Prosciutto Parrano Portabella Pizza

I am always so tickled when my husband goes grocery shopping--especially when he shops at an incredible store like Harris Teeter. He always buys the most beautiful food.  These buying trips of his inspire me, especially when I am in a slump, food-wise.

Last night, he came home with some prosciutto, parrano cheese, two balls of pizza dough from the deli, portabella mushrooms, among other things.

I decided to work with the the whole wheat dough and froze the white pizza dough for another time. The dough was quite sticky so I kneaded it a bit on a lightly floured board. I then placed it in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp tea towel and let it rest/rise in a very warm place for about an hour. After that it was very easy to shape and press into a black iron skillet.

The Parrano cheese was new to us and it was delicious! It has a sharp taste like Parmesan but has a buttery, creamy texture much like Gouda.  It wasn't real melty, but I also included some fresh mozzarella, so that took care of the melty, stringy business.

I loved making this pizza and we really enjoyed eating it.

Prosciutto Parrano Portabella Pizza
1 lb. pizza dough
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
4 oz. Parrano cheese, grated
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
2-3 large portabella mushrooms, sliced or chopped as desired
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
Fresh or dried oregano, to taste
Salt and red or black pepper, or both, to taste

Stretch and press pizza dough into a lightly oiled black iron skillet. Layer ingredients as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, until crust is done and cheese is bubbly.

Crazy Crust Pizza

Here's an old one for you.  The original recipe for Crazy Crust Pizza was from a bag of Pillsbury flour when you could buy one for twenty-nine cents, and the grocer still used a Garvey stamper for pricing. 

This is one of many, many pizzas made in my kitchen. I have made pizza dough from scratch, kneading by hand. I have used Boboli pre-made crust.  I have used pita bread, French bread, English muffins for making pizza. I have made thin crust, deep dish, individual, and party-size pizzas.  Heck I have even made little pizzas using crackers. 

And just how many pizzas have I made on this pan?

Christmas Pizza

While I was baking so much for Christmas, I was also cooking meals for us. One night, when Alice and the baby were visiting, I made pizza. Because I know Alice loves green olives on her pizza and is also quite fond of sausage, I decided to build a pizza around those ingredients.  I called it Christmas pizza because of the colors.

I have made the crust recipe several times. It is quite easy, turns out great every time, and most importantly, tastes delicious.  The crust is also versatile. I press mine into a lightly oiled 12-inch cast iron skillet, but any deep dish oven proof casserole or pan would work just fine. Or you can roll or toss it to make a thinner crust. 

This combination of ingredients turned out to be quite tasty. In fact, Alice swooned and said it was the best pizza she'd ever had. I considered that a very fine compliment. 

Christmas Pizza

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

1 pound bulk sausage

1 medium onion, very thinly sliced

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded

1 (15 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes, drained

1 cup (approx.) pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare crust and place into pan of your choice. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crumble sausage into a skillet; cook and stir until evenly browned. Remove sausage to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the sausage evenly over and press into the crust. Scatter sliced onions over the sausage. Spread the mozzarella cheese over the onions, then top with the drained fire roasted tomatoes. Top with the sliced olives and finally, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. 

Bake to 25 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Bacon, Spinach, Pear & Blue Cheese French Bread Pizzas

I have continued with the theme of super simple suppers, not only because I cut the dickens out of my thumb, but because I've been busy getting ready for a slew of company for Thanksgiving.  Also, I've been trying to use up bits and pieces of things in the refrigerator to make room for a big food shopping day. 

These were tasty! I realize I could call them open face sandwiches, but it is more fun to call them pizza and that also makes them taste better. 

Bacon, Spinach, Pear & Blue Cheese
French Bread Pizzas
French Bread
Olive Oil
Fresh minced garlic
Red pepper flakes
Red onion slices
Crisp bacon slices
Pear slices
Blue cheese crumbled
Fresh spinach
Provolone cheese slices

Slice the French bread horizontally, then cut into approximate pizza serving sizes. Brush each piece with a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until beginning to get toasty. Top each piece with a few slices of onion, then bacon, pear, and blue cheese crumbles. Top with a big handful of fresh spinach leaves and top that with a slice or two of provolone cheese. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Mediterranean Pizza

 

It's pizza time again! 

Mediterranean Pizza

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Pizza Crust

12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 tsp. each dried basil and oregano

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

1/4 lb. diced ham

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare the pizza crust and brush lightly with a little marinade from the artichoke hearts, then sprinkle with the herbs.  Cover crust with half the Monterey Jack cheese, then add artichoke hearts, ham, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, until crust and cheese are lightly browned.

Baby Artichoke & Sausage Pizza

I first made a deep dish pizza several weeks ago on Super Bowl weekend and since then I can't seem to stop. Well, actually this is just the fourth one. I have used different "toppings" each time, although in this case, I would call them stuffings, and we have loved each one. The crust is from All Recipes, link below, ignoring the actual baking directions.

In this pizza, I used baby artichokes, sliced black olives, roasted garlic tomatoes, sweet onions, and sausage. And cheese, of course. Here is a good link about baby artichokes from Ocean Mist.

This is not the thin and crispy pizza I traditionally make. No, this crust is soft and billowy and this pizza is much like a stuffed sandwich.

Baby Artichoke & Sausage Pizza
1 recipe Quick and Easy Pizza Crust
1 lb. hot and spicy bulk sausage, browned and drained
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated, plus extra for topping, if desired
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
8 - 10 baby artichokes, cooked, quartered
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 - 1 1/2 cups roasted tomatoes with garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese



Stretch and fit pizza crust into a lightly oiled black iron skillet. If the crust seems too springy, less it rest about 5 minutes, then try again. Add the browned sausage and press into the crust which also helps the crust hold its shape. Top with 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, the sliced onions, and the sliced baby artichokes.

Top with the olives.



Add the garlic roasted tomatoes.


Cover with the Parmesan cheese and any additional mozzarella cheese desired. Sprinkle with a little oregano.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until browned, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Let the pizza cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.