Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

October 21, 2015 by Jenni

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Folks, I am faaaa-reeezing!! Seriously. It’s not even the end of October and we already have freezing temps. What. In. This. World?!

As I sit here and type, I’ve got layers of clothes on and a never-ending cup of hot coffee by my side. Yes. Filled to the brim with pumpkin spice creamer…and I’m STILL freezing!

Today, I’m sharing a fun combination. Well….what I’m actually doing is combining 2 of my favorite foods into ONE. My love for pepperoni pizza – YES! – has spilled over into my love for grilled cheese sandwiches!

It’s a busy time for us with lots of events going on lately. Birthdays, my cousin’s bridal shower and 2 family weddings coming up. The holidays are coming too, and that means longer work hours. Just all around busy, busy, busy. Since I don’t always have the time I want or need in the kitchen, I really take advantage of throw together meals that take no time at all to make.

These pepperoni pizza grilled cheese sandwiches were part of my quick and easy menu-plan for this past week. I knew what kind of craziness was on the schedule, so with a grocery list in hand, I flew into Walmart to pick up everything I needed, including my pasta sauce.

I figured the Bertolli® 5 Cheese pastsa sauce would be the perfect sauce for this recipe – and I was right! I really wanted it to have tons of cheesy flavor and I love the real authentic Tuscan taste of Bertolli® Pasta Sauce. You can spot it, straight away! Did you know that they’re celebrating their 150th anniversary – Yep! 150 years of family tradition and values! Check out the Bertolli® Pinterest page for more delicious and easy recipe ideas!

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Ingredients:

Texas Toast sliced bread
Bertolli® 5 Cheese Pasta Sauce
Sliced pepperoni
Butter, softened
Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Butter one side of texas toast sliced bread and place in skillet on medium to med. high heat with buttered side down. Just as you would when making grilled cheese.

Quickly, spoon on about 1-2 tablespoons of Bertolli® pasta sauce.

Then layer on sliced pepperoni. I used about 16 slices of pepperoni per sandwich. (Yeah, I know that’s alot. NO JUDGING!)

Next, pile on a handful of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon on another tablespoon or 2 of pasta sauce.

Butter another piece of texas toast and lay on top…buttered side facing up.

After the bottom side is browned, carefully flip over with a spatula to brown the other side.

NOTE: You have to build quickly because the bottom piece of bread will brown fast. If yours are browning before you can get the sandwich built, you can always pre-build before adding to the skillet. Just butter the bread and lay down on wax or parchment paper, build it and then carefully move to the skillet to toast.

Cut in half, and dip in warmed Bertolli® pasta sauce! Enjoy!

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches #BertolliTuscanTour

Author: Jenni

Ingredients

Butter, softened
Texas Toast sliced bread
Bertolli® 5 Cheese Pasta Sauce
Sliced pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Butter one side of texas toast sliced bread and place in skillet on medium to med. high heat with buttered side down.
Spoon on about 1-2 tablespoons of Bertolli® pasta sauce.
Then layer on sliced pepperoni. I used about 16 slices of pepperoni per sandwich.
Next, pile on a handful of mozzarella cheese.
Spoon on another tablespoon or 2 of pasta sauce.
Butter another piece of texas toast and lay on top…buttered side facing up.
After the bottom side is browned, carefully flip over with a spatula to brown the other side.
NOTE: You have to build quickly because the bottom bread will brown fast. If yours are browing before you can get the sandwich built, you can always pre-build before adding to the skillet. Just butter the bread and lay down on wax or parchment paper, build it and then carefully move to the skillet to toast.
Cut in half, and dip in warmed Bertolli® pasta sauce! Enjoy!

Do you think your family would enjoy these pepperoni pizza grilled cheese sandwiches?!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bertolli®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Easy Spiderman Lunch Idea | Spiderman Berries and Chobani

October 20, 2015 by Jenni 549 Comments

This post brought to you by Chobani. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Sweet Pennies From Heaven.

