English Muffin Pizzas

The first time I ever had this for dinner was in 1981 at my sister Donna's apartment.  This is my take on her recipe and I've been making it for years.  It's fast, easy and very tasty and there are endless combinations for toppings so you can make your favorite very easily.  This version is very meaty!

ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS - SAUSAGE, PEPPERONI & EXTRA CHEESE VERSION

1 package English Muffins (6 of 'em)
16 ounce package Jimmy Dean sausage
Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 jar Pizza Sauce (more or less)
8 ounce package shredded Mozzarella cheese
Sliced Pepperoni

Preheat the oven to 425^F. and line a baking sheet with some aluminum foil.

Split the English Muffins in half and arrange them on the baking sheet.  Bake in the hot oven for about 10 minutes or until they begin to look a little toasted.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, crumble the sausage in a large skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Drain any grease (Jimmy Dean won't have much!)

Spread a heaping tablespoon of pizza sauce on each muffin half.  Spoon the cooked sausage onto each one.  Pile the mozzarella cheese on top of the sausage and arrange the sliced pepperoni on top of the cheese.

Bake in the hot oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown a little bit on top.

Good served with a nice Salad!  Feeds 4 to 6 people.

Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni and Lots of Cheese!

Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni and Lots of Cheese!

PIZZA CRUST:

3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry milk powder
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp vital wheat gluten
1 tbsp olive
Garlic powder

TOPPINGS:
1 lb sausage, browned and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped onion, cooked with the sausage
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
3/4 cup pizza sauce
2-3 cups shredded 6-Cheese Italian blend cheese
Sliced Pepperoni

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Pizza Dough cycle and press start. (God, I love my bread machine! It's so easy!)

Flour your hands and remove dough from pan after rise cycle (the machine will beep when ready). Form into a smooth bowl and place on a floured board. Cover and let rest about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400^ F. Pull, pat and stretch the dough to fit your pizza pan. (I use the kind with little holes in bottom so the crust will be crunchier). Put the dough on your greased pizza pan, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spoon on the pizza sauce, sausage and onion. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the whole thing and then top with sliced pepperoni. Return to oven and bake 15 more minutes until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Serve hot!

I love pizza and this is my favorite! Start to finish this takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours but it tastes so much better than take-out! And the time is mostly spent waiting, not actually DOING anything.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
3 tbsp red pepper jelly
2 tsp cilantro
1 Boboli pizza crust
1 cup shredded smoked gouda
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup minced red onion

Preheat the oven to 425^ F. Combine the chicken, bbq sauce, pepper jelly and cilantro in a glass bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Place Boboli on a pizza pan (I like the ones with little holes in the bottom - make the crust crunchier). Spread chicken mixture on Boboli crust. Sprinkle with gouda, mozzarella and red onion and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to turn a little golden around the edges. Slice and serve hot.

This was good....but will never replace a "real" pizza (which must have sausage and pepperoni on it!). The bbq sauce was just too sweet tasting for me. Adapted from BBQ Chicken Pizza I at allrecipes.com

Iron Skillet Pizza Pie 4.21.09

Iron Skillet Pizza Pie

1 can Pillsbury French Bread loaf dough
1 tsp. cornmeal
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp minced red onion
3 slices Provolone cheese
1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage
1/4 cup Ragu Pizza Sauce
2 cups shredded Italian four-cheese blend

Heat the oven to 375^ F. Spray a 10" iron skillet liberally with Pam and sprinkle with cornmeal. Slice the dough into 1/2" slices crosswise and spread them evenly in the bottom of the skillet, pressing slightly to form a "crust". Sprinkle dough with parmesan and red onions and lay the provolone over all.

In the meantime, crumble and brown the sausage in another skillet until the sausage is completely cooked. Stir in the pizza sauce and pour over the dough in the iron skillet. Top evenly with the shredded cheeses.

Bake about 20 minutes or until the dough is browned on the bottom and completely cooked. Slice into wedges to serve.

I was really craving pizza when I made this, but didn't have the energy to make a real crust. This was surprisingly tasty though and I would definitely make it again, adding some pepperoni, and black olives!