Hey internets -
I know that my presence here is sort of inconsequential right now (which has worked out beautifully this week, what with all the not writing I’ve been doing), but I wanted to tell you three things.
No, four.
1) I have been astonished by your response to Ye Olde Christmas Tour. And y’all totally get the credit for the number of people who participated, because you are the ones who got the word out. You posted the button and told your readers and mentioned the tour on Twitter and who knows what else. Then you showed up and linked to your beautiful pictures and shared all your wonderful ideas. Thank you. I cannot say it enough.
2) Friday morning I’m going to close Mr. Linky to any new links. The list is huge, and once that post rolls over to a new page, it won’t be so easy to check and make sure the links are legitimate. So the current links will remain active, but you won’t be able to add a new link after about 10 AM central time tomorrow.
3) Also, I’m doing a random drawing from the comments on the tour post, and one of the commenters will win a personalized engraved tile from Engraved Euniques. I’ll post the winner sometime after lunch tomorrow.
4) After our unfortunate post-Thanksgiving run-in with Stomach Virus ’08 (I haven’t blogged about it because quite frankly I don’t want to think about it EVER AGAIN IN MY WHOLE LIFE), I’ve decided that there is absolutely no way I can cook cornbread dressing or sweet potato casserole for Christmas dinner. There’s really no good reason to share the specific details that led me to this decision, but suffice it to say that I HAVE MY REASONS.
Anyway, I’ve decided that I’m going to make homemade pizzas for Christmas dinner (it’ll be different! it’ll be fun! it won’t be anything like cornbread dressing!), then use the leftover marinara sauce to cook chicken parmesan the day after Christmas when my sister and her hubby come to town.
So. If you happen to have some good homemade pizza recipes and / or pizza ideas, would you let me know in the comments?
Gracias.
Or gratzi.
And, you know, thanks.
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I love making homemade pizza. I use a mix of wheat and white flour, and add about 1/2 c. of cornmeal – it really makes the dough amazing. Homemade dough takes very little time, but is really delicious. And, you should totally cook your pizza on the grill. 1. It tastes WAY better.
2. Your husband could be in charge of cooking.
3. You can make lots of smaller pizzas and everyone could even make their own.
Here’s a little post I did about it:
http://jandatell.blogspot.com/2008/06/pizza-on-grill-works-for-me.html
I love pesto on pizza. And some olive oil, rosemary, and garlic also makes a nice sauce. And sauteed onions. And cheese. I’d suggest a little bar of ingredients and everyone could pick out what they want. Enjoy your virus-free Christmas!
We take frozen Rhodes rolls. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Spread the rolls out to thaw with cellophane on top that has been sprayed as well. Once they are good and thawed (about 3 hours), use a rolling pin to roll each one out. Then, here’s the best part. Grill them! Grill one side. Flip & put on toppings. My favorite is sliced tomato (no sauce), cheese, and italian seasoning. Mmmm. So good. The rest of the fam does sauce on theirs.
Here are some awesome pizza combos I’ve had:
for the grown-ups:
-apples and bacon
-white pizza (ala mellow mushroom): mozzarella, ricotta, feta, parmesan cheeses with olive oil and garlic
-pesto instead of marinara sauce topped with any or all of the above mentioned cheeses
-italian meats and cheese: capicola, prosciutto, pepperoni, dollops of ricotta
for all:
-mexican pizza: salsa instead of marinara, topped with shredded mozzarella, ground beef cooked with taco seasoning, black olives. when it comes out of the oven, top with shredded lettuce and dollop with sour cream.
-christmas pizza: heavy on the red and green bell peppers.
-dessert pizza: roll out sugar cookie dough (slice and bake dough or homemade) into a pizza pan and bake until cooked through. set aside to cool. make a sauce with vanilla pudding mix, cream cheese, and lemon juice. spread the sauce onto the cooled crust and arrange your favorite fruits on top. (i think sliced kiwi, strawberries, and blueberries look nice.)
merry christmas!
Pioneer Woman’s Pesto Tomato Pizza is AWESOME. I made it three or four times this summer when our basil was fresh and the sisters LOVED it. I am sure canned pesto would work just as well. Bascially – spread a thin layer of pesto over the crust. Top with very thinly sliced tomatoes red peppers and cheese – bake til done! So so so yummy – if you have to have meat – maybe some chicken or italian sausage.
My favorite thing to do on “Homemade Pizza Night” (and sounds WONDERFUL for Christmas) is make smaller crusts – get everyone’s favorite ingredients – and then let them put together their own pizzas. Everyone gets what they want and can go a little crazy with it!
BooMama,
Thanks so much for the Christmas Tour of Homes…so much fun! Enjoy your Christmas pizza. May you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
I quickly glanced through comments and didn’t see this recipe…but I could have missed it, so my apologies if someone already posted this.
