Before ordering a pizza for the delivery tonight, why not try to make it at home? It’s easy and you’ll impress your friends and family and best of all, no one will know it’s not takeout!

Basic Pizza Sauce

Serves:2

Preparation Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce can tomatoes (Roma, 6-in-1, or Sclafani) drained through cheesecloth OR 2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled, crushed, and drained
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste (depending on the acidity of tomatoes used)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Directions

1. Puree tomatoes, if needed, in a food processor or blender.
2. Drain through cheesecloth.
3. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, mixing well.
4. Store in an air-tight container, refrigerated.
5. Let sit, preferably overnight, for flavors to meld.

 

Meat Overload Pizza

Serves: 8 | Preparation Time: 25 minutes | Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 thin pizza crust, or crust of choice
• 1/2-3/4 cups marinara sauce
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2-2 pounds assorted meat like ground beef, pepperoni, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, ham (chopped), and bacon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425°F.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Cool slightly and then crumble.
3. Cook sausages in a little oil over medium heat to brown. Drain over paper towels.
4. Season ground beef with salt and pepper and sauté until browned. Drain.
5. Spread sauce over dough.
6. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup mozzarella followed by half of the meat ingredients.
7. Continue layering with cheese and meat.
8. Bake until golden brown and bubbly (about 25 minutes).
9. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes before slicing.

 

Barbecue Chicken

Serves: 8 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 12-inch thin crust, or pizza crust of choice
• 1/2-3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 2 cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
• 2 cups whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 525°F. Place rack at level.
2. Spread barbecue sauce over crust.
3. Add shredded chicken, scattering evenly.
4. Sprinkle with cheeses and top with onion slices.
5. Bake until cheese has melted and crust is golden (about 15-20 minutes).

 

Pesto Veggie Pizza

Serves: 6-8 | Preparation Time: 25 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 3/4 cup zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sweet yellow pepper, julienned
• 1/2 cup sweet red pepper, julienned
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 1 Tablespoon pesto sauce
• 1 prebaked 12-inch thin pizza crust dough
• 1/3 cup basic or marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup ripe olives, sliced
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Place pre-baked crust in a pizza pan or pizza stone.
3. Meanwhile, coat a skillet with non-stick cooking spray or coat with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.
4. Sauté mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, and onion until tender.
5. Remove from heat and stir in pesto. Set aside.
6. Spread pizza sauce over pizza crust and sprinkle with cheeses.
7. Arrange sautéed vegetables and olives over cheese.
8. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese has melted (about 8-12 minutes).

 

Apple Pie Pizza

Serves: 6-8 | Preparation Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 17-22 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 thin or pan pizza crust dough

Cinnamon streusel topping

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

Apple topping

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For glaze

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Par-bake crust just to set dough (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Prepare streusel topping. Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon well and the cut butter in with a pastry cutter or fingers. It should have a coarse, cornmeal-like texture. Set aside.
4. Prepare the apple mixture. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. While stirring frequently, cook until the mixture begins to be bubbly and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
5. Spread apple mixture over crust and sprinkle with streusel topping.
6. Bake until golden and bubbly (about 12-15 minutes).
7. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
8. Prepare glaze. Heat milk with butter in a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as the butter is melted and stir in vanilla. Continue whisking while adding sugar gradually until smooth.
9. Drizzle over apple pie pizza and serve.

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Lina Chang’s Pizza Takeout Cookbook: Favorite Takeout Pizza Recipes to Make at Home. To get a copy of this book, click on the cover or here.

To print or download a copy of the recipes, click here.