Are you whipping your staff into place?  Do they need constant supervision?  Maybe it is not them.

The possibilities for sauce on a pizza are pretty much endless.  BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, no sauce, mustard, …  One of my favorites is easy to make and tastes great.  Give it a try, it is worth it.

Start with a normal pizza skin, but instead of sauce, use mayo.  I use a Japanese mayo that is not quite as firm as Miracle Whip, but that works just as well.  Spread it out a bit thinner than you would with normal sauce, but be sure to cover the skin evenly.

Throw on a coating of cheese, then top with 2-3 ounces of bacon bits.  The amount really depends on the size of the pizza, but 2-3 ounces is just right for a 12 inch pizza.

Bake normally.  A conveyor shouldn’t need any adjusting, but keep an eye on it near the end.  You might need to pull it out one pizza length early, but it is fine if it gets a bit crispier than normal.  For other ovens, take a peek at it a minute early.

After the pizza is done, give it a liberal covering with fried onions.  Something like this or this.  You literally want a layer 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick on your pizza.  Cut it up and you are good to go.

Needs:

• Pan (I use this one)
• Lasagna Pan – You can use the same type as above, a disposable one, or just about anything that holds 2 quarts
• Onions (1 whole or 3-4 Oz)
• Green peppers (2-3 peppers, about 3-4 Oz)
• Sauce (14 Oz) – Pizza sauce is just fine
• Cheese (6-9 Oz) – Mozz is perfect, but your normal pizza cheese will do.
• Lasagna noodles (I haven’t noticed much of a difference between no cook and regular)
• Sausage (12 Oz)
• 1 Beaten egg – Not 100% necessary, but it does add a lot.
• 15 Oz Ricotta or cottage cheese

1.  Start off by throwing the onions and GP in your pan, coating lightly with olive oil and then run through the oven.  These can come right off your pizza line, or you can cut them into smaller pieces.  They should be sizzling by the time they come out, if not give them another pass.  You don’t want to brown the onions, but you don’t want them uncooked either.

2.  Mix the egg and ricotta (or cottage cheese) for the filling

3.  Mix the sauce, O/GP mix, and sausage

4.  Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with sauce, and layer noodles over it.  Add 1/2 of the filling, 1/2 the sauce mix, and 3 Oz or so of cheese.  Cover with lasagna noodles (3 should be enough), and add the rest of the filling, sauce and another 3 Oz. of cheese.

5.  Top with 3 stripes of alternating cheese and sauce.  Sprinkle with parm and cover with tin foil.  If your lasagna is close to the top of the pan, you can stick a tooth pick in to keep the cheese from sticking to the foil.

6.  Cook the lasagna covered for 40 minutes.  There are a few ways you can do this.  My ovens had doors on the front, so I could just set the lasagna in the oven, under the blowers and the belt.  MM ovens have a removable front, but I can’t really recommend it because those things are hot and heavy.  It is just better to stop the belt in that case.

7.  Uncover the lasagna, don’t forget the tooth pick if you used one, top with sprinkle more of cheese, and bake it again for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese gets brown.

I use sausage because it is easy, pre=cooked, and available.  You can use ground beef (cook & drain before adding to the lasagna), pepperoni, or even Canadian bacon.  I frequently mix all of them as well.

Easy additions are: olives (black & green), shrooms, spinach, egg plant, and just about anything.  The more you make the more creative you will get.  You can also swap out the meat and 1/2 the cheese for tofu to make a great veggie dish.

Any questions?

I am heading back to the US.  Anyone know a good place to get a pizza in Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, or the Twin Cities (MN)?

They even made the bevel look like teeth.  I think I need one of these.

The Evil Twin of Procrastination

By Bob Cox

I’ve noticed that almost every time I’m in a hurry, something bad happens. And the rushing around is often the result of the time pressure that follows procrastination.

Say your goal is to advance within your company. A management position recently opened, and you decided to submit your resume. However, you procrastinated… and didn’t turn it in until the last minute. In your haste, you didn’t take the time to “proof” your submission. And by not doing so you left in several misspelled words.

Oops! Now you know why you weren’t considered to be the top candidate.

Don’t let rushing or impatience interfere with the achievement of your goals. Learn how to recognize when you’re in too much of a hurry, and slow yourself down.

I have two warning signs that trigger me to slow down:

1. I have an inner sense of desperation.
2. I become irritable – and this affects my judgment.

Both of these warning signs occur when my timeframe to complete a task or project becomes compressed to the point where I can feel myself speeding up the process. A sense of urgency is acceptable. But a sense of panic isn’t. That’s when I know I have to step back, take a deep breath, reset myself, and focus.

You must discover your own warning signs and resist the urge to rush. Stick with routines that work. And don’t make things worse by procrastinating.

[Ed. Note: Success mentor Bob Cox - who has worked with four billionaires during his career - strongly believes that setting goals can help you make your longest-held dreams come true. Learn proven goal-setting and achieving strategies from Bob right here.]

I have seen a lot of pizza cutters out theree, but this one takes the cake fro being the mosst interesting.

I can only guess it is a pain to keep clean though.

Today’s post is about Lasagna.  It looks like Pizza Hut is rolling it out in some markets.  Lasagna is something I have experimented with for years.  It is much easier to make than it seems and can be done easily with your existing equipment.

image courtesy of nrn.com

I tried with frozen products, refrigerated uncooked ones, microwave-ables, and none of them were good enough to put on my menu.  My problem was that I didn’t have a stove to cook the pasta on.  Little did I realize that you can make an incredible lasagna without boiling the pasta first.  Try it yourself.

With the possible addition of a bit of ricotta or cottage cheese, you can have a great new family dinner alternative.  Lasagna for 4 is a solution for a busy family, and easy to prepare ahead during non-peak times (you should be making a day ahead anyway).

I will post some pizza oven lasagna recipes in a bit, but I just wanted to get this (fully spellchecked and proof read) post out in a timely manner.

ps, anyone else out there make lasagna in a pizza oven?  Leave me a comment and let me know how you do it.

Chipotle Employee Just Gave Guy In Front Of You More Rice

I am a strong believer in portion control.  I haven’t always been as ‘mercenary’ as I am today, but back then I didn’t own 5 stores either.  The above article pokes fun at portion control, but the reality is that if an attractive person, regular, PITA, or any of these customers comes in, you are probably making an unconscious opinion of them, and that is going right to your hands affecting the volume of toppings you put on.

If it is a regular, you might feel food about throwing on a bit more cheese, as a special service.  The ‘regular’ bonus sop to speak.  The hook here is that you might not be making that pizza next time, and your staff, acting normally, will probably go with a ‘normal portion’, giving that regular customer a feeling of being shorted.

Now of course the customer probably isn’t watching you as close as they can at a Chipotle, but they do notice changes from pizza to pizza.  Pepperoni edge to edge, enough sausage in every bite.  Even a small change, or improper placement (all in the center for example), has a big impact.

Read The Onion article and think of a time that happened to you, can you afford not to make portion control a habit?