~~
Papa John’s Pizza Sauce
1 can tomato puree (or substitute crushed tomatoes)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Yield: 1 cup
~~
Yes, seriously–lemon juice. :) My family loves this recipe! Please let us know what you end up using, and how it all turns out.
Merry Christmas!
Well, that clinches it. If there’s no sweet potato casserole, I’m just going to have to go to my MIL’s instead. Sorry, Boo. Maybe next year.
my most favorite pizza to make at home is BLT. you can find some great recipes for it online.
Good call on the pizza for Christmas dinner. We had the same unfortunate series of events after Thanksgiving and for that reason we too are passing on the turkey and stuffing for Christmas. For us it will be tenderloin roast and yorkshire pudding. Homemade pizza for Christmas dinner and my mama would have a fit and fall in it. But that idea sounds lovely, and much less work! My favorite part of homemade pizza is the crust in the bread machine. And our favorite homemade pizza is BBQ chicken – yuuummmm!
I love this idea! I’m so tired of the same stuff each year and this is perfect! I’m totally lovin that Papa John’s sauce comment!! Sounds yummy!
i LOVE this idea…we may just adopt it.
Have a wonderful stomach-bug free Christmas week!!!
My easiest best homemade pizza recipe is to buy a oven roasted chicken and tear it into pieces, coat with bar-b-que sauce(Sweet Baby Rays, whew its good!) place it on top of a store bought pizza shell, that has been rubbed with olive oil all over, top with a blend of any cheeses you like, add some onion powder, little garlic salt, black pepper, bake according to directions on pizza shell. This is a great quick dinner at our house. May not be what you are thinking for Christmas Dinner but I definitely recommend the bar-b-que chicken as a topping.
Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas. I have enjoyed finding and reading your blog so much this year!
Love and Blessings, Debbie in Tennessee
Our family tradition is homemade pizza’s on Christmas Eve. The kiddos love picking all their own toppings. Last year I had alot of people so I went with the pillsbury refrig pizza dough. Quick, easy and not bad.
I make the kids each their own little one and for the adults I usually make a big square one and ask each person what they want and we have TONS of toppings to pick from. Have fun!
You’ve got plenty of great suggestions above, but just in case, here’s my tried-n-true thick and chewy, fast and easy pizza crust recipe.
However, maybe you’d like something a little more special for this occasion…in which case, pay more attention to the true cooks above.
http://annkroeker.wordpress.com/2007/08/07/thick-and-chewy-fast-and-easy-pizza-dough/
Sorry about the sickness, it has taken me years to cook ham for the very same reason.
We love BLT Pizza, I found it on Food Network. Have a Marry Christmas.
BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cooked and cubed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (2 ounce) bottle hot sauce
1 (8 ounce) bottle blue cheese salad dressing
1 (16 inch) prepared pizza crust
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Add to Recipe Box
My folders:
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a medium bowl combine the cubed chicken, melted butter and hot sauce. Mix well. Spread whole bottle of salad dressing over crust, then top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let set a few minutes before slicing, and serve.
The ONLY way to do homemade pizza is via Trader Joe’s. They have the very best crust that comes in little bags and is found in the refrigerated section. Then go to the pasta sauce section and get a jar or two of their pizza sauce–the best! Top it off with TJ’s Quatro Formagia blend of cheeses, some sun dried tomatoes, and maybe a little ham if you’re feeling lucky. Oh, the glory of a TJ’s homemade pizza.
Oh, I just remembered . . . you’re somewhere down South where they may not even have a Trader Joe’s. If that’s the case, I am truly very sorry for you. You’re on your own.
Because I always want to keep my responsibility to a minimum… wait. No…
Because my husband is such a great barbeque-r (Bar-B-Que-R? Griller. However you’re supposed to say it.) we do steaks Christmas day. Fast and yummy. Even when we’ve lived in snowy climates! BBQing = less time I spend slaving over an oven. Mwahaha. (But it IS a fun tradition.)
I haven’t read any of the other comments, but I have to say that stuffed pizza is the BEST!!!! Here are some links:http://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/pork/pizza2.htm
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicago-Style-Stuffed-Pizza/Detail.aspx
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/meaty-stuffed-pizza-recipe/index.html
I’m so sorry you were sick, Boomama. I totally understand not wanting to ever cook the things that you, ah…violently revisited.
Thank you for hosting the house tour! It was lots of fun!
Jenni
My KitchenAid mixer came with a great easy recipe for pizza dough and you can make it in there in no time (assuming you have one, which I do!) : )
P.S. 11 out of 13 of us got the Thanksgiving PLAGUE back in 2003. I. am. SO. Sorry.
Is it weird that our family all got stomach-bug after Thanksgiving? I escaped unscathed but 5 others did not. Could it have been something on the store shelves? Yikes!
ok, I’m too lazy to see if anyone has posted this….and, this pizza is a Pesto pizza…so, it kinda kills the “use the marinara sauce the next day” idea. But, my family, even the kids(though I do leave the peppers and onions off 1/2 a pizza for them), like this and its different and super easy.
