Sharing the Goodness of Food-Continued!

Last night I went to a ladies get together for my ward. It is kind of a tradition here for the second year med student wives to put together a night where we can get to know each other and the new wives better. Since we are all in the same situation and in the same ward, it makes for a great support group during the craziness of med school. Anyway, I made something called Tomato Basil Squares to take(yet another delicious recipe that I acquired from my mom-I love you Mom!) and they were a big hit. Most people like them, that is why I chose to bring them! So I thought, since this dish is awesome(I must say so myself), I enjoy sharing recipes with others, and I want to post recipes on my blog that I love, I'm posting this one for you all. Really, if you like Italian food, especially the mixed flavors of tomato and basil, you don't want to miss out on this!


Tomato Basil Squares

1 package refrigerated pizza crust (or homemade pizza crust)
8 oz or 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz or ¼ c fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
2/3 c mayonnaise
1 pressed garlic clove
4 tomatoes sliced (I use between 6-8 Roma tomatoes)
Preheat oven 375. Roll out pizza dough on rectangle cookie pan or circle pan. Sprinkle crust with 1 c mozzarella. Mix parmesan, basil, rest of mozzarella, mayo, and garlic. Layer sliced tomatoes over mozzarella. Then scoop cheese mixture on top of tomatoes and spread evenly. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Here is the recipe that I use for the crust, but I bake according to the tomato basil squares recipe, not the crust baking instructions. This crust is great for homemade pizza too!


Pizza Crust

2 ½ to 3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 package yeast or 2 ¼ tsp
3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 cup very warm water
Mix one cup of flour, the sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add 3 tbsp oil and very warm water. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. Stir in enough remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves sides of the bowl. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead 5-8 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Cover loosely and let rise 30 minutes. Divide dough in half and roll out. Bake at 425 for 7-8 min til partially browned, then add toppings and bake until browned and bubbly for thin crust. For thick crust roll entire dough out and bake at 375 for 15 minutes on bottom rack, then add toppings and finish.