Simple Crowd Pleasing Superbowl Mini Pizzas

Superbowl LIX is right around the corner. Even though I’m not a football fan, it’s always a fun day for me. Are you’re throwing a big get together? Have you though of any appetizers that you’d like to serve yet? If you have, kudos to you! If you haven’t, try out these easy English muffin mini pizzas. You and your guests will be quite impressed. They ended up being a staple for me during an important time in my life.

Two Superbowl Mini Pizza Recipes

View the recipe card below for the ingredients and quantities for pepperoni and pineapples onion English muffin pizzas.

The thing I love about this recipe is that it is so customizable. You don’t even have to follow each recipe verbatim, even if you’re a beginner cook. Additionally, this is a super kid friendly recipe. You can prepare ingredients ahead of time so they can build their own pizza. There’s no need for a group agreement for toppings, because everyone can get their own pizza. It kind of reminds me of the pizza version of taco night. Have I convinced you to try them yet?

My Inspiration

These cute English muffin pizzas are definitely nothing new. I would argue that they’re an old time favorite. My mom actually use to make these for my twin sister and I as a snack when we were little. If my memory serves me correctly, she use to make them in the microwave; for those of you busy parents out there, you can absolutely use this shortcut. I am so glad I remembered this childhood recipe because it helped me out tremendously in my adult life just a few years later.

While I was in graduate school completing my dietetic internship, I needed to come up with lunches that wouldn’t take too much time to prepare. I had an hour and thirty minute commute from my house to my internship and back five days a week. On top of that, when I came home, I had to take care of my dog and study for two classes that I was taking at the time. Cooking was the last thing I wanted to do!

To maximize my time, I meal prepped on the weekends and added these pizzas to my three day lunch cycle menu. I added either carrots or celery with blue cheese dressing to dip or grapes as my side. My preceptor ate lunch with us a few times and told me even her mom use to make them for her when she was little. As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is nothing innovative. As any student knows though, money is pretty tight. These pizzas got me through some hard times. Therefore, there will always hold a special place in my heart for them. In the past, pizza has also been a staple for others who weren’t in the best financial situation.

A History of Pizza

Pizza originated from 1700 to 1800 Naples, Italy. It was sold by street vendors and informal restaurants. Historically, it was looked down upon as a poor man’s food, because they were made using beloved ingredients today such as cheese, tomatoes gallic and anchovies. In 1889, Queen Margherita visited Naples and tried some pizza. She ended up loving it! You would think a queen’s stamp of approval popularized the dish, but it was actually the commoners.

Late nineteenth centaury and early twentieth century Italian immigrants who were attracted to factory jobs in the United States are who we thank for popularizing pizza. The first pizza introduced to non-Neapolitans and Americans came from unlicensed vendors. The first recorded pizzeria, G. Lombardi’s, opened in 1905. It is still in operation today, though not in it’s original location. However, they still have their original oven. Talk about cookware being built to last. I know the debate of who has the best pizza can be heated, but if I get to visit New York, I’m definitely trying a slice from the O.G because I know they have some skin in the game.

These English muffin pizzas obviously don’t require a traditional pizza crust. Thought there are a few similarities that exist between the two.

Comparison of Two Breads

Pizza crusts and English muffins are both a type of yeast bread. The basic ingredients for any fresh yeast bread are flour, liquid, sugar, salt and of course yeast. To protect their product from mold, commercial bakers typically add food additives.

Pizza crust is made with yeast and hard wheat flour. It’s allowed to rise once for about two hours and then baked at about four hundred degrees Fahrenheit for twenty-five minutes. On the other hand, English muffins rise twice. They are shaped after the first rising with or without muffin rings. They rise again and are heated on a greased griddle until lightly browned.

Despite the differences between the two breads, I hope this recipe will serve you and your guest well during your Superbowl party and beyond. Besides bread, there are other ingredients contribute to the deliciousness of this pizza, too.

Ingredients

Typical ingredients to include on your mini pizzas include:

• English Muffins – These can be found in the bread isle of nearly every grocery store and even at the dollar store. You can also use them as breakfast pastries and make breakfast sandwiches.
• Pizza Sauce – When I make my English muffin pizzas, I actually don’t use traditional pizza sauce. I use spaghetti sauce! It tastes just as good. Feel fry to try either one and comment down below to tell me which one you prefer.
• Cheese – You can use traditional mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese or whatever floats your fancy. It all depends on what you want your pizza’s theme to be.
• Toppings – Pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, anchovies, chicken, pineapples, ham, or as you know, really anything can be used as a topping pizzas. Definitely consider using any leftovers if you have any. It’s resourceful and will save you some coins!

I am proud to admit that my favorite part of the Superbowl Sunday is the halftime show and the food. Comment down below if you tried this recipe and your thoughts on the halftime show this year!