Six Pizza Recipes For Your Academy Awards Party

Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I love classic and unusual toppings and love to serve an array of different combinations at parties. A buffet filled with a large salad, 4-5 different pizzas, plenty of red wine and dinner is served. Today I decided to share some of my favorite pizza recipes. Which ones will you try?

Tostada Pizza

(makes one 14 oz pizza)

I love pizza. I love Mexican food. Why not combine the two?  I am one of those people who loves cold crisp salads piled on hot foods. Like salad on top of my pizza. I often order tostadas in Mexican restaurants. So...viola... Tostada Pizza. Thin crispy crust, fried beans, melted cheese, romaine lettuce tossed with ranch dressing, and traditional taco toppings such as chopped onions, shredded cheese, salsa, and olives. The final touch is crushed corn tortilla chips. So very good! I think this is going on my Academy Awards party menu this Sunday.

I/2 pizza dough recipe (homemade or store bought) 

1/2 cup refried beans

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup torn romaine lettuce

1-2 tablespoons ranch dressing

2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips

chopped red onion

salsa

sour cream (if desired)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add dough ball to lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll into a 14-inch circle. (It does not have to be perfect. A rustic look is more authentic.) Roll the dough up around the rolling pin to make it easier to move. Unroll the dough onto a pizza stone or baking sheet which has been lightly oiled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with coarse cornmeal. (the cornmeal adds a delicious flavor and helps ensure the pizza dough will not stick to the pan.) Spread beans over pizza dough. Sprinkle 1/2 of cheese over beans. Bake in preheated oven 15-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven.

Toss lettuce with ranch dressing. Top with remaining cheese, olives, and tortilla chips. Add onion, salsa and sour cream as desired. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Spicy Pizza with Garlic Confit & Pesto

I discovered this pizza at an Italian restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico a few years ago and decided I needed to recreate it for myself. Very thin crust spread with a smidge of very flavorful tomato sauce and fresh buffalo cheese, topped with garlic confit, roasted jalapeno peppers and then drizzled with olive oil and basil pesto.  So delicious. This one is a keeper!

1 head garlic
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 750 g (26.46 oz) box Italian chopped tomatoes (I like the Pomi brand)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 14 inch pizza crust (dough recipe here) or high-quality store-bought
8 oz buffalo mozzarella, sliced
basil pesto (recipe follows)
sea salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peel garlic from head and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, a pinch each salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Heat over medium-low heat for 45 minutes or until the garlic is very soft and spreadable. Let cool in the oil. Set aside.

Add jalapeno to pie plate and roast in oven 5 minutes or until soft. Do not let brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Do not turn off oven.

Saute onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in medium saucepan until translucent. Add tomatoes, oregano and a small pinch each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Assembly:
Add dough ball to lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll into a 14-inch circle. (It does not have to be perfect. A rustic look is more authentic.) Roll the dough up around the rolling pin to make it easier to move. Unroll the dough onto a pizza stone or baking sheet which has been lightly oiled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with coarse cornmeal. (the cornmeal adds a delicious flavor and helps ensure the pizza dough will not stick to the pan.)  Prick dough with a fork all over and bake 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread 1 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce over dough. Cover with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with the jalapeno and drizzle pesto over pizza. Top with the garlic confit and place pizza in preheated oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and drizzle a little of the oil from the confit over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Pesto
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into 2 pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 fresh red cayenne pepper (or other fresh hot red pepper), seeded
5 cups basil leaves (packed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Toast pine nuts in a skillet until just beginning to brown.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add cheese to a food processor fitted with the chopping/mixing blade.  Process until cheese is grated.  Add cooled pine nuts, garlic and red pepper and process until all ingredients are finely grated.  Add half of basil leaves, and 1/4 cup olive oil and process until smooth but with a bit of texture. Add remaining basil, remaining olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Process until well mixed.  Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

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roasted brussels sprouts & peppers pizza

Here are four more pizza recipes that have been crowd pleasers for  years at my house:

• Pizza with Sundried Tomatoes, Red Pepper & Corn 
• Pizza with Kale & Walnut Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes Pesto & Pickled Garlic 
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Peppers Pizza
• Pizza with Green Chile, Chicken & Cheese

It is Pizza week at Food Network's Comfort Food Feast roundup. Do you have a favorite pizza recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network. 

Feed Me Phoebe: Easy Mexican Breakfast Pizzas with Avocado
Creative Culinary: Pear, Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Pizza with Mixed Green
The Lemon Bowl: 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Homemade Delish: Superb Pizza
Daisy at Home: Pizza Panini
Healthy Eats: 5 Smarter Ways to Eat Pizza at Home
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Six Pizza Recipes For Your Academy Awards Party
In Jennie's Kitchen: Best Pizza Recipes
Taste with the Eyes: Pretty Smoked Salmon Pizza with Chive Blossoms
FN Dish: 5 Ways to Eat Pizza for Breakfast

best,

diane

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MoseyLove

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