Usually, when it's Pizza Night at my house, I get my trusty bread maker in on the action and let it work on preparing my favorite pizza crust for me. Then I putter around with toppings and sauces and put together 2-3 pizzas that tend to get those around my table more or less cheering. It's good fun and we enjoy it. But sometimes I get a little tired of steering the ship. When that happens, I turn to a package of pita bread and get those around the table off their butts and into the kitchen. Suddenly, everyone's making their new favorite pizzas and I'm not in charge of it all. It's downright blissful.
What's more, I get to relax even more than I would on a normal pizza night. It's a lot easier to gather my troops to help grate cheese, slice olives, and tear spinach when they will be putting together their own pizzas in a few minutes. Suddenly, Pizza Night becomes Make-Your-Own-Pizza Night and I couldn't be more thrilled. The youngster can pile hers high with kale and I know she'll eat it all because it's hers. The husband person can shun vegetables and I can grin because the sauces he's using are downright healthy and packed with them. I can put together as much artistically arranged olives as my pita bread will hold. And then we can gather around the table, talk about our days, and enjoy the fruits (well, pizzas) of our labors.
What to have with pita pizzas? Well, you could just pour yourself a glass of wine or a pint of beer (maybe not for the kids!) or set out a simple garden salad. I'm not really a fan of lots of sides when Pizza Night rolls around. After all, you get to put all that variety and flavor on a crust and call it dinner. What more could you ask for? Oh, a family that just makes it themselves? Sure thing!
Pita Pizzas
- Sauce: options include:
- tomato sauce
- pesto
- bbq sauce
- ranch dressing mixed with a little mayo
- hummus
- oil & herbs
- Toppings: options include:
- fresh spinach, kale, or other hearty greens
- sliced olives
- pepperoni and/or salami
- chopped tomatoes
- sliced peppers
- crumbled sausage
- chopped onions
- fresh herbs
- diced artichokes
- anchovies
- sundried tomatoes
- roasted peppers
- shredded chicken and/or pork
- roasted beets
- crumbled bacon
- all manner of cheese
- fresh, roasted or fried garlic
- the list goes on and on and on …
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Once you've assembled your pita pizza to your liking, carefully slide it into the preheated oven (you can use a pizza stone or put it directly on the baking rack). Bake for 8 minutes or until the toppings are cooked and the cheese (if added) is melted and bubbly. Allow the pizzas to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 4 equal slices and placing on a plate. Enjoy!
- Yields: 1 serving per pita bread
- Preparation Time: About 10 minutes per pita pizza (you can bake multiple pizzas at once)