PARTY FAVORITES

PARTY PITA WEDGES

2 regular sized pita pockets (6 inch)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
16 slices pepperoni
4 round slices provolone cheese
1/3 cup medium chunky salsa

In a heatproof cup or bowl heat olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper in microwave on high for 40 seconds. Remove and add butter. Stir and set aside.
Using kitchen scissors, cut pita pockets into 4 pizza slice shaped wedges (slice in half, then slice each half again to make the wedges). Cut again along curved outer edge to separate into 2. Brush both sides of the pita wedges with warm olive oil mixture, coating well.

Place wedges crust side down on a baking sheet. Spread 1 teaspoon of salsa to top each wedge. Cut provolone slices into 4 wedge shapes and place one on top of each. Top with a slice of pepperoni, if desired. Drizzle with any remaining olive oil and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Serve while still warm.

Makes 16 wedges.

Variation: Cut pita into 4 wedge shaped pockets. Fill the same way as above (but only half as much cheese wedges and pepperoni slices will be needed if making pockets instead of crusts).



PIZZA CRACKERS

50 large sized circular crackers
1 can condensed tomato soup
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 lb sharp PepperJack cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

In a blender or food processor, blend garlic until smooth; add soup (do not add water), cheese, oregano and basil, process for 1 minute. Let mixture stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F for 15 minutes before baking.

Spread the center of each cracker with a small amount of the tomato mixture. Top with a slice of cheddar cheese. Place on cookie sheet and continue until all ingredients are used.

Bake for about 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts, depends on size of cracker used. Watch closely as these burn easily



SKILLET TORTILLA PIZZA

This is a quick, tasty snack for when you're in a hurry and don't have the time for take-out!

1 tortilla
1/3 cup cheese (any kind)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each basil and oregano
olive oil spray
salt, pepper
garlic powder
hot salt or cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet on high.
Spray a tortilla with olive oil on both sides.

Season the top with salt, pepper, garlic powder and hot salt or cayenne pepper, if desired.

Mozzarella cheese is nice, but American, Cheddar, Provolone, Scamorza and Muenster cheeses also work well. This is a good way to use up cheese ends often available at the deli. Cut the cheese into 1/2" X 1/4" chunks. Have your ingredients ready for quick assembly on the hot pan as it continues to heat up.

When the pan begins to get hot, place the seasoned tortilla in the center of the skillet. Mound the cheese in the center of the tortilla, leaving a 1" margin around the edge of the circle. Allow a few minutes to go by, (don't walk away!) and as the cheese is partially melted and the skillet is becoming quite hot, pour the sauce over the cheese. Reduce heat at this point if needed, but the goal is for the tortilla to become golden brown and crispy.

Sprinkle the remaining seasonings over the sauce and drizzle with a few random drops of olive oil.

When the sauce is heated and the tortilla is golden brown underneath, use a large spatula to carefully transfer it to a dish.

Season with salt, pepper, and hot salt to taste (if desired) and roll up or cut into 4 triangle wedges or two halves for serving.

Each tortilla pizza makes one serving.

Simple, made with ingredients usually on hand, faster than thawing those tasteless frozen pizzas and so good!

Note: If you have flatbread or pita bread on hand, these can also be used for the crust. Spray with olive oil and proceed as above. Split pita bread by cutting along the side to make two circles. Place the crust part down. Pita will need a longer cooking time because of the added thickness, or simply place the pre-assembled pizza under the broiler instead.