Pizza bites

I found this recipe over at Our Best Bites. I did mine a little differently, but they are the same idea. My kids thought these were pretty cool! What kid (or adult, for that matter) doesn't love finger food!

Pizza Bites

Pizza dough*

Ranch dressing (already made up)

mozzarella cheese, cubed into 1/2 inch cubes

olive oil

Italian seasoning

garlic powder

Parmesan cheese

*You can use whatever pizza dough is your favorite. I used this one. I doubled the recipe and it made about 24 bites.

Roll out the pizza dough into an rectangle about 18 inches by 6 inches. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 24 squares. In the center of each square put 1 to2 teaspoons of ranch and the same amount of cheese (about 4 cubes). Gather up the edges and seal the dough so none of the innards leak out. Place these seam side down in a greased pie plate or similar dish. Brush the tops with olive oil and then sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden and the dough is cooked. Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping.

You can really fill these bites with anything you would put on a pizza...pepperoni, pineapple, bell peppers, etc.

We even filled a few with a big marshmallow and a few chocolate chips. When they were cooked I drizzled them with some icing, YUM!

Pizza Sauce

This is fantastic pizza sauce, no cooking and super easy. We love making homemade pizzas and this sauce is the best I have found, and believe me I have looked!

Pizza Sauce

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

1 T dried oregano

1/2 t garlic powder

1 t paprika

1/2 T dried basil

1/2 t sugar

1/2 t onion powder

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Now go make your favorite homemade pizza!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

The first time I had this pizza was at California Pizza Kitchen and I fell in love with it! The cilantro makes it for me. Home made pizzas are so fun and always a big hit at our house. I have blogged pizza dough recipes on here before so you can one of them, another favorite of yours or even frozen from the store. I make extra and freeze it, this makes for a really quick and easy dinner. This is also a great way to use left over BBQ chicken.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza dough

BBQ sauce (we love Sweet Baby Rays)

pizza sauce

Mozarella cheese, grated

1 chicken breast, BBQed, and shredded

1/4 red onion sliced

chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400. Roll out dough to desired thickness and shape. I like to cook my dough for 5-7 minutes before I put anything on it, this makes for a crispier crust. Mix BBQ sauce and pizza sauce and spread on crust. Top with cheese, chicken, red onion, cilantro and any other toppings you like. (We have also used diced tomatoes, mushrooms would be good too). Bake pizza until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, around 10-12 minutes.

Margherita Pizza

This is a definite all time favorite of ours. I love this pizza in the summer because it is so fresh and light. This pizza is the main reason we grow Basil in our garden. So, if you live close to me come over and pick some fresh basil and make this tonight, you will not be disappointed.

Margherita Pizza
Pizza Dough

Starter

1 cup bread flour
1/2 T yeast
1 cup warm water
1 T sugar or honey

Mix all the ingredients together and let them sit for at least 3 hours, then add...

3 Cups bread flour
1 cup warm water
1/2 T yeast
2 egg whites
2 T olive oil
2 t salt

Toppings

olive oil
garlic
mozzarella cheese
fresh tomatoes, sliced
fresh basil, sliced

Mix the dough for 7 minutes in a kitchen aid or Bosch, if you do it by hand, I don't know what to tell you, just knead away. The dough should be like soft play dough but not sticky, so adjust flour accordingly. Split the dough in half and let it rise on a floured surface, covered, for an hour or so. Each dough ball will make a large 8 slice pizza. If you want to make smaller pizzas divide the dough into smaller pieces. The crust turns out the best the less you handle it so instead of punching it down I just grab an edge with both hands and let the weight of the dough do the stretching. I slowly move my hands around the outside until it is the size I want it. Don't give into the temptation to roll the dough, this will make your dough more tough and it will shrink when you cook it. It doesn't need to be perfectly round because when you place it on your pan you can shape it. After your dough is on the pan, brush it with olive oil and spread minced garlic on it (I use about a tablespoon of garlic). Cook it just like this in a 500 degree oven until it no longer sticks to the pan but is NOT browned (about 3-5 minutes). Take it out of the oven and add mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato, and fresh basil. Continue cooking it for 8-10 more minutes until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is melted.