Friday Night Pizza 

Just about every weekend, we eat pizza. To keep the meal fresh and fun, I mix up the toppings from week to week. Pizza out is okay every once and a while, pizza at home is the best! I buy the ready made crispy crusts. We like Mama Mary's Pizza Crusts Thin & Crispy, actually.

Max & Maggie have a blast building their own pizza. I like it too, because they seem to eat more when they've made it themselves. They get to eat what they like, Charlie & I eat what we like. Everybody's happy!

I have to say, Pizza night is my favorite night. There's minimal prep work; preheat the oven with the pizza stone to 425F degrees, a little chopping, add the fun of building the toppings, say 10 minutes. It takes 7 minutes to bake one pizza, so times two. That's time to tear enough lettuce for a couple of salads and voila! We are eating pizza in front of the tube in nothing flat. Oh did I mention, pizza night is also, family movie night. There's nothing sweeter than snuggling up with your family on the couch, every one wearing their favorite lounge clothes, and watching a movie together.

HERE'S HOW EASY & FAST PIZZA CAN BE

• 1 package Mama Mary's Gourmet Thin & Crispy Pizza Crusts, comes with two medium crusts
• 1 (26 oz) Hunts Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 cups Kraft Pizza Cheese blend
• 2 cups Kraft Italian Cheese blend
• Smoked Ham lunch meat
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper

Above are the ingredients I keep on hand at all times.

TOPPINGS

Chicken, Spinach Pesto Pizza

• 1 roasted chicken breast, sliced
• 3-4 tablespoons Classico Pesto Sauce
• 1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup, approx. frozen spinach, squeezed dry
• 1-3 pepperocini salad peppers
• Salt & pepper to taste

Cover the crust with pesto sauce, arrange spinach, chicken, add a pinch of salt over spinach, top with Italian cheese blend, onions and peppers on top.

Hamburger and Jalapeños

• 1/3 cup Hunts Spaghetti sauce
• 1 1/2 cups cooked ground beef
• 1/4 small onion, chopped
• sliced jalapeños

Start with a light coating of olive oil ALL over the crust, sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, lay down the spaghetti sauce, arrange beef, onions and jalapeños.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Ham and Extra Cheese for the Kids

• 1/3 cup Hunts Spaghetti sauce
• 8-10 slices ham lunch meat, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Kraft Pizza Cheese blend
• 1/2 cup Kraft Italian Cheese blend

Start with a light coating of olive oil ALL over the crust, sprinkle lightly with garlic powder.  Lay down sauce, meat, and cheeses. As you can see from the pictures, one of my kids does not like tomato base sauces.  So, we leave half the crust free of it.  Another great benefit to having pizza at home, it can be personalized right down to the slice.

Do you have a pizza night?  What do you like to put on your pizza?  I could always use some new tasty ideas.