Easy Weeknight Pizza – Better Than Takeout!
Hello ladies, welcome to the last Tuesday in September! I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like it was just Labor Day, and now here we are at the end of the month already.
My mother used to always say, “The older you get, the faster the time goes.” When I was younger, I didn’t realize the true meaning behind that, but I certainly do now!
Speaking of my mom…she was a great cook! One thing she was famous for making in our neighborhood was pizza. I remember coming home from school on any given day and seeing pans of pizza in the kitchen. She’d make them for our family and neighbors.
So today on the blog, I thought I’d share an easy-peasy pizza recipe with you.
Back when my kids were younger, Friday nights would often be designated as pizza and movie night.
Nowadays, I find myself turning to this recipe for a quick weeknight meal. I feel like it saves us a few dollars compared to ordering from the local pizzeria, and I personally think it’s fun to make your own creations.
Okay ladies, let’s get started!
What You’ll Need
- 1 large ball of fresh pizza dough
- 1–1½ tablespoons olive oil, plus 1–2 teaspoons for the top of the dough
- Oregano, to taste
- Basil, to taste
- 2–3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Your favorite jar of pasta sauce or 1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Fresh Parmesan cheese, to taste
Time to Make Pizza!
The first thing I’d like you to know is that this recipe makes one pizza, which I usually cut into 12 slices. Of course, you can cut it however you’d like!
Because my mom made a lot of pizzas, she’d buy Rhodes frozen dough in large quantities whenever it was on sale. It seems like there was always a package of that dough in our freezer at any given time.
However, I like my dough to be fresh. Our local pizza shop sells their dough, so I buy one large ball. I find it is best to use the dough within an hour or so of bringing it home because it is much easier to work with!
So, go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Take out a cookie sheet. I use a 17 x 11½ x 1-inch pan. My family likes a thinner crust, but if you prefer a thicker crust, you can use a smaller pan.
Grease the cookie sheet with 1 to 1½ tablespoons of olive oil. You may have to use a little bit more or less depending on the size of your pan.
Next, take your pizza dough and stretch it until it fits your pan. I know some people use a rolling pin for this, but I like to use my hands. I find this much easier to do with fresh dough.
After the dough is fitted to the pan, take a little bit of olive oil—about 1–2 teaspoons—and spread it all around the top of the dough. Now, don’t use too much, because you’ll end up with an oily mess!
Sprinkle on your spices. I like to use oregano and basil. This is definitely a preference thing when it comes to how much to use.
Next, mince your garlic and spread that over the other spices. Again, how much garlic you use is a personal preference. My mom always used garlic powder, which was absolutely fine. I just prefer fresh garlic, and I generally use 2–3 cloves.
Next up, take a jar of your favorite pasta sauce and pour that over your spices. You may want to put the sauce on first and then the spices, but I like to do it in this order.
Then, take an 8-ounce ball of mozzarella cheese and shred it. You can buy it already shredded to save some time, but I always buy it whole and shred it myself because I find it to be fresher.
Sprinkle the cheese all over the sauce. Then take a tub of fresh Parmesan cheese and scatter it all over the top of the pizza.
Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown and the cheese is melted. Let it cool slightly before slicing.
Serve with a garden salad, and you’ve got a delicious, easy meal any night of the week.
So the next time you’re tempted to pick up the phone and order a pizza, maybe give this recipe a try instead.
And don’t be afraid to make your own masterpiece. That’s where the joy really comes in! Try adding pepperoni, mushrooms, and peppers. Or get really creative and make barbecue chicken pizza, simply by using shredded barbecue chicken, red onion, and barbecue sauce in place of red pasta sauce. The options are endless!
I hope this recipe becomes a family favorite of yours, just as it has become one of mine.
Thanks so much for stopping by, ladies. Enjoy your day, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
~Chelle Noelle~