two ingredient dough

Savory Bacon & Onion Bread Pudding

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By now, most of you now have probably seen the two-ingredient dough recipe floating around all over the internet.  Folks use the it to make lots of things, like pizza crust or pretzels, but the most popular use is bagels.  The bagels (recipe below) make great breakfast sandwiches so I bake them often.  I wish I knew who to give credit for this recipe, but it’s viral Internet information now and somewhere out there is a two-ingredient genius!

Anyway, I’ve been on a bread pudding kick.  I recently made a protein-packed cinnamon vanilla bread pudding.  It got me thinking about a savory bread pudding, as opposed to the traditional sweet versions.  It just so happened that, when I had this brainstorm, I had just baked up some two-ingredient bagels a couple days before.  Naturally, I immediately started experimenting, using the bagels as the base for the recipe.  I decided the best version of savory bread pudding would have to include my favorite 3 ingredients ever:  bacon, onions, and garlic.  Is there a better flavor combination?  No, ma’am, there is not.  It’s the flavor trifecta with an aroma that makes my mouth water every time!  I was right, it’s the perfect savory bread pudding mixture.

Most bread puddings have a sauce or topping of some kind.  I knew right away what I wanted as my topping… an over-easy fried egg that will ooze over the nooks and crannies of the top of the bread, seeping its creamy yolk into the garlicy bacon and onion bread.  I strongly urge you to top your slice with an egg.   I don’t even normally like runny eggs but, as a “sauce” for my bread pudding, it’s amazing (if I do say so myself).  ~Erin

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Here’s a quick rundown of how I make it (more detailed recipe below):

Cook the bagels & tear them up.

savory bread pudding step 1

Chop the bacon, mince the garlic, and dice the onions.  I use this thing to dice onions ALWAYS.  This is the Alligator Chopper and it saves me time and tears.  It’s one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!  I only share my favorites with y’all, promise.  Get yours here:  Alligator Chopper

 

Cook the bacon, onions, and garlic….. Mmmmmm

 

Mix it all with the bread and sprinkle on the cheese.

 

Whisk the custard ingredients together in a small bowl and pour them over the bread.

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Bake it, slice it, top it with an egg (if you like), and enjoy!

Ingredients for two-ingredient bagels:
  • ½ c. self-rising flour (I use Gold Medal brand)
  • ½ c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt
  • dash of salt, optional
  • 1 egg, beaten
Ingredients for savory bacon & onion bread pudding:
  • 2 baked and cooled bagels (instructions for bagels are below)
  • 5 slices center cut bacon (I use Oscar Mayer), sliced in small pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced (I suggest only one, if they are large cloves.)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c. fat free half & half
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 3 T. shredded parmesan cheese (not the powdery stuff)

Instructions: 

  1. Instructions for making the bagels:
  2. Make the bagels the night before the bread pudding.
  3. To make the bagels, begin by combining the flour, salt, and non-fat Greek yogurt. I use a rubber spatula and just keep scraping and working it together until it forms a ball.
  4. Divide the dough into 2 portions and work each portion into a 1-inch “snake” by rolling it between your palms; connect the ends to make a circle.
  5. Brush each bagel top with beaten egg (or just dip them in it).
  6. Bake on the top rack of a preheated 375°F oven, on a parchment lined sheet pan, for 25 minutes; or bake in your air fryer (LINK TO AMAZON?) at 330°F for 11-12 minutes.
  7. After they cool, cut them open and toast them slightly in the oven, toaster, or air fryer. This step helps dry out the bread.
  8. Tear the bagels into small pieces and spread in a loaf pan or small casserole dish.
  9. Cover loosely and leave out overnight to dry further.
  10. Instructions for making the bread pudding:
  11. Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the bacon pieces brown.
  12. Reduce heat to low and add the onions and garlic; cook and stir often until the onions become translucent (about 5 minutes).
  13. Mix the bacon, onion, garlic mixture into the dry bagel pieces.
  14. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top.
  15. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, salt, and pepper; pour the egg mixture over the bread/bacon mixture.
  16. At this point, I preheat the oven to 350°F. The bread pudding needs to sit a while so the custard will soak into the dried bread. I’d say at least 20 minutes but it’s fine if you need to let it sit longer (just make sure to refrigerate it in the meantime). Let it come back to room temperature before baking if it’s been refrigerated.
  17. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.*
  18. Serve warm. Perfect topped with an over-easy egg.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 4 servings at 4 points each.

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*This could also be cooked in the air fryer but I have not tested times and temps yet.  I’d try 350° for 10 minutes, to start with, but that’s just a guess.  If you try it, let me know how it works!  Or I’ll try it soon myself.  I was just too anxious to share this recipe to test it in the air fryer first.