Do you pack your kids lunch for school? This is a fun Spiderman themed lunch, complete with Spiderman Berries and yogurt. I seriously scan the cafeteria lunch menu that they send in little man’s backpack every month and I say to myself,

Nope.

Ha!

He won’t touch that with a ten-foot pole.

Bleck.

Eww.

Well even I wouldn’t eat THAT.

Seriously though. I’m not knockin’ the school cafeteria food. Some of it’s good eatin’ BUT little man’s a particularly picky eater, so we just pack lunch. Even then, there are days that he won’t eat some of it. I’ve learned that being a little creative in the lunch bag can really help. If your kiddos are Spiderman fans and love berries, then these Spiderman berries are for you — err, them! They’re really simple to make too!

Spiderman Berries

These Spiderman Berries are sooooo easy! Use either raspberries or strawberries mixed in with some blueberries. Melt a little white chocolate and dollop on Spidey eyes on the fresh raspberries using a fork. Then you can use black gel food coloring to trace the eyes, using a toothpick. Let the white chocolate dry before adding the black gel. The chocolate hardens pretty fast, if your berries are cold out of the fridge.

Yogurt is full of protein and it pairs perfectly with berries – for breakfast, lunch or as a snack! I found these Chobani Kids® Pouches of yogurt with Spiderman on them! I love love love that these are made with REAL fruits and veggies. They don’t have anything artificial in them – no preservatives, artificial colors OR flavors at all! Chobani Kids® Pouches have less than 5% lactose, they’re gluten free and of course they have those healthy gut-friendly live active cultures and probiotics. All those healthy germy bacteria that our bellies need to work well.

I worry that little man gets too much sugar in his diet though, because goodness knows the boy has a sweet tooth. He gets it honest…so do I. Chobani Kids® Pouches have 25% less sugar than other yogurts – AND 2X the protein compared to some other brands. We found them at Walmart in Strawberry, Grape and Vanilla & Chocolate Dust flavors.

Ohh, and if your kiddo isn’t a fan of Spiderman – they have them with Doc McStuffins on them too!!! Soooo stinkin’ cute – and healthy too so be on the lookout and grab some on your next grocery store trip! They also come in Chobani Kids® Tubes, and Chobani Tots® Pouches for the younger kiddos! Head over to Chobani Kids Savings to score a coupon!! Woot!

Do your kids love yogurt?

Make it a Soup and Sandwich Night | Discover What’s New with Campbell’s

October 15, 2015 by Jenni 1,450 Comments

This post brought to you by Campbell Soup Company. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Sweet Pennies From Heaven.

We’re making it a soup and sandwich night!

So, this morning – I totally walked the kiddo out to the bus in flannel PJ bottoms and a hoodie. It was so CHILLY! I can’t be the only parent to do this, right?!

It’s now bow season and as soon as the husband gets home from work, he’s in the woods until after the sun sets. I know he’ll be cold this evening, when he gets in.

It’s days like this that make me crave soup. Warm. Hot. Hearty. Soup.

It’s days like this that I need a little help from my friends. My friend on this particular day is Campbell’s. Yep! Dinner is easy peasy this evening, especially with Campbell’s new products. I’m just gonna pop the top on the new Campbell’s® Slow Kettle® soup, heat it up, and pair with grilled cheese sandwiches. Their new Campbell’s® Slow Kettle® soup are very hearty and savory! We tried the Andouille Sausage Jambalaya Soup with Chicken and Ham. Mercy, was it good! The flavor combo was phenom! I can’t wait to try their Santa Fe Style Chicken Enchilada Soup too!

These new soups are chef crafted and made with real ingredients like angus beef, fresh cream, andouille sausage, portabello mushrooms, asiago cheese and Madeira wine! Cooked slow in a kettle, made with patience, not preservatives! If you’re like us and enjoy a soup and sandwich night, especially when it starts getting chilly out, grab some of these new soups from Campbell’s! They’re pretty yummy!! Visit them on Twitter @Campbells and make sure to check out all of the delicious Campbell recipes online too!

