Monday, February 7, 2011

Quick and easy pizza

I love pizza. nom, nom, nom.  I think I could eat pizza every day.  I always see the scales go up a little when I eat pizza, so I try to only eat it once a week.  This week I decided that I would make pizza for us for Super Bowl Sunday.  What is wrong with that phrase..."Super Bowl Sunday?"  Why can't it be Super Bowl Saturday?  I mean, if you want me to come to your house for a party (or host a party), it needs to be on a Saturday and not on Sunday when I have to get up at six a.m. because I have to work the next morning. O.k., now that I have that out of my system...
I usually make crust with Chef Boyardee pizza crust mix.  But because we went to the store so late on Saturday and they were wiped out- I bought a thin pre-made crust.  I had never bought this brand before...called "Mama Mary's."  It said "made with honey" and I thought it was a good tasting crust. 
First I brown the sausage in the microwave.  I like Jimmy Dean sausage.  I used one package, which I don't even think is a pound anymore.  I cook it four minutes at a time and stir and break it up with a fork then put it back in, repeating three or four times.  Then I drain my sausage and pat with a paper towel to get any remaining grease out.  Then I set it aside to cool.

browned sausage
Normally this is where I would say something about putting the crust on the pizza stone.  But I can't say that because MY PIZZA STONE IS MISSING!  Doug and I turned the kitchen upside down, but could not find my Pampered Chef pizza stone.  So I made this pizza on foil over a baking rack and the foil stuck a little.  I used a pastry brush and put a little olive oil in a small bowl and brushed it over the crust.  I love olive oil.
crust brushed with olive oil
I used store brand pizza sauce and spread it over the crust with the back of a tablespoon.  I am right handed and it was difficult to take this picture of me spreading sauce with my right hand while using my left hand to push the button on the camera, so I hope you appreciate this photo.

spreading pizza sauce on the crust
Then I sprinkled canned Parmesan cheese over the pizza sauce. 
pizza sauce topped with Parmesan
 Then lots of pepperoni.
pepperoni
 Then I spread the cooked sausage over the pepperoni.  Then sprinkled basil and oregano over that.  The pizza sauce had some spices in it, but I like a lot.
sausage on top of pepperoni
 Then I used two small cans of mushrooms.  It would probably taste better to use fresh mushrooms, but I used canned.  I like to call mushrooms fungus.  I like to say "there is a fungus among us."
fungus
 Then top with cheese.  I used four cheese Italian.  Almost two cups.
cheese!
 Preheat oven to 450 degrees then bake ten to twelve minutes at 425.  Because your crust and sausage are already cooked, you are really only heating all of the ingredients thoroughly and melting the cheese.
ready to eat?
I usually make my home made pizza in my cake pan and make it deep dish style.  This pizza made up a little faster but was very good.  It would probably taste better with fresh ground Parmesan and fresh mushrooms, and cooked on a PIZZA STONE, but this was quick, easy and tasty.

3 comments:

MamaMonki said...

YUM!! I wiah I had been at your party (my party consisted of frozen pizza - blegh!) And I certainly agree - which man thought that putting the Superbowl on Sunday was a good idea?! Hello!!

Also "Fungus among us" is fun to say - wonder if I can teach my two year old to say it - that would be even more fun!

^..^Corgidogmama said...

Oh man...wait a minute...have to wipe the salivation off my chin.
I adore making "homemade" pizza. We make it like you do, but add chopped onion and green peppers, to make it a deeee-luxe.
Oh my this is good. Son Josh and I get together once in a while and make one up, Jim doesn't like our homemade version...sheesh! We like the Pillsbury thin crust too. Normally though, we use a box of Jiffy or your boxed brand.
Can't open a can of mushrooms without saying or thinking "fungus, among us"...there's lots of us, weird folks out here in cyberland, y'know!

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

This seems like a vety meaty version. I prefer a more veg one.

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