Pizza Pot Pies

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I very rarely sit down and watch a TV show.  About the only time I watch a show, in its entirety, is when I’m on the treadmill.  My favorite channel?  Food Network.  I am aware that it’s odd to watch cooking shows while exercising but I love them.  Not long ago, I watching a show where chefs recall their favorite dishes they’ve ever eaten.  This particular episode featured a restaurant that served pizza pot pies.  Ooey, gooey cheese, meat, and veggies, all covered with a warm crust… I knew I had to recreate it for myself.

These pizza pot pies are a fun variation on regular pizza.  There’s just something about getting your own little dish to yourself that you can turn upside down.  Seeing the melty cheese stretch as the filling piles high on top of the soft crust is about as much fun as dinner gets. YUMMY!  ͂ Erin

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Ingredients:

  • 1 c. self-rising flour
  • 1 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ lb. mild turkey breakfast sausage, browned & drained
  • 1 medium bell peppers, diced
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 4 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, diced
  • 2 oz. turkey pepperoni, chopped
  • 2 oz. fully cooked Canadian bacon, chopped
  • 1 1/3 c. low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, divided
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Italian seasoning, optional

Instructions:

  1. To make the crust, mix the Greek yogurt and the self-rising flour in the bowl of your stand mixer for a couple minutes on low until well mixed.  I used my paddle attachment.  You can also mix it by hand.  Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface (flour your hands too) and knead it a few times.  Set aside while you prepare the filling.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  3. Spray 4 6-ounce ramekins inside and out and place them on a sheet pan.  (If you don’t have ramekins, see note below.)  Fill each ramekin with 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese.  Set aside.
  4. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; sauté veggies over medium heat until crisp-tender.
  5. Add cooked sausage, chopped pepperoni, chopped Canadian bacon, minced garlic, tomato sauce, garlic salt, basil, onion powder, oregano, paprika, black pepper, and sugar.  Simmer on low about 5 minutes.
  6. Disperse meat filling evenly on top of cheese in the ramekins.
  7. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and pat into discs.
  8. Top each ramekin with a piece of dough, stretching over the sides a bit.
  9. Brush the dough with egg and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, if desired.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  11. Using an oven mitt, turn out on your plate for serving. Careful, it might be slippery!

*This can easily be made in an 8×8 casserole dish, layered in opposite order:  crust on the bottom, filling, then cheese on top.

WW Freestyle Info.: Each serving (one full ramekin) is 10 points.  Makes 4 servings.  Without the dough, each serving is 7 points.  I wanted you to have this information in case you want to substitute a pre-packaged refrigerated pizza dough.  I understand that sometimes we don’t all have time to mix up our own pizza dough!

 

Life Changing Chicken and Dumplings

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I don’t know about y’all, but when I’m trying to eat healthier, it’s the comfort foods that I really crave. What is it about trying to eat well, that makes us crave all of the things that are so bad for us?  One of my favorite comfort foods is chicken and dumplings.  Tonight, I decided to try the current two-ingredient dough craze that’s gone viral in the Weight Watchers world to see if I can make a chicken and dumpling recipe that would satisfy my craving without crashing my diet.  I’m here to tell you folks, that this recipe is light done right.  Try this recipe and think of your grandma in her kitchen as you’re cooking!  ~Tracy

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Ingredients:

½ c. yellow onion, finely chopped

5 c. fat free chicken broth

3 c. cooked white meat chicken (I like to use shredded chicken breasts from rotisserie chickens)

1 ½ c. self-rising flour

1 ½ c. plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

1 t. kosher salt

Instructions:

In a large soup pot (approx. 3 qt.), sauté the onions in 3 or 4 T. of your chicken broth, just until the onion begins to become translucent.   Add in the remaining chicken broth and cooked chicken.  Bring to a heavy simmer (no need for a full boil, you want the mixture to be lightly bubbling).

While the chicken and broth are heating, mix together the flour, salt, and yogurt until they form a sticky dough.

Once the chicken broth is simmering heavily, spray two small spoons with cooking spray.  Drop dumplings by spoonsful into the simmering broth mixture until all of the dough is used.

Allow dumplings to cook in the broth for approximately 5 minutes.  Remove a large dumpling and cut open to test doneness.  When the middle of the larger dumplings appear cooked through, remove the pot from heat.    Allow the pot to sit for approximately 5 minutes before serving so that all dumplings finish cooking within the hot broth.

Weight Watchers info.:  Makes approximately 8, 1 cup servings at 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle points each.