Simple Suppers - Spicy Italian Sausage and Veggies Pizza

Lately I have had a huge craving for pizza. But not the kind that comes in a cardboard box and is delivered to your door.
I'm talking about the kind that you make yourself, that you choose the toppings, make the dough, and then anticipate how delicious it's going to taste while the heavenly aroma comes from the oven as it cooks.
Pizza making can be fun, easy, and a great way to get friends and family in the kitchen to make their own pizzas along with you. Everyone can learn to make pizzas, and the dough I used for this recipe was very simple, with no kneading or rising.

The main ingredient for this pizza is the hot and spicy Italian sausage I used. This package of sausage is enough for two pizzas, so I used half, and froze the other half for later use on another pizza.
I experimented with Philadelphia Cooking Crème as a white sauce and I loved it. It wasn't as thick as cream cheese is, and it spread easily on the dough.

I love this super easy dough recipe. It's a great one to use if you don't have lots of time, or are making pizza with kids.

I often put a nice layer of spinach on my pizzas because I honestly don't taste it, and it's so healthy for you. And of course, I add lots of cheese as a finishing touch before I pop it in the oven.

Next time I'll slice my onions a little thinner, but I absolutely love red onions, so this was delicious.
The  Italian sausage does go well with other veggies too, but I thought this was the perfect pizza combo.


Recipe for Spicy Italian Sausage and Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 package all purpose yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt


1 1/2 cups of cooked and crumbled hot Italian sausage
1/2 container of Philadelphia Cooking Crème, savory garlic flavor
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 medium red onion cut into rings
3 cups of fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Makes one 12 inch pizza.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and oil. Stir until smooth. Let dough rest 5 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust onto a lightly greased pizza pan.
Spread with desired toppings and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let pizza set 5 minutes before slicing.