Great Groceries Recipe Archive-April 1999

Pull -Away Bread

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbls. sesame seeds
1 tsp. dried basil
1 (25 oz.) package frozen roll dough, unthawed
3 Tbls. butter or margarine, melted

Stir together first 3 ingredients; spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with vegetable cooking spray and then butter to keep the bread from sticking. Sprinkle 1/3 of mixture in pan and place half of frozen rolls in pan; drizzle with half of butter, and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining frozen rolls, butter and cheese mixture.

Let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, shielding with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Loosen bread from sides of pan with a knife; immediately invert onto a serving plate.

For Cinnamon Pull-Away Bread, combine 1/2 c chopped pecans, 1/2 c sugar, and 1 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon. Substitute cinnamon mixture for cheese mixture; let rise, and bake as directed. Cool in pan 5 minutes; invert onto a serving plate.

Artichoke Flatbread

1 to 2 Tbls. cornmeal
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated pizza crust
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 Tbls. drained diced sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 cup(4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Coat a 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan with vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Unroll pizza crust; place in pan and press to fit. Cook artichoke and next 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Spread over dough. Bake at 425 degrees on lower oven rack 11 to 13 minutes or until crust is golden. Cut into squares; serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Ham, Spinach, and Pasta Gratin

1/2 lb. fusilli or other dried pasta
2 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese or cheese of choice (about 1/2 lb.)
1 lb. cooked ham, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbls. unsalted butter
2 10 oz. packages frozen spinach, cooked, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
5 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/4 cups fresh coarse rye bread crumbs

In a kettle of salted boiling water, boil the pasta until it is al dente, drain it well and spread it in a greased 2 qt. shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese and top with the ham, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle 1 more cup of the remaining cheese. In a heavy skillet cook the onion and garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring until the onion is softened, add the spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes or until the excess liquid is evaporated. Top ham layer with the spinach mixture.

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the custard slowly over spinach-ham mixture. Bake the gratin, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until the custard is set. Discard the foil and in a small bowl toss together the remaining 1 cup cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the custard. Broil the gratin under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown. Serves 6 - 8.