Girl on Grill – Pizza [RECIPE]

Grilling season is coming. I swear. So, I will be sharing a few of my favorite and sometimes slightly unusual but highly tasty grilling recipes. 

Steaks, chops, chicken, burgers; they're all fantastic and even better cooked over open fire, but did you know pizza can be delicious, too?

Glen wrinkled his nose when I first mentioned it, but I worked on him and he finally gave in. Now pizza on the grill is in our regular grilling rotation. I’m not talking about the regular old frozen variety here. I’m talking about (semi) homemade pizza. I had this once at a girlfriend’s house and it really stuck with me for a fun, family friendly party idea.

We used the pre-cooked pizza crusts. (Boboli brand has both mini crusts for the kids and 10 inch crusts for the grownups.) Grab a few jars of pizza sauce (the Green Mill variety is really good) and a variety of meats and vegetables and don’t forget the cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. (I’m a fan of the Kraft six cheese Italian blend, but their regular mozzarella is awesome, too.)

Make sure all of the meats have been cooked, seasoned and drained and all of the vegetables have been washed and chopped before the party starts so you aren't standing in the kitchen and ignoring your guests. Helpful hint: Don’t take the toppings out of the fridge, put them on the pizza and then place them on the grill. All you’ll have is cold veggies on a burned crust, so take the toppings out of the fridge about an hour before you’re going to start creating the pizzas. My favorite thing to do is to make it buffet style.

Start with the plates, and then go to the pizza crusts, pizza sauce, meats, vegetables and then cheese. If you’re cooking with a gas grill, use a medium/low setting. That way the crust gets cooked and the cheese is melted. If you’re using charcoal, heat the coals and then arrange them in a circle around the outside of the grill rack. Place the pizza directly on the rack and cover. You need to pay VERY close attention to the food so it doesn't get burned. (When I was trying this out before passing on the recipe to you, more than one inedible hockey puck pizza hit the fire pit.)

When the pizzas are ready, slice and serve immediately. This will give your guests a chance to sample and swap recipes. I never thought in a million years I would ever eat a pizza topped with a white sauce, pears and Gorgonzola cheese, but, man was it tasty!