Pizza Grilling Stone

I have always wanted an outdoor pizza oven and one of these days I will have one. but until then, I have this wonderful pizza grilling stone. Some weeks back, Dan and I were at Crate and Barrel when we came across this. The packaging says that it duplicates the effects of a brick oven and is great for pizzas, quesadilla and more. The stone distributes heat evenly for a perfect, crispy pizza crust.

The stone is dishwasher and microwave safe, but is not intended for stove top use. You can cut the pizza on the stone without worrying about the stone being damaged. I used my own crust, but you can use this with frozen pizza dough, a prepared crust or even a frozen pizza.

Ranch Chicken Pizza

I came across this recipe while looking up a recipe on the Internet for my mom. It looked pretty interesting, so I decided to try it out last night. The recipe called for a 3 ounce package of cream cheese, which I never even knew existed.

The pizza turned out really good. I think the roasted red peppers really made the pizza taste great. Their recipe called for a 2 1/4 ounce can of sliced ripe olives which I omitted, I also added some chili puree to my mixture to spice it up just a little bit. This recipe came from the Hidden Valley people and calls for the original dressing, I used the light version on my pizza.

Ranch Chicken Pizza

1/2 cup light Ranch reduced fat dressing

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. chili puree

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1 (12 inch) prepared pizza crust

1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine dressing with cream cheese, tomato paste and chili puree. Stir in chicken; spread onto crust. Arrange peppers and onions on pizza; sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Chicken Pizza with Roasted Garlic

Thursday night I decided make pizza, but I wanted something a little different from the norm. I made the crust, Semolina Pizza Crust from a past posting, then came up with the topping. I started by roasting a head of garlic in the oven, slicing off the very top, drizzling it with olive oil, wrapping it in foil and baking it for an hour at 375. Once it is cool enough to handle , I squeeze the head of garlic and the pulp comes right out. I mixed it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then rubbed that onto the prepared crust.

I then seasoned 2 skinless-boneless chicken breasts with Penzey's Pizza Seasoning and grilled them in my square grill pan until cooked through. I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and placed it on the pizza.

I then topped that with a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan and baked it for 12 minutes at 450 degrees.

I drizzled it with a little more olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar that I had reduced down to a syrup before serving it.

Potato Sage and Rosemary Pizza

I know that it seems strange to put potatoes on a pizza, I mean why not throw a little pasta on just to really starch it up, but it was really good. I have always wanted to make a pizza with potatoes after watching Martha Stewart make one years ago. How can you go wrong with pizza, potatoes, rosemary and olive oil? I found this recipe in the March '07 issue of Bon Appetit and thought I would go for it. I will post the recipe as they printed it. I used my own crust for the recipe, I had some frozen from last month when I made the Semolina Pizza Crust. You could also use a prepared crust like Boboli for this recipe. When I went to the store for my Yukon Gold potatoes, I got very frustrated because they did not have any. But then I saw the purple ones and did a little dance in the aisle. I had heard of purple potatoes, but never thought I would see them in Kansas City. I thought they would be as elusive as broccoli rabe, either you grow your own or dream of the day that it finally appears in the produce section of your local market. I also used thin slices of mozzarella from the deli at Green Acres as opposed to the packaged shredded kind. This pizza was excellent for dinner with a salad on the side. It would be perfect to serve at a party along with a variety of other appetizers.

Potato, Sage & Rosemary Pizza

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz. unpeeled small Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced very thin
1 13.8 oz. tube refrigerated pizza dough
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes slices in single layer, saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool briefly.
Unroll dough on rimmed baking sheet. Scatter potato slices over dough, leaving 3/4" plain border. Sprinkle with rosemary, sage, garlic and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheeses to cover.
Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheeses melt, about 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

Quick Tomato Sauce

When I made the pizza last night, I used Julee Rosso's sauce recipe from Great Good Food. I changed it just a bit. I used 2 cloves of chopped garlic instead of 2 tablespoons. I used one 15-oz can of tomato sauce and one 14.5-oz Fire Roasted diced tomatoes instead of 1 28-oz. can of plum tomatoes. The I added a teaspoon of sugar, which is not in the recipe. I will post the recipe as it reads in the book though. I topped my pizza with thinly sliced prosciutto and slices of fresh mozzarella. It was like being in Italy! The flavor was so fresh.

Quick Tomato Sauce

1 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. slivered garlic
1 can (28 oz) plum tomatoes
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium size skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until lightly browned. Do not overcook or sauce will be bitter. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Add the basil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Semolina Pizza Crust

I have started going through one of my favorite old cookbooks and trying out some of the recipes again. Great Good Food by Julee Rosso, has wonderful lower fat recipes that taste great. Last night I decided to make the pizza crust and quick tomato sauce recipes. This turned out to be the best pizza crust I have ever made. The dough was light and soft and the sauce was perfectly seasoned. I had to add water to my dough , it was too dry. I did this by wetting my hands and then continued kneading until I had the desired consistency to my dough. I dived my dough into 2 pieces and made a thicker crust. I wrapped the remaining dough in plastic wrap and bagged it, then placed in the freezer. I will thaw it and make another pizza next week.

Semolina Pizza Crusts

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 cup semolina flour

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

olive oil

Place 1 cup warm (110 to 115 degrees) water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, sprinkle in yeast and sugar; stir to combine. After 5 minutes mixture should be foamy. Add flours and salt to yeast mixture, and mix until dough is relatively smooth. Lightly flour a smooth surface. Remove dough from bowl, place on surface, and knead by hand for 10 minutes. If the dough is too wet add small amounts of lour if to dry add drops of water. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Lightly wipe a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat with oil; cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 450. Lightly spray or wipe individual pizza pans or large baking sheets. Punch down dough, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Let dough rest for 20 minutes. On a floured surface flatten into 4 10 inch discs using your fingertips. Place on pan and top with sauce and toppings. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp.

Sloppy Joe Pizza

This isn't the best name for this pizza, but that is what the recipe calls it. I didn't modify this too much from the original, because it was such a good recipe. I don't remember where it came from, but we love this pizza. I use the regular Boboli crust for this, the thin one would not hold this pizza.

Sloppy Joe Pizza

1 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large (12") Italian bread shell or prepared pizza crust
2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 425. In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Pour off the fat. Stir in corn, barbecue sauce, green onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; heat through. Place pizza shell on a baking sheet. Spoon mixture over the top, sprinkle with cheese. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.