French Roll Pizzas

I had recently planned on making meatball subs for dinner.  I had the beef in my freezer, bought French rolls at the grocery store, and was going to get ground pork on sale.  However, when I got to the store to get the ground pork, they were out!  I contemplated going to another store and just paying full price for it, but I really didn't want to spend that much on this meal.  But I had already bought the rolls and I didn't want them to go to waste, so I started brainstorming ways to use them.  Then it hit me.  I would make little pizzas out of them.

First, let me give a little note about the rolls.  I used to buy French rolls in the bread aisle, but even on sale, they were quite expensive.  However, I discovered that the grocery store where I do most of my shopping sells French sub rolls in bulk for around 33 cents per roll (or sometimes they're even cheaper if they're on sale)!  So I decided to give them a try and I actually like them much better than the packaged variety.  They are so fresh and delicious, but they have to be used pretty much that day or the next.

French Roll Pizzas
French rolls
Pizza sauce (I'm working on a homemade sauce and will share it once I get it just the way I like it)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Desired toppings (onions, peppers, pepperoni, chicken, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut rolls in half lengthwise.  Spread with pizza sauce and top with a little bit of cheese, followed by desired toppings, and remaining cheese.  We've found that putting cheese on top of the toppings helps prevent them from falling off.  Place in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

P.S. I apologize for the horrible picture (and lack of pictures).  I had neglected to take pictures when I made them, so I took a picture of one that had been refrigerated and wasn't reheated.  But I figured it at least gives an idea of what this recipe is about.

Garlic Chicken Pizza

This is the pizza I made when I tried my new pizza dough recipe a couple weeks ago.  Let me tell you, the pizza was even more amazing than the crust!!  Let me give you a bit of a caveat though, it's not friendly on the waistline.  Most pizza isn't low calorie, but this kind especially isn't low cal.  It is so yummy, though, and a nice treat every once in a while.  If you like Papa Murphy's Gourmet Garlic Chicken Pizza, this is apparently very similar.

Garlic Chicken Pizza
1 unbaked pizza crust
2/3 cup Ranch dressing (you can get great sales on dressing)
1/2 -1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I used the Kraft powdery Parmesan - worked well and isn't as expensive as the block of Parmesan)
1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into strips
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (whites removed)

Preheat oven to 425.

Spread pizza dough on pizza pan or stone.  I don't have a round stone or pan, and I've found pizzas don't always bake well on my rectangular stone, so I made 4 smaller pizzas.  Combine ranch dressing and garlic; spread over crust.  I didn't use all of the sauce I had mixed and I thought it tasted great, but that may be because mine was a different size.

Combine cheeses; sprinkle half of cheese mixture over sauce.  Layer chicken, tomatoes, and green onions; top with remaining cheese.  Bake 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is slightly browned.

Money-saving and other tips:

• If you wait for a sale, you can usually find ranch dressing quite cheap.
• Buying blocks of cheddar and mozzarella cheese is usually (but not always) cheaper than buying it shredded.
• Blocks of Parmesan cheese are much more expensive than buying the non-refrigerated grated (almost powdery) kind.  The powdery kind works well in this recipe.
• Look for a good sale (I often get it for $1.85/lb or less) on boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or use leftover chicken from another meal.
• Preparing the chicken using Sumiko's method will add extra flavor to your pizza.  When cooking the chicken, be careful not to overcook it, otherwise it will get very dry when you bake the pizza.
• It's not tomato season, but if you watch the ads, you may be able to find a good sale on them.  Where I live, I can often get them for 33 cents/lb or less.

Thanks to Tammy for the recipe.  Check out her pizza making tips here.

English Muffin Pizzas

We’re almost at the end of our first quarter of school.  I can’t believe it!  Keanna is a quarter of the way through second grade and the boys are a quarter of the way through their first year of preschool!  That’s thirty-eight days of packing school lunches.

I recently decided to mix it up a bit by adding English muffin pizzas to the menu.  Just like the pb&j, grilled cheese, bean and cheese burritos, and quesadillas, you can make a big batch and freeze them for grab-and-go lunches!

One great thing about little pizzas is that you can customize them according to each family member’s preference.  Keanna likes pepperoni.  Lukas and Koda, when they decide they like pizza, prefer cheese.  Robbie is pretty easy to please but really likes bacon and pineapple on his pizza.

Before assembling the pizzas, I like to toast the English muffins on medium-low.  Not only does this give them a little extra crispiness, but it also helps keep them from getting soggy in the sauce.  I usually use whole wheat muffins.  WinCo was out of them this particular time, so I went with white.

I set my toaster oven on 3 out of 9.

I stick with traditional American pizza combinations (red sauce, mozzarella, toppings), but feel free to branch out.  I’m sure Kimiko’s BBQ chicken pizza would work well too.

English Muffin Pizzas

English muffins

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Toppings (pepperoni, olives, bell peppers, sausage, bacon, onions, pineapple…)

Preheat oven to 400°.  Split English muffins with fork.  Lightly toast.  Transfer to stone, crisper pan, or baking sheet.  Spread sauce over muffins; sprinkle with cheese.

Add desired toppings.  Bake until cheese is melted, about 8-12 minutes.  Baking time will vary depending on type of pan and amount of cheese and toppings.  If freezing, completely cool pizzas on rack.  Return to English muffin sleeve or store in gallon zip-top bag; store in freezer.  Place pizzas in microwavable container to pack in school lunches.

Tomato Basil Pizza

Pizza is great because it's so diverse.  It can easily be customized to meet your individual taste preferences.  It's also a great way to use up leftover ingredients in your fridge!  I had extra basil from another recipe and some tomatoes, so I decided to make a tomato basil pizza!

Tomato Basil Pizza
1 unbaked pizza crust
Olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Mozzarella
Fresh basil
Fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

Drizzle olive oil over unbaked pizza crust; spread minced garlic over olive oil.

Lay a layer of whole basil leaves over the garlic, followed by a layer of cheese.

I had some leftover sliced mozzarella that I bought on sale for $1.99/lb, so I finished that up, then used shredded for the rest.

Add a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes and top with a little extra cheese.

I like my tomatoes sliced quite thin.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is golden and crust is baked through.
 

Pizza is also good with a pesto sauce instead of whole basil leaves, but since pesto can get quite pricey, this is a budget-friendly alternative!  Also, if you really like basil, now's the time to plant it so you'll have an abundant crop this summer!!!