(10) Minute Meal Thursday! Pizza Time!

This week's meal was going to be $5 Organic Red Bean Pasta, but that takes too long (as I figured out today), so that's going to be tomorrow's Freezermeal. Instead, I will share with you how I make my amazing pizza. It's soooo good. And quick. And cheap. What more could you ask for from a 3 ingredient (3 main ingredients) meal?

Pizza Pizza

serves 2 piggies 3 normal people

(I'd add a salad for 3, though - I could eat this by myself, but that's not saying much. I ate a large domino's philly cheese steak pizza by myself once - minus one slice)

1 Trader Joe's Premade Pizza Crust, room temperature ($.99)

1 c. organic crushed tomatoes ($.99)

1/3 lb. mozzarella cheese, cut in thin slices ($1.43)

1 T. olive oil ($.12)

1 t. salt (<$.01)

1/2 t. black pepper ($.03)

2 t. dried oregano ($.12)

Total is $3.69, nice!

1. Preheat oven to 500. If you're using a pizza stone, leave it in there to get it nice and hot.
2. When oven is preheated, take out pizza stone if using one, or just use your pan, and spread the dough out.
3. Pour olive oil over the top, and spread with your fingers all over the dough.
4. Pour crushed tomatoes on top, leaving an inch all around without tomatoes for crust.
5. Top with slices of cheese, 1 t. salt, 1/2 t. black pepper, and 2 t. oregano.
6. Bake at 500 about 7 minutes, or until crust is light golden brown.
7. Cool , serve, and enjoy!

scrimpyTips:

- This really works best with white dough. I used to try to be virtuous and use whole wheat, but it's just not the same. I buy store bought because it's so easy and I only save, like $.20 by making my own, and it never turns out quite right...

- I buy pizza dough and just freeze it that way I always have one in the freezer ready to go. I had the mozzarella cheese left over from the vegetarian lasagna of last week's Freezermeal Friday, and the tomatoes left over from the extra sauce I made to top it. So with 2 cans of sauce and 1 lb. of mozzarella, I made a lasagna, spaghetti and sauce, and a pizza. Nice! (I know my lasagna needs a whole pound of mozzarella, but I use 3/4 because I don't like a lot of cheese - I just know other people do!).

- If you only have whole tomatoes, just crush them in your hand before adding them on top of the dough.

- Add any toppings you like, we just love it plain!

- This makes a good, cold, leftover lunch.

- Trader Joe's is the best place to buy your pizza dough, both plain and whole wheat are $.99

What are your favorite ways to top your pizza?/Does anyone have a tried and true pizza crust recipe?