is so easy, adaptable and reliable that makes it perfect for parties, buffets, weekend meals, sleepovers the list is endless. The perfect food for Feasting, Sharing and having Fun!

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizza you may also like these:

Crunchy Homemade Coleslaw

FF Homemade Ciabatta Base Pizza — Crunchy Homemade Coleslaw

Sun Dried Tomato Bread Pizza

Baked Cheese Olive Ciabatta Bread

Homemade pizza can be so much fun. Since you are fully in control of the toppings you can add as much, or little as you like of your favourites. Also you can adapt parts of the pizza to suit individual tastes. For example by adding chopped jalapeño pepper to one half and not the other. Likewise, for those who dislike cheese, it is easily omitted.

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

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Hi, roadway I’m sharimg my recipe for Chicken Four Cheese Lasagne. It is a tasty twist on a classic dish. While there are a few steps to follow, each part of the recipe is easy to follow. And there is no need to precook the lasagne sheets. Making this recipe using minced chicken is a tasty twist on an Italian classic.

Delicious, cheese sauce topped, chicken lasagne - delish! — Delicious, cheese sauce topped, chicken lasagne.

As a busy household, make ahead meals are a life, or should I say a sanity saver.

A perfect, portable meal for sharing with others.

By substituting beef with minced chicken, the resulting baked lasagne becomes a lighter dish. Not lighter in calories, with the delicious four cheese sauce. Rather, not as heavy on the stomach. And the four cheese sauce was the result of me raiding the fridge for leftover Christmas cheese.

The Four Cheese Sauce tops of this lasagne perfectly!!

Since minced chicken may not be available everywhere, minced turkey is a great substitute. Alternatively, processing skinless chicken breasts, thighs or a combination in a food processor would be another way to make your own chicken mince. Another option, finely chopped chicken using a sharp knife would work and give the lasagne added texture.

Recipe : Chicken Four Cheese Lasagne Serves 6-8 portions.

Chicken Lasagne Sauce

450g/1lb Chicken Mince

1 Large White Onion

2tbsp Olive Oil – I use Filippo Berio

2 Celery Stalks – the larger outside stalks

1 Green Pepper – washed, deseeded and finely diced

2-3 Carrots – peeled and finely diced

3 Garlic Cloves – minced or crushed (using a garlic press)

3 x 400g Chopped Tinned Tomatoes

2tbsp Tomato Puree

1tsp Dried Mixed Herbs – or fresh basil, oregano, parsley and thyme – to taste

1tsp Sugar

Salt and Ground Black Pepper – to taste

Cheese Sauce :

3tbsp Butter

3tbsp Plain White Flour

750-800ml/Approx 26fl oz Whole Milk

6oz Hard Cheese – I used a 50/50 mixture of Mature Cheddar and Swiss Cheese cut into small cubes or grated

4.5oz/125g Riccota Cheese

250g/8.5oz Mozzarella Cheese

1 tsp Nutmeg – freshly grated if possible

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste.

Butter – For Greasing the Lasagne Dish

1 packet Dried Egg Lasagne Sheets 375g/13-14oz – dont worry if the packet requires pre-cooking you won’t need to.

Method:

A rectangular, ovenproof dish approximately 30cm x 20cm x 9cm (12in x 8in x 3.5in) is needed to make this lasagne.

Making The Chicken Lasagne Sauce

First of all finely chop the onion, celery, green pepper and carrots.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan.
Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes over a medium heat until the onions start to turn translucent.
Next add the diced celery to the pan and continue to sauté for a couple more minutes until the celery starts to soften.
Push the onions and celery to one side of the pan and add the Chicken mince to the other side. Alternatively if you don’t have a large sauté pan, remove the onions and celery, into a separate dish and then add the Chicken to the pan.
Cook the chicken, using a wooden spatula to break up the mince so large clumps of meat don’t form.

Having a large sauté pan means you can cook all the ingredients in one go!!!

Unlike beef mince, the chicken mince will get lighter as it cooks.
Cook the chicken turns opaque but not browned.
Now add the carrots, green pepper and the minced garlic.

