Pizza Fridays: Pizza with Ground Pork, Leeks and Rosemary

I had 8oz of ground pork in the freezer and absolutely no idea what to do with it. Then Coleen posted this Pizza with Ground Lamb, Leeks and Rosemary and I figured I could sub pork for the lamb.

I forgot to season the pork with salt and pepper while it was cooking, but otherwise this was a pretty good pizza. I really enjoyed experimenting with different toppings this winter and I'd definitely make this one again. Now that it's warm I'll be switching to flatbread pizzas or burgers on Fridays since cranking the oven to 550 degrees when it's 90+ outside isn't appealing.

Pizza with Ground Pork, Leeks and Rosemary
Slightly modified from The Reheaded Baker

8 ounces ground pork
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 leek (white and light green parts only), rinsed, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 lb pizza dough
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
Pinch of red pepper flakes
shredded mozzarella
2 stalks fresh rosemary

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon or spatula, until fully browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the skillet to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain the fat. Wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium heat; add the leeks and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes.

Place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Season the diced tomatoes with pepper and red pepper flakes. Strip the rosemary leaves off of the stems; discard the stems. Roughly chop the leaves.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone on a work surface. Lightly dust with flour. Roll or stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle on the parchment paper. Spread the tomatoes in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a half-inch margin around the outer edges. Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the tomatoes, then sprinkle on the chopped rosemary.

Transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust starts to appear dry. Partially remove the pizza from the oven, very carefully sprinkle the ground pork and leeks over the pizza, then sprinkle on the remaining half of the mozzarella cheese. Return the pizza to the oven to bake another 2 to 4 minutes, until the top layer of cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown.

Remove the pizza from the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Pizza Fridays: Chicken Parm Pizza

This is one of those pizzas that came about because of leftovers. I had some leftover crispy chicken from the Crispy Chicken with Egg and Arugula and some grape tomatoes that were starting to get wrinkly. I figured I'd add in the standard pizza sauce and cheese and chicken parm pizza was born.

I had a few mushrooms leftover as well so I added those too, but I'm leaving them off the recipe below since they aren't part of a traditional chicken parm recipe.

Chicken Parm Pizza

1/2 pint grape tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 ball of pizza dough
1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into slices
1 cup crispy breaded chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Flour, for dusting and rolling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Cook for 20 minutes or until browned and bursting.

Place a pizza stone in your oven and turn the oven up to 550 degrees.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone on a work surface. Lightly dust with flour. Roll or stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle on the parchment paper. Spread the pizza sauce in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a half-inch margin around the outer edges. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top, then add the pieces of chicken and roasted tomatoes. Top with the sliced fresh mozzarella.

Transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Remove the pizza from the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Pizza Fridays: 3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza

I've been looking for new pizza recipes lately, so when Coleen mentioned loving Tara's 3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza I knew I had to try it.

All I can say is stop what you're doing and make this pizza. Now. I had a month's worth of recipes scheduled before I made this and I bumped it to the front of the line because I had to share it with you guys immediately.

This is one gooey, cheesy, delicious pizza. I love the combination of mozzarella, fontina and ricotta. The spicy pepperoni cuts through the richness of the cheese and the rosemary is the perfect final touch. There's nothing more to say - insanely, ridiculously good.

3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza
As seen on Smells Like Home

Sliced pepperoni
1 ball of pizza dough
1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 oz Italian fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Flour, for dusting and rolling

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500° F for at least 30 minutes.

Lay three sheets of paper towel on a plate. Top with however much pepperoni you want on your pizza. Cover with three more sheets of paper towel. Place the plate in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Check to see how much oil the pepperoni has released, then cook for another 30 seconds. This will release most of the oil onto the paper towels rather than your pizza.

Lay a piece of parchment paper the size of the pizza stone on a work surface. Dust lightly with flour and roll out the pizza dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle. Spoon the sauce evenly over the dough leaving a ½-inch border.

Top with the mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Dollop the ricotta by the tablespoon over the cheese then add pepperoni. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top.

Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the pizza stone. Bake for 5-10 minutes, checking often for doneness. Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Pizza alla Vodka

During the cooler months I make homemade pizza every Friday. I've had my eye on Josie's Pizza alla Vodka for awhile and finally got around to making it recently.

Man, was this good. I probably could have made the vodka sauce a bit spicier, but I was worried it would be too spicy for Baby Girl. The sauce recipe yields a ton so I froze individual portions for future pizzas. We've already had another pizza with the sauce, subbing olives for the tomatoes since Baby Girl is obsessed with black olives. I can't wait to make this with fresh basil once I get my garden going (if this eternal winter ever ends).

Pizza alla Vodka
As seen on Pink Parsley

1 heaping cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of sugar
kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb. pizza dough
olive oil, for brushing
2 links spicy Italian sausage
1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking stone on the bottom rack.

