We’re pizza lovers. Any place, any time. My husband and I have pizza and wine night every Friday, and our little ones love pizza too. Ordering pizza adds up though, and sometimes, it’s fun to mix it up. Here are some of the ways we make pizza that doesn’t require placing an order.

English Muffin Pizzas – These are great for our kids and for portion control. Open up the English Muffin, add sauce and whatever toppings you like, stick them under the broiler (if your ingredients are pre-cooked) and pull them out when the cheese is melted. The muffins get a little crispy and they’re delicious.

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Grilled Cheese Pizzas – My husband came up with these because one of his favorite things to make over a camp fire is pudgy pies. Growing up, I thought pudgy pies were typically like pies with fruit fillings. He came up with the idea to put pepperoni, cheese, and sauce in between the pieces of bread and make a grilled pizza. We love them so much that we started making them inside on the Foreman Grill. It’s just like a regular grilled cheese with sauce and toppings added.

Tortilla Pizzas – I make these in a skillet, but they could also go in the oven. I heat up the pan, put down the tortilla, add sauce and cheese. For us grown ups, I add whatever left over meat is in the fridge. Trust me, you’re going to want to make a cream cheese buffalo chicken tortilla pizza. To. Die. For.

French Bread Pizza – I got this idea from a former coworker and whoa, is it delicious. You can buy a loaf of bread from the bakery for cheap, slice it lengthways through the center like you’re a Subway Sandwich Artist and put the two halves face up on a baking sheet. Add sauce and toppings, put it under the broiler until the cheese is melted and enjoy. I usually buy an Italian loaf, but I’m enjoying making my own bread at home, so I might try my hand at that soon.

Kitchenaid Mixer Dough – This one takes a lot more time than the others, but it makes a delicious pizza. I got a mixer one year for Christmas, and pizza dough is the most commonly made thing in it. This recipe came straight from the manual, and it hasn’t ever failed me yet.

Crusty Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.

Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 1 1/2 minutes, or until dough starts to clean sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down.

Brush 14-inch pizza pan with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold toppings. Add toppings, as desired. Bake at 450° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (1/4 pizza per serving)

Per serving: About 373 cal, 11g pro, 74g carb, 3 g fat, 0mg chol, 271mg sodium.

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How do you like your pizza?