Pizza ideas? Got any?

[Mattsmom277]

After a different thread, I had a hankering for pizza so instead of doing our Friday night (every other week) pizza night, I made some today and they are in the oven as I type. It got me wondering, what do YOU all put on your pizza? I'm not so creative really. I make pretty traditional pizza's, figured maybe some of you have good ideas for something different??

I start with my homemade crust, I always make 2 of them, both on cookie sheets (for our family of 4, and we have leftovers for kids to snag when they get munchies later or for lunch next day).

Todays pizzas are pretty typical, they vary each time but similar usually:

Pizza 1: sauce, parmesan cheese (fresh, grated), fresh crushed garlic, chopped fresh tomatos, diced onions, diced green peppers, sliced fresh mushrooms, thin deli pepperoni and summer sausage (meat is only on half), mozza cheese and old cheddar cheese

Pizza 2: sauce, pepperoni, bacon (fresh, crumbled), hot italian sausage (precooked and crumbled), onions, green peppers, mozza cheese

I'm thinking there's got to be something "different", even if only for 1 of them next time for the grown ups, and can stick to what kids like on the second.

 

[klmno]

Ours were typically along the lines of what you just described with maybe some black olives added. One of my favorites though is a taco pizza. Their used to be a pizza chain (long soince out of business) that made great taco pizzas. They didn't use totilla chip crumbs on it but put taco seasoned ground beef, lots of cheese, a little salsa, and black olives. They added sliced lettuce and slices of grape tomatoes after it came out of the oven. It was really good!

 

[Josie]

I hardly ever eat pizza, because I have to eat gluten free and I was skeptical about girlfriend pizza. Last night I made a pizza with sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and fresh basil on it. I used goat cheese mozzarella due to milk allergies in the house. It was so good, I have decided I can eat girlfriend pizza.

 

[Lothlorien]

Buffalo Chicken pizza or just plain chicken pizza is a favorite.
I particularly love mushrooms and sausage on my pizza, but it has to be Italian fennel sausage chunks....I hate when they chop or slice it.
Pizza Margherita (fresh mozz and basil).
and.....when I make it at home, I just absolutely adore putting Gorganzola or goat cheese with spinach and/or with chunks of browned pancetta.
OMgosh....now you've got me salivating.

 

[Mattsmom277]

Those BOTH sound good! I think the taco pizza would go over wonderfully with easy child and S/O ... they are taco lovers. The one with sun-dried tomatoes sounds delicious and I would love it. I might skip the artichokes (not a huge fan) and maybe supplement with thin zucchini slices or something. Sun-dried tomatoes are one of my favs on pizza. I bet it would taste good topped with crumbled goat cheese too!

 

[Mattsmom277]

Chicken pizza! Okay, next time I'm trying a taco pizza for the kids and the other one i'm doing half with the basil and sun-dried tomatoes etc, and the other half with chicken etc.

Thank you all!!!

PS. I'm eating my veggie piece right now and its drool-able lol

 

[klmno]

Did someone mention spinach? I tried a spinach alfredo once (not home made) and it was much better than I expected, but I'm a big spinach lover. I love mushrooms, too, and had forgotten to mention them. Pizza is almost like a sandwich anymore- it seems anything you like is suitable to throw on it! Sundried tomatoes sounds like a good choice too. I like the sundried tomato alfredo pasta sauce- I might have to "invent" something new for a pizza sometime soon. LOL!

 

[GoingNorth]

How about a good ol' Pizza ala Margherita. It's nothing more than fresh tomato sauce, slices of FRESH mozzarella, and lots of torn up fresh basil leaves. Has to be done on a very thin crust.

It's very basic and very tasty. husband actually used to make these on the grill, which gave you the wood fired oven effect if cooked over oak smoking chunks. Keep a close eye on them as they cook very quickly (less than five minutes if you've got the dough thin enough)

 

[Mattsmom277]

Yumm ... I wonder if you could cook these outdoors on those cedar planks they sell for grilling fish etc? I have a few in the cupboard.

 

[Shari]

We have a pizza joint in town serves a chicken club pizza that has a sort of alfredo type sauce instead of red sauce, and grilled chicken and bacon, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms on it. Its amazing.

 

[Marguerite]

I've cooked pizza outdoors in a cast iron Tuscan pizza oven. The oven part is above the fire and I do find it gets a bit too smoky, and especially since I'm mostly burning eucalypt, it's a strong flavour. I've got a terracotta tile in the oven and I put the pizza on that, but also on a metal tray because it's easier to get it in and out (I don't have a pizza paddle). I'd love to eventually have a more traditional pizza oven (covered in cement, better insulated).

As for how we make the pizzas - for outdoor cooking or in the oven inside, I use the bread machine to make the dough for me. Sometimes I use the pasta machine to roll the dough out evenly. I then cover the base with sugo (aka passata, or classic bottled tomato sauce Italian style). Add a bit of leftover bolognese sauce if I have it. Some fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme) and a little finely chopped garlic. Then it's whatever I have - red capsicum, fresh tomato slices, onion, mushroom.

Some Australian classics - we put pineapple chunks on or pizzas. In the pizza restaurants, it's called the Hawaiian pizza, but it seems it's peculiarly Aussie so perhaps we should call it the Sunshine Coast pizza. The Hawaiian pizza is very simple - sugo, maybe a little onion, garlic & herbs, then the vital ingredients - finely chopped ham and then the finely chopped pineapple. Top with shredded mozzarella. That's it.

