Throw A Super Bowl Pizza Party
Instead of Trying to Order Pizza Delivery, Guests Make Their Own
Jan 25, 2009
Super Bowl and pizza are a natural combination. This year, throw a Super Bowl pizza party.
Cooking Pizza Is Easy with a Crowd
Make the pizza crust ahead of time, and invite guests to bring three of their favorite pizza toppings. When friends assemble their pizzas, there may be more action in the kitchen than in the big game. Guests will love it and it’ll be a Super Bowl party to remember!
A major advantage is avoiding the potential hassle of trying to order pizza delivery during one of the top sporting events of the year, when everyone else may have the same idea. Many pizza restaurants, especially pizza franchise spots with a sports bar theme, are packed. The ability to place an online pizza order isn’t available in many places yet, and not everyone has a Dominos pizza right around the corner.
Tools for Perfect Pizza
If making homemade pizza seems like it might be a lot of fun on a regular basis, check into getting pizza stones and a pizza peel. They make a crisp crusty pizza and are easily found in stores and online. Considering they’ll last a lifetime, they’re a good investment and a Super Bowl pizza party is a great excuse to add them to the kitchen.
Pizza crust is easy to make but if making it from scratch isn’t in the cards, mixes, refrigerated, frozen and fresh dough are readily available at grocery and specialty foods stores.
Have at least one pizza sauce on hand. If the invitation list includes people with varied tastes, consider having one spicy sauce and one that’s less spicy. There are many recipes for pizza sauce available – many of which can be made from ingredients already on hand. Great ready-made pizza sauces are also available. If an Italian grocery is nearby, check out their homemade sauces. Some pizza restaurants also sell their sauce, and don’t neglect the canned sauces in the local grocery – some may fit personal tastes.
Pizza Toppings for Fun and Adventure
Three to five toppings per pizza usually works the best. Just to be safe, make sure there’s extra cheese on hand, because someone might not remember their favorite cheese when they’re assembling their toppings. If planning to provide other toppings, here are some great items to have on hand.
- Mushrooms – fresh, canned or marinated
- Artichoke hearts, plain or marinated
- Olives
- Onions – sauté until soft
- Garlic – fresh or briefly sautéed
- Fresh tomatoes
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Hot peppers
- Green onions
- Spinach
- Provolone
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Romano
- Asiago
- Goat cheese (chevre)
- Bleu cheese
- Feta cheese
- Chicken
- Ham
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- Bacon
- Anchovies
- Barbeque sauce
- Basil – preferably fresh
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Fennel seed
Directions:
- Roll out crust. Crimp edges.
- Spoon sauce evenly over crust.
- Distribute toppings evenly.
- Bake until cheese bubbles and begins to brown. Time varies with temperature, generally at least 10-12 minutes at 400 F. If uncertain about timing, check every three minutes.
Notes:
- Don’t overload a pizza crust with too many toppings. It can make for a soggy crust, especially with a lot of moist ingredients like vegetables.
- More is not always better. One strongly flavored ingredient paired with two to four ingredients that enhance the main flavor usually make the tastiest combinations.
- If using a pizza stone at high heat, rotate crust every three minutes to prevent burning.
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