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}