Spending too much time and money on takeout pies that are only so-so? Ditch the delivery guy and make your own at home. Just reach for your favorite store-bought pizza crust or master Chef Curtis Stone's no-fail, easy-rising dough recipe. We've got crowd-pleasing pizza toppings for every day of the month.
Unless otherwise indicated, bake the pizzas in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until ingredients are lightly browned and bubbly.
by Sandy Gluck / Photo by Getty Images
Vegetarian Pizzas
1. Rinse, drain and thinly slice a canned, water-packed artichokes. Place them on pizza dough and cover with grated Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and panko breadcrumbs.
2. Remove stems from large portobello mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in a mix of olive oil, garlic and red wine vinegar until tender. Then fill with sliced plum tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and homemade or store-bought pesto and bake until cheese has melted. These can be enjoyed atop a crust -- or even on their own.
3. Top dough with a cooked tomato sauce, strips of sautéed eggplant and ricotta salata. Once baked, scatter fresh basil leaves over the top for Pizza al la Norma
4. Grill slices of zucchini and yellow squash and place on pizza dough along with grilled onion, Parmesan and fresh oregano.
Still short of time? It happens to the best of us. Get the skinny on frozen pizzas in the gallery below.
Frozen Pizza Taste Test
Cheese Pizzas - Worst to Best
Ellio's
Our Verdict: Worst Cheese Pizza
Style: Cheese Pizza 16 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 320 / 7 / 3
Crust (1-5): 1
Cheese (1-5): 1
Sauce (1-5): 1
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 1
Overall appeal (1-5): 1
Comments: "How is this considered food?" "Not even in the middle of the night." "Looks like brain." "Tastes like dough. Tasteless dough."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Betzio's
Style: Cheese Pan Pizza 24 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 175 / 5 / 1
Crust (1-5): 1.25
Cheese (1-5): 1.25
Sauce (1-5): 1
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 1.5
Overall appeal (1-5): 1.5
Comments: Our five-year-old friend Izzy thinks this slice is "Yummy!"; adults were less enthusiastic, calling it "Prison food." Final verdict: "Unbearable."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Lean Cuisine
Style: Deep Dish Margherita 6 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 320 / 9 / 4 Microwave Only
Crust (1-5): 1
Cheese (1-5): 1
Sauce (1-5): 2
Toppings (1-5): 2
Flavor (1-5): 1.5
Overall appeal (1-5): 2
Comments: A microwave mess: "Just awful." "This should not be mass-produced."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Jenos Crisp & Tasty
Our Verdict: Highest Calorie Cheese Pizza
Style: Cheese 6.9 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 440 / 20 / 1
Crust (1-5): 2
Cheese (1-5): 2
Sauce (1-5): 2
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 2
Overall appeal (1-5): 2
Comments: "Not awful tasting, just has zero taste."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Tony's
Style: Original Crust Cheese Pizza 15.10 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 360 / 15 / 2
Crust (1-5): 2
Cheese (1-5): 1.5
Sauce (1-5): 2.5
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 1.5
Overall appeal (1-5): 2
Comments: "Sauce is not bad," was the highest praise we could muster. Otherwise, tasters "did not like the cheese at all." Also, "crust tastes too doughy."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
DiGiorno
Our Verdict: Biggest Letdown
Style: Rising Crust 4 Cheese 28.2 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 320 / 11 / 2
Crust (1-5): 3.5
Cheese (1-5): 1
Sauce (1-5): 1
Toppings (1-5): 1
Flavor (1-5): 1.5
Overall appeal (1-5): 2
Comments: "Looks amazing, but tastes like plastic." "Tastes weirdly artificial."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Stouffer's French Bread Cheese
Style: 10 3/8 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 360 /15 / 4
Crust (1-5): 3
Cheese (1-5): 2.5
Sauce (1-5): 3
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 2.5
Overall appeal (1-5): 3
Comments: "Not good. Not bad. Just frozen."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Tombstone
Our Verdict: Middle of the Road (Which Is Just Fine With Us)
Style: Original Extra Cheese 20.5 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 350 / 15 / 4
Crust (1-5): 2.5
Cheese (1-5): 3
Sauce (1-5): 3
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 3
Overall appeal (1-5): 2.5
Comments: "Tastes exactly how you'd think frozen pizza should taste." "Most average pizza ever, which is not really a bad thing." "Cheese is its strong point."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Red Baron
Style: Singles French Bread 5 Cheese & Garlic 8.8 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 410 / 22 / 2
Crust (1-5): 4.5
Cheese (1-5): 4
Sauce (1-5): n/a
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 3.75
Overall appeal (1-5): 4
Comments: "Love the garlic, but it's a little too salty." "Too salty." "Tastes artificial and cheap. Made me feel dirty inside."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
Red Baron
Our Verdict: Great for Late Night Munching
Style: Singles Thin & Crispy 4 Cheese 7.2 oz
Cal./Fat g/Fiber g: 300 / 14 / 1
Crust (1-5): 2
Cheese (1-5): 3
Sauce (1-5): 3
Toppings (1-5): n/a
Flavor (1-5): 3.5
Overall appeal (1-5): 3.5
Comments: "Do you think I could grab that whole thing before anyone else gets to it?" "That's just how I remember it tasting, and that's a good thing."