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Lunch Ideas | Help Your Kids Be Unstoppable This Year

October 9, 2015 by Jenni 1,096 Comments

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Smucker’s through my participation in the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. However, all fun and yummy opinions are 100% my own, and honest, as always.

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Lunch

We’ve been talking lately about how the lunch bags that we pack for the kids, are SO boring. The same ol’ same ol’ – day in and day out. I get in a rut with lunch myself – so I guess I’ll just keep little man in a rut too. For shame. That’s where the idea for this Haunted Pumpkin Patch lunch idea began.

Okay, okayyyy. I know it’s wayyy more cute’sy than “haunted”. It’s hard to make food look scary!

Moving along now, and forgetting that this lunch is not that scary. {eye roll}

… … ………. (<– That’s me, moving along.)

I was inspired by this post – 8 Hacks That Will Make Your Kids Think You’re Supermom. Just stepping outside the boring lunch bag here, and BOOM. Kiddo and their lunch table neighbors will think I’m supermom!

I mean, HELLO!

A ghost banana?!

A pumpkin inspired Uncrustables sandwich?!

Ta-daaaaaaa!

Here’s how I made it:

Let the Uncrustables Sandwich thaw a bit.

Cut black olives to create the eyes and mouth, and used a chunk of green bell pepper for the stem. Then use green bell pepper strips as the grass that the “pumpkin” is sitting in. If your kids aren’t fans of olives or green peppers, you can totally use raisins or chocolate chips – and cucumbers or any green veggie they like.

For the ghost banana, simply cut the banana in half and peel. Using the half with the pointed end, just push in 2 chocolate chips for the eyes and another for the mouth.

Then I piled in some carrots and peppers, and made a dipping ghost by pouring in a little ranch dressing. I put more chocolate chips (you could also use raisins or black olives) for the eyes and mouth of the ghost dip.

Decorate up with mallow pumpkins. You could also use fun things like candy spiders, gummy worms or anything creepy. Some of those candy eyes would be fun too! The sky is the limit when it comes to creating the cutest ~~haunted~~ pumpkin patch lunch! 🙂

I’m such a fan of Uncrustables! These little PB&J sandwiches are so good and are perfect for little man’s lunch bag. You just throw them in their lunch bag in the morning, and by lunchtime they’re thawed and ready to devour! They’re great for after school too, especially when the evenings are busy.

I love super convenient things like that. Hungry kids with no patience is not a good combination. Holy hungry meltdowns, Batman!

Some fun news about Uncrustables…

They’ve teamed up with Disney to help families be unstoppable this school year! Through this partnership, mom and dads across the country have shared tips for their on-the-go lifestyle.

Being so busy all the time, we tend to become less “unstoppable”. We just barely seem to scrape by, most days. That’s why I love to do small things, that require little effort, to make days more unstoppable for my kiddo!

Besides a fun lunch, another cute thing I love to do is add sweet lunch notes to his lunch bag, like these Disney lunch notes (<— click to download)! Just print a few pages, and keep them hidden in the kitchen and sneak one in when they’re not looking! They’re sooo sweet!

Uncrustables comes in a few different really awesome varieties. We really like the reduced sugar with whole wheat ones. They also have a chocolate flavored hazelnut spread Uncrustables. Shhhhhhh. I keep those hidden wayyyyy back in the back of the freezer. Just for me. Stop judging me. It’s not enough that I can’t make food look scary? Now I can’t even eat deliciousness, in hiding?!

You’re still judging me.

Stop it!

Anyhoo – visit Smuckers Uncrustables for flavor varieties and more information! Make sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter too!

How does your family stay unstoppable?

Buffalo Chicken Club Sandwich + Brownberry Bread Prize Pack Giveaway (Including $25 Visa GC) ends 8/5

July 31, 2015 by Jenni 998 Comments

Disclosure: The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Brownberry® Bread so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Brownberry®, including our yummy take on a Buffalo Chicken Club Sandwich! The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Brownberry® Bread.

