Thanksgiving Pizza????

I'm sure glad I'm not a Turkey this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. I'm sure there are many households that have turkeys thawing on the counter in readiness for cooking on Sunday.

We're having Pizza. Actually we are headed out to a friend's house for Thanksgiving this year but we decided that we would have our own Thanksgiving meal at home too. There is no school today as the independent republic of HH where we live has a K-12 school and because of bussing issues and timing there is no school today for our school. Yee haw!! As a result our household is having Thanksgiving dinner tonight. We are having Pizza. And let me tell you we are as thankful for pizza as we would be for a turkey.

I started making pizza a few years ago with a twist to it. I don't use sauce and I don't use pepperoni or any meat for that matter. I know, I know, what's left?

My pizza started out as a vegetarian pizza and has progressed to become what it is today. I use lots of vegetables and tons of cheese and it is delicious. My kids love it. You just have to be willing to try something a little different.

Here's the recipe....
Frankie's Thanksgiving Pizza

Pizza Dough
lg batch (makes 2 pizzas)
1 1/2 c water
2tbsp. olive oil (you can substitute veggie oil)
2tsp. salt
2tsp. sugar
4 c. unbleached or all purpose flour (I prefer unbleached)
2tsp. Quick-rise yeast

Mix all above ingredients together in usual manner and set aside in a warm place to rise.

Toppings
Grate lots of Cheddar cheese at least 2 cups
Grate lots of mozzarella cheese at least 3 cups
1 - 1 liter container of ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese as much as you want
1 chopped onion
2 sticks of finely chopped celery
5 large-ish ripe tomatoes
lots of sliced fresh mushrooms
chopped red and green and yellow peppers (1 each)
1 smallish grocery store sized zucchini sliced thinly

Kneed dough and split the dough in half and oil a pizza stone or pan. Spread dough over pan and layer toppings in this manner, keeping half the toppings for each pizza....
Ricotta cheese (helps to absorb juice from tomatoes)
celery and onion
sliced tomatoes
sliced zucchini
sliced mushrooms
red and green and yellow peppers
cover all in first Cheddar cheese
then Mozzarella cheese
then Parmesan cheese

If you have it, some spice with sun dried tomatoes to put on top helps to make it just divine. I use a Greek spice mix.

Bake till cheese is drippy and starting to brown and crust edges are browning....

When you try this pizza, I guarantee you will be thankful. Now aren't you glad that you are not a turkey!