Audre's Pizza Casserole, My Way

First Published Sept 9, 2014

Update: While my health status has changed, and carbs are now a limited food for me, I still can't resist a helping of Audre's Pizza Casserole. It's just that good.

You can watch the video on YouTube:

Turkey Pizza Casserole ala Audre

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

When Bob and I were first engaged, Bob's mother, Audre, made a pizza casserole for a luncheon with my mother and me. That was my introduction to Audre's Pizza Casserole. Years later, when Bob and I moved to Phoenix, Audre sent me a copy of the recipe.

Rosemary works well in Pizza Casserole

Audre sort of led me to believe this tasty dish was her creation, but alas, this is not true. It was a lunch-lady at Bob's middle school that shared this recipe. The lunch-lady made it on a massive scale, and it was a dish Bob actually liked from the school cafeteria. Audre asked the lunch-lady to share the recipe, and since Audre was well liked in the school community, the lunch-lady happily complied.

And so was born Audre's Pizza Casserole.

Audre's Pizza Casserole	My Way
Sauce ¼ cup tomato paste, 1/8 cup tomato puree, and 1 2/3 cup tomato juice	Sauce 3 cans tomato sauce, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tbs salt, a palm full of dried herbal mix
Meat 1 ½ lbs of ground beef, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic salt	Meat 20 ounces of ground turkey, seasoned with herbal mix and garlic salt
Noodles ½ lb of broad noodles, prepared according to package directions	Noodles About 12 ounces of cholesterol-free broad noodles, prepared al dente
Cheese 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese	Cheese 10-12 ounces of reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly

When it comes to the assembly, Audre and I follow the same pattern:

1.      Sauce

2.      Noodles

3.      Meat and seasoning

4.      Cheese

5.      Sauce

6.      Noodles

7.      Meat and seasoning

8.      Sauce

9.      Cheese

Layer the ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Why Making Pizza Casserole This Way is Worth It

I've seen recipes for pizza casserole that consist of canned dough, a jar of sauce, cheese and packaged

pepperoni on top. I don't call that a casserole. I call that sauce and cheese on a biscuit. (I sounded just like my mother there)

Anyway, the reason I take all this time and effort to make this pizza casserole from scratch is that it tastes that good. No doubt the quickie versions have their appeal, but once you make this dish, and have the leftovers the next day, so easily heated in the microwave, you'll never use canned dough again.

What's more, the licorice flavor brought in with the fennel seed – or Mexican Tarragon- is so subtle that at first you think you imagined it, that funny little tang in the midst of all this sauce and cheese. But no, there it is, a twist of sweet and heat nestled in a bed of comfort food.

What's more, it's easy to have some bit of this or that left over and that usually leads to some creative cooking ala Chopped – as in What's In The Fridge I That I Can Turn Into Dinner. If I have noodles and turkey, I can make noodles with turkey, veggies and white sauce. If I have just cheese and sauce, I make pizza bread on hamburger buns. And so on.

And So On

Recipes, especially family recipes, evolve and take on new ingredients, and substitute others. I'm pretty sure Audre's addition to this recipe was the fennel seed, because I have a hard time believing a lunch room kitchen in the 1970s was stocked with fennel seed. I think Audre knew this dish needed a bit of zing.

I miss my mother-in-law. She was sweet and fun and loved watching sci-fi – particularly Star Trek. And she like good food and board games and going to Star Trek conventions. And she liked animals and good books and  munchie food for breakfast. And she loved it when people raved about her pizza casserole.

So if you make this, and tell your friends you 'just came up with it', Audre will know. And she'll smile, and say something funny like, "Live Long and Casserole."

A Review of Krusteaz Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

First Published Aug 6, 2014

Update: I have mixed feelings about this product. Sometimes, the mix works well, other times not so much. However, the Cinnamon Swirl Cake, gluten free of course, is very good. So... I do like this line of goods, but only when they're on sale.

You can watch the video on YouTube:

Krusteaz Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix * A Product Review

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

 

The cost of gluten free mixes for baked goods is higher than that of their wheat-based counterparts. This irks me, because for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, opting for the less expensive item isn't an option.

So when I saw this 3-pack of Krusteaz Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix for $7.99 at Costco, I bought it. The video is a review of this product.

Mixes versus Made from Scratch

The advantage of mixes is that most of the prep work is already done. All the dry ingredients plus the sugar are in the pouch. You add an egg, some oil or butter, maybe a little water and stir it all together. Bake. Cool. Eat.

