Happy Pizza Friday!
At least, that’s what it is in our house… and has been on a weekly basis for a while now.
Both the concept of “Pizza Friday” and the idea of meatball pizza originated with my husband – I can’t claim any credit for either!
I had no problem adopting the tradition of making homemade pizza every Friday night, but it took me a little while to warm up to the idea of meatballs on pizza; something I had never eaten, or much less heard of. Not to be deterred, John talked me into it, and I’m so glad he did because this pizza was gooooood.
I planned ahead – as I typically do when it comes to weekly menu planning – and made spaghetti & homemade meatballs earlier in the week so we would have leftovers for the pizza.
I honestly don’t really follow an exact recipe when I make meatballs. I simply combined a pound of organic grass-fed beef with some homemade breadcrumbs, (from 1 large slice of whole wheat bread, toasted and pulsed in the food processor), salt and pepper, fresh parsley, dried Italian herbs, and a few tablespoons of homemade marinara sauce. The formed meatballs (a little bit bigger than a golfball) were browned on all sides in some olive oil, and then simmered in marinara sauce until cooked through.
Now onto the pizza!
I’m partial to Whole Foods frozen organic whole wheat pizza dough, and keep a couple of pounds on hand at all times. I know some people swear by homemade dough – and I’m all for that – but pre-made versions are so much more convenient. Just promise me you’ll try dough if you’ve been buying pre-baked crusts… which are nowhere near as good.
The thinly rolled-out dough is topped with marinara sauce, both shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese (a tip John picked up from a friend whose family owns a pizza place), and of course the sliced leftover meatballs.
The verdict? I shouldn’t second guess my husband when it comes to meal ideas. This was fantastic, and will definitely join our pizza rotation!
Meatball Pizza
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Keywords: bake main pizza entree
Ingredients (1 pizza pie)
- 1 lb ball whole wheat pizza dough, at room temperature (I always use the ww dough in the freezer section at Whole Foods)
- olive oil, for drizzling
- flour, for rolling
- 1/2 cup (give or take) pizza/marinara sauce (I used my homemade marinara)
- 1 cup freshly grated light cheddar, such as Cabot
- 1 cup freshly grated part-skim mozzarella
- leftover meatballs from your favorite recipe
- optional add-ons, such as garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Lightly drizzle olive oil on a rimless baking sheet.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll dough out until desired thickness (I aim for about 1/4 inch).
Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the dough and top with shredded cheese.
Slice or roughly chop meatballs and scatter evenly over the pizza.
Bake for 8 minutes. Carefully remove the baking sheet from underneath the pizza and continue to bake – directly on the oven rack – for 5 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
