Howdy ho!

Have I ever mentioned how much Chris and I love eating pizza?  Or perhaps I don’t even need to mention it because it is clear by how much pizza we eat?

While we treat ourselves to our fair share of take-out pizza, I enjoy pizza a lot more when I make it at home. Plus, it’s healthier!

Check out what I made for dinner last night.IMG_7375Lopsided homemade pizza with sausage, peppers, mushrooms, and onions!

Our pizza last night was inspired by this recipe.

The first thing I did was heat up the pizza stone in the oven on 500. I like to heat up my pizza stone for at least an hour before I put in the pizza.

Next, I prepared all the toppings.IMG_7364 And organized them in my new Kitchen Aid prep bowls from TJ Maxx.

Then I heated 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat and added the sausage. I cooked the sausage until it browned then added the vegetables.IMG_7365 I continued sautéing for about 8 minutes.

When the toppings were ready, I rolled out store bought whole wheat pizza dough and put it on top of my new pizza peel (a gift from Chris).

IMG_7366 I added a handful of cornmeal on top so the dough wouldn’t stick.IMG_7368 Next I spread 3/4 of an 8 0z. can of tomato paste on the dough.IMG_7369 I didn’t want to add too much sauce in fear that it would get soggy.

I then spooned on the delicious toppings.IMG_7371 And sprinkled on mozzarella cheese.IMG_7373 Then I slid the pizza from the peel onto the stone and left it in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes.

The result was divine!IMG_7377 I had two slices.IMG_7379 And a side of steamed broccoli with sriracha.IMG_7381 And then I went back for a third slice of pizza :) It was just so darn good!

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of porcini mushroom chicken sausage (I used Harris Teeter’s organic brand)
  • 1  cup diced onion
  • 2 cups  diced red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup sliced  cremini mushrooms
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • Whole wheat pizza dough
  • 6 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 500° and warm pizza stone for an hour (or you can use a cookie sheet, which doesn’t need to be heated)

2. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add onion, pepper, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; sauté 1 minute. Roll out dough. Place dough on a pizza peel. Spread pasta sauce evenly over crust, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Top evenly with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Do you prefer homemade pizza, or take-out/delivery pizza?