Easy Pizza Recipes

Pizza recipes bring back a lot of memories. The first time I made pizza for my wife ... it was awful! I just didn't have the right pizza recipe and I didn't use the correct ingredients. Now, my friends tell me that I should open my own pizza restaurant! Let me show you what I have learned.

Elements of a Great Pizza

Crust

First of all, you need to start with a good crust. Regular bread dough just doesn't cut it. Pizza dough is not meant to rise to be fluffy and one inch thick. The exception to that rule is if your are making a creation such as French bread pizza.

• Pizza Hut Style Pizza Dough: This dough is inspired by Pizza Hut's pizza.

• Chicago Style Pizza Dough: Great for making a fully stuffed pizza.

• Gluten Free Cornmeal Pizza Dough: This easy cornmeal pizza dough recipe from my-favorite-pizza-recipes.com is dedicated to my Dad who can't eat gluten. He deserves good pizza too!

• Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Coming soon!!): If you are health conscious, try this great whole wheat pizza dough. It goes well with your veggie pizza.

Sauce

The next important element is the sauce. Every good pizza needs a good pizza sauce. Now, there are different types of sauces: marinara sauces, Alfredo sauces, BBQ sauces, etc. I even made a pizza one time with a sour cream and cream cheese sauce (it turned out pretty good). I used to use a can of spaghetti sauce (this works all right if your in a hurry, but it's not quite as tasty!)

• Marinara Sauce: This is your traditional style pizza sauce.

• Chunky, Spicy Marinara: This recipe has diced tomatoes and a little crushed red pepper. I use it for Chicago style pizza.

• Alfredo Sauce: A smooth, creamy Italian sauce that is great for switching things up.

Cheese

Third, you need some good quality cheese. Remember the last time you went out for pizza and you lifted a piece off the pan and you had to scoop up the cheese that was stringing off of your slice? That is what we want. Choose cheeses that are low in moisture, have higher melting points, and melt well (they get to that "stringy liquidy" stage). Stay away from American and cheddar and go with a good Italian cheese such as Mozzarella or Provolone. You can accent your cheese by blending it with stronger cheeses such as Asiago, Parmesan, or Romano. Be warned that cheeses are not created equal, so try a few different brands until you find a good one.

Toppings

Now comes the fun part...building the pizza. There are a million different toppings for pizza. Choose high quality meats and veggies to top your pizza. Always make sure you precook raw meat, such as sausage. If you want your veggies to be soft, you can precook them too. Try to think of new ways to combine toppings to make a great pizza. Be sure to pick a sauce that matches the toppings. See what kind of unique creations you can come up with! Of course, keep it within reason...tuna fish and corn pizza might be considered a little weird (somebody actually served me that once!!).

Cooking

Pizza should be cooked at high temperatures, usually 450° to 500° Fahrenheit. Cook it for about 10-15 minutes. Your pizza is done when the crust is nicely browned and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown (just a little). If you have a pizza stone, pizza screen, or a deep dish pizza pan, that is a great way to cook it. If not, you can use a cookie sheet. It will still make pretty good pizza.

For more tips on making great pizza check out "The Ridiculously Thorough Guide to Making Your Own Pizza".

Easy Pizza Recipes

If creating your own pizza isn't your thing, or if you need some ideas to start, try one of these great recipes...

• Fruit Pizza/Dessert Pizza: This is a sweet blend of fresh fruit and a whipped cream sauce piled on a sugar cookie crust.

• Veggie Pizza (Coming soon!!): Who says pizza isn't healthy. How does a tomato based sauce, low fat Mozzarella, and an array of veggies on a wheat crust sound to you? The best part is that it still tastes great!

• Chicago style pizza: This is a gourmet stuffed pizza. A layer of crust, plenty of cheese and toppings, a second layer of crust and the sauce on top. This is definitely one of my favorite pizza recipes.

• Pizza Casserole (Coming soon!!): This tasty casserole is a unique twist on the pizza flavor.

• Breakfast Pizza: As a kid I loved cold pizza for breakfast, here is a great pizza recipe that is actually made just for breakfast.

• Mexican pizza: This pizza recipe is inspired by traditional Mexican cuisine. A tasty pizza with a kick!

• French Bread Pizza: If you are short on time, or just want to mix it up, why not try this unique creation?

• Barbecue Chicken Pizza (Coming soon!!): This tasty combination seems to be the new thing. This is a great choice to feed your family.