What’s not to love about pizza? There’s gooey cheese, rich sauce, and plenty of tasty toppings layered on crust and baked to perfection. Pizza is simply delicious, that’s why America has dedicated an entire day to celebrating it. In honor of National Pizza Day, we’ve compiled a list of creative pizza recipes that are sure to satisfy your strongest cravings.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza
Meat, cheese, and a creamy white sauce combine to create a flavorful pizza that will make your taste buds sing. Spread half a cup of ranch dressing onto a 12-inch pizza crust. Next, top the dough with a cup of grilled chicken strips, a half cup of diced ham and three tablespoons of bacon bits. Sprinkle with one cup of shredded cheese such as provolone or Swiss. Add a quarter cup of diced tomatoes. Bake the pizza for about 20 minutes in a 425° degree oven. Remove and let it stand for a couple of minutes to cool, then serve.
White Pizza with Salami and Banana Peppers
For this recipe, garlic and olive oil are spread on a pizza crust instead of using traditional sauce. Once you’ve rubbed olive oil onto the dough, sprinkle some garlic powder and mozzarella cheese. Last, add thin strips of salami, banana peppers, and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Cook for 12-15 minutes at 425°. When the cheese bubbles and the crust is golden, the pizza is ready. Slice and serve.
Valentine Pizza
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, these pizzas are the perfect way to show some love. You’ll need a heart shaped cookie cutter, pizza dough, and toppings of your choice. Cut the dough into individual hearts before assembling with ingredients. We suggest using red sauce to add to the holiday theme, but you can use any type of sauce your heart desires. If you happen to have a smaller heart shaped cookie cutter, you can cut toppings into little hearts as well. These fun and tasty mini pizzas will cook up in 8-10 minutes depending on the size. Bake at 400° and keep a close eye on them to avoid burning.
Greek Gyro Squares
For a tasty twist on standard pizza, try this Greek-inspired pie. Stretch the pizza dough into a rectangle in a shallow pan. For the sauce, use homemade or store-bought tzatziki sauce. Arrange a cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Cover with diced gyro meat, red onions, and some tomatoes. Finally, add a handful of black olives. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes. When the pizza is done, top it with feta cheese. Cut into squares and enjoy.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
If you’re in the mood for some BBQ, this pizza is just what you need. The great thing about this recipe is its versatility. Either a sweet or spicy BBQ sauce can be used depending on your preference. You will need to have a bit of precooked, shredded chicken on hand. Make the sauce by blending together a 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce and a 1/2 cup of ranch dressing. Spread sauce onto a pizza crust. Add chicken, cheddar cheese, diced red onion, and tomatoes. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 425°.
Patty Melt Pizza
Here, patty melts and pizza combine to create a completely unique recipe. Begin by cooking 3/4 of a pound of ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper. When cooked through, stir in 1/4 cup of steak sauce. Remove beef and set aside. Next, preheat your oven to 400°. Then, sauté two sliced onions in 2 tablespoons of butter. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes until the onions are nicely browned. Prepare your crust; press dough into a pizza pan. For the sauce, combine 1/3 of a cup each of Thousand Island dressing and an Italian cheese blend. Add the meat mixture, then the onions. Then, top off the pizza with some thin slices of cheddar cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Slice into wedges and serve.
The Indoor S’mores
Enjoy a s’mores pizza as an after dinner dessert or as a meal all by itself. The secret to this recipe is in the dough. All you need is 30 minutes, some chocolate chips, marshmallows, and sugar cookie dough. Roll the dough into a flat, round disc shape and press into a greased pizza pan. Bake the crust at 350° for about 20-25 minutes and let cool. Cover crust with 3 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, arrange the marshmallows on top and place them close together. Broil for approximately 5 minutes and watch closely during the broiling process. You want your marshmallows to turn golden brown in color. For the final touch, drizzle with 1/2 a cup of melted chocolate chips. Then enjoy a little slice of heaven.
Pepperoni and cheese will always be amazing, but sometimes it’s fun to whip up something totally unique. Happy National Pizza Day!