Buffalo Chicken Club Sandwich

Hey peeps! Where are all my sandwich lovin’ friends?! Nothing better than a good ole’ club sandwich, right? I kinda have a “thing” for them, always have.

All hail, the club sandwich — and the bacon that’s on it!

So, Brownberry sent me some coupons to try out some of their bread and I snagged a loaf of the Brownberry Nutty Almond bread. OMGee — it’s SO good! The first thing I did was make a buffalo chicken club sandwich. It was so yum, I can’t even stand it!! Mmm. Mmmm. Mmmmmm.

Here’s what you need:

Buffalo Chicken deli lunchmeat (we get shaved)
Lettuce leaves
sliced tomato
3-4 pieces of bacon, fried till crispy
mayo
2 slices Brownberry Bread, Nutty Almond

Here’s what you do:

Spready mayo on both pieces of bread.
Start building your sandwich with the lettuce leaves first.
Then add a nice pile of buffalo chicken deli meat.
Add 2 slices of tomato, and more lettuce leaves.
Top with bacon and then place your top piece of bread.
Slice into 4ths with a sharp knife, and enjoy!

Here’s a little more info. about Brownberry Bread! Keep reading below for information about the Brownberry Bread America’s Better Sandwich Contest AND a fun reader giveaway!! Woohoo!

Need to know info.

All of Brownberry® Whole Grain Sliced Breads and Brownberry® Sandwich Thins® Rolls contain/are:

o 3 to 4 grams of fiber per slice or thin

o Zero grams of Trans Fat

o No High Fructose Corn Syrup

o Cholesterol free

The newly launched Brownberry® Healthfull® bread varieties contain/are:

o Made with 100% whole grains

o Good source of fiber

o 80 calories per serving

o No High Fructose Corn Syrup

o Heart healthy

o Zero grams of Trans Fat

America’s Better Sandwich Contest:

Brownberry® Bread is excited to launch the second annual “America’s Better Sandwich” Contest! The winner will win a grand prize of $25,000! Entrants should make sure that their better sandwich recipes include any of the Brownberry Whole Grain Sliced Breads, including the new Healthfull bread varieties, or any of the Brownberry Sandwich Thins Rolls varieties. If I entered, I’d totally enter my buffalo chicken club sandwich!!

This year’s contest includes five (5) exciting sandwich categories including:

“Creative Classics” (nutritious spins on sandwich creations that have stood the test of time, such as grandma’s club sandwich, BLT or other old-time favorites)

“Fueling Good” (these sandwiches should incorporate ingredients that help boost your energy such as healthful fats, protein, fiber and iron)

“Open-Face Artistry” (sandwiches are works of art for the world to see, and these snacks and meals announce their ingredients—like sharp cheddar or tasty tuna— sans second slice, highlighting bold colors and textures)

“Breakfast in Bread” (these sandwiches, featuring nutritious breakfast favorites like eggs and yogurt, invoke images of cozy mornings in bed or boisterous brunches with friends)

“Love, Healthfully” (celebrate our new Healthfull® Breads with innovative recipes that play off nuanced, foodie-approved ingredients like honey, flax and sunflower seeds)

Ready for a fun Giveaway?

One lucky reader will win a Brownberry Prize Pack. I am responsible for this giveaway, however, Brownberry is providing the prize. US residents, age 18 or older only. Giveaway ends 8/5/2015 at 11:59pm EST. The prize package will include the following:

– $25 Visa gift card
– One coupon, valid for $5.00 off the purchase of any Brownberry® Whole Grain Sliced Bread of choice
– One coupon, valid for $5.00 off the purchase of any Brownberry® Sandwich Thins® Rolls of choice
– One coupon, each valid for $5.00 off the purchase of any Brownberry® Healthfull® Bread of choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Creative Back To School Lunch Ideas and the #WishIHadWetOnes Sweepstakes

July 2, 2015 by Jenni

Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas

Can you believe it’s almost time to head back to school? Seriously…where did the summer go? It’s still plenty warm out, but we’re already planning to head school shopping this week. Little man will be going all day this year, instead of half days and because he’s such a picky eater, we’ve decided to pack his lunch this year – so it’s time to come up with some easy back to school lunch ideas!