Making brownies, or any baked good, from scratch is more work. There are more ingredients, more steps. Less uniformity of measurement and technique.

But you are also familiar with every ingredient in your homemade goods. There is no unpronounceable element, such as those listed on the side of the box of the oh-so-easy-to-use mix.

Is one better than the other? If I had the time, I would bake from scratch more often. But the mixes give me a way of making a dessert without too much fuss when I just don't have the time or energy to bake.

But What I've Noticed About Mixes

The cooking time for mixes is a real variable. The directions usually give you a 5-minute spread, and that should be about right. But too often, to get the middle cooked through, I find I need to cook it a little longer. My neighbor says the same thing.

This results in crunchy sides, such as those seen in the video. Cooling time, to, is a variable. As is the type of pan you use, and what altitude you live at. Maybe mixes aren't less fussy; they're just fussy in a different way.

It's All About Results

In the video, I make two batches of brownies using the Krusteaz brownie mix. The first was too gooey, and the second was better, but the longer cook time meant a hardened crust. Everyone cuts the brownies out from the middle and leaves a ring of brownie crust around the sides.

At the cost of gluten free pre-packaged foods and mixes, I get choosy about which company gets my dollars. The results I got from this mix aren't great, but I have one more pouch to go. Maybe, I'll try something different. Maybe, third's the charm.

Turkey Meatballs in a Slow Cooker

First Published April 23, 2014

Update: I still use this recipe. I may change it up on the aromatics and herbs now and then, but the basic recipe remains the same. 

You can watch the demonstration video on YouTube:

Comfort Food: Turkey Meatballs in a Slow Cooker Control the Fat, Control the Salt

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

 

Original Post: Comfort food is a necessary part of life, no matter what sort of diet you need to follow. Comfort food gives us a kind of inner hug, a bit of a respite from the pressures and obligations of the day. A plate of pasta smothered in a sweet and tangy red sauce and topped with two big meatballs is just such a dish.

The recipe here is suited to my and my husband's particular taste, but it's easy enough to adjust and adapt this recipe to your own palate. I use sweet and earthy herbs for both the meatballs and the sauce, a classic combination of parsley, basil, oregano and rosemary. You can change up the flavorings to suit your taste; for example, you can substitute the rosemary for sage, or add fresh basil to the sauce.

The recipe is a guideline, rather than an absolute. Make this classic comfort food your go-to dish for those times when only comfort food will do.

Ingredients:

Meatball Mix

1 ½ pounds ground turkey

*Herbal mix

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

*Herbal mix: 1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano and parsley; ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Sauce

3 cans tomato sauce

1 tablespoon each of dried basil, oregano and parsley; about 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

Aromatics: 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 sweet pepper: cut into large pieces

Directions:

Combine the ingredients together for the meatball mix.

Pull off portions of the mix and roll into meatballs, making them just smaller than a golf ball.

Place them on a broiler pan.

Brown them under the broiler for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients in the insert of your crockpot. When the meatballs are browned, put them in the sauce, sinking them in so they cook thoroughly.

Put the inset in the cooker, set the temperature on low and cook for three hours.

Remove the meatballs from the sauce and set in a dish. Remove the wilted aromatics and discard. Pour the sauce in a saucepan, add the meatballs and keep warm while you get everything ready to serve.

A Word about Sodium and Fat

I use a lean ground turkey, with a low fat content. The higher the fat content of your ground turkey, the more breadcrumbs you should add to the meatball mix. If there's a lot of fat, and not enough breadcrumb, you could end up with a crumbly meatball and greasy sauce.

If you use a low fat turkey, consider adding a teaspoon of salt to the mixture. I don't add it because there's salt in the tomato sauce and that's enough for us. But a teaspoon of salt in the meat mixture will boost the flavors.

And a Final Tip

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature: the egg, the meat, and the veggies for your aromatics. This makes for more even cooking, and results in fuller flavor.

Comfort Food: Turkey Meatloaf

First Published April 4, 2014

Update: Like other recipes on this blog, I still use this one today. It's lower in fat, and I reduce the salt by adding lots of herbs. You can watch the demonstration video on YouTube: 

Lower Fat Comfort Food: Turkey Meatloaf with Traditional Flavor

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

Traditional recipes for meatloaf call for ground beef, ground veal, eggs, whole milk and lots of salt, all of which make meatloaf a dish high in fat and sodium. Have you ever made a traditional meatloaf in a loaf pan? When you take it out of the oven, that block of meat is swimming in grease. No thanks.

