Pizza Party!

After cooking many meals for friends, I realized that nothing excites people more than a delicious pizza. This week I threw a pizza party with friends. We only had one oven and two pizza trays, so we could only cook two pizzas at a time. In the end, I made six 14″ pizzas. We cut each pizza into ten slices, one for each person, and sampled one slice of each pizza. We would decide which pizzas were coming next while the previous two were baking. By the sixth pizza, we could barely take another bite!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

We made all sorts of pizzas- from BBQ Chicken to Chicken Alfredo to Meat Lovers all the way to Hawaiian. Each time a new pizza was taken out, everybody was riled up- “This one is my favorite!” “Wait, no, THIS one is my favorite!” “Ah, no, THIS one is definitely the best!” I have never seen my friends so excited about something I cooked. This made me being to think about the wondrous pizza pie. A fresh pizza crust is like a blank canvas for a chef. You can combine any flavors you want to create your own unique masterpiece. I suggest to all of you that you make homemade pizzas at some point. My advice? Be adventurous, take risks, mix unlikely combinations- you’ll be impressed with the outcome!

Italian Asparagus, Bacon & Spinach Pizza

Pizza Party Pizzas

Each Recipe Makes 1 (14″) Pizza

The “Goods”

My Roomie/Cooking Assistant Jordan =)

For the Pizza Dough (yields 1 crust):

• 1 (2 1/4 tsp) packet pizza crust yeast (such as Fleischmann’s, you can use regular yeast as well, but it is easier with pizza yeast)
• 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 warm/hot tap water
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the water and oil and mix together until well blended (about 1 minute).
4. Gradually add 1/2 cup of flour until a soft ball of dough is formed (it will be a bit sticky). Add additional flour if needed.
5. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 4-5 minutes).
6. Coat your hands in flour and press the dough out to fill a greased 14″ pizza pan.
7. Top as desired (see below for suggestions) and bake on the bottom rack until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden (about 12-15 minutes).

Note: Remove pizza from the pizza tray for last 5 minutes for a crispier crust.

Hawaiian Pizza:

• 1 pizza crust
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce
• 3/4 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup sliced Canadian bacon or ham
• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

BBQ Chicken Pizza:

• 1 pizza crust
• 1/4 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
• 1 cup diced/shredded chicken (fully cooked)
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni
• 1/8 cup sliced onions
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mighty Meat Lover’s Pizza:

• 1 pizza crust
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce
• 1/8 cup sliced Canadian bacon or ham
• 1/8 cup sliced pepperoni
• 1/2 cup diced/shredded chicken (fully cooked)
• 2/3 cup ground beef (fully cooked)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Chicken Alfredo Pizza:

• 1 pizza crust
• 2/3 cup alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 1/8 cup sliced onions
• 3 roma tomatoes (sliced)
• 2/3 cup diced/shredded chicken (fully cooked)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Italian Asparagus, Bacon & Spinach Pizza:

• 1 pizza crust
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 1/8 cup sliced onion
• 2/3 cup diced bacon (fully cooked)
• 2/3 cup asparagus (cut into pieces)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

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