A Little Pizza Heaven

The ambiance screamed pizza night: 3 girls (with a remarkably stocked cheese drawer) on a tight budget, craving carbs. I know better than to fight fate. So I brought back some pizza dough from Trader Joe's, divided it into three, and each of us let our creative juices begin to flow....


3X THE PIZZETA, 3X THE FUN

THE GOODS

Pizza dough ($1.49)
Flour (hopefully you have this)

For the RC:
Gorgonzola cheese ($2.12 - for about 1/3 of the block I invested in)
Figs (I used leftovers, but $2.99 for a basket)
Fresh Sage ($1 for a bunch)
Balsamic vinegar (you should have it)

For the Amy:
Za'atar, a Mediterranean spice ($1.99)
Frozen Corn Kernels ($1.99)
Cherry tomatoes ($2.99)
Mozzarella cheese (she used string cheese, for $1.00)
White/Yellow onion ($0.40)

For the Adriana:
Gruyere (she used some leftover, but let's say about $2.99)
Fontina ($2.47)
Garlic (she buys crushed garlic from Trader Joe's, $1.99)
Canned artichoke ($0.99)
1 tomato ($0.40)
Olive oil (you've got it)

The Grand Total: $24.81 for 3 personal size pizzas, $8.27 per person

THE WAY

Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 20 minutes, according to the directions on the package. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While you're waiting, follow the directions below to begin preparing the pizza ingredients.

After the 20 minutes are up, divide the dough in 3. Gently roll it out (I use my hands and hold the dough vertically in the air, turning the dough around in a circle as if I'm driving a car so that it gradually stretches out) so that it's about 7 inches or so in diameter. You don't want it to be too thin or too thick.

Place on a lightly floured cookie sheet or metal pan. *Note: the directions on the package say to put the dough on a lightly oiled surface, but we accidentally ignored the directions and the result was fab.

The RC
Slice 10 figs in half. Bake at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes.

Slice up about 1/2 cup of gorgonzola and tear about 4 fresh sage leaves into shreds. When the figs are done baking, arrange them on the pizza dough and layer cheese and sage on top. When the pizza is cooking (see directions below), pour about 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a sautee pan on medium high heat. Let it reduce to a syrupy glaze, which you will then drizzle on the cooked pizza.

The Amy:

Chop 1/2 an onion. Slice 10-20 cherry tomatoes in half. Spray a sautee pan with Pam. Sautee the onion, cherry tomatoes, and corn on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown but do not burn.

While the veggies are cooking, sprinkle za'atar on 1/2 of the pizzeta. Drizzle olive oil on top. When the veggies are done, place them on the other half of the pizzeta. Chop up mozzarella cheese (or string cheese) and layer it on top of the veggie side--not the za'atar side.

The Adriana:

Grate a lot of cheese (about 1/4 cup fontina cheese and 1/8 cup gruyere cheese, maybe more depending on how cheesy you like it). Slice 1/2 of the can of artichoke hearts. Slice 1 tomato.

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of crushed garlic with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread it on your pizza dough. Follow the garlic with a layer of artichokes, then tomato slices, followed by a heap of cheese. If you have basil, put a few leaves on top.


 All:

Amy and Adriana are so excited that they can barely keep their hands off the oven.

Increase the oven heat to 425. When it's ready, put the pans or cookie sheets in the oven and bake them for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust and cheese looks crispy and delectable. If you're making the RC, drizzle balsamic glaze on top.