Continuing in our cooking on a shoestring vein, here’s an old favorite that’s sure to please: PIZZA!
Tell me that doesn't look tasty!
Pizza chains and fancy-pants retailers would have you believe that it requires some kind of old-world knowledge and special gadgetry in order to create a killer pizza. I’m here to tell you that it’s all bull-pucky. Stick with me, kid, and you’ll soon be making some fancy-pants pizzas of your own, all with the basic utilities of a plain ol’ stove set to 350 degrees F.
First round up:
- Large-sized tortillas (white, wheat, sun-dried tomato, or whatever tickles your fancy here) – get enough for one per person, as these are the pizza bases we’re going to work from
- 1 14.5-oz. can of crushed tomatoes, or 1 small can of tomato paste + some water to dilute it – your sauce!
- 1 c. mozzarella cheese, grated (if you prefer cheddar, or just happen to have it on hand and don’t want to spring for mozzarella, go for it)
- olive oil
In terms of toppings, the varieties are endless. As always, you get to decide what would be good on your pizza. If you just want cheese, that’s all you need. Otherwise, here are a few suggestions:
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion or shallot, minced
- pepperoni slices
- mushrooms, chopped
- bell peppers, chopped (red, green, orange, yellow – they’re all good!)
- pesto
- assorted cheeses (the more the merrier)
- artichoke hearts
- anything else you think would taste great on a pizza (I have a friend who loves dill pickles on hers, so feel free to get creative!)
Now what?
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Lay your tortilla on a plate and slather it with an even coating of about 1 tsp. olive oil. You can do this with the back of a spoon, or (if you’re fancy and have such acoutrements) a pastry brush.
- Atop the olive oil, coat your pizza with crushed tomatoes or the tomato paste, slightly diluted with water. (If you’re using paste, you want it to be slightly less pasty, and more like a sauce, so just a few tablespoons of water should do the trick.) This is your sauce, so add as much or as little as you like, leaving a rim of about 1/4 inch all around for a “crust.”
- Now’s the time to add your toppings. I always like to include onion, garlic and cheese at a minimum, for a nice savory base. Add whatever you like here, but remember it’s a thin-crust pizza, so don’t get too heavy-handed with the toppings or they’ll all slide off when you try to eat it.
- Layer on cheese to cover your toppings.
- Place pizzas on a cookie sheet or on the oven rack directly (be careful not to burn yourself or let the edges of your pizzas droop and spill through; this takes a bit of finesse), and let bake for about 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Remove from oven onto individual plates and allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting and eating.
The final result should look something like this:
Chicken, bacon, mushroom, shallot & garlic pizza
Or maybe this, if you used pesto instead of red sauce:
Pesto, chicken, bacon, shallot & garlic pizza
Delicious, right? And all you had to do was round up a few simple ingredients on a cool spring day like today (55 degrees feels SO good after all that 90+ heat!), bake and enjoy. Seriously, if you’re waiting for the pizza guy to deliver in 30 minutes or less, you’re just wasting your money. Try one of these personal pan pizzas and see if you don’t convert by the time he finally knocks on your door, expecting a tip.
What are some of your favorite pizza toppings? Leave us a comment or tweet us @shoestringATX!
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Tags: artichoke hearts, bell peppers, best pizza in Austin, crushed tomatoes, garlic, homemade pizza, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, pepperoni, pesto, quick and easy pizza, recipes, shallot, tortillas
Looks and sounds delicious, easy and affordable! Must add to the menu this week.
Thanks, Catherine. Let us know how yours turn out!