Cooking With Kristin

It’s starting to feel like fall. optional crust topping: School has begun. Wheat 1/2 cup salted butter, melted harvest is wrapping up and 1 tablespoon dried parsley soybean and corn harvest are just around the corner. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. That means long days and Spray two baking sheets with nonnights in the combine. stick cooking spray or line with Every year I search for easy meals to have in the fall. Whether you’re toting kids to and from school and sports, running the grain cart or combining, simple meals are essential this time of year. Here are some that fit in your hand for on-the-go ease — but don’t skimp on taste and flavor. parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and garlic. In a separate larger bowl, combine flour, parmesan cheese, salt, baking powder and Italian seasoning. Using a fork or a pastry blender, begin cutting in the cubed butter into the flour mixture until no large clumps remain. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix until dough comes together into a loose ball. Note: to make this easier, you could use an electric mixer with a

Pizza is tthe perfect portable meal. This recipe dough attachment. makes it even handier by putting the toppings on the inside and surrounding it with a homemade crust. This means less sauce on your lap! Dump the dough onto a large, floured countertop. Knead the dough ten times. Add additional flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Using Homemade Pizza Pops a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/2-inch https://www.thecountrycook.net/homemade- thickness. Take a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or similar pizza-pockets size glass or bowl) and cut out all the dough into circles. After cutting out the circles, press them for the dough: down or roll them out some more to make them 2 eggs large enough to hold all the fillings. Note: this 3/4 cup milk dough does stretch pretty easily too — which 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic you may need to do to close it up over the fillings. 3 cups all-purpose flour Place the crust circles on prepared baking 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese sheets. Spoon a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto 1/2 teaspoon salt the middle of the dough circles. Then add a table1-1/2 tablespoon baking powder spoon of pizza sauce to the middle of the dough 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning circles. Then add a tablespoon of cheese, a slice 1/2 cup cold salted butter, cubed of pepperoni and a tablespoon of crumbled sausage. Carefully fold the crust in half and press for filling: together the edges. Take a fork and go around 14-ounce jar pizza sauce the edges to make sure they seal closed. If nec1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese essary, add a bit of water to the seals with your 18 slices pepperoni finger to help them stay sealed. 1 cup cooked and crumbled sausage

COOKING WITH KRISTIN By Kristin Kveno

Bake at 450 degrees for 13-15 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Continue until all pizza pockets are made.

Optional: Brush tops of warm pizza pockets with melted butter and sprinkle with dried parsley. n

You can never go wrong with hot ham and cheese. Roll it up and you have a tasty stromboli that’s a great lunch. Ham and Cheese Stromboli (Cooking for Keeps) 1 pound frozen bread dough or refrigerator pizza dough 3/4 pound good-quality deli black forest ham 8 slices white American cheese (from the deli counter) teaspoon dried basil, plus more for garnish egg + 1 tablespoon water

If defrosting, pull out the bread dough the night before and follow instructions to defrost.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly dust a large working surface as well as a rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 8x13 inches long. Transfer the dough to the parchment-covered baking sheet. Lay ham across the dough. Layer cheese on top. Cover with another layer of ham. Sprinkle with basil. Season with a little bit of salt and black pepper. Tightly roll up the dough, jelly-roll style. Tucks the ends over and pinch everything closed. (You can also brush the edges with egg wash to help them seal. Cut three slits in the top of the stromboli. Take a pastry brush and brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle with more dried basil and plenty of salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Let the stromboli rest for 5 minutes before gently slicing with a serrated knife. n

One of my all-time childhood meals was hamburger stroganoff. The ground beef, onions, mushrooms and sour cream combined to make a dish that still makes my mouth water. This recipe takes beef stroganoff and makes it portable by putting it on some bread. This was a winner in my family, I’ll be adding this recipe to my meal rotations. Beef Stroganoff Sandwiches

(tasteofhome.com) 1 pound ground beef 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1 small green pepper, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 envelope ranch dip mix 3/4 cup sour cream loaf (about 8 ounces) French bread shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat broiler. In a large skillet, cook beef, mushrooms, pepper and onion over mediumhigh heat until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles, 8-10 minutes; drain. Stir in dip mix and sour cream.

Cut French bread horizontally in half; place halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Broil 3-4 inches from heat until lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from broiler. Spoon beef mixture over bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is lightly browned, 1-2 minutes longer. To serve, cut each into 3 pieces. n

After a meal on the go, it’s time for a decadent dessert that you can enjoy wherever you are. These bars are caramelly, buttery, salted goodness. I’ve been making these bars for years. Once you try this recipe, you won’t soon forget it — they’re that good. No matter where you are, there’s no better way to finish off a good meal than with these fabulous bars. Salted Caramel Butter Bars https://therecipecritic.com/salted-caramel-butter-bars/#wprm-recipe-container-80050 2 cups butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 4 cups flour 1 (14 ounces) bag caramel unwrapped or 11 ounces unwrapped caramel bits 1/3 cup whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, sugar and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Mix in the flour and combine until it forms a soft dough. Press half of the dough into the bottom of a 9x13 dish and place the other half of the dough into the refrigerator. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and melt the caramels, heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir together until smooth. Pour evenly over the hot crust. Lightly sprinkle the coarse sea salt over the crust. Take the remaining dough out of the refrigerator and crumble it over top of the caramel. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the top is firm. Let them cool completely before cutting.

Whether you’re chauffeuring kids to activities, are in the field or in the office, these recipes make life a little easier this time of year! v