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and sugar. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet or in a glass baking dish. Roast the tomatoes, stirring every 5 minutes, for 15-20 minutes total. Remove the tomatoes from the oven. If you're like me, allow the tomatoes to cool slightly, then remove the skins. Move the baking stone to the top rack.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vodka and cook an additional 5-8 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Remove the sausage from its casings and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Drain off fat and set aside.

Sprinkle a large square of parchment paper with flour and roll into a 14-inch round. Brush the edges with olive oil. Spread 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the vodka sauce over the dough. Don't use too much sauce or the pizza will be soggy in the middle. Sprinkle with the mozzarella, followed by the spicy sausage, roasted tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone, and cook 10 minutes, rotating the pizza 180 degrees after 5 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes then sprinkle with the basil, slice, and serve. Pass the extra vodka sauce at the table for dipping.

Recipe Swap: Fontina Mushroom Pizza

A mushroom walks into a bar looking dejected. The bartender asks what's wrong and the mushroom says "I don't know why but I just can't get a date." The bartender looks at him and says "I don't know why, you look like a fun guy."

Fun guy. Fungi. Get it?

I'll be here all week.

The recipe swap ladies from my cooking board recently suggested changing the way we do the swaps. Rather than assigning them a recipe to make, they pick a recipe that fits the theme from an assigned blog. This month's theme was vegetarian and I was given Dawn's blog, Simple Gourmet Cook. As soon as I saw this recipe for Fontina Mushroom Pizza I knew I had to make it. SP is a huge mushroom fan and this finally gave me the push I needed to get some more pizza dough in the freezer.

This was a very labor-intensive pizza to make since I had to roast some of the mushrooms, saute the rest, make the pesto, etc. But it was worth it. Baby Girl helped, which usually involves her batting her eyelashes and making innocent faces at me as she steals pieces of whatever ingredient I'm prepping.

I think next time I'd do half fontina and half mozzarella - I found the fontina to be a bit overwhelming - but otherwise this was a great pizza.

Fontina Mushroom Pizza
Simple Gourmet Cooking, adapted from Annie's Eats, as seen on Pink Parsley

For the mushroom pesto:
6 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

For the pizza:
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
1 ball pizza dough
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450˚. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Toss the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 20-25 minutes. After 15 minutes of baking, add the garlic cloves to the pan.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the roasted mushrooms, peeled garlic cloves, shallot, thyme, parsley, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the bowl and adding small amounts of water (1 tablespoon at a time) as needed. Transfer pesto to a small bowl, stir in the Parmesan, and set aside.

Turn the oven up to 550˚ and preheat a pizza stone.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms until browned and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the outer edges of the dough with olive oil. Spread the mushroom pesto over the crust in an even layer, leaving about 1/2 inch around the sides for a crust. Add the sauteed mushrooms on top. Top with the fontina and Parmesan.

Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes.

To see what other vegetarian recipes were made in the swap click the links below.

Flatbread Pizzas with Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Spinach

These days I'm on a mission to use up the things I've thrown in my freezer. We had three bags with one or two flatbreads in them leftover from my recent love of the grilled chicken Caesar flatbreads. I saw a recipe for 5-Minute Flatbread Pizza with Prosciutto, Arugula, and Mozzarella in my blog reader and decided to combine that recipe with the always-delectable Roasted Tomato, Mozzarella and Spinach Sandwich.

The result was positively delicious. I love revisiting favorite recipes but it's also great to reinvent them to use up ingredients. When I make the grilled chicken caesar flatbreads I spread butter on the bread before I grill it. Everything is better with butter and it imparts such an amazing flavor that I decided to do that with these. The roasted tomatoes are always delicious and you can't go wrong with melty fresh mozzarella.

We really enjoyed these and I can't wait to make them again.

Flatbread Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Spinach
Inspired by Serious Eats and Kate's Recipe Box

1lb plum tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Thyme sprigs, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spreadable butter
4 flatbread pita rounds, whole wheat or regular
8oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

Heat oven to 400F degrees. Lay tomatoes, cut side up, in a roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes. Allow the tomatoes to cool and then smash with a potato masher. If you don't like tomato skins, remove the skin after smashing.

In a small mixing bowl, dress the spinach with some extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a 12-inch skillet or a grill pan over medium heat until hot. Spread some butter over both sides of each flatbread. Add the flatbread to the skillet or grill pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and then immediately top with the cheese and tomatoes. Cover and cook until the cheese starts to melt.

Slide the pita out, place on a serving plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batches. Top pizzas with the dressed spinach and cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know we usually make homemade pizza on Fridays. Now that the temps are climbing I'm less interested in heating the oven to 550 degrees but I still had a hankering for pizza flavors. Enter these Pepperoni Pizza Sliders, a knock-off of the Sweet Ham and Swiss sliders that have been so popular in the blogosphere lately.

