As you walk through the door you are greeted with: “I'm hungry. What are we going to eat?”
You quickly scan the items you have in your pantry and refrigerator. What can you make that is quick, nutritious, and will please your family? A very easy meal: quick mini pizzas.
Because pizza can be made with a variety of crusts and toppings, you are sure to find suitable ingredients to help you prepare a fun and enjoyable meal. Enlist the help of the other family members, and you will turn the meal preparation time into a family affair to remember.
Among others, possible pizza crusts are breads, croissants, pitas, and tortillas. Let's view a few recipes using these crusts.
Sandwich Bread Pizzas
Ingredients needed:
slices of sandwich bread (white, wheat, white wheat)
toppings can range from multiple types of meat to vegetables to cheeses.
Preheat oven to about 350F. Lightly toast the bread, so the sauce will not soak through. Top with pizza sauce and desired toppings. Bake until the cheese has melted, about five to six minutes.
French Bread Pizzas
Ingredients needed:
1 loaf of French bread
desired toppings
Preheat oven to about 350F. Slice the bread lengthwise and then cut in half; this will yield four pizzas. Slightly toast it in the oven and then top it with pizza sauce and toppings. Bake until the cheese has melted.
You can also cut slices about an inch thick to prepare smaller pizzas to serve at a party.
Flaky (Croissant) Crust Pizzas
Ingredients needed:
1 can croissant dough
desired toppings
Preheat oven to the temperature listed on the can. Open the can and unroll the dough making sure to split every two croissants, giving you a square shape. Given that each can has eight croissants, this recipe will yield four mini pizzas. Top with pizza sauce and favorite toppings. Bake the mini pizzas for the time listed on the can.
Pita Pizzas
Ingredients needed:
Pitas
desired toppings
Using pitas to make your pizza will actually give you open calzones. They are still very yummy and nutritious. Stuff the pitas with the meats, vegetables, and cheeses you desire. You can then bake them, at about 350F, or cook them on the stove. With either method, you will need to turn the pitas over so the crust will cook uniformly. About three minutes per side will assure the cheese(s) will nicely melt.
Tortilla Pizzas and Stuffed Tortilla Pizzas
Ingredients needed:
1 package of tortillas
desired toppings
Preheat oven to about 350F. Top the tortilla with pizza sauce and toppings. To keep with the theme, you may want to use some salsa mixed in with your tomato sauce or just drizzled on top. Use quesadilla cheese, or another type of Mexican cheese, in place of mozzarella. Bake until the cheese has melted, about four to five minutes.
For the stuffed version you will need to place another tortilla on top of the garnished one. You will need to turn it over after about three minutes of cooking time, or the top tortilla will harden. Cook for another three minutes. As with the pita pizzas, you can choose to cook the stuffed version on the stove. Again, make sure to turn them so both tortillas will cook uniformly.
Because tortillas come in different sizes, so you can choose how mini you want your pizza to be.
There are several many other ways to prepare mini pizzas. All you need is a bit of imagination. Next time you find yourself wondering what to prepare for dinner, look in your pantry and see what kind of "crust" you may have at hand. Involve you children, and you might be surprised by their yummy creations.