Half-scratch pizza recipes

Delicious pizza doesn’t have to be entirely homemade. These half-scratch pizza recipes made with packaged pizza dough or crescent rolls will have your family saying “Mangia!” in no time.

Whether you choose to use pre-made pizza dough or crescent rolls for crust, be sure to follow package directions. If you like a crispier crust, try baking the dough before adding your toppings.

These recipes use rolled pizza dough:

Tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza

Ingredients:

• Packaged pizza dough
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3 large ripe red tomatoes or 8 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and trimmed
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Brush olive oil over cooked dough.
2. Add tomato and mozzarella slices.
3. Top with torn basil leaves, and lightly spoon tomato sauce over dough.
4. Place mozzarella slices and basil leaves on top.
5. Bake according to package directions.

Mushroom lovers’ pizza

Ingredients:

• Sliced white button and portobello mushrooms
• Prepared tomato or pizza sauce
• Shredded Italian-blend cheese
• Dried oregano
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Top pizza dough with tomato sauce.
2. Add cheese.
3. Add mushrooms.
4. Sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano.
5. Add dash of salt and pepper (to taste).

These recipes use crescent roll dough:

Crescent pizza rollups

Ingredients:

• 1 package crescent roll dough
• Prepared tomato or pizza sauce
• 1 Small package mini smoked link sausage
• 1 Small package sliced pepperoni
• Shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Separate crescent roll dough into triangles.
2. Place one mini smoked sausage or two slices of pepperoni in center of dough.
3. Top with 1/2 teaspoon pizza sauce and 1/2 teaspoon cheese.
4. Roll up dough and toppings.
5. Bake according to package directions.

Variation: Mini-pizzas

Directions:

1. Separate crescent roll dough, and roll each piece into a ball.
2. Using fingertips, press rolls down to flatten, but not too thinly.
3. Top each with sauce, meats, cheese, veggies and whatever you like on your pizza.
4. Bake according to package directions.

Variation: Mini-calzones

1. Top your mini-pizza with another crescent roll.
2. Pinch sides together before baking.
3. Bake according to package directions.