MONROE - Depending on which survey you read, pizza or burgers is usually America's favorite food.
Our modern version of pizza is widely credited to a Don Raffaele of Naples. Queen Margherita (1851-1926) of Spain requested that he make her a special pizza, so he created one with basil, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes, which compose the colors of the Italian flag (green, white and red). The pie was thus named the "Margherita Pizza."
The first American pizzeria opened as early as 1905, but it wasn't until American GIs returned from Italy in World War II that the dish really took off. Soldiers stationed there had become so attached to the pie while abroad that they demanded more of it once they returned home.
In the 1960s, the pizza industry expanded from local pizzerias, to large chains, home delivery and a vast selection of frozen pizzas in retail stores. Today, pepperoni ranks as the favorite topping, followed by mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, green peppers and onions.
October is National Pizza Month, so what better time to experiment with creative pizza combinations? Let your imagination be your guide. After all, how far wrong can you go with pizza?
BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA
6 ounces chicken breast, cooked, sliced into strips
3 ounces red pepper sauce (for buffalo wings)
1/4 cup (3 ounces) dairy sour cream
1 pre-baked (12 inch) pizza crust
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Wisconsin Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Blue cheese, crumbled
1 scallion (1 ounce), chopped
2 stalks celery, minced
In a medium bowl, toss chicken with red pepper sauce; cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Spread sour cream evenly over pizza crust. Sprinkle Monterey Jack over sour cream. Arrange marinated chicken strips on top of cheese and then bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 475°F or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly. After baking, sprinkle Blue cheese, scallions and celery on top.
GORGONZOLA AND CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA
11/2 cups onion, julienned
1/3 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Mascarpone cheese
1 pre-baked (12") pizza crust
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Italian-style Gorgonzola cheese, cubed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
In a sauté pan over high heat, brown onions until caramelized; set aside to cool. Spread Mascarpone evenly over pizza crust. Place cooled caramelized onions on cheese. Sprinkle Gorgonzola and pecans over top. Bake at 450°F for 6 to 9 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is hot.
OLIVETO PIZZA WITH WISCONSIN BRICK
1 (12") prepared pizza crust
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced fine
5 stalks asparagus, thinly sliced
3 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
3 ounces baby pancetta, julienned, sautéed over low heat and drained on paper towels
7 ounces Wisconsin Surface-Ripened Brick cheese, cut into slices
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to taste
Preheat oven to 475°F. Top pizza crust with the following ingredients in this order: garlic, asparagus, potatoes, baby pancetta, Brick, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Just before baking, drizzle toppings with a small amount of olive oil. Bake
GREEK PIZZA
(pictured above)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 pre-baked (12") pizza crust
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Aged Provolone cheese, shredded
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Wisconsin Mozzarella, shredded
20 to 25 fresh baby spinach leaves, cleaned
1/4 cup (1 ounce) red onion, julienned
3/4 (3 ounces) cup Wisconsin Feta cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled
1/3 cup (2 ounces) black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
Optional balsamic vinegar, as needed
Preheat oven to 475°F. Spread sauce on pizza crust. Sprinkle Provolone and Mozzarella on sauce. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
After baking, arrange spinach leaves over cheeses. Arrange red onions over spinach; sprinkle Feta, black olives and sun-dried tomatoes over top. Drizzle pizza with balsamic vinegar and serve.
MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA
1 14" prepared pizza crust or 2 8" prepared pizza crusts (such as Boboli®)
3/4 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), sliced
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
16 ounces Wisconsin Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread crust(s) with pesto sauce. Top with peppers, tomatoes, olives and pine nuts. Sprinkle with shredded Wisconsin Mozzarella and place Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella slices on top. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until desired doneness.
Our modern version of pizza is widely credited to a Don Raffaele of Naples. Queen Margherita (1851-1926) of Spain requested that he make her a special pizza, so he created one with basil, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes, which compose the colors of the Italian flag (green, white and red). The pie was thus named the "Margherita Pizza."
The first American pizzeria opened as early as 1905, but it wasn't until American GIs returned from Italy in World War II that the dish really took off. Soldiers stationed there had become so attached to the pie while abroad that they demanded more of it once they returned home.
In the 1960s, the pizza industry expanded from local pizzerias, to large chains, home delivery and a vast selection of frozen pizzas in retail stores. Today, pepperoni ranks as the favorite topping, followed by mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, green peppers and onions.
October is National Pizza Month, so what better time to experiment with creative pizza combinations? Let your imagination be your guide. After all, how far wrong can you go with pizza?
BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA
6 ounces chicken breast, cooked, sliced into strips
3 ounces red pepper sauce (for buffalo wings)
1/4 cup (3 ounces) dairy sour cream
1 pre-baked (12 inch) pizza crust
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Wisconsin Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Blue cheese, crumbled
1 scallion (1 ounce), chopped
2 stalks celery, minced
In a medium bowl, toss chicken with red pepper sauce; cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Spread sour cream evenly over pizza crust. Sprinkle Monterey Jack over sour cream. Arrange marinated chicken strips on top of cheese and then bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 475°F or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly. After baking, sprinkle Blue cheese, scallions and celery on top.
GORGONZOLA AND CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA
11/2 cups onion, julienned
1/3 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Mascarpone cheese
1 pre-baked (12") pizza crust
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Italian-style Gorgonzola cheese, cubed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
In a sauté pan over high heat, brown onions until caramelized; set aside to cool. Spread Mascarpone evenly over pizza crust. Place cooled caramelized onions on cheese. Sprinkle Gorgonzola and pecans over top. Bake at 450°F for 6 to 9 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is hot.
OLIVETO PIZZA WITH WISCONSIN BRICK
1 (12") prepared pizza crust
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced fine
5 stalks asparagus, thinly sliced
3 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
3 ounces baby pancetta, julienned, sautéed over low heat and drained on paper towels
7 ounces Wisconsin Surface-Ripened Brick cheese, cut into slices
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to taste
Preheat oven to 475°F. Top pizza crust with the following ingredients in this order: garlic, asparagus, potatoes, baby pancetta, Brick, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Just before baking, drizzle toppings with a small amount of olive oil. Bake
GREEK PIZZA
(pictured above)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 pre-baked (12") pizza crust
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Aged Provolone cheese, shredded
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Wisconsin Mozzarella, shredded
20 to 25 fresh baby spinach leaves, cleaned
1/4 cup (1 ounce) red onion, julienned
3/4 (3 ounces) cup Wisconsin Feta cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled
1/3 cup (2 ounces) black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
Optional balsamic vinegar, as needed
Preheat oven to 475°F. Spread sauce on pizza crust. Sprinkle Provolone and Mozzarella on sauce. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
After baking, arrange spinach leaves over cheeses. Arrange red onions over spinach; sprinkle Feta, black olives and sun-dried tomatoes over top. Drizzle pizza with balsamic vinegar and serve.
MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA
1 14" prepared pizza crust or 2 8" prepared pizza crusts (such as Boboli®)
3/4 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), sliced
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
16 ounces Wisconsin Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread crust(s) with pesto sauce. Top with peppers, tomatoes, olives and pine nuts. Sprinkle with shredded Wisconsin Mozzarella and place Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella slices on top. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until desired doneness.