Friday night pizza night

When I sit down to write out the meal plan I usually come down with a rough case of writer’s block. I have tons of recipes, but for some reason, they escape me and I end up struggling to come up with ideas. One of the ways I am now combating that is the addition of Friday night pizza night. Everyone loves pizza. Well at least everyone in this house loves pizza. So tossing in an easy to plan, easy to execute pizza night is a big win for the week. We don’t do pizza night every Friday, but I keep it with taco Tuesday in my back pocket just in case I get the menu planning blues.

Making your own dough

Pizza dough is one of the easier yeast doughs to make. It also freezes very well so you can make enough for a few Friday meals and thaw just a few hours before dinner or overnight in the fridge. I use a recipe my dad found in the New York Times Cooking section, but any dough will work the same way.

Pro tip: There are two kinds of yeast; active dry and instant (some times referred to as Rapid Rise.) They don’t work the same way so be sure to use what the recipe mentions.

Quick toppings

One of the toughest parts about pizza night, especially if you have a large or picky family, is that everyone wants something different on their pizza. My idea of an easy affordable meal night isn’t 20 ingredients, an hour of prep, and a massive cleanup undertaking. So I scoped out the best salad bar in town and head there to get all the toppings for the family. While you are there grab some shredded mozzarella and a jar of pizza sauce, cause *gasp* I don’t make my own. That is it. Dinner has practically made itself. And if your kids are old enough they can make their own while you enjoy your beverage of choice.

Affordable personal pizza pans

The recipe we use makes a 10-inch pizza and I could certainly form that on a cookie sheet. Where is the fun in that though? Having your own personal pizza slide out of the oven just for you on a round metal pan just seems more satisfying. I got ours at a restaurant supply store for only a couple of dollars a piece. They aren’t fancy. They do, however, hold up to frequent use, being put in the dishwasher, and still make tasty pizza. Most restaurant supply stores are open to the public. If you have never checked it out I highly recommend a trip. While it isn’t the high-quality stuff that the food network chefs rave about it is the stuff they use to cook with at their restaurants. Sure that ladle and spoon look fancy on tv, but that isn’t what a restaurant kitchen can afford. Plus kitchen grade equipment will probably withstand anything you through at it. It is built to last a lot more meals than even you cook in your kitchen.