Gourmet Personal Pan Pizza Recipes

Lucky for me, this year I came across a new cookbook, Serves One, by Toni Lydecker which features an as-good-as-it-gets collection of personal pan pizzas. Every year since we were in our early twenties, come Oscar night my best friend and I would plunk ourselves down in front of the couch watching red carpet moments. On those evenings when it was just the two of us it was thin crust Dominos pizza and a bottle of red wine a deux.

These days we maintain the tradition, but with 350 miles between us we call each other during commercials to catch up on celebrity viewings. With no one there to share a 12 inch pizza, I decided to started making my own. So without further ado, the personal pan gourmet recipes selected are for my best friend, who somehow still believes one day I will be holding the Oscar. They are easy to prepare and can be enjoyed for one or in batches.

Gourmet Personal Pan Pizza Recipes

Chicken, Spinach and Blue Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 small chicken breast cutlet (about 3 ounces), cut in strips
¼ cup sliced shallots or onion
1 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 (7-inch) pocketless pita
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken and shallots, stirring constantly, until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook a few seconds longer. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place the pita on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Spread the chicken-spinach mixture over the pita and scatter the blue cheese on top. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese melts on top, about 8 minutes.

White Pizza with Sausage and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 fully cooked pizza crust (6-8 inches)
½ hot or sweet Italian sausage (about 4 ounces)
3 white cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2/3 of a cup)
¼ cup diced red or yellow pepper (optional)
Pinch of Salt
1/3 cup grated Gruyere or Fontina cheese

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush a pizza pan or rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and place pizza crust on ungreased pan.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Squeeze the sausage out of the casing into the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. When it loses its raw look, after about 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, bell pepper (if using), and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the crust, and arrange the sausage-mushroom mixture on top. Bake the pizza until the bottom crust and the topping are browned, about 8 minutes.

Grilled Pizza with Brie and Arugula

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces store-bought pizza dough
1 cup baby arugula or torn arugula leaves
¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste
3-4 tomato slices
2-3 ounces Brie or Camembert Cheese, sliced
2-3 pitted Spanish Green olives, or garlic-stuffed, "martini olives"

Instructions
1. Preheat the grill to high. Lightly brush a pizza pan or rimmed baking sheet with olive oil; place the dough in the center and gently stretch it into oblong shape. In a small bowl, toss the arugula with vinegar and salt.
2. Grill the tomato slices, turning once. Once they soften, after a couple of minutes, transfer with spatula to plate. Holding the dough with both hands, lay it directly on the grill (don't worry if it looks a little misshapen). Cook until it hardens and grill marks form, about 3 minutes; turn and grill the other side, checking the bottom to make sure it doesn't burn. Transfer to plate.
3. Distribute cheese slices over the crust. Top with tomato and olives. Grill just until the cheese melts and the bottom is crisp. Transfer to a plate and top with the dressed arugula leaves.