It's easy to lighten up this classic comfort food, though, and still get plenty of the flavor and texture that makes meatloaf such a cozy kind of dish.

First, substitute turkey for the beef and veal. Use just one egg for every 1 ½ pounds of meat, and leave out the whole milk altogether. You don't really need it.

Add a blend of dried, earthy herbs and just enough breadcrumbs to hold the mixture together and that's it. No salt or Worcestershire sauce; let the ketchup glaze be the saltiness in the mix.

 Here's my recipe for Turkey Meatloaf, contemporary style:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a foil lined baking dish with cooking spray

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of lean turkey

1 herbal mix (listed below)

1 egg

1 ½ cups of breadcrumbs

Low sodium ketchup

Directions:

Place the turkey in a large mixing bowl

Add the herbal mix and combine

Add the egg and mix it in

Add about ½ the amount of breadcrumbs and work it into the ground turkey

Add about ¼ to ½ of the remaining breadcrumbs and work them in to the meat

Add the remaining breadcrumbs and knead until the breadcrumbs are absorbed

Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish and shape into a loaf

Spread the ketchup over the meatloaf

Bake for one hour

Let the meatloaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes

Serve with baked potato and sliced tomato – or whatever tickles your fancy that day

The Herbal Blend and some Variations

1 tablespoon dried onion flake

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano

The herbal blend is really the secret to taste in this recipe. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor that fresh herbs, and hold up to the long cooking time, so use dried rather than fresh. But try different blends to find the right one for your taste.

For example, trade dried rosemary for the marjoram for a more aromatic flavor, and add a little more thyme for balance.

Try a blend of middle eastern spices, such as cumin and paprika, and nutmeg for a bit sweetness. Like a little heat in your meatloaf? Mix a dash of allspice, a dash of chili powder and a teaspoon of dried oregano for your seasonings, and balance that with a teaspoon of dried thyme.

Add a Few Veggies as Well, and Maybe Fruit

A few chopped onions, carrots and celery add texture and taste to the meatloaf, but you needn't stick with the traditional trinity of veggies. Try something different, like jalapeno peppers and corn, or chopped zucchini and onions.

If, like us, you don't like veggies in your meatloaf, make sure to add them to the dinner plate. I usually keep it simple – sliced tomatoes from the garden are my favorite. But think about add some fruit instead, such as sliced apples or put a bowl of grapes on the table and let everybody munch them at their leisure. A bite of fresh fruit makes for a nice contrast to the softer, gentler meatloaf.

And the best part of meatloaf is meatloaf sandwiches. Guilt free meatloaf sandwiches.This is comfort food, with a contemporary twist.

Two Minute Gluten Free Mini Cakes

First Published Sept 20, 2013

Update: Two things I like about this recipe is that I can use Bisquick flour blend, and it has versatility. It's a good recipe to play with.

You can watch the demonstration video on YouTube:

2 Minute Gluten Free Mini Cakes: Quick Snack and Easy Dessert

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

One thing about baking from scratch: It takes a lot of time. But mug cakes are made in the microwave, and that means that within a few minutes, the cake is done. So what could be better than a made-from-scratch cake ready in a few minutes?

Inspired by Anne's video for gluten free Mexican mug cake, I came up with this recipe for mini cakes. Using ramekins instead of mugs, I adapted a basic cake recipe to suit the portions and the quick cook method.

You'll need four 4-ounce ramekins for this recipe, but you can halve the recipe to make two cakes, or double it to make eight cakes.

Dry Ingredients

1/2cup gluten free Bisquick Pancake mix

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp of salt

3 tbsp gluten free cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients

1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water

1 egg

1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp of rice milk or almond milk

Directions

Whisk together the Bisquick mix, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and stir until the dry ingredients are well blended.

Add the wet ingredients all at once and stir until well combined.

Spray the four ramekins with a gluten free cooking spray. Fill the ramekins about half way full with the batter.

Microwave the ramekins two at a time for two minutes. Let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes before removing them from the ramekins.

And that's it. No turning on the oven, not waiting all day for the cake to cool. It's just a quick batter, two minutes in the microwave and 15 minutes to cool. And you're done.

