Pizza

My family loves pizza and we're no strangers to the pizza delivery places.  However, lately, we've been finding it much more fun to make our own.  Part of this was prompted by my MOMS Club, which used to have a monthly "take 'n' bake pizza" activity.  No one had hosted one for about a year, so I thought it would be fun to put it back on the calendar.  After taking some advice from my friends who are seasoned in the "make your own pizza" department, we got the hang of it.  Why did it get so easy all of a sudden, you ask?  I realized that I don't have to make the dough myself, which is what I was previously dreading.  You could get one of those pre-cooked crusts at your grocery store or get the roll-out dough from the can in your dairy section.  Here are two options that I like better:

1. Trader Joe's sells balls of dough (by the cheese/deli meat area, usually) and it's super cost-effective.  At my local store, it only costs just over $1 per ball of dough, which is pretty darn cheap for a pizza, if you ask me.  If you're going this route, I also suggest you invest in a dough-roller.  I like the Pampered Chef one and it works so well.  You can also just use your hands, but be sure to use a significant amount of flour and also know that it's going to take you a bit of time to get it right.

2. Schwan's now sells empty dough crusts already spread out on a bake-able pan.  Talk about easy!  If you don't want the mess of rolling your own dough but you want to make your own pizza, I highly suggest getting some of these.  There are two to a package and they end up being so tasty.

Here's the "before cheese" picture of our pizza the other night (with a Schwan's crust):

Everyone's got their favorites.  My kids wanted just alfredo with cheese (hence, the plain-looking side of this pizza) but my husband and I were in the mood for spinach, artichoke, chicken and some bacon bits.  Seriously, delicious.

Also, to make it even easier, go to your local grocery store and get a disposable pizza pan to roll your dough in.  It makes the whole process less messy, plus it's a quick clean-up after dinner's over.  I get my pans for $2.99 for a pack of three....and you can't really go wrong with that either.  Enjoy!!