Pizza Dough

*This recipe is from my bread machine cookbook.

3/4 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. all purpose or bread flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. bread machine/fast rise yeast

Add water and oil to pan. Add flour, sugar, salt, cheese, and seasoning to pan; tap to settle ingredients, then level and push some into corners. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add yeast.

Lock pan into bread maker and set controls for DOUGH.

When done, remove dough from pan and place onto floured surface. Knead about 1 minute, then let rest for 15 minutes.

Roll dough out to fit 12- to 15-inch pizza pan. Press dough onto greased pizza pan, forming an edge. Let rise in warm, draft-free place for 20-25 minutes.

Prebake crust for 8 minutes at 425 degrees. Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings, then return to oven and bake for additional 8 minutes.

Recipe can be doubled for two pizzas.

Breakfast Pizza

Crust:
1 pkg. (22-24 oz.) hash brown patties, thawed
1 egg, beaten
salt & pepper to taste

Topping:
1 pkg. sausage gravy, prepared according to package directions
1 lb. ground pork sausage, browned and drained
8 eggs, scrambled and seasoned to taste
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (your choice)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, break hash brown patties into small pieces. Add egg, salt, and pepper; mix well. Press into large rectangular dish and flatten evenly. Bake 20 minutes.

Top baked hash brown crust with gravy, sausage, eggs, and cheese; bake additional 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Optional toppings: bacon, ham, green onions, onion, bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, etc. Add whatever you like! You can also top individual servings with salsa and/or sour cream.

Yields 8-10 servings.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

1 pkg. pizza crust mix
3 c. thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. light creamy Caesar salad dressing
1 clove garlic, pressed

Mix pizza dough and bake crust completely as directed on package.

In large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken, and olives.

In small bowl, mix together salad dressing, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Brush half of mixture over crust; pour the rest over the salad mixture and toss.

Top crust with salad mixture, slice, and serve.

Yields 4 servings.

Chipotle Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients not measured; make pizza to suit personal taste preferences.

pizza dough
alfredo sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded chicken seasoned with Pampered Chef® Chipotle Rub
sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to about 15 inches; bake 8 minutes. Top with alfredo sauce, cheese, chicken, and olives. Bake additional 8 minutes or until crust begins to brown.

Note: My sister pointed out that most people don't mix black olives with Alfredo. Feel free to omit the olives and add more seasoned shredded chicken. Onion would be good, too.

Greek Pita Pizzas

This recipe has been modified from the one found in The Pampered Chef's® Stoneware Inspirations cookbook.

I don't measure my ingredients for this. I just use what I like in whatever amounts I want, based on my family members' preferences.

whole wheat pitas
black or kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
feta cheese, crumbled
Roma tomato, seeded and diced
cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
red onion, chopped
dried basil or PC's Greek Rub*
olive oil
Ranch dressing, sour cream, or tzatziki* (Greek cucumber yogurt sauce)
(*preferred)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place pitas on baking stone and slice into fourths; top with olives and feta. Bake 7-9 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned.

In small bowl, combine tomato, cucumber, onion, and seasoning to your taste. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and mix well. Top pitas with mixture and drizzle with dressing, sour cream, or tzatziki, if desired. Serve immediately.

*Since we all like different ingredients on our pitas, I mix up three small bowls according to our preferences. The boys like everything but the onion, Billy likes everything but the tomato, and I like it all. To make the topping come out evenly, I add extra cucumber to the boys' toppings and extra cucumber and onion to Billy's.

We typically use Ranch dressing on ours. I made tzatziki once, but it was complicated, made more than we wanted, and wasn't that great. Now that we have a nearby Greek restaurant where I can buy good tzatziki, I'll do that next time.

If you have toppings left over, refrigerate them and make another pita pizza the next day. I've been known to eat this 2 or 3 times in one week!

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

We love pizza at our house! I make it at least once a month, sometimes more. We also keep a few frozen pizzas around just in case we want one for a quick lunch one day. And I take the boys out for lunch to Cici's Pizza once a month. That way they can eat some of their favorite varieties that I don't make at home. (Caleb loves Alfredo cheese pizza; Jacob loves pepperoni.)

When I make my own pizza, I make my own crust as well. My friend Amy gave me the recipe she uses, but I made a few changes.

Pizza Dough

4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2/3 c. olive oil
1 1/3 c. water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Measure oil and water into one large measuring cup; pour all at once into flour mixture. Stir to form a ball.

Divide dough in half and press or roll out each half to about 15 inches. (If dough is too sticky, add a little extra flour.) Prick crust with fork to prevent air pockets. Bake for 8 minutes.

Top pizza with desired toppings and bake additional 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Makes 2 15-inch pizzas.


Canadian bacon, mushroom, and black olive pizza
Our typical pizza has mushrooms, black olives, and onions. If I have some Canadian bacon or ham on hand, I'll add it, too. The boys like that pizza really well, but I don't put as many onions on theirs.


Garden Veggie Pizza
One of my favorite spring and summer pizzas is a Garden Veggie Pizza.

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Mix well and spread over prebaked crust. Top with shredded mozzarella or Italian-blend cheese.

Next layer with your choice of garden-fresh vegetables. I use baby spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, black olives, Roma tomatoes (on my half), purple onion, and artichoke hearts. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, then bake until the crust is a golden brown. Grate a little Parmesan cheese on top; slice and serve.


Greek-style pizza
The most recent "different" pizza I made had a Greek flavor. I put olive oil, garlic, and basil on the crust, then topped it with crumbled feta cheese, grated Parmesan, sliced black and green olives, and diced tomatoes (on my half). It was good, but I prefer melted cheese on my pizzas. Feta just browns.