Pizza is the one of the most popular comfort foods in America. In the last month, a whopping 93% of Americans have eaten this warm, gooey satisfying dish. With national pizza month - October -- being right around the corner, it's time to take pizza worship to a whole new level. Here are a dozen out-of-the-box ways to get your pizza fix.
Why should dough have all the fun? For a fun twist, put your pizza toppings on a different bottom.
When you pair one comfort food with another comfort food, what do you get? The ultimate comfort food! That's what you get when you top French fries with all the cheesy saucy goodness that you would normally find on pizza.
Zucchini Pizza BoatsFor a low-carb spin, use zucchini boats to hold your pizza toppings. Simply slice the vegetable lengthwise and layer on sauce, cheese and your other favorite pizza flavors. Naturally gluten-free, these boats will send your tastes buds sailing on an ocean of deliciousness.
Pizza Stuffed MushroomsAnother healthy "crust" option is a mushroom cap. A mushroom cap makes the perfect bowl for you to pile high with pizza goodness. To make a meal of it, use large portabella mushrooms; you'll have perfectly sized personal pizza portions. As appetizers or for potlucks, use baby bellas or white mushrooms to create bite-sized bits of heaven.
Pizza NachosMexican and Italian cuisine come together in this multi-cultural dish. Crispy tortillas make the perfect bed for pizza toppings. Give your toppings a Mexican flair as well. Instead of Italian sausage, try chorizo and swap bell peppers out for jalapenos.
Nachos are not the only Mexican dish that can get an Italian twist. Traditional quesadillas are filled with meat, queso fresco and veggies. Keep the meet and veggies, swap out the queso for mozzarella, add marinara sauce and you've got a pizza-fied quesadilla.
Pizza Pasta BakeThis kid friendly dish will be a family dinner favorite. Elbow macaroni, fusilli pasta, or mini shells make this pasta bake easy for little ones to eat. Mini pepperonis will kick up the fun factor.
If you want to stay a dough traditionalist, but you're ready to get creative with presentation, try these variations.
Pizza Dip with Bread SticksDips are great for parties but chips and salsa are overdone and while veggies and ranch are refreshing they don't have indulgence-factor that makes a really great party food. Pizza dip with breadsticks fulfills both our need to dip food and our need to feel slightly guilty for indulging.
Pizza PinwheelsPizza pinwheels are fun bite size way to present pizza. Forgot those frozen pepperoni rolls! Pizza pinwheels will be the new favorite after school snack. If you are feeding them to adults, jazz them up with gourmet flavors like spinach and artichoke or buffalo chicken.
Deep dish pizza is synonymous with Chicago. The history of deep dish pizza is a long one, beginning in 1943. Exactly who invented the deep dish version of pizza is debatable, but what is not debatable is how delicious it is. You can easily make your own mini deep dish pizzas using a muffin tin and crescent rolls.
Braided Pizza LoafThis recipe looks as good as it tastes! When you need to impress some guests or just want to have an extra special dinner at home, a braided pizza loaf will make your table look fancy. It only looks like it would take an artist to pull this off. It reality it's easy but go ahead and take the credit anyway.
Pizza is not just for dinner anymore and I'm not just talking about cold pizza for breakfast. Here are some recipes that will make pizza the start of your next brunch.
Pizza Frittata or QuicheFrittata and quiche are both baked egg dishes that take their que from ingredients added to them. Quiches have a crust whereas frittatas do not. Diced tomato, mozzarella cheese, sausage and Italian seasonings bring the pizza flavor home in this dish.
Scrambled Egg PizzaIf you've got left over pizza, don't just toss it in the microwave or eat it cold. Instead, tear it into bite size pizzas and fry it up with some scrambled cheesy eggs. You won't be disappointed!
Now you have enough recipes to eat some form of pizza for nearly half of national pizza month. I think it's time to stock up on mozzarella, pepperoni, and pizza sauce!
