Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Cast Iron Pizza

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You can make crispy, melty perfectly delicious homemade cast iron pizza in less time than it takes the delivery man to show up.

You can make crispy, melty perfectly delicious homemade cast iron pizza in less time than it takes the delivery man to show up.

It’s traditional in our house to have homemade pizza every year on the day we decorate our Christmas tree. It’s one of my favorite traditions for a few reasons. Partly, it’s because the custom is one J and I started together after we got married. A big part of it, though, is because I really stinking love pizza.

You can make crispy, melty perfectly delicious homemade cast iron pizza in less time than it takes the delivery man to show up.

Don’t worry, Christmas-tree-decorating-night isn’t the only time I make this cast iron pizza. We have it a couple times a month. Surprisingly, the recipe is even on my short list of quick go-to recipes. The dough recipe is an easy no-rise version that doesn’t require hours of wait time. I’m not lying when I say you can have this pizza on the table faster than delivery will arrive.

I topped this one with pepperoni because it’s an easy classic. You could top yours with anything you have, including yummy Mexican leftovers or last night’s veggies.

You can make crispy, melty perfectly delicious homemade cast iron pizza in less time than it takes the delivery man to show up.

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Homemade Pizza Pockets

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No cooking sleeve required: these homemade pizza pockets are nothing but fresh, seasoned dough, filled with your favorite meats, vegetables, and cheeses. And they’re freezer-friendly!

No cooking sleeve required: these homemade pizza pockets are nothing but fresh, seasoned dough, filled with your favorite meats, vegetables, and cheeses. And they're freezer-friendly!

Me and pizza. We have a deep love for one another. Actually, it’s pretty one-sided, but I have love enough for us both.

One thing I don’t love, though, is store bought pizza pockets. They were a pretty big deal when I was in junior high; twice a week my parents would give me cash to buy one, along with a can of Snapple, from the student store. The endless wait to use one of two microwaves was always worth it because of the pouch of hot, melted cheese waiting for me at the end.

Now? Now, I have a hard time remembering what I saw in them. I’ll get a craving for one a couple times a year, but each time I break down and buy a box, I always tell myself, “See? They’re not good. At all. Don’t do this again.”

With this recipe, I don’t have to. I can make my own homemade pizza pockets and I get to know exactly what goes in to them. The batch in these pictures was an afterthought, thrown together with the same quick dough I use for grilled pizza. I stuffed them with pepperoni and mozzarella and called it good- and they were, so good.

When I plan ahead, I love to fill my dough with onions, peppers, or leftover marinated chicken. They’d be divine with oven-fried chimichanga filling or even vegetables only. It doesn’t really matter what goes inside; anything wrapped in homemade dough, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with garlic salt is going to be a winner.

No cooking sleeve required: these homemade pizza pockets are nothing but fresh, seasoned dough, filled with your favorite meats, vegetables, and cheeses. And they're freezer-friendly!

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Quick and Easy Grilled Pizza

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Don’t bother turning on the oven. In the time it takes for the delivery man to arrive, you can whip up this quick and easy grilled pizza.

I long ago perfected- in my opinion, anyway- homemade pizza. And then I made the perfect bagel pizza, because why not? Those two recipes are pretty much all we need most of the time.

Don't bother turning on the oven. In the time it takes for the delivery man to arrive, you can whip up this quick and easy grilled pizza.

Pizza is awesome, but sometimes you just want to mix things up, especially when it’s hot and you don’t want to turn the oven on  it turns out a grill isn’t just a convenient way to avoid heating up your kitchen; the high heat it produces is actually reminiscent of a pizza oven, meaning it can cook a mean pizza.

This pizza dough recipe is based on my world’s best homemade pizza dough, but I made a couple changes to make it ready to go much faster. After you mix the dough up you only have to allow it to rest for five minutes before you begin assembling your pizzas.

I chose to top these pizzas with pepperoni. We’re kind of traditionalists. Like every other kind of pizza, though, they’re awesome covered in whatever you choose. My favorite version includes roasted jalapeños and red onions

Don't bother turning on the oven. In the time it takes for the delivery man to arrive, you can whip up this quick and easy grilled pizza.

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jalapeño popper pizza

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All the goodness of a jalapeño popper on a perfectly-cooked pizza | winstead wandering

I don’t pass up an opportunity to eat anything with the name “jalapeño popper”.

I also don’t say no to pizza. Ever.

So you can imagine my glee when, while scanning Pinterest, I saw a recipe for jalapeño popper pizza. I spent days drooling over the thought of this recipe. It took a couple weeks before I had the chance to make it.

And it was so worth the wait.

All the goodness of a jalapeño popper on a perfectly-cooked pizza | winstead wandering

 

Jalapeño Popper Pizza
adapted from here

-1 ball of my never-need-delivery-again pizza dough
-4 ounces cream cheese, softened
-2 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
-1/4 to 1/2 onion, finely diced
-4 slices of bacon, cooked and diced (the first time I made the recipe, I didn’t use bacon and it was still unbelievable)
-1 to 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (pepperjack, cheddar, or any blend will work fine)
-olive oil
-kosher salt

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with pizza stone inside and rack in second lowest position. Roll out the pizza dough to a 10 to 12 inch circle and transfer it to parchment paper. Use a fork to poke holes across the entire crust, leaving a one inch border. Bake crust on parchment paper for 5-7 minutes or until it loses its shine. Note: for full details on this pizza crust recipe, including baking instructions, see the original post.

Remove from the oven and brush olive oil over the outside rim. Spread with cream cheese. It’ll seem like you have too much cream cheese, but trust me, use it all. Next, add your shredded cheese, jalapeños, bacon, and onion. Return to oven and bake 6-8 minutes, until crust is a deep golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven again and brush olive oil over the outside crust. Sprinkle the whole thing with kosher salt, paying careful attention to the olive oiled rim.

All the goodness of a jalapeño popper on a perfectly-cooked pizza | winstead wandering

 

I want to know: what flavor combinations are you powerless to resist?