Easter's near, time to make Pizzagaine!

I'm going to be a bit lazy here but I really want to share this recipe with as many people as I can because.. well it truly is my favorite meal, and I only ever get to eat it once a year! In reality I could make it whenever I want but the ingredients can run a bit expensive depending on your local deli! Oh the lazy part is, I posted this in a recipe thread last year when I made my own pizzagaine with only a little of my mom and gram's help (they were there but I was determined to do this on my own)... So I'm copying and pasting that post...
Weird thing is my Gram keeps a half recipe written, which she usually doubles, and my mom the whole one...which she usually doubles... and we wind up with like 6 whole pies and a bunch of min casserole single pies...



The whole recipe makes about 3-4 pies so I'll be posting the half recipe.. it contains weird measurements I'll bold them to make sure you make note of the change...
two part recipe.. the crust ad the filling.. first the filling (because we make it first and let it rest while making the crust)
Filling note on the meats, when we get them cut at the deli counter we ask them to cut them slightly thicker than normal sandwich meat
Filling
1 1/2 lbs pot cheese (ricotta)
1/4 lb ham
1/4 lb peperoni
1/4 lb prosciutto
1/4 lb salami
1 block of mozzarella cheese (normal size block of Pollyo which I think is 8oz)
1 egg

Mix the Ricotta (no need to drain) with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the egg.
We slice the meat into "grids" so you get little rectangles but you could also tear it into pieces by hand. Separate the meat into the ricotta mixture (I say separate because we stack up the meat and cut into little rectangles and then have little stacks to separate for easier mixing)
Its best to add the meat slowly and mix everything up every couple of handfuls... If your not squeamish use your hands to help mix, we have bent many a spoon over the years mixing Pizzagaine up...
Cube up the mozzarella (into about 1/2 inch cubes) when about half the meat is mixed in start throwing in handfuls of the mozzarella as well..
you may not use every little bit of the meat, we usually have a little of each type left, it's hard to say when to stop adding the meat.. it's really an eyeball it kinda thing.. just use almost all of it and you should be fine


Pie Crust
2 cups of Flour
1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 3/4 cups of shortening (Crisco) CUT IN HALF!!! only use half of this in the recipe, my gram never bothered to figure out what half of a cup and 3/4ths is)
1/2 an egg (same deal.. beat the egg in a little bowl and divide in half .. just eyeball it)
1/4 cup of water
1/2 tablespoon of vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients together.. cut in shortening (you know whatever half 1 & 3/4 cups is) Add the 1/2 an egg, water and vinegar mix to form the dough.

you guys know how to roll out pie crust right? This is a two crust pie btw.. one for the top one for the bottom..well do that.. line a pie tin.. plop some mixture in the center.. you want it to reach the top of the pie pan.. then spread it towards the outside of the pan with a circular motion, DON'T PACK IT DOWN!!
hehe this is a heavy heavy mixture.. if you stamp it down and pack it in there it will be heavy as a rock when baked. When this is filled you lay another crust on top..pinch it closed and "bird feet' as my sister says the top crust a few times with a fork so it will release steam a bit..

Bake this in the oven at 350 for about an hour... let sit for about 15 mins before diving in..
don't eat it all at once...


note this recipe can make over 1 pies worth of ingredients.. you may get two pies, or juuust short of two pies.. usually we make so so many that with the left over crust and filling we put the filling in mini casserole dishes and cover them with the crust.. these bake for about 45 mins (gotta make sure that crust is done)
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I really do not want to know how bad Pizzagaine is for you...I just can't wait to make mine this year! On that note, I'm having Easter brunch at our house this year! Oh man.. I knew it was going to happen too... our new house has a beautiful screened in sun porch and it was only a matter of time before my Grams decided we needed to do a holiday here! I think I'll be doubling the above recipe so I have some for brunch and some for myself and the man during the following week!

On an exciting note... Over at the blockheadradio weekly challenge I've got some stiff competition going, neck and neck with another artist, we keep over taking each other by only a few votes... I can't stop checking, or biting my nails!
If you haven't voted yet pretty please with a cherry on top, would you mind popping over and giving baby true blue a boost?


Thanks for stopping by!
Feed my blog monster ----> he's hungry and thinks your comments are oh so yummy!

Rain rain go away....

Man, don't ya know it.. whenever you want to play/work outside... there comes the rain! Of course there is plenty of work to do inside as well.... Just not the work I wanted to do!
I cleaned the lizards cage today, problem is the pet store near where we moved doesn't carry the white reptile calci-sand by zoo meds that my little guy is used to.. They do however carry another brand of calcium sand that I know is safe for leopard geckos, problem is, Slick Nick is one picky little brat! Not only is the sand not white.. but it's not as powdery, it's more textured. Now Slick always gets ticked off when I clean his cage because for the interim he gets stuck in a dark shoe box.. he HATES the shoe box.. and he usually gives me the stink eye for a while before he crawls back in his rock for his daytime sleepykins. Well.. whew.. boy I wished for the stink eye today! First he freaked out so much he nearly broke his neck trying to climb up the glass and out of the cage when his toes hit the sand(leopard geckos can't climb glass unlike their other gecko cousins who can). So I took him out and let him chill on my chest till he calmed down, then he hung out with me till he tried to make a break for the floor... Back in his cage he's sitting there, on top of his large rock.. shooting daggers at me with his lil eyes, refusing to touch the new sand... I just took this with my cell (quality sucks)

he is so mad at me! I keep tellin him tough tooshy mister.... it needed to be cleaned and I wasn't driving 45 mins away to get him the sand he likes!

Moving on... I won my category in the Artisan's challenge last week, which means I'm now in the weekly challenge! It's pretty stiff competition over there at the moment! I'm neck in neck with one artist.... it's gonna be close..
So if you would be oh so kind.. and pop over there and vote for Baby True Blue by TheClayMuse (second entry on the list) I would be ecstatic!

If you didn't see the shout out post before this one, please check it out.. those 2 lovely ladies who deserve a bit of exposure!

Spring is here.. I have flowers peeking through the leaves to prove it....

Thanks for stopping by!