Vegetarian Thanksgiving pizza ideas

I just found our pizza menu from our big Thanksgiving pizza party 2 years ago!! Everything turned out amazing! All pizzas were Neopolitan style!

Pizza 1
No tomato--use olive oil
Fried sage
Ricotta
Roasted butternut squash cubes with fresh grated nutmeg
Home candied walnuts

Pizza 2
No tomato--use olive oil

Flash fried kale (at super high heat)

Carmalized apple

Gorgonzola

Sage (optional)

Pizza 3

(Okay, it's not a Fall pizza, but I need a margherita pizza as a baseline no matter where I am--even at home!)

Preserved farmers' market tomatoes

Mozerella

Fresh basil

Egg (optional--cracked in the middle and cooked until just solid in the whites)

Pizza 4

Parsnip puree as a sauce

Nutmeg

Roasted carrots and potatoes

Pizza 5

Mushroom slices sauteed in butter, salt and a touch of red wine

Thyme, fresh

Garlic confit

Parsley

Fresh arugula after taking it out of oven (optional)

Two Words That Will Change Your Summer: GRILLED PIZZA

Photo by Robbie Stout

Last night we had a pizza party at the Lazy S Ranch. Seven of us devoured 8 pizzas and consumed prodigious volumes of adult beverages. It was a glorious evening, I assure you.

This could be my absolute favorite way to make and eat pizza. This recipe is especially fantastic because it allows you to whip up pizza with a bunch of garden veggies at the height of summer without heating up the kitchen.

There are three keys to making this pizza:

The first key is to keep your toppings light. The beauty of this pizza is its simplicity. But more importantly, anything besides a very, very thin pizza will not cook all the way through on the grill. My Margherita style pizza below is great, but you can change the toppings to whatever you like, as long as you go easy.

The second key is reading the directions all the way through before you start your cooking. Grilling pizza requires you to be quick on your feet.

The third critical key is to make sure your grill is very clean. A dirty grate will cause the dough to stick.

You’ll also need a wooden pizza peel—that’s the paddle you see at a pizzeria that the chef uses to transfer the pizza into the oven. It can be found at any kitchen store—or even in the kitchen section in a store like Target for less than $20.

Recipe makes 4 personal-size pizzas (we did a double batch last night).

Prep time: 3 cocktails

Double Batch Neapolitan-Style Thin Pizza Crust (click here for recipe)
2/3 pound mozzarella cheese, grated (3/4 a pound, if you’re a cheese lover)
28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, or equivalent garden tomatoes
20 or so basil leaves, torn up a bit
4 TBSP olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves and chili pepper flakes (both optional)

As dough rises, open tomatoes and transfer the tomatoes and juice to a food processor. Puree until you have a nice tomato sauce consistency—a few chunks are fine. Transfer to small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stirring often, cook until the tomatoes have reduced into the thickness of marinara sauce, about 30 minutes, but will vary depending on water content of tomatoes.

When you’re 15 minutes away from making your pizzas, bring your grill up to heat. It should be hot enough that you are able to hold your hand about 5 inches above the grate for 3-4 seconds. On my grill, that’s slightly below medium heat.

When the dough is done, divide into 4 equal balls. Roll out the first one on a floured surface into a 10” thin crust. Don’t pinch up the edges like you would with other pizzas. Transfer to a floured pizza peel. Brush the top of the crust with a layer of olive oil.

Now transfer the pizza to the grill. It’s not as tough as it sounds. If you’re careful, it will just nicely slide right off the peel onto the grill. There might be a bit of sag. You can try to adjust it with a metal spatula, or just not worry about it.

Cook for about 90 seconds, or until the crust just begins to get nice grill lines and turn golden. With the pizza peel or a metal spatula, scoop up and flip the crust.

Now work fast! Quickly, ladle on a quarter of your sauce, garlic, and chili flakes. Evenly sprinkle a quarter of your cheese. Top with the basil. Don’t spread the toppings all the way to the edge; leave a little naked crust.

Close the lid and cook 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese melts. After the first couple minutes of cooking, open the lid and check the bottom of the crust every minute or so. If your grill cooks unevenly, part of the crust may cook faster than the rest, so you might have to rotate with the spatula to prevent burning.

When it’s done, remove with the pizza peel, slice, and serve.

Now repeat with the other 3 dough balls.

Enjoy the pizza with your adult beverages and friends and call me tomorrow to thank me.

Neapolitan-Style Thin Pizza Crust

Unlike American-style thick crust pizzas, this is a fairly authentic Italian pizza, the crust is thin and both crisp and chewy when prepared correctly. It is delicious. Note that with this crust, you'll generally need a pizza stone (unless you're making grilled pizza). You can usually purchase one fairly inexpensively at a kitchen shop.

Makes enough for 2 personal-sized (10") or 1 largish (14") pizza.

1½ cups white, unbleached flour
¾ tsp salt
1 packet (scant 1 tsp) dry active yeast
½ cup warm water

In mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.

In a small dish, whisk together the water and yeast with a fork for at least 30 seconds.

