Our monthly party

Just like tacos, pizza makes a regular appearance in our household. At least once a month our family has a SUPER fun pizza night where we roll out dough balls and hover around an array of toppings, trying to come up with tasty new pies. Once they come out of the oven, we vote on who’s pizza looks, smells and tastes the best! It’s become such a hit, even our friends love to join in on the delicious festivities.

Homemade pizza allows us to create the perfect meal for each of our flavor preferences AND keeps the cheesy calories to a minimum. Since so many of you LOVE pizza as much as we do, we wanted to share all the details of our pizza nights in one post and how you can make your pizza night not only FUN but HEALTHIER!

Let’s start with the ingredient that brings it all together, the crust

Our choice of crust typically depends on our schedule that week and if we had time to prep ahead. We’ve tried everything from a local bakery’s gluten-free crust to a pumpkin seed crust we found in the freezer section at the grocery store.

If you’re pinched for time try

• Bagel Pizzas
• Pita Pizzas: Whole grain pitas are a quick and easy, no-mess option when you want to make your pizzas in a pinch. They’re also the PERFECT size for personal pizzas.
• Store Bought Dough Balls: We’re lucky enough to have a Co-Op close by that sells dough balls made with 100% whole wheat flour and gluten-free crust that’s made with FfL friendly ingredients. If you’re looking for pre-made dough, make sure it’s made with whole ingredients. Check local bakeries or the freezer section for FfL friendly options. Look for simple ingredients such as 100% whole grain/ wheat flour, water, salt and minimal (FfL approved) oil. Our Healthy Eating Made Simple: Busy Women’s Guide to Real Food will help you cut out highly-processed foods and further break down what to look for and what to avoid.

If you have time to meal prep

• Crispy Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free)
• Homemade Dough: Homemade pizza dough is delicious, but can be time consuming. If you want to make your own, have it ready ahead of time so your only prep the night of your “party” is to set out the toppings.
  • For personal pizzas, cut the ball into equal pieces for each person.
  • Since it’s freezer-friendly, we often make a double batch and freeze the extra dough ball.

Plan one to two different flavor combos

There are TONS of toppings that complement one another really well. Google and Pinterest are great resources with some delicious ideas.

For personal pizzas, you can set out an array of options, or if you want to go the extra mile, you can create a “menu” by writing out a quick list of examples for everyone to try their hand at. This may sound silly, but trust us, when you have 10 toppings to pick from, it can be difficult to choose what kind to make or what ingredients complement one another.

You can also bake your pie family style, making one big pizza and allowing each person to top their section… just make sure to stay on your slice or you’ll have quite the flavor combos!

The list is never-ending but here are a few of our favorite combos

• BBQ Chicken Pizza: BBQ sauce, chopped onions, grilled chicken, arugula, crushed red pepper and mozzarella cheese
• Shrimp and Broccoli Pizza: Garlic infused evoo, seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay), grilled shrimp, broccoli florets and mozzarella cheese
• Pesto Chicken Margherita Pizza: Pesto sauce, garlic, basil, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese; drizzle balsamic on the finished product Pesto sauce, garlic, basil, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese; drizzle balsamic on the finished product
• Spicy Sausage with Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce, grilled veggies, spicy sausage and mozzarella cheese
• Steak (or Sausage) and Red Onion Pizza: BBQ sauce, grilled steak, onion, arugula, goat and mozzarella cheese
• Fig and Balsamic Pizza: Garlic infused evoo, sliced figs and goat cheese; drizzle balsamic on the finished product
• Mediterranean Pizza: Pesto, grilled chicken, olives, artichokes, Mediterranean herb blend and feta and mozzarella cheese
• Pumpkin and Ricotta Pizza with Roasted Mushrooms: Pumpkin, roasted mushrooms, maple syrup, ricotta and pecorino cheese
• Kitchen Creative Pizza: This is when we literally raid the fridge and top our pizzas with whatever leftovers look like they would complement one another!

Plan a side salad to keep your carb count down

So your family doesn’t just fill up on carbs, always serve side salads in addition to your pizza.

Cook, Chop and Divide the Toppings

If your household is as busy as ours during the week, I recommend cooking your meat and chopping your toppings ahead of time on your meal prep day… we typically do this on Sundays.

Pro tip: This Chop Wizard is a kitchen essential when it comes to slicing and dicing veggies. It chops your produce into uniform pieces and cuts your prep time in half!

When It’s Time To Party…

Step One

Set out the toppings. For easy access, you can arrange all your toppings in bowls or glass mason jars.

Step Two

Prepare the side salads you’ll serve with the pizza.

Step Three

Roll out the dough.

Step Four

Let everyone loose, it’s assembly time! This is where the fun really begins. Watch your family have fun and your kids try new things as they get creative with their pizzas!

Step Five

Pre-heat your grill or oven and have a sheet pan ready to cook your pizzas on. Follow the instructions for cooking the crust and ENJOY!

As the kitchen keeper, it can be difficult to make EVERYONE happy.

A homemade pizza party is the perfect way to please various palates since each person can make their own pizza, or a portion of a pizza, that reflects their personal preferences. It’s a great way to get your family to try new combos, making it a deliciously EASY and HEALTHIER WIN!

Let’s party, pizza style — together!