Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Yo Vinny, lemme get a slice over heeere!!!!

Ah, pizza. The word conjures up memories of my childhood growing up in the Bronx & Yonkers where there were mom & pop's & joey & vinny bag-o-donuts pizza places around every other corner. There IS something about NY pizza. A few down here in FL come close so I don't feel like I am missing out much, except for the friends I shared those old memories with.

Pizza at home may not come close but that's ok, it's just plain ol' fun as is the endless possibilities of toppings! The 1st recipe is from Publix. My girlfriend Tam came over with some she made & we devoured it. We made it the next night, that's how good it is!!

The 2nd is somewhat of a creation, although I got the idea of the diced tomatoes from a magazine. Less sugar & fat than jarred sauce. I loved it as much & by lunchtime the next day it was even better slightly warmed up!


BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA

1 lb fresh pizza dough
¼ cup flour
2 tblsp olive oil
1 1/3 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
¾ cup Buffalo hot wing sauce plus 4 tblsp
¾ cups Chunky blue cheese dressing
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

As the package says, let pizza dough rest for about an hour at room temp. Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle flour over work surface. Roll dough into a large circle to fit your pizza pan or baking sheet. Brush top lightly with olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes until slightly golden.

Meanwhile, combine chicken & wing sauce. Spread remaining wing sauce evenly over crust. Cover with half of the mozzarella cheese then top with the chicken mixture. Spoon or drizzle small amounts of the blue cheese dressing over the top of pizza. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake about 10 minutes or until cheese melts & crust is crisp.



{Food for Thought}

This recipe came from Publix & was intended for 2 pizzas, each being an 8x10 oval with different toppings. Instead, I wanted one big Buffalo Chicken pizza so I almost doubled the ingredients above & used the entire 1lb dough for the one pie. So, feel free to use a little more or less than what is listed, depending on your own preference. The recipe also called for grilling the crust first for about 4-5 minutes. I didn’t want to deal with that so I pre-baked the dough in the oven for just 10 minutes.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}


SPINACH & CHICKEN SAUSAGE PIZZA

1 tblsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
6oz spinach
1 lb fresh pizza dough
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained well
2 fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced thin
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Saute onion in pan for a few minutes. Add garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add spinach & cook until wilted. Set aside. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 400 & bake pizza crust until slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle tomatoes over crust. Top with spinach mixture. Add chicken sausage & then shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake about 10 minutes or until cheese melts & crust is crisp.


{Food for Thought}

I made this for my parents this week for dinner so just to make something simple a little special I bought fresh mozzarella & shredded it myself. It was delish & worth the extra cost. The chicken sausage was packaged & Italian style.

I haven't made much pizza in the past & have just gotten on a roll so if you make pizza differently where you don't pre-bake the crust then that's great. I just did it because it seems the crust doesn't get crispy enough for me & then while it's cooking I can prep the other ingredients.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Coming Soon to This Pizzeria: mediterranean style roasted vegetables with feta and perhaps a Shrimp & Spinach in a white bianca sauce.

{Have a great weekend everyone.

I will be posting soon about a lot of goodness going on here lately}

30 comments:

starnes family said...

I think I might love this - two of my favorite things in one!

Hope you have a nice weekend!

Stereos and Souffles said...

Pizza is truly my number one comfort food. I smile at the thought of it.

Little Ms Blogger said...

Reading your blog while hungry is like grocery shopping while hungry - DANGEROUS..

Now, I'm going to order a pizza.

Kristina P. said...

I can't even remember the last time I made homemade pizza. These sound like the perfect place to start!

Coco said...

We are huge buffalo sauce fans in this house. This pizza would be a perfect Sunday night dinner. And Frank's wing sauce is the best!

I need to email you a buffalo chicken dip that is so easy and so good!!

Melissa said...

YUMMY... I love pizza with "exotic" toppings!! And to think we are eating boring old papa john's pizza tonight!!

Kacey said...

Ooooh girl! Pizza is seriously one of my most fave things to eat. And NY pizza is THE BEST! I think part of the love of NY pizza is that you can grab a slice and eat & walk. Or grab a slice with a coke and sit outside, eat & people watch.

We make homemade pizza quite a bit. The kids love to help with the toppings. :D Mmmmmm!

Kacey said...

Ooooh girl! Pizza is seriously one of my most fave things to eat. And NY pizza is THE BEST! I think part of the love of NY pizza is that you can grab a slice and eat & walk. Or grab a slice with a coke and sit outside, eat & people watch.

We make homemade pizza quite a bit. The kids love to help with the toppings. :D Mmmmmm!

Woman Interrupted said...

The first pizza is such a great idea to work in that last food group: buffalo anything...yum!!

I agree about prebaking, otherwise its just not crispy. We cheat and buy dough from the restaurant and my husband entertains us with his tossing skills.

Brenda said...

It seems like the buffalo chicken pizza would be really spicy. My family would probably like it on the grill too.

Kerstin said...

Mmm, both pizzas sound delicious! I agree that freshly shredded mozzarella makes a big difference!

JennyMac said...

Yum. and YUM. We make homemade pizza here alot and just made it Thursday night. I will keep your heavenly ideas in mind.

Wendy said...

I see you are still gracing us with your wonderful meals. I scrolled through many of them and yummy! Would love to hear how your business is going. I miss blogging and keeping in touch. Hope all is well with you! Blessings!

Country Cookin' Mama said...

Yum! That last one looks way good! I love homemade pizza!

FROGGITY! said...

not only yum but also that is pretty! i mean really really pretty!

Ronda said...

I would give anything right now for a piece of that chicken pizza for breakfast, I'm starving! That looks great.
Hope things are going great and you are enjoying your summer. How is your son doing with his swimming?
Have a great week!
XOXO

missy said...

oh my gosh.....we love pizza!!!!!
and yum....the buffalo chicken pizza!!!!!

Beth Jacobs said...

The buffalo chicken pizza looks awesome.... can't wait to try out some of your recipes!

Nicole Feliciano said...

Love chicken on pizza. It pairs well!

Debbie said...

I love pizza. I truly think I could eat it every single day.

Claremont First Ward said...

My kids love making their own pizza's, but I never make my own crust. I should try.

Maria said...

We never get sick of homemade pizza at our house!

Pam said...

I love homemade pizza! The buffalo chicken pizza is calling my name.

BeautifulDisaster311 said...

Thanks for your comment--keep me posted on the birthday sign!
-Marissa-

Lump said...

ohmygoodness I have missed reading your blog.

you know, I've been quite the little domestic girl... I've been cooking. shocking. now, I'm going through all your recipes!!

Life, Love And Lola said...

Ahhhh Pizza! Yum!

Unknown said...

The spinach pizza looks lovely. I enjoy how the green, red, and white stick out from each other. Part of the enjoyment, for me, is the look of the pizza. That's why I always use contrasting colors. Spinach is a must!

Tina Butler said...

Pretty pies you did a awesome job.

Lorie said...

I know what we are doing for Pizza night on Friday! Forget ordering in!!

Unknown said...

You had me hooked at "Yo, Vinny" ": )