Welcome to Coffee Hour. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you. One of the favorite foods at our house is pizza. It has to be homemade of course. I do cheat and buy the pizza dough but everything else I do by hand.

The origin of pizza is a hotly debated topic. Wikepedia says this:

An often recounted story holds that on 11 June 1889, to honour the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, the Neapolitan pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito created the "Pizza Margherita", a pizza garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, to represent the national colours of Italy as on the Italian flag.

One of the favorites here is this one. I'm making one for supper tonight.

Fully Loaded Pizza
Pizza with a ton of ingredients.
Serving Size: 16

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
14½ ounces no salt added diced tomatoes
8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
1 small onion -- diced fine
1 clove garlic -- minced fine
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon seasoned pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 large roasted red pepper -- diced
2¼ ounces black olives -- sliced
4 ounces ham cubes
6 ounces pepperoni slices
2 tablespoons bacon pieces, reduced fat
4 ounces mushroom caps -- sliced
27 ounces pizza dough
1 cup Italian Five Cheese

Heat oven to 400°F.

Spray a pizza dish or baking sheet and spread out dough onto 2 sheets.

Mix tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, red peppers, and olives together. Spread half of sauce on each pizza. Top with half of the pepperoni, ham, bacon bits, mushrooms, and cheese. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 252 Calories; 10g Fat (37.8% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 551mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1½ Grain(Starch); ½ Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

One of my personal favorites is Hawaiian Pizza.

Hawaiian Pizza
I'm not sure why they called it Hawaiian Pizza but it is my favorite pizza.
Serving Size: 16

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
20 ounces pizza dough
1 small onion -- minced
1 clove garlic -- minced
8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
14½ ounces no salt added diced tomatoes - drained
8 ounces pineapple chunks in water -- drained
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces ham slices, extra lean -- diced
8 ounces Italian five cheese
vegetable oil spray

Heat oven to 425°F.

Spray pans with vegetable oil. Divide the pizza dough into two pans. Bake the dough for 8 minutes.

Mix onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning together. Spread half of the sauce on each pizza. Add half of the ham and pineapple to each pizza. Spread each pizza with half of the cheese.

Return the pizza to the oven and bakes 10 minutes.

Per Serving: 166 Calories; 5g Fat (27.0% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 338mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); ½ Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat.

When I lived near Chicago I tried deep dish pizza for the first time.

Spectacular Deep Dish Pizza
You can't have lived in Chicago without falling in love with deep dish pizza. It is pizza done in reverse.
Serving Size: 12

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
14 ounces pizza dough
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ pound Italian sausage
4 ounces mushroom caps -- sliced
4 ounces Canadian bacon slices
3 ounces low sodium pepperoni -- sliced
14½ ounces no salt added diced tomatoes -- drained
2¼ ounces black olives -- sliced
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole roasted red pepper -- diced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon seasoned pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese -- shredded
1¼ cups Parmesan cheese -- shredded
1 whole shallot -- minced
1 clove garlic -- minced
¼ cup red wine

Heat oven to 425°F.

Remove the Italian sausage from casings and cook until no pink remains. Set aside.

In a saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add shallot and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, roasted red peppers, red wine, and olives to shallots and garlic. Heat until cooked through.

Oil a 14-inch deep-dish pan with extra virgin olive oil. Spread dough on bottom and up the sides.

Spread the mozzarella over the dough.

Layer the Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, and mushrooms over the mozzarella.

Layer the sauce over the meat.

Sprinkle the Parmesan over the sauce.

Bake on the bottom shelf for 20 to 25 minutes.

Per Serving: 328 Calories; 19g Fat (51.6% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 794mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 2 Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

What is your favorite pizza? Do you have a favorite pizza place to go out to?