The Alternatives

The Alternatives
Get creative with your pizza sauce and toppings. Use alfredo sauce or basil pesto instead of tomato sauce and add precooked shrimp or chicken for a twist. The flavor combinations are limitless! Make it fun for the whole family when you let each person pick toppings for individual pizzas.

Beyond traditional pizza, use the crust to make a calzone. Cut your pizza dough into two or three portions and roll each out to a small circle. Fill half the disc with your toppings and sauce and then fold over the other half. Crimp the edges with a fork. Cook for 15 or 20 minutes at 375ºF until the crust puffs up and turns golden brown.

Use the same pizza dough to make appetizers. Roll out the crust and use a round cookie cutter to make small crusts. Top with any pizza toppings. For these small bites, less is more. Use two or three flavorful ingredients (try gorgonzola and carmelized onions) and you'll have an instant crowd pleaser.

Don't think pizza is only for savory dishes. Try a dessert pizza using carmelized apples or peaches, add almonds for crunch and use a sugar glaze instead of sauce. Saute sliced apples with butter and brown sugar. Mix confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) with water or fruit juice to make the glaze. Brush the glaze onto the dough, add the fruit and top with sliced almonds.

TIP: GiftStashers, create a registry called Pizza and save choices there until you're ready to buy.