Homemade Pesto Pizza

Pesto Pizza Night!

Pizza night has always been one of my favorites.  I love experimenting with different dough or breads (naan bread is one of my favorite options for makeshift pizza dough), but this Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough is one of my absolute favorites!  I like to buy a few dough balls and keep them in the freezer for those nights when we're craving pizza but don't want to go out.  I'm not a fan of delivery pizza (I know I am a brat but it always makes my stomach hurt!) and my favorite pizza place (mellow mushroom) gets expensive and can be very crowded, but I have a few go to pizza "recipes"--really just toppings--that make pizza night easy and cheap!  The dough balls are only $1.29 each and all of the toppings are things that I had on hand and regularly use in other recipes.  

Cam and I each made our own pizzas because we like to experiment with different toppings and to have leftovers (and to see who can get the most spin when they throw their dough ball in the air), but we each only ate half of our pizzas at dinner so you could easily share one dough ball between two people!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Ball (roll dough according to instructions on package) 

1/4-1/2 cup White Linen Marinara Sauce (from Costco)--you can use any pizza sauce that you like or make your own, but I always buy jars of this sauce from Costco.  It's $9 for two huge jars and it makes great pizza sauce and pasta sauce! 

Cheese--you can really use any type of cheese and any amount of cheese that you like.  Personally, I used fresh mozzarella (I buy the individually packaged snack size ones at Costco--I always waste mozzarella when I buy it in large quantities because it goes bad before I can use it all, but this way you only open one small package at once so it never goes to waste!), shredded mozzarella, and parmesan.  We keep lots of cheese on hand, but it would be totally fine with just one of these or even with cheddar or swiss!  

Pesto--this ingredient is 100% optional, but I always keep a jar of the Kirkland's (Costco's brand) pesto in the fridge and I think it's a great addition to this pizza.  I just take a big spoonful and drizzle it all over the pizza.  

Fresh Tomatoes--I also always have a big container of cherry tomatoes on the counter (I learned this summer that you are NOT supposed to put them in the fridge--oops!) to throw into salads, rice bowls, and pasta dishes.  I just sliced some up and threw them on top!  Again, these are totally optional and there are tons of other veggies that you could add instead. 

Meats--I didn't add any meat to this pizza, but you definitely could!  Some of my favorite additions are sliced or shredded chicken breast, Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles, Aidell's chicken and apple sausages (you can buy these in large quantities at Costco and freeze!), or Boar's Head Turkey Pepperoni.  

INSTRUCTIONS:  The package says that this crust should be baked at 350 for 10-12 minutes, but I bake on 450 for 12-15 minutes.  I like my crust crispy and my cheese extra melty!