Almost, Totally Homemade Pizza

There are some items that I consider to be kitchen staples. Frozen cheese pizza is definitely on that list. They are inexpensive and versatile. Last week I purchased four.

Today, we are being couch potatoes, watching football and mentally preparing ourselves for the upcoming work week. (The long, holiday weekend FLEW by!)

We need food! We need food that requires little effort for optimal taste, few ingredients and can be on the table quickly.

Since it's football Sunday, I decided to doctor a frozen pizza. Here's what I did:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2 to 3

Equipment Needed:

Pizza Stone or Large Cookie Sheet and a pizza cutter or knife

Ingredients:

1 - 12inch Thin Crust Cheese or Vegetable Pizza

1 raw, Turkey Italian Sausage link, about 1/4 pound, torn into half inch pieces

1 tsp Oregano

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°

If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while oven heats.

Unwrap the pizza, but leave on pizza board.

Place sausage pieces on pizza, spacing them about one inch apart.

Season with oregano.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over pizza.

Season with black pepper.

Using the pizza board, slide pizza onto pizza stone.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for a few minutes prior to cutting.

Cut pizza in slices or squares.

Serve with condiments of choice. I chose mild Giardiniera, grated parmesan and red pepper flakes,

For Hors d'oeuvres:

Cook cheese pizza according to package instructions. Allow pizza to cool. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, make pizza cutouts. Then, top with the protein of your choice (prosciutto, check breast, steak, shrimp, sliced turkey... ),herbs or dips. Place hor d'oeuvres on a platter with a a flat edge serving utensil and Enjoy!

10 inch Turkey Sausage Calzone

Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes 

Serves 2- 3

Ingredients: 

Deep Dish Pizza Dough

2 cups Pizza Sauce

1lb Turkey Italian Sausage, cooked, drained & crumbled

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Butter, melted

1. Preheat conventional oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place 1 tbsp butter in heavy 10 inch skillet (cast iron) and place in oven while oven preheats.
3. Meanwhile, press dough into a 10 inch circle between parchment or wax paper.
4. Mix 11/2 cups of pizza sauce and sausage. Set aside.
5. Remove skillet from oven and using parchment paper, place dough in skillet.
6. Pour sauce/sausage mixture on half of dough, about an inch from the edge. 
7. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce/sausage mixture.
8. Fold other half of dough on top of cheese and press edges of dough together.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Baste with melted butter and bake an additional 5 minutes. 
11. Serve with Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and remaining 1/2 cup of pizza sauce for dipping.