Luke and I try to eat healthy as much as possible.  Most of the time we’re pretty good about what we eat, but every one in awhile we have a major cheat meal. This past weekend, was once such occasion as I made some homemade pepperoni and garlic pizza.

I’ve made this recipe a few times and it is awesome- way better than what you can order from a delivery pizza place. It’s really easy to make, but can be on the pricey side at about $15-$20 per pie. However, it’s a great recipe for when you really want to indulge in some out-of-this world pizza.

We picked up our ingredients at Whole Foods because we knew we could get some really great pre-made pizza dough from their bakery along with slightly higher-grade toppings. Here’s everything you’ll need:

– Pre-made pizza dough (from your grocery’s bakery)
– Newmann’s Own spicy fra diavolo tomato sauce
– Thickly shredded mozzarella cheese
– Pepperoni (large circles are best)
– Garlic (chop 2-3 cloves or use pre-minced)

Once we had all the ingredients, I pre-heated the oven to 450 degrees and began stretching the pizza dough. Don’t be intimidated by this process- it literally just involves holding the dough in the air and moving your hands around the edges so it stretches out. Then once it’s stretched to fit the pan you’re using, just lay it down and continue to pull the dough to the edge of the pan.

I bake the dough for roughly 8 minutes so it has some time to cook before I add the toppings. You don’t want the crust to be undercooked in the middle while the cheese is brown. After the 8 minutes, I usually will spread some melted butter on the edges of the crust (this pizza is definitely not on a healthy diet!) before loading it with toppings.

Next, top with the pizza sauce, garlic, shredded mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. *TIP- I’ll usually mix the minced garlic into the sauce before I put it on, so it’s distributed evenly on the pizza. 

Return the pan to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool the pizza for five minutes and  you’re all set.

I was so excited to dig into our pizza that I forgot to take photos of the final product until it was halfway gone, but you should be able to get the idea of the awesomeness of this pizza from these…

This pizza is seriously delicious. The crust is thick and and crisp on the bottom. The spicy sauce adds a flavor element you don’t normally get in pizza and the topping combination of garlic, mozzarella and pepperoni hits the mark without being overly complicated.

Luke’s response?

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions/comments on this recipe!