Dean shares recipes for pizzas on the grill

Dean shares several recipes for pizza on the grill!

Cook’s Note:

• For all of the pizzas, start with the crusts. ·Either make or buy the dough (recipe) and spread it out on a floured board. For complete ease (and very tasty) use a pre-made crust (like Boboli Thin Crust.)
• For baking,  use a pizza pan in the oven…or a pizza stone on the grill.   You can also bake directly on the grill using the indirect method (no fire underneath; only on the sides.)  Bake one side of the crust with medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from the grill.
• Evenly spread a thin layer of olive oil on the uncooked side.  Add the toppings to the BAKED side of the crust before it’ll go back on the grill (indirect heat or on a pizza stone) to melt together.
• If using dough, ingredients go right on top of the unbaked dough.

Classic Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

• ½ cup pizza, 4-cheese pasta sauce or crushed tomato sauce
• 8 oz. grated mozzarella
• 4 oz. sliced mozzarella
• 1 large heirloom or beefsteak tomato, very thinly sliced.
• 10 basil leaves, chopped right before serving.
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning
• Extra virgin olive oil.

Instructions

1. Spread the pizza sauce onto the baked side of the crust.

2. Spread the sliced mozzarella and tomatoes throughout.

3. Sprinkle seasoning throughout.

4. Bake until melted (about 7-10 minutes)

5. Remove from the grill and sprinkle basil leaves and (optional) pinch of red pepper flakes.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

BBQ chicken/caramelized onion/roasted corn pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced.
• 1 cup roasted chicken, chopped
• 1 cup, roasted corn on the cob (cut from the cob) or browned frozen corn.
• 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. I love Famous Dave’s Sweet and Zesty. If you’re ambitious, make your own.
• Olive oil, for sautéing onions.

Instructions

1.Caramelize the onions. Dice the onion and slowly sauté in a pan with olive oil. Cook until they’re brown and soft (about 10-12 minutes.)  Remove from heat, set aside.

2. Dice the already roasted chicken. Add the onions. Add BBQ sauce to coat.

3. On the baked side of the crust, spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce.

4. Top with chicken/onion mixture.

5. Sprinkle finely shredded mozzarella throughout.

6. Sprinkle roasted corn throughout.

7. Bake on the grill (indirect method) until melted (7-10 minutes.)

Tomato, Strawberry, Basil Balsamic Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza:

• 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella
• 5 ounces feta cheese
• 1 ½ cups (about ½ pound) sliced strawberries, leafy ends removed. 
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade into short little strips
• freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic reduction:

• Bottled balsamic glaze…or…
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

Preheat oven or grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Roll out your pizza dough or crust.    

Top the pizza dough with equal amounts of shredded mozzarella and big crumbles of feta cheese.

Place thinly-sliced tomato and thinly-sliced strawberries on the cheese.   

On a lightly oiled baking sheet, pizza stone or directly on the grill (using the indirect method), bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden and the crust is crisp underneath, about 7-10 minutes (or until cheese is melted.)

Meanwhile, make the balsamic reduction. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and honey. Gently simmer the mixture on medium-low heat until it is reduced in volume by half (this should take about 10 to 15 minutes) and set aside.  Bottled glaze is WAY easier. 

When the pizza is done, top it with a sprinkle of basil,  freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle balsamic glaze on top.