Biscuit Pizza Bake

School shopping at Target Saturday. Liam needs 1st grade supplies — a backpack (he picked blue with a baseball graphic), a lunchbox (Red Sox), a folder, a notebook, washable markers, a glue stick. Nora picked up a new lunchbox too even though she does not need one for pre-K. She picked one with cats on it. I bought it. She carried it around Target like a prize.

Erin made them do a "practice school day" on Thursday. She had them up and dressed and eating breakfast by 7:30, which is the new rhythm. It went well. Nora negotiated for a second bowl of cereal. Liam did not want to practice and then agreed to it after Erin promised pancake prep help Saturday.

Clinic was full. I saw the 36-year-old new-diabetes guy again — A1c not yet dropping but his log shows he is taking meds and checking sugars. Progress is slow and that is fine. He left with my card and his follow-up in a month.

Shanice, the new NP, starts Monday. I am ready for her. I made a little orientation packet — the usual EHR stuff, clinic protocols, common patient types, a few of Dr. Rashid's preferences about referrals. I also wrote one page of mentor notes: how to say I do not know in front of a patient (often, honestly), how to ask for help from Dr. Rashid (early), how to close a visit on time (the trick is cuing fifteen minutes before the end).

Group Tuesday. The 41-year-old widow announced she is taking her ring off. She cried while saying it. Bernadette said bravely done. I kept mine on. I keep looking at it. I am not there.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Liam wanted to do the flip on the second one. He tried. It landed folded. He was proud. Nora said he made a taco. Liam said it is a TACO PANCAKE and ate it whole.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made eggplant parm because Dad requested it. Dad has been requesting a lot more since he retired. He has opinions now. He has always had opinions. He just has more of them now.

Food of the week: Ma's eggplant parm. Breaded, fried, layered with sauce and mozzarella, baked until bubbling. Four hours of cooking. One hour of eating. Worth it.

Ma’s eggplant parm was Sunday’s four-hour labor of love, and it was exactly what the weekend needed — but on the nights between now and first grade starting, I need something that gets dinner on the table fast and makes Liam and Nora feel just as happy. This biscuit pizza bake is that dinner. It has all the flavors they love, it comes together in under an hour, and honestly, after a week of practice school days and orientation packets and group, I am not asking more of myself than that.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can (15 oz) pizza sauce
1 can (12 oz) refrigerated biscuit dough, cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
Brown the meat. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or sausage until no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
Cook the vegetables. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 3—4 minutes until softened. Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Add the sauce. Stir in the pizza sauce and let the mixture simmer for 2—3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Layer the baking dish. Spread the meat and sauce mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Add the biscuits. Scatter the quartered biscuit dough pieces evenly over the top of the meat mixture in a single layer.
Top and bake. Lay pepperoni slices over the biscuit pieces, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over everything. Bake uncovered for 25—30 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Rest and serve. Let the bake rest for 5 minutes before serving. Scoop into bowls or serve in squares directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Biscuit Pizza Bake — The Weeknight Dinner That Earns Its Keep