Leftover Pizza

How often does pizza make the weekly lineup in your house?  We don't have it every week but sometimes more than others.  We have gotten so that we like homemade pizza better than take out. I think its because it a little less greasy (part-skim mozzarella makes a big difference!) and we can make how ever many kinds we want.  Another reason I like to make it at home is because its the perfect way to use up leftovers from during the week. 

We usually pick up a ball of dough or two at a local pizza shop or bakery.  Its cheaper and tastier than the grocery store dough.

My very favorite pizza sauce comes in a can.  I'm pretty particular when it comes to pizza and I think this sauce is really good.  It doesn't need any doctoring and I'll admit, I kind of just like retro feel of the can too. 

Years ago, my brother lived in the North End of Boston.  I cannot even tell you how fantastic the smells in the streets are there.  Walking along the bumpy brick roads where elderly women lean out of their windows and yell to each other in Italian from the other side of the street, the smell of garlic, basil and other aromas fill the air.  It is really something to experience. We went to one little pizza shop about 13 years ago and I had a piece of pizza that I will never forget.  Chicken, potato and pepperoncini pizza to this day remains my fave.  Phoebe is hooked now too.  If you're a central New Yorker,  you probably eat your fair share of salt potatoes (or as my Oregonian husband calls them-little potatoes cooked with lots of salt).  We always end up with a few leftovers so here is a great way to use them up.  I chop up some leftover chicken and slice up some spuds.  I like to heat them up with a touch of olive oil and some garlic powder in a non stick pan first to give them a little crisp.

The pepperoncini's make it even better.  There you have it, leftover pizza.  Pizza made from leftovers. 

Since I frequently use fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, sometimes I have just enough left over to use up on a pizza.  Mmmm a Margherita pizza is a very good thing.

This one has some leftover asparagus on half of it.  I once went through a phase in high school when I was always making pizza with green beans on it (remember that Mom?).

Now this is not something I usually make, Prosciutto and Arugula pizza.  This fancy pizza was made for Nelsy's 40th birthday party (among other things of course!).  It was a major hit.  I had no idea that it would go over as big as it did.

So there you have it, a nice pizza and salad dinner, less greasy and you got to clean out the fridge!