One of the great things about summer is outdoor grilling and cooking. Not only does outdoor cooking help keep temps inside cooler, but there is nothing like the grill flavor on our favorite foods. Wade and I often like experimenting on the grill to see what new flavors we can come up with.
In the recent months, we have been going crazy with pizza dough. Living in St. Louis, cracker style pizza crust is the town’s go to style. However, being natives to Delaware, there is nothing like a New Jersey style pizza crust. You know the kind and if you don’t, you have to try it! Thinner style crust that is crispy, yet chewy and you can fold it in half while you eat it! Just thinking about Jersey style pizza has my mouth watering! Let me reminisce about being on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, walking the boardwalks, and eating pizza. So good!
So what does this have to do with grilling? Well, why not grill pizza outdoors? It may not be the traditional way of baking pizza, but it is just as good. I recently found a recipe for Jersey style pizza dough. It is simple to make but it does take time. The dough needs to rise in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 to 3 days. Planning in advance is a must, but it is worth it in the results. Even if you don’t want to make your own dough or have the time to wait, you can use refrigerated pizza dough or any premade crust.
We use a pizza cooking stone that fits perfectly in our grill. You can preheat the cooking stone, or I prefer just to make the pizza on the stone. I find it easier than having to transfer the pizza from one plate to the other particularly when the stone it hot. You can do whichever you refer, just be careful if you are using a hot stone!
Variations:
Options – there are so many options! Here are some of our favorite ways to make pizza. Feel free to use one and let us know which ones are your favorite!
- Classic cheese pizza – who can go wrong with the basic! Pizza sauce, fresh basil, provel cheese (only found in the St. Louis area), and mozzarella cheese.
- BBQ chicken pizza – BBQ sauce, canned, grilled, or smoked chicken along with red onion, jalapenos, corn, avocado, diced spinach, cilantro, and your choice of cheese. Add a little flare with an extra swirl of BB sauce on top.
- Orange Brie pizza – a recent favorite we experimented with when we had extra brie left over from a new macaroni and cheese recipe. Orange marmalade diluted slightly with orange juice for the sauce ( you could also use peach or other fruit flavor of your preference). Added sliced red onion, brie, smoked/grilled chicken, and some spinach.
- Pesto pizza – we make our own homemade pest – so simple and delicious! Use pesto as the base for the pizza, sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella. Add some cooked chicken or steak for an added flavor burst!
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza – Ranch dressing or buffalo sauce are both a perfect base for this. You could also use blue cheese if that tickles your fancy. Add cooked chicken, cheddar cheese, diced onion, and maybe some celery seed. And dinner is served!
- Alfredo pizza – alfredo sauce is a creamy base for this Italian favorite! Add spinach, diced onion, mushrooms, and cooked chicken topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. So good!
- Smores pizza – nothing says outdoors like smores. Add chocolate chips (or mix it with caramel chips, etc) as the base. Sprinkle with mini marshmallows and mini graham crackers. You can also add on to this traditional favorite with crushed peanuts or pecans. This also great over a campfire if you have a grate to place the stone on!
This is also a great way to involve every member of the family! Kids love helping create pizzas and they can experiment with their own twist! You never know which one will become a family favorite.
A quick note – keep the heat around 350 – 375F. You need to make sure the dough has enough time and heat to cook thoroughly. If the heat is too high, the inside of the dough could still be uncooked.
After grilling your pizza in the great outdoors, sit back, select a drink of choice, and enjoy!
