Impress your guests with these really easy pizzas and use leftovers to do it ;-)

These pizzas are the bomb! I love them cause they are so easy to make! I was going through our fridge today since Justin was getting off early (Yipeeee happy dance!!!!) and I needed to get lunch ready. Something all of us would enjoy! Pizza sounded good, but I hate ordering it and paying a whopping $16 for it (on rare occasions I will order pizza usually when they have extreme discounts)  well looking through the fridge and it's the end of the week so things are kinda sparse but I found some BBQ chicken and potatoes that needed to be used. Hmmm my mind started thinking (it rarely has the time to do that) my hubby and I went out to lunch a couple of weeks ago with our kiddos, we ended up choosing this little cute colorful joint named "mellow mushroom" (yes it originated in the 70's lol) anyways their specialty was pizzas and not just any pizza! they made interesting and creative flavor combinations like my favorite the loaded baked potato pizza. I already had the potatoes to use up...I scanned my fridge for other ingredients i might need...yep got it...got it ...and yes I have pretty much everything for an awesome baked potato pizza ;-) but hold on my hubby is not to thrilled with pizzas that include "white sauce" ...I had some left over BBQ chicken and we always have tons of BBQ sauce in the house. So my choices were made. now the nice thing about all this is that my dough recipe is really easy and only takes 20min to make, no rising and punching...real simple and real quick and still has an amazing flavor!and seriously who can beat homemade pizza that is done in the same amount of time than if you ordered it, healthier too and definitely beats in the flavor department!
 So I thought I would share my recipes with you! hope you enjoy it as much as my husband did ;-)

Loaded baked potato pizza

Crispy bacon, potato, sour cream and ranch dressing mmmmmm

BBQ chicken pizza

Honey BBQ chicken, cilantro and green onions...so good!

Real Easy Pizza Crust
Printable Version

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (when using jarred active dry yeast 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C make sure it is this temp!)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (Bread flour is the best but all-purpose flour will work OK)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). 
2. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour, salt and oil. (I sometimes add extra spices to my crust the best and easiest way to add herbs is to mix them into the olive oil before you add it to the batter) 
4. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal.(I mix a bit of garlic powder (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp) into the olive oil that I brush onto the edge of the crust, which gives it a touch of garlicky flavor and helps the edge turn nice and golden in the oven.) Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I've also used this recipe to make some pretty awesome bread sticks; I add the herbs and garlic oil, and pretty much follow the recipe. After letting the dough rise for 5-10 min, pinch off golf ball-sized pieces and roll them between your hands until they're 4-5" long. Add cheese if you want. Cook on a lightly greased cookie sheet, 1" apart, at 450 for 14-18 minutes. It makes 12-16 4"-5" bread sticks.

Adapted from recipe by Chef Rider


Loaded Baked Potato Pizza
Printable Version

Ingredients

• real easy pizza crust (recipe above)
• 3 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled (I microwave them if I'm in a real hurry)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ( I like the whole mozzarella cheese ball you can buy at the deli, just slice it and place the slices on pizza)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Prepare crust according to recipe above. Press dough into a 14-in. pizza stone (or a lightly greased pizza pan); build up edges slightly. 
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-in. cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Add potatoes and toss. 
3. Mix sour cream and the ranch dressing. Spread sour cream/ranch mix over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.    

Adapted from recipe by Gina Pierson

 BBQ Chicken Pizza
Printable Version

Ingredients

• Real easy pizza crust (recipe above)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (I used left over honey BBQ chicken)
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided (I used Bull's-Eye original)
• 1/2 cup Classico® Tomato and Basil Sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2.  Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook 10 minutes, turn, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Continue cooking 10 minutes, until juices run clear. Cool slightly, and cut into chunks.(skip this step if you are using leftover chicken)
3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining barbeque sauce and pasta sauce. Spread evenly over the pizza crust. Arrange cooked chicken chunks and green onion slices over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. 
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cilantro, and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.  

Adapted from recipe by LauraKKH 



Hope you enjoy it, we sure did!