'Home-made' pizzas

A bit of a 'cheat' tea

Assembles in 5-10 mins while the oven heats and cooks in about 10.

Spread ready made pizza bases with tomato purée.

(I also make using toasted stotties or breadbuns, but under the grill)

Rip a few basil leaves (I have a supermarket pot from a meal a few weeks ago still growing on the windowsill, but a light sprinkle of dried basil or oregano would be okay) and grind some black pepper over.

Add some veg like frozen sweeetcorn, sliced mushrooms or some chopped peppers (or whatever you have and like)

If you want meat, add on a few thin strips of cooked meat eg sandwich ham, salami or left-overs like chicken or chorizo from another meal, or a sliced stick of peperami ...

Add a bit of cheese to the top, mozzarella if I have planned ahead and bought some, or cheddar or whatever is lurking in the fridge if I am just throwing it together.

Put in the oven according to the pizza base instructions (typically 10 mins) or if using buns just grill until the cheese has melted.


Although it takes longer to prep, this is quite a nice thing to make with kids, who love getting involved. (Tea may be later, but it's a good opportunity to hear about their day while working side-by-side)

If you don't want to use or don't have a ready-made base, as an alternative to making your own dough or a scone base, you can also half and lightly toast bread buns, muffins, stotties... before adding the topping.

(The sauce I use for spaghetti and meatballs can also be used on pizzas.)

Other meals with fresh basil

Other meals with mozzarella



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Loaded skins

Bacon or gammon in a garlic tomato sauce topped with potato wedges and mozzarella.


Serves four (but easy to scale up and down).

Cut four large potatoes (or unsuprisingly more if they are smaller) into wedges (I cut each into eight: cut longways in half, then half and half again. Put in an oven tin, drizzle over a couple of teaspoons of oil then rub all the potato slices together to coat. Spread them in one layer and put them in the oven (about 200c/GM6) for about 45 mins.

I usually leave them for about half an hour, then check them and begin making the next bit. If they aren't yet cooked through (stab a thick one to make sure it's soft) and starting to go a bit crispy yet (depends on how thick the slices are and how packed the tin is), you might need to leave them in a bit longer, or turn the oven up a bit.

(If you are using leftover cooked gammon or bacon, make the sauce and then add it)

Cook the bacon or gammon chopped into small bite-size pieces for a couple of minutes in a pan. (You probably won't need to use any oil, as the meat will release some fat if you start cooking it gently.) You can use sliced bacon, chopped up bacon or gammon steak, lardons et cetera. I usually find cutting a bacon or gammon joint up is the best value and freeze the rest for another meal. How much is up to you, a pound of meat (450-500g) is more than enough for four, and less wouldn't seem mean in this dish. Especially if I am using chunky pieces from a joint, I sometimes take the meat out of the pan and spread over the oven dish I will be baking it in and pop it in the oven while I make the sauce to give them a roasted taste and texture.

Chop a couple of onions (I usually chop one fine to thicken the sauce and one a bit chunkier) and soften them in the pan for a couple of minutes with some crushed garlic (up to you how garlic-y you like it, I usually use about half a bulb).

Then add a tin of tomatoes, some black pepper, a big pinch of oregano and a squirt of tomato purée (2-3 tsps). Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for a few minutes so it is thick and not runny.

Mix the sauce and meat and spread evenly over an oven dish. Put the lightly crispy wedges over to cover and then thin pieces of mozzarella here and there over the potatoes.

Put back into the oven for about ten minutes for the mozzarella to melt and bubble.

You might also like:

Potato and Bacon Soup - this is an idea for any unused meat

Other meals with mozzarella

Beef in Beer

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Chilli Beef Stew


Stuffed Peppers

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Tomato Soup

Makes 4-6 bowlfuls of a tasty and filling 'everyday' tomato soup.

Put a tiny amount of oil in a pan, roughly chop a couple of onions (three if they are small) and a clove or two of garlic (it's all going to be blended later, so no need to be dainty) and soften for a couple of minutes.

Add a tin of tomatoes then refill the tin with water and add this to the pan too. Bring to the boil adding a couple of chopped carrots (three or four if they are small). Add some black pepper, a pinch of parsley, a pinch of basil and a squirt of tomato purée (about 2-3 tsps). Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

If I am making this is in advance I usually switch the heat off at this point and leave it to cool for an hour or so before sticking the wand blender in. Taste it and adjust the seasoning (it may benefit from a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar).

If I was going to serve it straight away I would probably simmer it for an extra 5-10 mins and then blend.

If you don't have a blender, then give it a good bash with a potato masher (and push it through a sieve with a spoon if you want it a bit smoother)

This reheats well and is fine in the microwave, so is good to take to work for lunch. It should freeze okay too.





For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )