Sausage, Pepper, and Mushroom Pizza

Takeout? We don't need no stinkin' takeout!

I wanted to be bad yesterday. I was craving pizza. Rather than ordering out to Papa John's or getting some local Giovanni's, I remembered I had made an extra pizza dough and tossed it in the freezer a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday was the day to pull it out and use it.

I love making my own pizza because not only does it taste fresh, but it's not dripping in grease a la most takeout pizzas. Plus, I think the hubby always gets excited when he walks in the door and smells pizza cooking. What husband wouldn't?

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
Smidge of olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces hot sausage
1 red pepper, thinly sliced (Again, I used a green pepper- not paying $2 for one pepper!)
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pizza sauce (I use Ragu- cheap, fast, effective)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Thinly sliced fresh basil- for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (if using a pizza stone, heat pizza stone in oven for 30 minutes at 450 degrees).
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat (use just enough to cook your onions because you will be adding sausage to the skillet later which will provide plenty of traction for your saute).
3. Add onions, saute 3-4 minutes. Add sausage to pan, stir to crumble. Cook until sausage is browned and cooked through.
4. Add red pepper, mushrooms, and garlic to pan. Cook until tender, another 3-4 minutes. Set mixture aside.
5. On a floured cutting board, roll out your pizza dough into a 10-inch circle. Spread pizza sauce onto dough. Spread the sausage mixture over the dough. Top pizza with cheese.
6. Cook in oven until dough is golden brown and cheese is melted, 8-12 minutes.
7. Garnish pizza with thinly sliced basil (we really like fresh basil in our house! Use more or less for your taste).

Your takeout dinner at home is served!

I rounded out the meal with a nice Italian salad.

By the end of the night, I had a well-fed, happy hubby as well as leftover pizza for the hubby's lunch, so he didn't have to take a boring, plain ol' turkey sandwich for lunch. Pizza night was a success!