Boboli Pizza or Dinner in Denver

Saturday before the big game he graciously offered to go out into the arctic blast and head for the grocery. I suggested making a pizza and he wholeheartedly agreed. So off to get a  Boboli he did. Now I am not a big fan of processed food but this is one that I rely on for convenience. It also has a great taste and though every ingredient is not stellar it sure comes through in a pinch. Such as Sunday evenings when the kids were young, or older for that matter. It is a good crust which makes it a good base for many types of pizza. And we still make it quite regularly.

I have made seafood pizzas by using red sauce and shrimp and scallops as toppings. I have grilled it with a bbq chicken topping but most of all we have just made regular pizza. When my daughter was young and only wanted cheese pizza I was able to buy one of their individual sizes and make a “baby” pizza to her liking.

One thing I do not like is the boboli sauce. It is sweet and I don’t like a sweet tomato sauce. It also has corn syrup in its list of ingredients and that is one ingredient I try to avoid. I like pizza sauce flavored with oregano and garlic  and lots of hot chili flakes. I usually add fresh basil to the toppings so don’t include it in the sauce. Feel free to adjust your seasoning and toppings as you like.

My preference is for the thin crust boboli though it does come in three thicknesses and I think also whole wheat though I haven’t seen that in the
stores near me. I bake it directly on the top rack of my oven at 450 degrees. When I baked it on the middle rack it seemed to burn quickly on the bottom of the crust and I just hate it when the smoke alarm goes off. It takes a little longer this way but I’d rather wait a bit than have a burnt crust.

Give it a try. When the kids were younger I did use to buy the individual sizes and set up a pizza topping bar. It was fun and everyone could make their own. This is a good idea for parties but most young kids I know eat only cheese and a few may add pepperoni. Which, of course, creates a lot of extra work on your part if the party is for kids! But maybe a good super bowl idea-that is if your favorite team made it to the super bowl!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce

1 T olive oil

1T oregano

1 t chili flakes

½ t sugar

1 ½  t garlic powder

1 T fresh Italian parsley (this really gives a hint of freshness to the sauce)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Open tomato sauce and pour into a big measuring cup. Add seasonings and feel free to adjust to your taste. This makes enough for two pizzas.

½ c fresh grated parmesan

6 oz fresh sliced mozzarella

1 c grated mozzarella

 A few dollops of goat’s cheese if you have it

½ c of red pepper slices

Turkey Pepperoni

6 oz Italian Sausage (I use turkey) Place in
bowl and cook in microwave about 1 and a half minutes. Drain grease. This should be cooked well to go on top of pizza.

¼ of a sweet onion sliced thin

Fresh basil if you have it

Pepperocini

Top crust with ½ of sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan. Top with sausage. Add shredded
mozzarella. Top with peppers and onions. Add pepperoni. (Feel like an artist
and fling your hands) Top with fresh mozzarella slices. And goat’s cheese. Tuck
in basil. Fling a few pepperocini on to give your pizza zip.

Place pizza into preheated oven directly on to oven rack. Bake about 15-20 minutes
until as golden as you like. Take out and let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice and serve while rooting for your favorite team.