There’s More than One Way to Enjoy Frozen Pizza

It’s a Wednesday – and that’s a Wild Card Day for us. It means thinking out of the box. Sometimes you just gotta break the mold. But with Hubby, it also means don’t go to extremes.

A few months back Hubby, Kiddo and I were in a Burger Saloon (amazing!!!) It had been a long day of emotional ups and downs. Dad’s assisted living facility was putting on a family barbecue for Memorial Day. Both of my sisters and I were planning to attend. That in itself is emotional, for deeply personal reasons I cannot share. Our original plans were put on hold. Life has a way of shaking us up when necessary.

On Memorial Day Dad’s health had taken yet another downward turn. It turned out Dad had developed pneumonia. As a result he wasn’t getting enough oxygen, so his speech was slurred and he wasn’t making much sense. Very scary stuff. But once hospitalized, property diagnosed and on both medication to fight the infection and receiving oxygen, he was almost himself again, just tired and worn out. After all, he’s 93. Needless to day, no one had much fun at the barbecue.

My youngest sister left the hospital once Dad was being admitted. Her family was hungry, the immediate crisis was over, so they were going to find someplace to eat before heading home. We stayed a bit longer, then decided to do the same. What can I say except sisters think alike. With no communication between us, we both ended up in the same restaurant in a town neither of us was all that familiar with. (Guess that’s the convenience of phones that can surf the internet and make dining suggestions).

Here comes the point to this whole story. Time for us to place our order at a place that had a long list of burger possibilities. Kiddo got their Wild West Burger (aged cheddar, crispy onion strings, bacon, barbecue sauce on sourdough); I went for their Tex-Mex burger (deep fried pickled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese and a spicy aioli-Habanero sauce) while Hubby ordered a built your own burger. One patty, lettuce, tomato, pickles on a bun. That was it. What can I say – he’s a simple, straightforward guy.

In all fairness, Hubby’s eaten caviar, escargot, quail eggs, eel soup, sampled alligator and bear meat. He does have his adventurous side. But a burger is a burger. A pizza is a pizza. So when I get adventurous with something he’s familiar with, it’s not as much on the wild side as say roasting a wild boar. So here’s to sticking a toe just outside the box. One could argue that these pizzas are no better than a frozen Sausage or Pepperoni Pizza, but that would not be totally accurate. The sausage and mushrooms are fresh, and I’d be willing to bet of better quality than those you’d find on a frozen pizza. The pepperoni includes salami and bacon bits. Both had a final layer of cheese that melted so beautifully. Enjoy!

One Up Cheese Pizzas
2 Cheese Pizzas
1 lb Italian Sausage, mild or hot
6 White Mushrooms
4 oz Pepperoni
4 oz Salami
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
Bacon Bits, optional

Note: Select cheese pizzas with two different crusts and cheese combinations for more variety.

Heat oven(s) according to pizza directions. Unwrap and place each frozen pizza on cardboard. (Cutting the box is great for this).

In a skillet brown sausage, breaking apart as it cooks. Drain well, scatter over 1 of the cheese pizzas. Clean, stem and slice mushrooms, scatter over the sausage. Finish pizza with a sprinkling of Mozzarella Cheese. Set aside.

For remaining cheese pizza scatter pepperoni and salami over the pizza. Finish with a sprinkling of Mozzarella Cheese and if you like some bacon bits. Place pizzas in heated oven(s) to bake according to directions.

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine, relax and savor the blessings of the day.

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Seek always the face of the Lord.