These did not disappoint. They were incredibly easy to assemble and tasted great. Between the three of us we ate all 12 sliders. Whoops! Next time I'll serve them with a Caesar or antipasto salad on the side to make more of a complete meal.

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
As seen on What's Cookin, Chicago?

For the sandwiches:
12 slider rolls
3/4 cup pizza sauce
24-36 slices pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Separate each roll, then spread a little pizza sauce onto both halves. Place 2-3 slices of pepperoni and a large piece of shredded cheese on each roll. Close rolls and place them close together in a 9x13" baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Brush evenly over all of the sandwiches, just enough to cover the tops; let sandwiches sit for 10 minutes to absorb the butter and seasonings. At this point, sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead, covered and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 5 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Pull-Apart Pizza Bites

A few weeks ago Baby Girl and I met my mom and aunt for dinner. We went to a pizza place and since it was a Thursday I figured I'd make something other than pizza for dinner on Friday. Then Maeghan posted these Pull-Apart Pizza Bites and I figured they were different enough from pizza to warrant making them the day after a pizza dinner.

I served these with Caesar salad to make it more of a dinner. We really enjoyed these - simple to make and great flavor, especially dipped in pizza sauce. Baby Girl loved that it was even easier to eat than pizza. These would also make a great appetizer for a party.

Pull-Apart Pizza Bites
As seen on The Way to His Heart

1 ball pizza dough
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 24 pieces)
Sliced pepperoni

For Topping:
Olive oil
Italian seasoning or pizza spices
Grated Parmesan cheese
Serve with pizza sauce

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.

Roll the dough out into a thin round, as if you're making pizza. Place one mozzarella cube and two pieces of pepperoni about an inch apart around the dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough around the mozzarella and pepperoni. Alternatively, divide the dough into 24 equal sized pieces, approximately 1 oz. each. Place one mozzarella cube and one to two pieces of pepperoni slices on each piece of dough. Pull the sides of the dough up around the cheese and pepperoni. Pinch to seal and place the dough, seam side down in the pie plate.

Repeat with the remaining dough and place the pieces of dough in a circular pattern around the pie plate.

Lightly brush olive oil over the top of the dough balls. Lightly sprinkle the Italian seasoning or pizza spices and Parmesan cheese over the top of the dough balls.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.

Pizza Friday: Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula

In the winter we usually have homemade pizza on Fridays. I buy the dough from a local Italian bakery and Baby Girl helps me roll it out and add the toppings. We usually stick with simple toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage or black olives (or some combination). It's a lot of fun to involve Baby Girl in the process - she always wants to sample everything and her favorite part is pressing down the dough to get out the air bubbles.

I had some fig jam leftover from the Baguette with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Fig Jam I made for New Year's Eve and no idea how to use it. Then I stumbled upon this recipe for Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula that combined a lot of my favorite ingredients into one pizza.

Baby Girl loved the fig jam straight from the jar but wasn't a fan of the finished pizza. I was also unsure of how I felt about it, although SP loved it. The fig jam is super sweet, the prosciutto is gamey and the arugula tended to fall off as I was eating it. I think this would be good for a party where you're eating smaller pieces - a little goes a long way.

Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula
Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman)

1 ball pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
6 to 8 tablespoons fig spread or jam
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 bunch washed and rinsed arugula
1 cup shaved Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, with a pizza stone on the oven rack in the lowest position.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Drizzle lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread the fig spread over the surface of the dough. Lay the slices of mozzarella on top of the jam. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately drape the prosciutto slices over the hot pizza. Sprinkle generously with the arugula and Parmesan shavings. Cut into wedges or squares and serve immediately.

Greek Pita Pizzas

SP was out of town for work last week, so I took the opportunity to make some things for dinner that I know he wouldn't enjoy. I don't know why, but he isn't a big fan of Greek food. He'll tolerate it every once in awhile, but I knew these Greek Pita Pizzas wouldn't go over well if I made them for him. I, on the other hand, loved them. They combined a few of my favorite things - hummus, tzatziki, olives, feta, tomatoes and tangy Greek-style dressing - into an easy, healthy dinner.

I actually made these a few times while he was away but the first time (the one I photographed) I opted to leave off the mozzarella cheese simply because I didn't feel like opening the package. It was still delicious. Later in the week I ate it for lunch and also served this with one of my new favorite dishes, Mediterranean Couscous for dinner. I couldn't get enough of the flavors and was happy to use up the pocketless pita making these over and over again. Simple, tasty and healthy to boot.

Greek Pita Pizzas
As Seen on Pink Parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (8-inch) pita breads
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Tzatziki sauce, for serving

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over both sides of pitas. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Toss with the olives, onions, and tomatoes.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita, leaving a small border. Divide the vegetable mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle with the feta. Top each pita with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella.

Cook until the vegetables are softened and the cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve.