Grape and Ricotta Pizza with Thyme, Bacon and Honey

This pizza became an instant favorite with the neighbors and makes a great appetizer. Smoky bacon, sweet honey and savory thyme all work together with the fruity flavor from the red grapes. A little bit of sea salt brings it home. If your solution for cooking involves baking times longer than 5 minutes, add the grapes after the pizza is baked rather than before.

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Grilled Vegetable Pizza

Celebrate summer produce with a delicious vegetable pizza. Zucchini, yellow squash and red onions all take on a roasted flavor over the open flame of the grill. A quick red sauce brings fresh tomatoes to the party.

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Fiery Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I call it “Fiery” not only because it brings the heat, but also because of the smoky flavors of chipotle chiles and the fire-marked corn. This pizza is absolutely loaded with flavor. For less spicy palates, you can try halving the amount of chipotles and Serrano.

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Mixed Berry Pizza

This pizza is almost like an upside down cobbler and makes a perfect finish to a summer pizza party. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries blend with a creamy mixture of mascarpone and crème fraîche with a touch of honey.

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Blackened Chicken Pizza

I rarely have a party without baking a couple of pizzas. They taste fantastic and set a casual tone. They also offer great opportunity for creativity. The mild heat from roasted poblanos and blackened chicken is tempered by the crème fraîche. The simple combination of flavors allows the smoked cheddar to shine.

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My Favorite Quickie Pizza

This is the pizza I make most frequently at our plant in Kalamazoo when we have a pizza oven fired up. The ingredients come together quickly, and the pizza tastes fantastic.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Pizza

This pizza is not one of the prettiest we’ve created, but it is one of the tastiest. A thin crust is topped first with a mixture of ricotta cheese, olive oil and lemon zest, and then with red onions and butternut squash caramelized with balsamic vinegar. Roasted hazelnuts provide the perfect finish.

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Zucchini Pizza Pinwheels

A lot like a calzone, but with a beautiful presentation, these pizza pinwheels are wonderful starters for parties. This fall creation blends fresh zucchini with Spanish cheese and sweetened tomatoes.

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Sweet Peach Pizza with Tart Cherries

Here is another fantastic dessert pizza for outdoor parties. Try it now before peaches and cherries are out of season. The sweetness of peaches, quickly caramelized on the grill, is balanced by tart cherries, while the whole pizza is mellowed on a rich foundation of mascarpone cheese.

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Rustic Pizza with Baby Arugula, Pancetta and Tomatoes

This pizza is colorful and delicious. Grape tomatoes lend a sweet flavor to compliment the salty pancetta, or you can use a variety of heirloom cherry tomatoes for a more colorful presentation. The pizza in the photo below uses a combination of small tomatoes, including Green Zebra, Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Yellow Pear and Grape.

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Sausage and Boursin Garlic Cheese Pizza with Shaved Sweet Onions

The secret ingredient in this pizza is the Boursin cheese that adds a rich and mellow flavor and is a wonderful counterpoint to the slight kick of the sausage. Slicing the onions as thin as possible will help them cook through and bring out the sweetness (see mandolin recommendation).

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Pear Dessert Pizza with Praline Pecans

I can’t think of a better finale for a successful pizza party than this wonderful dessert pizza. The combination of fresh pears, creme fraiche and praline pecans is not too heavy, not too sweet, and very satisfying. Slicing the pears to a paper-thin thickness of half a millimeter allows them to just cook through without losing their texture.

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Avocado, Goat Cheese and Heirloom Tomato Appetizer Pizza

This appetizer pizza is light and refreshing on a warm and sunny day. Mild goat cheese and buttery avocado are complimented by the bright flavors of fresh tomato and tart lemon juice.

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White Wine Pizza Dough

Making pizza dough from scratch really isn’t a lot of work. I used to dig out the mixer and use the dough hook for kneading, but the dough actually doesn’t need to be worked enough to bother with the mixer. Since I started kneading the dough by hand right in the mixing bowl, I’ve been making dough from scratch more often.

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