I have to get somewhat creative with his food, and I find that he always eats a little better if his plate is “fun”. One of his favorites are the peanut butter and jelly rollups. They’re SO easy to make too, so yay for mom!! He also thinks it’s fun when I make cheese shapes. The extra bonus there, is that mom gets the leftover cheese. HA!

To make the pb&j rollups, all you do is cut the crust off the bread. Then you roll the bread flat with a rolling pin. Add a smear of peanut butter on one side, jelly on the other…and then roll it up. Easy peasy. It’s fun because it’s different…and not your typical PB&J sandwich.

I try to make sure he gets a little bit of everything in his lunch. This fun lunch idea includes the peanut butter and jelly rollups and…

Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Crackers
apple slices
carrots
cheese
…add juice or milk.

The boy loves his Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers. We go through bags and bags of these. He loves all the flavors and the different kinds of crackers. I don’t think there’s a variety we haven’t tried.

Wish I Had a Wet Ones® Singles…

I won’t even lie. Kids are gross, and you know it! They wipe their noses, stick things in their mouths, and I know they have bathroom time/washing hands time at school – but bleck. I don’t trust that they get all the yucky grimy grime off their hands before lunchtime. Wet Ones® Singles are a parent’s dream. These fit perfectly inside their lunchboxes and they tear open super easy. They kill 99.9% of germs, so now every kiddo can clean up before they eat their awesome lunch!

Wish I Had a Wet Ones in My Lunchbox Sweepstakes…

Make sure that you visit www.wishihadwetones.com to get more information on this fun campaign and learn how you can participate in the sweepstakes! The sweepstakes runs from 7/5/15 – 9/7/15.

What’s your kids favorite lunch ideas?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Wet Ones®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Quick and Easy Chicken Salad Sandwich with a Twist

October 28, 2014 by 1,742 Comments

This post is part of a 2-part series in partnership with Sverve and Farm Rich. All opinions are 100% my own.

This time of year, we are busier than ever. School events, church functions, meetings, errands, doctor appointments, holiday preparations and more…it’s a whirlwind around here sometimes. There are days that I don’t even know what day it is, much less whether I am coming or going. So I jumped at the chance to try the Farm Rich Smokehouse line of products at Walmart. These selections are priced at only $6.97 and you can grab a coupon for even more savings.

I am one who prefers fresh whole foods for my family. But, let’s be honest, sometimes the drive thru is the only thing we have time for. Now, you don’t have to sacrifice a healthy meal for lack of time. The Farm Rich Smokehouse Double Rubbed Dry Smoked Chicken is a frozen item you can feel good about keeping on hand to put in any meal to feed your family. That’s just what I did with this quick and easy chicken salad that I whipped up. Add a couple healthy sides, a little fruit and you have a fairly well rounded meal that most anyone will love. What’s the twist? I’ll reveal that in just a few minutes.

Because this is a quick and easy chicken salad, there really is no recipe. I don’t measure or do any of this carefully. I throw it together, put it on a bun and call it a day. Seriously. I don’t always have time to spend an hour (or more) on a meal. There are days when the microwave is my friend! This meal is one of those where the microwave saves the day. Here’s how I make this super yummy chicken salad using Farm Rich Smokehouse Double Rubbed Dry Smoked Chicken.

I had my son throw the chicken in the microwave and keep an eye on it. While he was handling that, I prepped the rest of my ingredients. Here’s the list…remember I didn’t measure.

1 package Farm Rich Smokehouse Double Rubbed Dry Smoked Chicken
Half a large red onion (chopped fine)
About 1/2 can of pineapple tidbits (well drained)
10-12 large grapes (cut into half or quarters)
About 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Your preferred brand of mayo

The chicken took around 6-7 minutes to cook. While that was going, I threw my onion into the food processor and pulsed it to a fine chop and tossed that in a mixing bowl. I drained a can of pineapple tidbits and cut up the grapes…there’s your twist…fruit! I grabbed my jar of garlic and scooped out a tablespoon full and added that to the mix.

