Mini Pizza

I never liked Sundays much growing up. We’d come home from church, grab our separate lunches, and relax. My mom would be in the family room reading a book or watching football, or in the off season, a Lifetime original. My dad would be in his room falling asleep to his stereo cranked up louder than my little brother who was chanting Power Ranger hi-yas in the background. My sister, the social butterfly, would be out and about fluttering around the neighborhood with friends. And me?

I was a bit of a homebody. I loved the all the activity that flickered through the wall of my childhood home. You could always find me in the center of the action. But Sundays, when everyone went their separate ways, there was no action. And Nickelodeon’s Sunday afternoon lineup left something to be desired—Hey Dude, Wild and Crazy Kids, followed by Double Dare. They were never my favorites. But Sunday wasn’t all bad. Going our separate ways meant making our separate lunches. Which meant an individual Tombstone Pizza for me. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. I could barely wait all 5.

These mini pizzas remind me of those Sundays. Not for their seemingly boring and quiet ways. But for the way they taught me to be independent. To make my own lunch, even if it was a Tombstone pizza. To entertain myself in the midst of the haunting quiet. And to be comfortable being alone (something I’m still working on). Ah pizza, I knew I loved you.

For the pizza crust recipe, head over to Niki’s blog, Salt and Pepper. To see what other Food Matters Project contributors did, head over here.

Mini Pizza
yields 10 mini pizzas 

Crust
2 tbsp. salted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Make pizza crust according to directions.
2. Preheat oven to 450°. Melt butter. Add olive oil and stir to combine. Brush 4″ tart pans with mixture, place on a baking sheet, and set aside.
3. Cut dough into 10 equal parts. Shape dough to size of tart pan or just a bit larger. Press dough into tart pan adding a sprinkle of flour if dough is tough to manipulate.
4. Add sauce or pesto to each. Top with cheese and veggies/meat of your choice. Brush crust edges with remaining butter mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese begins to golden.
5. Serve warm or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in microwave for a minute or until warm.

Side notes:
• If yeast wigs you out, check out this video. I always proof my yeast first.
• Pizza sauce is super easy to make. I typically saute onions and garlic for a couple minutes. Add in a couple diced fresh tomatoes as well as a diced carrot. Continue to cook for another couple minutes. Place mixture in Vitamix (or food processor) and add basil, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar. Lightly pulse and you’re done! I save extras in the freezer and defrost as needed.
• Pinched for time? Try this no-rise pizza crust. It might just be our favorite crust. And it only takes 15 minutes.