Frozen Pizza for Dinner?!

Frozen pizza for dinner?!

...surely, you jest!

You might be asking yourself why I would post anything as simple as a frozen pizza.  And that is a very valid question. I think it's worth mentioning how you can take something out of a box and make it much, much better.

We watch "Chopped" all the time on Food Network.  Whenever the contestants are faced with a processed food product, they always turn up their noses and bemoan having to use someone else's product. Then they are faced with using items available in the Chopped pantry and refrigerator to make that item unique ... and taste better.

My wife did the grocery shopping this week and came home with a frozen pizza.  I'm not blaming her at all; because I happen to like frozen pizza. But this was a new kind I had never had before, with a thin cracker crust.

I could have simply thrown it in the oven and called it a day .... but that just isn't much fun.  Thankfully I had some shredded Parmesan cheese and leftover pork in the refrigerator.  I sliced the pieces of pork really thin and layered them on one half of the pizza -- my wife would prefer hers without.  Then I sliced up fresh mushrooms and distributed them evenly throughout.

Next comes my personal favorite:  I added Italian seasoning liberally all over.  I love the way that tastes with a multi-cheese pizza.  It almost turns the whole thing into some kind of cheese bread.

...and since I like adding crushed red pepper flakes to my pizza anyway, I decided to put them on before I baked it.  So to recap: pork slices, mushrooms, shredded Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Now doesn't that look much better than a frozen cheese pizza?  For a few minutes of extra work (maybe while your oven is pre-heating), you can really elevate a dorm room staple. I think it made it at least twice as good -- and it turned out to be a great way to use leftovers.

And I always like to finish my pizzas under the broiler to get them a nice golden char:

OK, next post will be something from scratch. I promise. =)