Say goodbye to costly takeout pizza, because after making this recipe you'll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to make your own. Homemade pizza will quickly become a household staple that the whole family loves, and doubles as a fun activity to get everyone involved in the kitchen.
This recipe makes one large pizza but you could always split the dough into smaller portions to make personal-sized pizzas. You can keep your pizza super simple with some cheese and pepperoni, or go all out with the toppings. I like to set out a topping bar of different chopped veggies, meats, and cheeses so that everyone can build their own pizza the way that they like it.
This is also a great option if you are looking for a fun activity to do at a kid's sleepover. You won't have to worry about cooking something that everyone will like, even picky eaters because they can choose exactly what they want to eat.
Homemade pizza is not only kid-friendly, but it's even a fun date night activity. Next time you are looking for a casual date idea, open a bottle of wine, make some pizzas together, and put on a movie for a chill night in.
How Can I Make This Healthier?
One of my favorite things about pizza is that it is a well-balanced meal as is. A slice of pizza contains sources of carbs, protein, and fat. You can also add pretty much any vegetable of your liking to a pizza. Some of my favorites are spinach, bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onion, and black olives.
If you're not a fan of veggies on your pizza, but would still like to have some in the meal, then you could also serve it with a side salad or some roasted vegetables.
What Else Can I Add?
This recipe is made with pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms, but the possibilities are endless. If you want to try out some other options for meat go for salami, prosciutto, or chicken.
Another great way to top your pizza is to get creative with the cheeses. Of course, have mozzarella on hand for the base because it melts the best, but try topping the pizza with some parmesan, ricotta, or goat cheese before baking it.
When making homemade pizzas I always have a jar of pizza sauce on hand but sometimes we like to also add a drizzle of pesto or try out a creamy white sauce.
Okay, I'll stop there because I think you catch my drift. Pizzas are delicious, versatile, and the perfect family meal!
Homemade Pizza
Ingredients
- 13.8 oz tube of refrigerated pizza dough
- 8 oz jar of pizza sauce
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese
- variety of toppings - this recipe used 28 slices of pepperoni, ⅓ lb Italian sausage and 10 sliced portobello mushrooms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease a 18x12 inch baking sheet.
- Unroll the dough, and gently stretch and press it down to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, if using Italian sausage, form into 1 inch balls, and add to a small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked all the way through. Once it is done, line a plate with a few pieces of paper towel, and put the cooked sausage on the paper towel, then fold it onto itself, to absorb the grease.
- Once the crust has baked for 5 minutes, remove it from the oven.
- Pour the sauce into a small bowl, and add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir well.
- Spread the sauce across the entire sheet of cooked pizza crust.
- Sprinkle the cheese across the entire sheet of sauce topped pizza crust.
- Add your toppings.
- Bake for 11-16 minutes, depending on how golden you like your cheese to be.
- Remove from the oven, cut, and serve!
Leave a Reply