Feeding hungry grads with interesting pizzas
joefoodie from USA/Wikimedia Commons
Serve graduates and guests some Hawaiian pizza and watch it disappear fast.
It’s that time of year when many classes of students are graduating, so if you plan to have a little get-together so family and friends can celebrate the event, maybe some pizza recipes are in order.
When I was growing up, my graduations were always on Friday the 13th. But I don’t think those were unlucky days. They were just fodder for some jokes. Besides talk, people at get-togethers like to eat, and I hope you cooks out there will find something you’d like to make and serve to guests if you have a graduate in the family.
Congrats to all the graduates and may you enjoy success in all you do. Pizza dough
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees or according to instructions on yeast package)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling the baking sheet 1. In a bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar; stir to combine. In a food processor, combine flour and salt and pulse. Add the yeast mixture, cold water and olive oil. Pulse until a ball is formed; this will happen quickly, be careful not to overwork the dough.
2. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several minutes until dough is smooth. Allow dough to rest 2 to 3 minutes. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down, divide into 2 to 4 balls and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Use dough as directed in your favorite recipe for pizza. Hawaiian pizza appetizers
You can double this recipe if you need more servings. Or use whole pineapple rings and cut pizza into regular slices rather than squares. 1/2 package frozen puff pastry
Garlic powder
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced smoked ham
1/8 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper
1/4 cup crushed and drained pineapple
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed 1. Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-by-10-inch rectangle.
2. Cut in half lengthwise and place on 2 baking sheets; prick thoroughly with a fork. Sprinkle with garlic powder and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Top with cheese, ham, pepper, pineapple and oregano, then bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Cut each pizza into 16 squares. Makes 32 appetizers. Alaska seafood pizza
I like to add some onion, sliced or diced, to this. Add your favorite pizza sauce too, if you wish. 1 package pizza crust mix (or make your own)
3/4 cup crab meat
3/4 cup tiny shrimp
1/2 cup crushed drained pineapple
5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced
1 can (4 1/2-oz.) sliced black olives
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese 1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread pizza dough on to a pizza pan.
2. Top with crab, shrimp, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, green pepper and cheeses.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Pizza with caramelized onions and crispy bacon
Thank you, Wolfgang Puck, for this one. Use a pizza pan if you don’t have a stone, and if you can’t find farmer’s cheese, you can substitute well-drained cottage cheese. 1 teaspoon olive oil
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup farmer’s cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe pizza dough
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 1. Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 500.
2. In a medium-sized saute pan, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add bacon and cook until the bacon is very crispy and all of the fat is rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and discard. Place pan over high heat. Add onions to hot bacon fat and cook until well browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone and farmer’s cheeses. Season with nutmeg and black pepper; set aside.
5. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll as thinly as possible, to about a 14- or 15-inch circle. Evenly spread the mascarpone mixture over the dough. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, bacon, thyme and caramelized onion.
6. Bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pizza from oven, transfer to a cutting board, cut into slices and serve immediately.