If you want to make a cake, though, check out my recipe for gluten free chocolate cake on this blog, and you'll be able to watch the video. If you have any questions or comments about cooking or baking gluten free, please leave a comment in the comment section. I'll get back to you ASAP.

Gluten Free Lemon Bars

First Published Aug 26, 2013

Update: This recipe has stood the test of time. Watch the demonstration video on YouTube:

How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Bars Using Gluten Free Bisquick Mix

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

These gluten free lemon bars are a family favorite. Sweet with a bit of tartness, and a crust that has just the right texture. I credit the Gluten Free Bisquick Pancake Mix for that. The half cup of white rice flour gives the crust a bit more body, and the powdered sugar keeps it sweet.

For the crust:

1 cup Gluten Free Bisquick Pancake Mix

½ cup white rice flour

¼ cup powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled gluten free butter spread

4 teaspoons to ¼ cup cold water

For the topping:

2 eggs

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon white rice flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Zest of one large lemon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper

Make the Crust

Whisk together the gluten free flour mix, white rice flour, powdered sugar and salt.

Cut the chilled butter into chunks and add it to the mix.

Use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mix.

When the flour mix is crumbly, use your fingers to break it down until it has a sandy feel to it.

Add two teaspoons of cold water and work it in with your fingers.

Continue adding one teaspoon of water at a time until the mixture feels sticky.

Add ½ teaspoon of water at time until the mixture holds together.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and press it across the pan, making it as even as possible.

Place the pan in the oven and bake the crust for 20 minutes.

Make the topping

Five minutes before the crust is done baking, make the lemon topping.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and cream of tartar until light and fluffy.

Add the sugar, white rice flour and baking powder, the lemon juice and zest to the egg mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended and slightly thickened.

Take the crust out of the oven and pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust.

And Bake

Put the pan back into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for at least one hour before cutting.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top if desired. I don't usually do this, because I find the bars to be sweet enough, but a little extra sweetness is always an option.

Recipe for Gluten Free Brownies

First Published May 6, 2013

Update: While I favor the mixes for convenience, I like this recipe. It makes a cakey brownie the family likes, and uses Gluten Free Bisquick, a flour blend I can find in almost any supermarket.

You can watch the demo video of this recipe on YouTube: 

A Gluten Free Brownies Recipe made with Gluten Free Bisquick Flour Mix

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

Original Post: One of my New Year's resolutions was to create a recipe for really good gluten free brownies. I didn't want a goopy, overly sweet brownie; I wanted a delicate, cakey kind of brownie that held together when I cut a piece.

Two issues I encounter when experimenting with brownie recipes is the final product is either too wet or too dry. I search recipes online and many of the recipes call for a pile of dates in place of sugar, or massive amounts of butter. These are all too goopy.

The ones that call for sixteen different kinds of gluten free flour are too dry or crumbly, and/or have a chalky kind of aftertaste.

Hence, my resolve to create my own recipe. After several trials and errors, I have found the ultimate combination of ingredients and now have my gluten free brownie recipe.

Like many of my recipes, though, there's always room for play. I want to try adding a handful of chocolate chips, or maybe some crushed almonds. I gladly welcome suggestions in the comment section.

Recipe for Gluten Free Brownies 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8in. square pan

 

Dry Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cup Gluten Free Bisquick Mix

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients:

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 stick gluten free butter, nearly melted

Instructions:

• Whisk together the Bisquick mix, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
• Sift in the cocoa powder
• Whisk the cocoa powder into the dry ingredients until blended
• Add the vanilla and eggs to the dry ingredients
• Stir to break up the eggs and start incorporating them into the mixture 
• Add the nearly melted butter and stir until the ingredients are blended and the mixture is thickened
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes
• Allow to cool for one hour before cutting
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired

Resolution Update

Other than creating a brownie recipe, I also vowed to make more cooking videos. I'm working on that, as you can see.

 

I also vowed to start a gardening blog, which I did. Check out just az gardens to see how my gardens grow.

 

Haven't quite gotten the vegetarian meals my husband will actually like yet, but hey, the pizza bread I made the other night was meatless, and he liked that.

 

I also intended to exercise more. That, to, is a work in progress.

 

And finally, I resolved to find inner peace. Yea. That one is taking some work as well. But hey, I'm growing veggies and making brownies. So maybe it's all good.