While the chicken was cooling down, my son while he heated up some green beans and corn on the stove. He also had some seasoned French fries baking. See? Kids can be helpful…especially when it’s a teen boy and food is involved!

With the chicken no longer steaming hot, I tossed it in. Last, I added my homemade mayo. I do not know how much. I put in a few tablespoons and gave it all a good toss. It was still a little dry, for my liking, so I added more. It got a little taste test, at this point. It was perfect!! The right balance of savory and sweet with a little kick of heat from the dry rub. I didn’t add salt or any other seasoning. The dry rub that was already on the chicken was enough.

All in all, with the help of my son, dinner took about 15-20 minutes. For a family of four, that’s a feat! Even cold cut sandwiches take a while for four people! Try one of your own recipes with Farm Rich Smokehouse Double Rubbed Dry Smoked Chicken. All natural, pre-shredded. pre-cooked. Ready to use. Hassle free!

Perfect Lunch Idea or Easy Weeknight Side Dish with Suddenly Grain Salad

August 28, 2014 by Jenni 502 Comments

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op. #SuddenlyGrainSalad #PlatefullCoOp #paid

You wanna know something? I try to get my kid to eat whole grains – but I won’t hardly eat them myself. I love whole grain cereals, but bread is a whole ‘nother ballgame. I just can’t do it. Unless I toast it….yeah, I can sorta eat whole grain bread toasted. Otherwise, I feel like I’m chewing on a cereal box.

So…I try to get my whole grains in other forms like the cereals but then I found out that Suddenly Salad (love their bacon/ranch pasta salad. Mmmm.) came out with – wait for it…

The new Suddenly Grain Salad™ mixes! Yes’sireee. And omgeee. They’re GOOD!!! I love the taste, texture, and the way it looks. It just looks pretty to me, and I love to eat pretty food! The new Suddenly Grain Salad™ mixes have blends like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa and then they’re dolled up with herbs and spices in a boil-in-a-bag for easy cooking! They also have dried fruit (YUM), vegetables and/or nut mix-ins along with a dressing packet to top the whole thing off!

We were sent 3 different varieties to try and we tried the Harvest Grains one first. The Southwest Grains and the Tuscan Grains are still in my cabinet, but I’m telling you – if they’re as good as this Harvest Grains one, then I’m ALLLLLL in!!!! I’m in love with this stuff. The Harvest Grain variety includes yummy dried cranberries and almonds.

Dale isn’t much of a rice man, so that’s just fine. I get to keep it all to myself. I made it for lunch, and had plenty with some leftover for the next day too. But these are perfect to incorporate into your main dish or as a side dish for a quick weeknight meal.

If you wanna try these new Suddenly Grain Salad™ mixes, you can find them in your rice and grains, or pasta aisle at the grocery store!

Do you think these new Suddenly Grain Salads are something you’d like to try? If so, which flav-ah??!! Inquiring minds want to know…drop us a comment below!

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Ingredients:

Instructions:

Do you think your family would enjoy these pepperoni pizza grilled cheese sandwiches?!

Spiderman Berries

Do your kids love yogurt?

We’re making it a soup and sandwich night!

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Lunch

Here’s how I made it:

Some fun news about Uncrustables…

How does your family stay unstoppable?

Buffalo Chicken Club Sandwich

Need to know info.

America’s Better Sandwich Contest:

Ready for a fun Giveaway?

Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas

Wish I Had a Wet Ones® Singles…

Wish I Had a Wet Ones in My Lunchbox Sweepstakes…

What’s your kids favorite lunch ideas?

Do you think these new Suddenly Grain Salads are something you’d like to try? If so, which flav-ah??!! Inquiring minds want to know…drop us a comment below!

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