Food on the Table

We’re continuing the November of Giveaways and I know you’ll be excited about today’s post and giveaway from The Frugal Novice.  I met Christi online several months ago when I asked her to test the Food on the Table meal planning web app.   She tried some of the recipes and found a family favorite – the BBQ Chicken Pizza.  Below, she shares her tips for homemade pizza crust as well as variations on traditional pizza combinations.  I was thrilled when she called me to grab a cup of coffee when she was in town recently.  She is incredibly creative and I will credit her with the idea of a month of BlogHer Food Swag Giveaways!  Fittingly, today’s giveaway is a 12″ Stainless Steel Pizza Pan from American Kitchen.  Learn how to enter below.

We, like most people, love to have pizza. Before having kids my husband and I would order it out because it was quick and convenient; now we almost always make it ourselves, and have a lot of fun trying to find new recipes to try. Our boys will never turn down pizza, so that’s a plus too!

I like to make my own pizza crust whenever I get a chance.  We found a recipe that we converted a little bit to get it just how we like it:

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well-oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
5. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

Our fail-safe pizza option is pepperoni. I make my sauce for 40 cents – I buy a can of tomato paste and then thin it to the desired consistency, then flavor it with Italian seasoning, minced garlic, salt & pepper. It’s quick to make and would be really easy to customize with any flavor profiles you’d like. We use turkey pepperoni and honestly can’t really even tell a difference in the taste at all.

When we first discovered Food on the Table, we immediately tried their BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe. It was a complete hit – we loved it! Brian refilled his plate twice, and our 18 month old even chowed down. Our three year old was in a mood and wouldn’t even try it, but we’ve made it many times since and now he loves it too.  Plus, it presents beautifully so it’s nice to serve when company is over. See what I mean?

Here’s the recipe for the BBQ chicken pizza in case you’d like to try it too:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound chicken tenders (or about 1 cup once cooked and diced)
2/3 cup BBQ sauce (we used Jack Daniels because we already had it on hand, but any kind will do – use your favorite!)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting
1 package pizza dough (we used Pillsbury because we were in a little bit of a rush, but next time I’ll make my own dough)
3/4 cup shredded Gouda cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, saute the chicken in the olive oil until browned and cooked through. Once it’s cooked, remove from heat and chop.
2. In a bowl, mix the chicken with 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce; set aside.
3. On a floured cookie sheet or pizza pan, roll your pizza dough out. Use the remainder of the BBQ sauce to spread evenly across the dough.
4. Add the Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese; then add the chicken and onions. One note: I don’t like crunchy onions, so I sauteed some in a separate skillet to put on my half of the pizza, and then put raw onions on Brian’s half. This worked out really well for us!
5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly. Mine actually took a little less time than that, I think because I used a thin crust dough.
6. Once you’ve removed the pizza from the oven, top with chopped cilantro and slice the pizza to serve. Enjoy!

I’ve got one last pizza recipe to share – spinach, onion, & blue cheese. My friend Alexis told me about it and I knew we’d have to try it! This one is full of strong flavors and may not be for everyone, but we really like it. It’s something unique and would be a nice option to offer guests.

Spinach, Onion, and Blue Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza crust
2 large or 3 medium onions, sliced into rings
Salt
Oil
Sugar
Fresh spinach
4-5 cloves of chopped garlic
Soy sauce
Crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

1. Onions:  Sprinkle with salt. Place in frying pan over medium heat in about 2 TBSP oil & cook until bottoms start to brown, then start stirring. Add about 1-2 tsp sugar. Stir and cook until caramelized. Set aside.
2. Spinach: Remove stems. In sautee pan, heat about 2TBSP olive oil. Add 4-5 cloves choppped garlic; when garlic starts to soften, add spinach and toss. Drizzle with a little soy sauce (just a touch), let spinach soften, remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Assembly: Make crust per package instructions (I like to roll it out on a little cornmeal). Layer with onions, spinach, and then sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese. Cook about 6-8 minutes (per package instructions) HINT: if you heat the cookie sheet or whatever you are baking the pizza on in the oven while it is preheating, it helps the crust stay crisper!

We’re always on the lookout for new pizza recipes, and sometime I want to have friends over for a pizza night. We’d make the recipes I shared with you, plus a great appetizer pizza – Spread crescent roll dough out flat on a cookie sheet and bake according to directions, then top with cream cheese and chopped raw veggies (I like broccoli and carrots, personally). Now I just need to get a dessert pizza added to my repertoire and I’ll be all set!

To enter the giveaway:

1.  Leave a comment on this post
2.  Leave a comment on Facebook

The giveaway ends on November 15.

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