Another Aussie classic - the seafood pizza. The surf 'n turf uses bolognese as well, but otherwise it's the same as the Hawaiian (without the ham & pineapple) then you top with shrimp (we call them prawns), calamari rings if you want, anchovies if you want - whatever you want in the seafood department. We can buy bags of frozen marinara mix, any of that is great on a pizza. But the flavours are delicate, so don't use cheddar on it, only mozzarella. We have a buffalo mozzarella in Australia which works well.

When we make a more standard supreme-style pizza here, we put sliced and chopped Italian salami on it as well as all the other usual stuff. Again, whatever we have. And the cheese - again, whatever we have. I've put blue vein cheese on a pizza as well as camembert. Actually, you can put camembert on a seafood pizza, the flavour is mild enough.

We have an Aussie chef who won an international pizza competition with a sweet pizza. I think his used sliced apple and cinnamon. Not for me, though.

Marg

 

[Mattsmom277]

cherry pizza is a wonderful dessert pizza .... although I won't make it since my weight loss surgery, I get heck often for no longer making it lol.

Hawaiin pizza is my favorite when I have mid-winter blues for some reason.

I've done the dough in my bread machine also, but I find it turns out just as good when I make my no rise pizza dough by hand, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. I like being able to throw a dinner together without having to get the bread machine going and wait for the rise cycles etc.

I would adore a pizza oven! There are so many ways to make very healthy pizza, I wonder sometimes why so many believe it isn't healthy.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

GN, I love pizza Margherita, it's my fav!

I get the prepared fresh whole wheat dough from Trader Joe's and then, once I get home, I quarter it (one 1/4 per baggie in the freezer) so I can make four individual pizzas - that and a salad is a great Friday favorite! I love any kind of veggies on my pizza! One thing we like to do here is use the large Pampered Chef stone (courtesy of Loth!) and then do four different pizzas in one! Each type is 2 slices! I always presaute my veggies though.

Yum, I think I know what's for dinner tomorrow!

Sharon

 

[Marguerite]

Something I forgot to mention - we make a fast snack pizza by using a slice of bread as a pizza base. You can toast it first if you choose. Then pile on the same toppings (I like to spread it with garlic butter first) and then finish it off under the grill until the cheese is toasted. Fast. Fun. If you have a lot of kids you can have plates of different toppings and let people assemble their own.

Marg

 

[totoro]

A lot of times I will grill the veggies first with olive oil and then throw them on the pizza right before I pull it out of the oven. (eggplant, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, root veggies...)
I use fresh Mozz also, just slice it into thin rounds and lay it over the sauce. We don't do a lot of toppings- meat is usually either grilled chicken or fresh sausage, italian either spicy or a sweet or chicken sausage.
Mostly veggies and lots of basil...

I make a huge batch of dough usually 6 pizzas and freeze what I don't roll out.

Our awesome pizza joint here, all local and organic, makes a wonderful curry pizza and all kinds of funky things like that!!! Even a gluten free...

 

[graceupongrace]

I really like to use pesto instead of tomato sauce, then top the pizza with sun-dried tomatoes & sliced olives -- maybe some quartered artichoke hearts or roasted red and yellow bell peppers. A small amount of grated mozzarella is optional. And I absolutely have to sprinkle crushed red pepper on at the table!

When I have time, I make my own olive oil crust. It really isn't that hard, and it's so yummy!

OK, I'm really getting a craving after reading this thread....

 

[GoingNorth]

If I want olives on a pizza, I use pitted Kalamatas instead of the black olives from a can or jar. Much tastier. They are salty so be aware of that when seasoning the sauce and other ingredients.

Anchovies are great if you love them. Get the ones in olive oil in the jar. They are larger and less bony. You can soak them in some water or milk and rinse before using if you want to cut the salty taste.

I love anchovies on pizza (or on just about anything else), but they're a sort of love 'em or hate 'em deal.

Ham and pineapple on pizza is quite popular in some regions of the US. We sell it as a Hawaiian pizza over here.

 

[klmno]

I love marinated artichokes but have never tried them on pizza. You ladies have just about talked me into it though. Do you put fresh artichoke hearts on there or do something to them first?

 

[trinityroyal]

I don't eat pizza very often, mainly because no one else I know can put up with the type of pizza I like.

Very very thin crust (if I'm making it at home, sometimes I use one side of a pita, or even a tortilla), brushed with olive oil.
A few artichoke hearts, some sliced black olives, a slight sprinkle of mozzarella, and if I'm feeling adventurous, some roast chicken, sliced into thin strips.

No sauce, very few ingredients, bake at 350F until the cheese melts.

 

[svengandhi]

We make homemade dough using a mix of regular and whole wheat flours. The kids proof the yeast and take care of it till it rises. Then H puts it into the cuisinart and makes the individual balls of dough. We like "naked" pizza - no toppings other than sauce (usually homemade) and mozzarella cheese. Occasionally, one of the kids will add some pepperoni to part of the pie, but they are careful as they know the story of how I once threw an entire pizza into a wall because my then boyfriend (an uber-difficult child) ordered the pie with pepperoni even though he knows I hate that. I won't hesitate to throw it again if pep stuff gets on my slice. H and my youngest son slather their slices with what we call "stinky feet cheese" - Locatelli, which we buy in a chunk for youngest boy to grate as needed.

When daughter's boyfriend came down from college to meet us, we made about 8 pies because she invited all of her friends to meet him.