Frugal Foodie – Two Frugal Fairfielders

Friday Night Pizzas – easy, homemade, healthier and cheaper than ordering out! You decide how much would you pay for healthier pizza?

You decide, how much would you pay for healthier pizza? If you believe that you are what you eat, then kindly keep reading.

Made with:

nitrite/nitrate-free pepperoni = $7.00
hormone-free cheese = $8.00
sea salt = $ .01
organic whole grain flours ($1.06), tomato sauce ($2.50) , garlic ($ .07), and olive oil ($ .80)
bulk Red Star brand yeast ($ .06)

Grand total for both 16-inch pizzas = $19.50, for our family of 5. (Remember this figure includes the cost of pepperoni). And, there are always leftovers for lunch for the next day :)!

Recipes follow (from a previous post). ~Aimee, TFF

I’ve gotten organic crushed tomatoes for cheaper than what I used here. So, your grand total could be lower than what I have listed in this updated post. Recipes follow (from a previous post). ~Aimee, TFF

I have been making this pizza regularly, since 2008, after reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I downloaded her recipe and have it taped to the inside of a kitchen cabinet.

For our family, it rolls out to make two 16-inch thin crusts. (I also use this dough recipe for Stromboli) Make personal pizzas and have your children take turns rolling out the dough!

Stir in salt and olive oil to the yeast mix. Here’s what I use, purchased from my food co-op.

In the time it takes for the dough to rise (for 30 – 40 minutes), your pizza sauce will be done. I use award-winning chef and contributing writer to “Cooking Light Magazine”, Deborah Madison’s recipe:

Tomato Sauce for Pizza, from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Warm the oil over medium heat in a wide skillet with the garlic and a little black pepper. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. (On my stove, I lower the heat so that the tomatoes don’t splatter.)

Cook, stirring every now and again, until the juices are evaporated (reduced) and the sauce that remains is thick enough to mound on a spoon with no surrounding watery liquid. (Again, on my stove, I adjust my burner dial to between 3 and 4. In 30 – 40 minutes, the sauce is nice and thickened. Remember that the sauce needs to be fairly thick, or the crust will come out soggy. You can totally do this. It takes time to figure out what settings work best on your stovetop, that’s all.)