today is a very special day around here.
today is kelly’s ambitious kitchen’s first birthday!
365 days ago, i took a scary creative leap + pressed ‘POST’ on my very first blog post!
starting kelly’s ambitious kitchen was a longtime goal of mine. much hemming + hawing went into the decision to put myself {and my writing! and my lack of capitalization! and my recipe spins! and my lack of commas!} into the world wide web.
just as i would think i was ready to start a food blog, i was guaranteed to scare myself back into my shell + make excuses like ‘i’m too busy!’ ‘maybe next week!’
if you’re a human, i am sure you know those excuses. they’re the bullshit kind of ones.
once my boyfriend + i decided to relocate to wichita, kansas for his work opportunity, i realized that this was the time. i was embarking on a new chapter in my life + there was no better time than the present to be true to myself.
so with many pushes of encouragement from my biggest fans {hi family! hi friends! that’s you!}, i decided to live a little! i decided to take the leap + finally setup my internet word shop!
after months of all-nighters, TONS of research + countless wordpress tutorials under my belt, kelly’s ambitious kitchen was born!
something that blogging has taught me is that no matter where you are or how busy you are, everyone has time for themselves. time to be true to their passions + to enjoy them!
there have been days where i spend hours criticizing my photos or weeks that are plagued by writer’s block. and on those silly days where i am too tough on myself, i look at what the blog has accomplished in it’s first 12 months – features on incredible sites like people magazine, the huffington post + buzzfeed!
and the most important moments have been when receiving personal messages from REAL humans who have made my food telling me to keep it up! that they like my recipes! ..and some have even said they like my stupid puns, too!
so, while starting new things can be a bit scary + sometimes the yearning to be noticed in a sea of blogs can be disheartening, as soon as i take a deep breath {and sometimes a big ‘ol gulp of wine} + remember to simply have fun, i am quickly reminded that starting kelly’s ambitious kitchen has been one of the best decisions i have made for myself!
so, now that all those feelings-fueled words have escaped, i think it’s time to celebrate! what do ya say!
usually cake is in order on such joyous occasions, but for those who know me, you know that baking isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse.
so i’m going to embark us on a different kind of baking journey.. one that involves some serious cheese.
the recipe i posted 365 days ago was lemon chicken.
this recipe was a family favorite that my mom had been serving hot from the stove for as long as i could remember. i chose the recipe not only because it was nearly foolproof + totally delicious the very first recipe i made in my first big girl apartment. a first for my first, if you follow me!
today, i wanted to post a recipe that follows that same path – something that is close to my heart. something that comes from the city where although i don’t currently live, it’s where i fell in love with food – chicago!
there is a magical restaurant in chicago called chicago pizza oven grinder + this pizza pot pie is a spin on their famous dish.
for those who have had the real deal, you will know it is simply impossible to recreate the masterpiece.
but, for me, this homemade + rather quick spin on their upside-down pizza pot pie, is one that takes me back to the low-lit pine-paneled atmosphere of the famous restaurant. after one bite, i am transported back to 40-year old leather booths, where i told myself – since i can’t simply visit everyday, i need to get a bit ambitious + make this at home!
the steps are rather simple. you make a red wine laced meat sauce with knobby mushrooms. then you gracefully layer it into cheese-lined ramekins + seal it with a pizza dough top.
after the oven bakes it to perfection, you FLIP the bowls over to reveal a pizza dough cup filled with steaming sauce + a top of molten cheese. drooling yet?
the idea of this pizza pot pie is rather risky, but once you take the leap + just go for the flip – you will sit back in awe of the delight in front of you.
kinda reminds me of that leap i took to start a food blog, eh? 😉
happy birthday, KAK!
i hope the blog has many celebrations to come, that i can always remember to take a deep breath + that i am able to have some serious fun along the way!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 white onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup red wine
- 28oz of diced tomatoes
- 6oz tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 12 whole crimini mushrooms, stems removed
- 8 slices of provolone cheese
- 8 slices of mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded asiago cheese
- store-bought pizza dough
- preheat your oven to 350º
- add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- once the oil is shimmering, add the ground beef + brown.
- once the meat has browned, remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
- add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. add in the onion + garlic. cook until the onion is translucent.
- once the onion is translucent, add the seasonings, tomato paste + the cooked ground beef into the pot. stir to coat.
- next, add the red wine, diced tomatoes + honey to the ground beef mixture.
- once everything is combined, add the whole mushrooms + let the sauce simmer on low heat while you prepare the pot pie ramekins.
- using olive oil {about a teaspoon per dish}, oil the inside + rims of your ramekins.
- then fit the provolone slices into the ramekins. you want to push the cheese to mirror the shape of the ramekin, covering the bottom + sides.
- repeat with the mozzarella slices, covering any area you may have missed with the provolone. it is okay to break the slices into strips, if needed! then sprinkle in the asiago cheese on the bottom of the ramekin.
- roll out your pizza dough! find a bowl or cup that has a slightly larger opening than your ramekins + place upside down onto your rolled out dough. using a paring knife, trace around the edges to cut out a circle of the dough. set the circles aside.
- now, spoon your meat sauce into the ramekins -on top of the cheese- filling to just below the rim of the ramekin.
- lay the pizza dough circle over the top of the ramekin + fold the dough over the sides to enclose the sauce.
- bake for 25 minutes, or until your pizza dough is golden brown.
- carefully remove the ramekin from the oven + flip the ramekin over -pizza dough side going down- onto a plate/bowl.
- use a butter knife to loosen the pizza dough from the sides of the ramekin + gently lift the ramekin straight up to ‘drop’ the pizza into the, now, pizza dough crust.
- enjoy while cheesy + hot!
the ground beef can be swapped or omitted to fit your fancy. i have made it with italian sausage, ground buffalo + stuck strictly to the shrooms. go with what you love + the results will hit the spot!
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you can skip the homemade sauce step by using your favorite jarred marinara. simply heat the jarred sauce on the stove-top + add the browned meat right in! this speedy shortcut is great for a busy weeknight or last-minute guests!
feel free to get fancy with your pot pie fillings. green peppers added to the sauce are a welcome addition! some folks even choose black olives, giardiniera or spinach.
if you’re totally not like me a total martha, you can make homemade pizza dough! i always tend to opt for store-bought or sometimes even let pillsbury biscuits do all the hard work {i mean they ARE already round. .}, but go for the homemade gold if you’re comfortable adding that step!
a classic chef’s salad or italian house salad is the perfect accompaniment alongside the pot pies! the acidity from a homemade dressing to cut through the richness of the dish is a real game changer.
for the locals + visitors alike, please visit chicago pizza oven grinder if you have not been! i pinky promise you will love everything – from the genius man who takes your name without a written list to the med bread to your very last gooey cheesy pot pie bite!
join along as kelly posts, pins + peruses for inspiration in her ambitious kitchen!
You go girl! Many more years of good blogging!
thank you laura!! -k