The number of "I must make this, stat!" moments I have while watching TV chefs is getting out of hand. First it was Lidia's Neapolitan mac and cheese. Then Giada's Asian chicken salad. On another weekend, I made this herbed focaccia. I've never really tried any of Sandra Lee's recipes, since I tend to associate them with ingredients like canned soups and prepackaged spice mixes that play a role in her semi-homemade philosophy. 
However the focaccia, which I watched Sandra make on her new show, is different. It calls for refrigerated pizza dough, an ingredient that's reasonably fresh. I often keep pizza dough on hand, and happened to have some in the fridge. I'm grateful I seized the moment. The rustic bread, which I made with heirloom tomatoes and whole-wheat dough, is simultaneously soft and crunchy, with a nice acidity from the tomatoes. You, too, can make this easy, breezy recipe.
From Sandra Lee
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (15-ounce) bag refrigerator pizza dough, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Coat a 13 by 9-inch sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread out the pizza dough to fit the sheet pan.
- In a small bowl mix together the Italian seasoning and remaining olive oil. Brush the seasoned oil all over the top of the dough, making sure to reserve about 2 teaspoons. Using your fingers punch dimples about halfway down into the dough. Bake in the hot oven for about 8 minutes.
- Remove the focaccia from the oven, top with tomato slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and bush with remaining 2 teaspoons of the oil mixture. Return to the oven and bake until the focaccia is gold brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.
Serves 6.
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Presence
Don't be too hard on Sandra Lee's other stuff - her recipes do use premade ingredients, but they are generally REALLY tasty and very handy for those of us who have neither the time nor the inclination to make everything from scratch. My husband and I use her cookbooks all the time. And this sounds delish - we'll have to try it!
1I kind of hate Sandra Lee, but some of her recipes are genius. Like the beer margarita. Don't knock it 'til you've drank a whole pitcher of them!
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