As soon as everything is mixed together add the tomatoes. Also fill each empty can almost to the top with water and add that to the pan.
Add the tomato purée, dried or fresh chopped herbs.
Give everything a good stir then add the sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
Turn the heat to medium-low and leave to gently bubble away on the stove for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Making Four Cheese Sauce Lasagne Topping

Place a medium sized pan over a gentle heat. Add the butter and cook until melted and starting to sizzle.
Next tip the flour on to the melted butter stirring constantly until combined and smooth.
Continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

This is what the butter and flour should look like.

Start slowly adding the milk, stirring vigorously as the paste thickens. Continue stirring while adding small amounts of milk.

The sauce will become very thick. DON'T WORRY!!!! — The sauce will become very thick.

As more milk is added lumps may form, switch to a balloonwhisk at this stage.
Continue until all the milk has been added and absorbed.
The sauce will be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.

No lumps here - if you squint!!!!!! — No lumps here – if you squint!!!!!!

Remove the pan from the heat and add the ricotta and the other cheeses (except the mozzarella), stir vigorously.

The Ricotta gets dumped in and then add the hard cheeses.

Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ricotta cheese will give the Four Cheese Sauce a slightly grainy texture, that’s normal. While grated cheese will melt into the sauce easily, cubed cheese will almost never become completely smooth, that’s ok as it will when it’s baked in the oven later. Also the addition of freshly ground nutmeg elevates the flavour above and beyond, but please, if you can, grate your own nutmeg.
Set to one side to cool.

Assembling The Lasagne Layers

First of all liberally butter the ovenproof dish. Since I’ve made a LOT of lasagne buttering the dish before hand not only helps when serving, it also doesn’t require 3 days soaking to remove baked on lasagne.

I wasn’t joking when I said that you don’t have to precook the lasagne sheets. Since I’ve used lots of different makes, some with ruffled edges, green spinach lasagne sheets, egg versus plain AND this recipe works with all types.

These are dried lasagne sheets. Any brand will do!

As soon as you have buttered the dish place a layer of hot chicken lasagne sauce into the bottom of the dish, so that it is completely covered.

The first layer is down, time to start building!!! — The first layer is down, time to start building!

Next place enough lasagne sheets to cover the bottom layer. The layers should meet or very slightly overlap.

If your lasagne sheets don't fit exactly, just snap bits off to adjust them. — If your lasagne sheets don’t fit exactly, just snap bits off to adjust them.

Repeat the sauce/lasagne sheet layering twice more finishing with a sheet layer.

All the bits and pieces of the lasagne sheets will be covered by the Four Cheese Sauce.

Pour the cooled cheese sauce all over the top of the lasagne sheets.

Ooh this is going to be sooooo good - look at that yummy cheese sauce layer! — Ooh this is going to be sooooo good – look at that yummy cheese sauce layer!

Finishing The Lasagne

Drain and slice the mozzarella cheese.

The final gooey, stringy, adornment for this fab lasagne dish!

And now arrange the mozzarella slices on top of the cheese sauce.

The Four Cheese Sauce tops off this lasagne perfectly!! — The Four Cheese Sauce tops off this lasagne perfectly.

Finally leave the lasagne for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight. So that the dried lasagne slices have time to absorb moisture from both sauces. Also this dish can be made 1-2 days in advance, wrapped in cling film and left in the fridge.

Baking The Lasagne

As soon as the lasagne is ready to bake preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven, 350F, gas mark 4.
Place the lasagne dish on to a slightly larger baking tray; this dish can bubble up and over.
Bake the lasagne for 1 1/2 hours until piping hot all the way through and golden brown.

Remove from the oven 10-15 minutes before serving. Doing so allows the lasagne to cool slightly and more importantly, hold it’s shape when served.

This Chicken and Four Cheese Lasagne is delicious on it’s own, served with a salad and freshly baked Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bead. Also it can be frozen at the pre-bake stage or in individual portions, wrapped tightly in foil and popped into the freezer. Or why not double the quantities and make an extra meal for the freezer?

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Chicken Four Cheese Lasagne you may also like these:

Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake

FF Chicken Four Cheese Lasagne — Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake

Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quich

Creamy Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta

While traditional recipes will stand the test of time, importantly it’s fun to change things up. And sharing those changes is especially important as is sharing the food we make. Most of all if you know a new mum, or someone who has been ill for a while, or just a very busy family that you would like to bless, then this is THE perfect, portable, all in one meal for sharing!

Sammie x