Work the yeast/water mixture into the flour with your hands. Continue to knead well on a floured surface or with kneading attachment of a mixer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside, covered with a damp towel, in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size—about 2 hours. BUT you can accelerate the rising process by placing the bowl in the oven and switching it on to broil for 30-60 seconds. Then switch off for a while. The idea is to bring the oven up to 100-120 degrees to facilitate faster rising (30-60 minutes). But be careful not to forget about it when you turn it on.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead it for a few more seconds then roll out on a floured surface.

Gawd Bless 'Merikan Style Pizza!

So for a while now, I've only been making traditional Neopolitan-style pizza with just a couple toppings, fresh mozzarella, and a great thin crust, all baked on a stone at high temperatures. But last night, I wanted a big, fat, overwhelming, thick crust 'Merikan style pizza. I wanted a black hole of a meal that sticks to my friggin ribs for a week. And this is what I made.

I also decided that since my dinner consisted largely of cheese, salt, and a lot of alcoholic beverages, that I should make my crust with whole wheat flour. Not only is it really, really good, but it makes this meal total health food!

100 Percent Whole Wheat Thick Crust

This is enough for one large pie. If you want to make both of the pizzas below, double the batch of dough.

3 cups whole wheat flour
1.25 cups warm water
2 TBSP white sugar (or 3 Tbsp honey or agave nectar)
1 tsp salt
1 packet yeast (2 tsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
A generous pinch of each of the following spices: dill, thyme, basil, oregano, pepper, garlic salt, red pepper flakes (if you are missing one or two of these, don’t worry, it’ll still turn out okay).

If you’re lucky enough to have a bread maker, make the dough the easy way: combine all ingredients in bread maker using dough setting. When done, let rest 2-3 minutes.

If you don’t have a bread maker, doing it the old-fashioned way should work as well. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with mixer or wooden spoon. Gradually add water and oil. Once everything is well-combined, remove from bowl and knead it very well, about 10 minutes. Return to bowl and let dough rise, covered with a damp towel, until it has doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Then punch down and knead a second time. Let rise a second time for 60 minutes then punch it down.

Using a rolling pin and a floured surface, roll the dough out so it is slightly larger than a 14” pizza dish or a rectangle that is slightly larger than your 12 x 15 cookie sheet. Place dough on floured sheet. Roll edges over and pinch down. Now you’re ready to assemble your pizza.

Mediterranean Style Pizza

Adding roasted red bell peppers is a delicious addition to this pizza.

1 batch whole wheat thick crust (recipe above)
16 ounces homemade or store-bought marinara
Double batch marinated artichoke hearts (click here for recipe)
2 handfulls sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated (if dried), and coarsely chopped
2 handfuls of Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 handfulls fresh basil, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
Several big pinches of dried oregano

Preheat oven to 325.

Prepare the whole wheat thick crust as directed above. Add sauce in an even layer, then ADD TOPPINGS BEFORE MOZERALLA. Start with the largest toppings (the artichoke hearts) on bottom and work up to the smallest (garlic). Don’t add the oregano yet.

Top with mozzarella. Sprinkle oregano liberally on top of everything.

This is a thicker-than normal pizza, it’ll take a while to cook—typically around a half hour. When the cheese near the outside begins to brown slightly, switch to broil. Cook the pizza another 30-60 seconds and remove. It needs to sit for a good 2-3 minutes before you can slice and serve.

Jumping Jesus, This Smoked Gouda Pizza Is Amazing

This is among my favorite pizzas. In addition to the normal topping list, I have a few favorite additions. All these are totally optional:

• 2 marinated portabellas, cut into 1/2”-wide strips (click here for recipe)
• Additional fresh herbs
• Drizzle of top-quality, aged balsamic vinegar
• A cup or so of whole arugula leaves

Here’s what’s in the pizza itself:

1 batch whole wheat thick crust (recipe above)
2 large onions, sliced into thin rings and caramelized (directions below)
16 ounces homemade or store-bought marinara
2 medium heirloom tomatoes, halved then sliced thinly
¼-½ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces high-quality smoked Gouda
Several pinches dried oregano.

Preheat oven to 325.

Once you have about 45 minutes to go on the pizza, you’ll want to start caramelizing your onions. Place a dry frying pan and heat it over medium-low to medium heat. Add the sliced onions and nothing else. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions turn a nice golden brown, and are very sweet, about 40 minutes.

Prepare the whole wheat thick crust as directed above. Add sauce in an even layer, then ADD TOPPINGS BEFORE MOZERALLA. Start with the largest toppings (the portabellas, if using) on bottom and work up to the smallest (garlic). Don’t add the oregano yet.

Top with mozzarella. Sprinkle oregano liberally on top of everything.

This is a thicker-than normal pizza, it’ll take a while to cook—typically around a half hour. When the cheese near the outside begins to brown slightly, switch to broil. Cook the pizza another 30-60 seconds and remove. It needs to sit for a good 2-3 minutes before you can slice and serve.