Easy, Quick and Cheap Homemade Pizza

Ugly Tomato Pizza

Easy Homemade Pizza with Leftovers as “Pockets”

by Chuck Mallory, Carolina Country Cooking

This is the easiest homemade pizza you will ever make. No kidding. I've made this dozens of times, and have used tomatoes, onions, peppers, spaghetti squash, zucchini, butternut squash, garlic, herbs, and more--all from the garden.

In Carolina country, the last harvest was mid-November, but I know my friends in the north no longer have those ugly tomatoes and other garden goods to use up. No worries: just use your favorite herbs to bring out the flavor of whatever veggies you want to use.

The simple trick is to quickly sauté the vegetables so they don't get soggy on the pizza. This easy crust is so forgiving, even a new cook practically can't go wrong.

The leftovers can be microwavable “pizza pockets” much better than the frozen brand-name ones.

Follow along:

Whatever vegetables you want to put in, cut them up in bite-sized chunks and sauté them in olive oil (just guess on the amount on oil). 

Get the items ready for the crust. Cooking instructions follow, near the photos of the assembled pizza.

E-Z Pizza Crust

 

1 packet (3/4 oz.) of active dry yeast, not "rapid rise" or "instant" (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour is also okay)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for working the dough

 

Put yeast and sugar in a medium bowl. Add warm water. Stir, then let mixture set until creamy-looking or "foamy"--about 10 minutes or so. Add flour, salt and olive oil, and mix until in a formable ball. Let rest another 5 minutes or so.

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Spray a large baking sheet (or pizza pan) with cooking oil spray or coat it with a thin layer of olive oil. Then oil your hands and put dough on the baking sheet. Spread it out until about 1/2 inch thick. The dough can be thinner, but no need to spend a lot of time working it. It will spread somewhat easily.

Start putting on whatever toppings. Here I drizzled on a little olive oil, threw on the sauteed onions and tomatoes, then I sliced some mozzarella cheese and threw it on. I've made this many times without tomatoes, just olive oil and veggie toppings, and sometimes skip the cheese.

Once everything is on, bake pizza on middle rack for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees F.

I tossed on some arugula I had on hand for extra crunch and flavor. The entire homemade pizza was made in a half-hour, and the finished product is always delicious.

If you cut the pizza in squares, just fold over each leftover slice, press together, and wrap with clear wrap. You can keep in the fridge and microwave these for 45 seconds or so on high for an instant snack:

E-Z Pizza Crust Recipe 

1 packet (3/4 oz.) of active dry yeast, not "rapid rise" or "instant" (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour is also okay)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for working the dough

 

Put yeast and sugar in a medium bowl. Add warm water. Stir, then let mixture set until creamy-looking or "foamy"--about 10 minutes or so. Add flour, salt and olive oil, and mix until in a formable ball. Let rest another 5 minutes or so.

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

 

Spray a large baking sheet (or pizza pan) with cooking oil spray or coat it with a thin layer of olive oil. Then oil your hands and put dough on the baking sheet. Spread it out until about 1/2 inch thick. The dough can be thinner, but no need to spend a lot of time working it. It will spread somewhat easily.

 

Add toppings and bake pizza for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees F.

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I'm @chuckmall on all social media platforms