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Two Delicious Pizzas

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Donna Urso
Pizza is a weekend meal at our house, usually on Friday night, but occasionally on Saturday or Sunday.  It's my "let's just relax and hang out" meal. Today I'm sharing how I make delicious pizza at home and you can,  too!

How to Make Pizza at Home

The other day we were feeling wild and crazy and made three different kinds of pizza.  It's simple to make multiple kinds of pizza.  All it takes is a little planning to be sure you have the toppings you need on hand.  It's also a great way to use up ingredients you may have left from other dishes you prepared during the week.

Hot Italian Sausage Pizza

One of the pizzas we made was our favorite Hot Italian Sausage and Cheese Pizza. I've told you about that before, so no need to go into it again.  It was yummy as always!

The other pizzas were Basil Pesto Pizza, Ricotta Cheese Pizza, and BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Pizza making does require some preparation.  While you can make your pizza dough the day you plan to make your pizza, the dough will benefit from a slow rise in the refrigerator.

I recommend making the dough at least a day in advance.  I make my pizza dough in a bread machine.    It is so easy to make and it is always delicious, but make the pizza dough you like, or buy some ready-made from your local grocery store.

Basil Pesto And Ricotta Cheese Pizza
Basil Pesto and Ricotta Cheese Pizza 
  • pizza dough
  • 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese 
  • 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
  • Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.  If you are using a pizza stone, place it on the bottom rack of the oven to preheat.

I had some pesto cubes in my freezer that I had made last summer from basil I grew in pots on my deck.  This pesto pizza reminded us just how much we love pesto...and summer!

Press your pizza dough into a 10 inch round.  I put my dough on a piece of parchment paper so that I can easily slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.  You can use a pizza pan if you wish.

Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Slice the fresh mozzarella cheese and distribute it around the pizza.  Drop spoonfuls of ricotta cheese here and there across the pizza as well.  Finally, sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese over the pizza.  Not too much, but just enough for the additional layer of flavor.

Bake the pizza until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.  This pizza peel will help you get your pizza in and out of the oven. This usually takes 10-12 minutes in my oven, but your oven may be different.  Let the pizza rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

  
Chipotle Pepper BBQ Chicken Pizza
Chipotle Pepper BBQ Chicken Pizza
  • pizza dough
  • salsa
  • fresh mozzarella cheese
  • pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced
  • 1/2 cup chipotle pepper BBQ sauce

If you make my Chipotle Pepper BBQ Sauce you will love this pizza.  It is a perfect way to use some of that BBQ sauce.

To make the pizza, first, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.  If you are using a pizza stone, place it on the bottom rack of the oven to preheat.

Press your pizza dough into a 10 inch round.  I put my dough on a piece of parchment paper so that I can easily slide the pizza onto the pizza stone.  You can use a pizza pan if you wish.

Mix the cooked chicken with the Chipotle Pepper BBQ Sauce.   Set aside.

Spread the salsa over the pizza dough.  You may want to puree your salsa to make it smooth.  I didn't.  I like the chunks, but go ahead and puree yours to make it smooth if that's what floats your boat.  Slice the fresh mozzarella cheese and distribute the slices over the pizza.   Next, spread the chicken and BBQ sauce mixture around the pizza.  Top with the shredded pepper jack cheese.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
Bake the pizza until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.

This usually takes 10-12 minutes in my oven, but your oven may be different.  Let the pizza rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Does your family love pizza?  Make it at home.  Pizza is easy and you can top it any way you like.





Essential Pizza Kit

The right tools will make your homemade pizza baking a success.



Do you want other pizza suggestions?
Other pizza recipes you may enjoy:
Caramelized Onion Pizza
Prosciutto and Ricotta Pizza
Pizza Dilemma: How To cook Pizza Crust

Before you go.....Never miss a Just One Donna post by signing up to receive posts in your email or your favorite RSS feed.  Links are in the sidebar.

Enjoy!

Comments

  1. blueyesApril 20, 2011 at 7:19 AM

    I actually bought stuff this weekend to do homemade pizza during the week. I love the turkey pepperoni with TONS of cheese lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. Meg O.April 20, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    OMG. This looks amazing. I always make my dough in the breadmaker - love it.

    I am so hungry now for this and it's barely 9 am!

    ReplyDelete
  3. amyApril 20, 2011 at 7:23 PM

    These pizzas sound so yummy Donna! We love pesto also. I've eaten, but have never make pesto pizza before. Now that I have your recipe I will be making some of my own! Thanks for sharing:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. TheProDivaApril 20, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    Both of the pizzas sound like they were awesome!Pizza is pretty popular in my house also. We tend to order pizza when we're hanging out at home too. Maybe we'll try to make our own pizzas next time. And I really need to invest in a bread maker. Thanks for the recipes! Heading over to check out the Barbecue Sauce!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ginApril 20, 2011 at 9:31 PM

    These look delish! we never order pizza anymore and always make it but we always use premade dough. I have to try and make it myself one day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. 2CommentaristasApril 21, 2011 at 2:59 AM

    Your blog makes me think of French beaches, and I can't show your pizza photos to my kids.....too yummy.

    ReplyDelete

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