Busy Budget Foodie: Homemade Pizza

With my Italian heritage, I can’t help but love pizza. What can I say – carb overloading must be in my genes! However, I’ve been noticing that good pizza is getting harder and harder to find. Out of principle, I refuse to order out from chains like Domino’s. And since moving to Seattle last September, Stuart and I have yet to find a pizza joint that we love. I still have a weakness for Costco pizza, and the best pizza happy hour we’ve discovered here has been a downtown Seattle Tom Douglas gem called Serious Pie. (Maybe the reason I think back on Serious Pie so fondly is because our server hit me in the head with a large pizza platter, and gave us a free pizza in compensation. I love food freebies more than anything!!).

So what’s a pizza lover to do in such a situation? Homemade pizza, of course! For the past few years Stuart and I have been experimenting with this amazing and easy dinner staple. The secret? Trader Joe’s pre-made pizza dough (with a twist on the baking directions, read carefully below!) and a rotating assortment of seasonal toppings. Check out last night’s concoction for inspiration on making your own little slices of heaven.

The Art of the Pizza Crust:

I’m a fan of any of the Trader Joe’s pizza doughs: Plain, Wheat, or Herb.

TIP #1: Sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom of your pizza pan. This is what the pros do, and it gives your pizza that nice, crispy, non-stick bottom that you love.

TIP #2: Pre-bake the pizza crust for 5 minutes. The directions don’t state this, but I’ve found that if you omit pre-baking, you’ll end up with a soggier, mushier, unappetizing end result. Get it nice and toasty first!