Rachel Been, AOL. Shot on location at The Lofts at 45 White Street
6. Layer thin slices of cooked potato with crumbled rosemary, black pepper, olive oil and grated Parmesan.
7. Top whole-wheat or regular dough with sliced pears, a briefly stirred mixture of crumbled blue cheese and cream cheese, fresh sage and chopped crystallized ginger.
8. Go bianco with mozzarella, ricotta, provolone, Parmesan and a generous amount of black pepper.
9. Scatter dough with thin slices of red onion and red bell pepper and top it with chopped store-bought mango chutney and sharp cheddar cheese.
10. Sautée coarsely chopped broccoli rabe in olive oil until tender, then arrange it atop pizza dough with thinly sliced, plump, sun-dried tomatoes and grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese.
11. Top thin dough with your favorite macaroni and cheese and bake for a double-shot of comfort food.
12. Try your hand at a classic Margherita. Brush dough with olive oil, top with mozzarella and a little ricotta and scatter grape tomatoes over the top. Garnish with a few basil leaves.
13. Top dough with with skin-on, thinly sliced acorn squash, Gruyere cheese, toasted walnuts and drizzles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
14. Cook fresh fennel long and slow in olive oil until it's caramelized and tender. Top dough with Parmesan, grated lemon zest, shredded mozzarella and the fennel and bake. Garnish with fennel fronds.
Meat and Poultry Pizzas
15. Chop onions, cook them until golden brown, then scatter on a crust with shredded rotisserie chicken and creamy fontina cheese.
16. Top burrito-style tortillas with shredded pepper jack cheese, thinly sliced chorizo, roasted red peppers and drained, canned black beans.
17. Thinly slice fresh figs and toss in a little oil and lemon juice. Place on pizza dough and top with slices of prosciutto.
18. Spread dough with spicy mustard and top with crumbled crisp bacon, cheddar cheese and thick slices of tomato.
19. Sauté onions until tender, add sliced peppers and sausages and cook until the sausage is done. Place on top of dough with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of vinegar.
20. Top dough with a ranch-style dressing mixed with Parmesan cheese. Bake, then top with tossed romaine lettuce, anchovies and grilled chicken for a Caesar-style treat.
21. A layer of sliced apples, another of fontina or Gruyere and one more of julienned strips of Black Forest ham makes for a most savory pie.
22. Top large pitas with a mix of ground lamb, pine nuts, coriander, cumin and tomato and finish with a layer of feta or yogurt.
23. Pulled pork, corn kernels, a slathering of barbecue sauce and a topping of slaw takes pizza on a trip down South.
24. Slather dough with marinara sauce, small meatballs, sautéed mushrooms and ricotta cheese.
25. Load up with salami, artichokes, roasted red pepper strips and mushrooms, then top with mozzarella and basil leaves for an antipasto pie.
Seafood Pizzas
26. Stack a pizza round with chopped tomatoes, oregano and a little grated orange zest. Cook clams separately and once the pizza is done, scatter shelled cooked clams over the top.
27. Chop anchovies and toss them with fresh spinach and garlic. Brush dough with olive oil, sprinkle fairly heavily with Parmesan and top with the anchovy mixture.
28. Top dough with thinly sliced tomatoes, sautéed shrimp, sliced hearts of palm and chopped mango. Serve with lime wedges.
29. Sauté escarole or beet greens in olive oil with a little anchovy until the greens are tender. Place on top of dough along with a little ricotta and plump raisins.
Sweet Pizzas
30. Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with sugar. Top with lightly sweetened ricotta, grated orange zest, mini chocolate chips and shelled pistachios for a pizza-fied twist on a cannoli.
31. Coat dough with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Top with sliced bananas and bake, then finish with chocolate sauce.
Sandy Gluck hosts Martha Stewart Radio's Everyday Food weekdays at 11 a.m. EST on on Sirius XM