So as to not get sued for plagarism, this recipe is “Dave’s Fave Pizza” on pg 202 on the Jr League’s Tables of Content and was submitted by Leslie Berry McLeod.
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 onion, sliced
3 TBS olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed (if I feel like being a little healthier one night–I use Italian turkey sausage, which they carry at Publix)
2 10 oz pkgs whole wheat pizza crusts (I’ve used Boboli–again, got at Publix)
1 (7 oz) jar pesto sauce
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Grated parmesan cheese to taste
Preheat oven to 450. Toss bell peppers and onions in olive oil until coated and cook on a baking sheet for about 10 min, turning occasionally. Let stand until cool. Cut bell peppers into strips.
Brown the sausage, stirring until crumbly and then drain.
Take pizza crusts and do the following evenly between the 2 crusts: Spread pesto. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Then, top with sausage, peppers and onion. Finally, sprinkle goat cheese and parmesan. Make for 7-8 minutes or until cheese melts.
Enjoy!
So I must know. Do you visit every one of the entrants in the Christmas tour? I don’t know how you could!
And also. You want pizza? 1-800-dominoes. You’re welcome. *grin*
Oh, I am SO GLAD that you posed this question! :)
We’re having a Pizza Cooking Party for our son’s 4th birthday, I even designed his birthday party invites myself, and I’m reading through all your comments getting some great ideas!
I intend to make dough in advance and have it ready for all of the kids coming to the party so that they can roll out individual sized pizzas. I’ll have bowls of various toppings prepped and ready for them to use to build their own personal pizzas.
I found cute kids aprons at Oriental Trading Company and chef hats too! I’m going to have the kids decorate them with fabric paints before they start baking.
I found small, kid-sized rolling pins at Michael’s and each kid is getting one to use and take home, along with their apron and chef hat.
I’m excited! I think it’ll be a fun party! :)
Hi BooMama,
We usually buy either, refrigerator pizza dough or in the frozen section loaves of bread dough, we knead into the dough or sprinkle and press into the pizza dough the minced dried garlic(in your spice cabinet) and I also around the edges sprinkle sesame and poppy seeds. The toppings of course unlimited ideas, I usually do a veggie pizza with spinach, tomatoes, roasted garlic,fresh slices of mozzarella cheese, you could add other veggies maybe mushrooms. I also love chicken, bell peppers, spinach, red onions. Of course a great cheese blend as well. I guess it also depends on what sauce red, white, pesto, mexican pizza. I think it sounds yummy, I may even suggest it to my family.
Happy holidays,
Alyson
I think pizzas are a great idea. A new family tradition perhaps!
Unless you have your heart set on making your own dough – you know you can go down to your local pizzeria and buy the uncooked dough the day before, (it’s not very expensive) and pop it in the frig. Then you’re all set on Christmas day – just roll it or stretch it out, top it, cook it. Eat!
Hope your Christmas is wonderful BooMama!
I make a Tiki Tike pizza that we love and adore, but there is no marinara sauce on it. However, it is green, so it’s festive!
http://kiysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2008/09/
tiki-tiki-pizza.html
Here are another couple of family fav’s – but in looking at them, no marinara sauce. Hmm, must be a theme!
http://kiysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2008/06/
thai-chicken-pizza.html
http://kiysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2008/02/
malaysian-chicken-pizza.html
Pizza for Christmas dinner sounds like so much fun! Hmmm, might have borrow that for next year.
Cheers, Kiy
We have a great recipe for Pizza Dough/Foccacia Bread. Just put fresh sliced mozzarella, vegetables, olive oil, spices, meat, etc. on top and bake. Your whole family will love it! It is actually our Valentine’s Day tradition to make heart-shaped pizzas at home.
¼ cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast or 2 tsp of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Parchment paper
In a bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir to combine. In a food processor, combine flour and salt, then pulse. Add the yeast mixture, water and oil. Pulse until a ball is formed: this will happen quickly; be careful not to overwork the dough. Scrape the dough out into an oiled bowl and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and divide into 2 to 4 balls. Make pizza on parchment paper.
Heat up pizza stone in a 500 degree oven and cook for 11 to 12 minutes. You should be able to tap on the crust (and it will be hard enough so that it does not sink in) when it is done.
Note: If you do not have a pizza stone, you can always use a cookie sheet turned upside down!
I’m afraid I didn’t read through all 80 comments to see if someone already suggested this, but…
Our new favorite pizza is a tostada pizza. Take your dough of choice, slather with refried black beans and bake. Top with chopped lettuce, salsa, cheese, and maybe sourcream or ranch dressing. Very very very delicious…AND, the upside down cookie sheet really works!
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