One of my favorite foods to make is pizza!  It's easy, yummy, and so many people love it.  You can make a large pan pizza and feed a decent sized group, or a couple to feed a crowd, and with simple ingredients you can make a "gourmet" pizza.  Look at the menu at your favorite pizza restaurant and pay attention to what toppings they use, and then try it at home.  Play with the sauce flavoring & the crust thickness, and you will have for yourself a really tasty pizza!  Here are some of my favorites:

Bread Machine Pizza Crust

2 teaspoons dried granulated yeast

3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons water

Place all ingredients into a bread machine, and press the Pizza Dough or Dough setting.  This should take 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours.  Take the dough out and stretch it so that it fits onto a large jelly roll pan (prepared with cooking spray and, if you like, cornmeal).  Let rise for 30 minutes to an hour longer (covered with saran wrap, in a warm dark place).  Or just top with your toppings and place in the refrigerator all day or overnight (it will rise slowly in the fridge).  Top pizza, bake for about 20 to 30 minutes at 350* and voila! Yummy pizza straight from your oven (and cheaper than purchased pizza, even the cheap kind!!)!  :)    

Other easy ways to make pizza crust:

• Get the refrigerated pre-made crusts (like Pillsbury)

• Get a Boboli or other similar brand

• Purchase Rhodes frozen bread loaves, defrost them, and then use 2 loaves per one big jelly roll pan and stretch them out to make a nice crust.  Top with your favorite toppings and bake at 350 for about 20 to 30 minutes.

• Use a loaf of French bread and cut it in half horizontally, top it and then bake it.

• Use English Muffins or Bagels for individual pizzas, or even toasted hot dog or hamburger buns.

Barbecued Chicken Pizza

(I copied this idea from Flying Pie Pizza's "Chiquita Mesquita")

Whenever we have cooked this for guests, they have loved it!!  Try it and you will really like it, I'm sure!

1 bread machine pizza crust    

1/2 a bottle (or so) of barbecued sauce (I use Kraft because it's cheap, and I like the honey flavored kind.)**

2 cups or more Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

3 chicken breasts, cooked and finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

A handful of fresh mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups or more Smoked Gouda Cheese, shredded (make sure to get the smoked kind!)

After you've made the pizza crust, pour the barbecue sauce on and spread it around like pizza sauce.  Top the sauce with Mozzarella cheese, then chicken, red onion, mushrooms, and then Smoked Gouda Cheese on top.  Bake in the oven at 350* for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the edges are light brown. 

**hint: our discount grocery store, WinCo, usually has Kraft barbecue sauce on sale in the summer time for 40 cents or even as low as 3 for $1.00.  Wait until you see a sale like this and stock up!

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

1 Bread Machine Pizza Crust

1/2 jar (or so) Alfredo Sauce, or homemade sauce (which is very simple to make)

2 cups or more Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

3 chicken breasts, cooked and finely chopped

4 or 5 green onions, finely chopped

a handful of fresh mushrooms, finely sliced

Make the pizza crust, top with alfredo sauce, then cheese, chicken, green onions & mushrooms and cook at 350* for about 30 minutes.  This pizza is VERY YUMMY!