Homemade frozen pizzas

I am back, after a crazy week of moving things are finally starting to settle back down. Even though I haven't made it to my final moving destination.  I get to have a nice quiet two week period at my parents home, spoiling them with my cooking as I work at getting caught back up on here.  For my first article back I wanted to about convenience foods.  At one time or another we have all used them.  For those crazy days when you just don't have the time to cook something for your family it is so much easier use them.  But if we are truly trying to be economical and health contentious it can be a bit of a pit fall.  So I have worked at trying to find solutions for my life that give me the convenience without making sacrifices in other areas.

So pizza is often a staple in homes and it is the most common dish to be a convenience item.  We either call in a delivery or buy a frozen pizza.  But when it comes to cost and nutrition these are often not the best choices.  That $10 pizza from pizza hut might sounds great but have you ever looked at the nutrition labels of their pizzas?  For me personally I want my family to be able to enjoy things like pizza without feeling like I am giving them something with little to no nutritional value.  Remember a healthy adult that doesn't have issues with bloodpressure or diabeties should only consum around 2,300 mg of sodium a day.  And one slice of Pizza Hut Cheese Pizza contains 520mg of sodium, and who here can honestly say they only eat one slice.  It is important to be aware of what you and your family are eating.  The same goes for those frozen pizzas. So while you might still be templted to buy that delivery pizza on those crazy days you can at least have an alternative option that if you plan ahead on a slow day will give you the same quick convienence options without the added calories concerns.

Pizza might not be the healthiest option for you but it is good to find ways to consum it without it being a nutrition nightmare.  Learn how to incorperate pizza into your diet in a more health consious way at Livestrong.com

Homemade Frozen Pizza

First you have to start out with your pizza dough.  This time, rather then preparing the dough completely by hand I decided to make my life easier and use a bread machine.  I added the ingredients in the order called by my breadmaker and selected the dough cycle. 

Once the cycle was finished I took my dough our and divided it into two balls, coating them in a small amount or warm olive oil.  I then covered them and allowed them to rise for an additional 30 minutes in a warm place.

After your dough has risen, roll it out and bake it in an pre-heated 400 degrees F oven for 3-4 minutes.  Take your dough out of the oven and allow it to completely cool.

Wrap the pizza in a layer of plastic wrap and then a second layer of foil.  Place in the freezer so that it lays completely flat. 

When you are ready for pizza night pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Take out your frozen dough and top with your pizza with your sauce and your favorite toppings.  When choosing my toppings I try to be consious about my choices so that I can create a pizza that is delicious but not over the top with calories and fat. Bake for 10-15 minutes until crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Put the par baked pizza crust directly on the oven rack unless your using a pizza stone.