English Muffin Pizza? Tortilla Pizza? Pita Pizza?
Okay, we loved them for grammar school lunches, but do we still? I know I do. School was EM Pizza and delicious, but I've graduated to Tortilla Pizza, which I think blows EM's out of the water. Do you still eat them? If so, what's your hands down favorite?
My Tortilla Pizza:
Preheat broiler
Put cast iron skillet over high heat
Take a tortilla and top with sauce, cheese, seasonings
Pop on hot,hot,hot skillet and let cook for about 30 seconds
Stick in broiler, close to the flame until cheese just starts to brown a bit
Carefully remove from broiler, remove to a plate, let sit 1 minute. Quarter. Eat. Feel really, really, really good.
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10 Comments:
A good crust really makes a pizza, in my opinion, so I've never been a fan of the EM pizza (or any variations), even when I was a little kid! I'd much rather go for the real deal, or not have pizza at all.
ChristineB at 12:08PM on 01/21/08
It's funny. I was talking to a co-worker about this just the other day. She's European and just doesn't get it. Which I guess I understand, as the love of such things is probably almost entirely based on what one grew up with.
I love english muffin pizza, though I find it impossible to replicate the taste from school, which I'm sure was made from generic tomato sauce and muffins and vaguely plasticine cheese food slices.
I usually make mine with Paul Newman's Socarooni spaghetti sauce, Polly-o mozarella cheese, black olives, garlic powder, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper. It's the perfect "I'm too lazy to cook" dinner.
rockykay at 12:09PM on 01/21/08
Nobody's arguing that pizerria-made pizza crust has no substitute, but for a good pizza craving late at night, it's Whole Wheat Pita Pizza for me... I take crushed tomatoes and season them with minced garlic, italian herbs, salt and pepper. Spoon it over a warmed pita bread. Spread some fresh mozzarella cheese or left over shredded cheese mix. If I'm in the mood, slice some thin onion or green peppers. Put it a few minutes in the toaster oven and Mmmmmmmmm.
And you know what works too... Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread Pizza - same method as above but baking the bread in the oven for a few minutes before spreading the sauce.
This is making me hungry...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 1:07PM on 01/21/08
I concur with Madelyn, whole wheat pitas are the way to go.
psychsarah at 1:21PM on 01/21/08
"Pizza Quicks" is what we called them when I was growing up. Either English Muffins or Tube Biscuits for the crust...and like decorating cookies, we'd all gather around the kitchen table and customize the toppings, make faces with the ingredients & hang out as a family. It was a Sunday night event that'd we'd do at least once a month.
As an adult, I've moved on to pita pizzas.
Calphalon Cookware had a demo recipe that was designed to showcase non stick surfaces. It was called "Upside Down Pizza". What you do is throw all the toppings into a non stick frypan & saute them. Then dump your cheese in & as soon as it starts to melt, you squish a pita bread into the mass.
Let it cook for a few seconds, then invert it onto a plate. Surprisingly, it comes out looking like a traditionally prepared pizza. I've done these for a couple of different parties where I wanted an edible ice breaker to get people talking, mingling, etc...Just like the English Muffin pizzas as a kid, everyone gets to design his or her own pita pizza. It's also great fro kids brithday parties.
2qrs at 2:27PM on 01/21/08
Pizza bagels! I don't really eat them anymore, but I probably would if I saw a good one (I prefer the ones the bagel shops make as opposed to making a pizza on a bagel I've purchased). Crispy outside, chewy inside - it all makes sense.
wellred at 2:57PM on 01/21/08
English Muffin Pizzas are such a fond memory of mine. My mom made them for every one of our parties when we were kids. OMG, now you made me want one!
My dad would go to the local bagel store and ask for the bagels where the hole was closed up by dough (actually a flaw in bagels). He'd make pizzas out of them.
Tortilla pizza, pita pizza - both diet strategies if you can get lower-calorie torts and pitas.
Funny, I'm a lot more forgiving and "out of the box" when it comes to crusts than I am with toppings. Pineapple on pizza? Only if you want a fight... :D
chiff0nade at 3:17PM on 01/21/08
My husband will make himself a french bread or bagel or english muffin pizza in the toaster oven. Comes from his days as a latch-key kid when he became a self proclaimed toaster oven afficianado. As a thin crust lover none of these ever really appeal to me, and now that I make my own crust I realize how much a tasty crust really does make the pizza (who knew a pizza didn't need two cups of cheese on it!), but in a pizza emergency I go with tortillas all the way. I'll have to try the whole wheat pitas.
mrsmoosie at 9:52PM on 01/21/08
Great thread.
I am a huge fan of the English Muffin pizza because you can pack so much sauce on there. There is no way cheese and toppings could stick to a real pizza with that much sauce per square inch. Score one for the nooks and crannies.
Just a few days ago I stopped in at my parents' place and guess what my mom made for lunch. She has actually taken things to a new level now and is making mini pizzas on ciabatta buns. More holes and even more flavour. Only problem is that the tops have a tendency to roll leaving all of the toppings on the downhill side.
drastic at 10:58PM on 01/21/08
I'm so excited for this question! During Christmas break I got really into making tortilla pizzas. Just with a thin layer of marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese, toasted under the broiler for a few minutes. IT's heaven! Pita pizza's are awesome too!!
luswim06 at 11:08PM on 01/21/08