Grilled Pizzas

We decided to give grilling pizza a shot for the first time. I have no idea why we waited so long, because the final product was fantastic!



We made two different kinds of pizza. A grilled hot Italian sausage and mozzarella pizza with homemade sauce (see our sauce recipe here), and a grilled shrimp and cilantro pesto pizza. I was surprised by how much I really liked the cilantro pizza the most. Anita preferred the sausage pizzas. All of the pizzas were made over homemade crusts which we then grilled.

These are the two hot Italian sausage pizzas:

Here are the two shrimp pizzas with just the pesto on the crusts:



For the crusts:

Makes: 4 medium pizzas
Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 5-8 minutes
Printable Recipe (all recipes on this page)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 t active dry yeast
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 T olive oil, plus more

1. Mix water and yeast in the bowl of your mixer and let stand 5 minutes.

2. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the flour by hand and stir, for about 1 minute.

3. Let stand, covered, for at least 1 hour.

4. Using the dough hook, add the salt and oil, then add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, forming a dough.

5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise for at least 2 1/2 hours.

6. Divide dough into 4 balls, return to bowl and let rise for another 30 minutes.

7. Preheat grill to high.

8. Roll out dough on a lightly floured board. Oil each side lightly and salt. Place on hot grill and grill 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly charred and crispy. Remove, let cool slightly, and use for pizzas.

For the Hot Italian Sausage Pizzas:

Makes: 2 pizzas
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10-20 minutes
Printable Recipe (all recipes on this page)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 2 grilled pizza crusts, from above recipe
• 2 cups pizza sauce
• 5 hot Italian sausage links

1. Preheat grill to medium. Grill links until done. Let cool slightly. Cut into 1/4" thick rounds.

2. Spread sauce on each crust. Top with sausage and cheese.

3. Turn grill to high. Cover half of grill with foil.

4. Place crust on foil and cook until cheese is melted. Remove, slice and serve.


For the Cilantro Pesto:

Makes: Enough for 2 pizzas
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe (all recipes on this page)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves
• 2 T pine nuts
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper as desired.


For the Grilled Shrimp Cilantro Pesto Pizzas:

Makes: 2 pizzas
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10-20 minutes
Printable Recipe (all recipes on this page)

Ingredients:

• 2 grilled pizza crusts, from above recipe
• 1 pound 16-20 count shrimp, deveined and shelled
• Cilantro pesto, from above recipe
• Olive oil
• 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese

1. Preheat grill to medium. Put shrimp into a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill until done.

2. Spread pesto on each crust. Top with shrimp and cheese.

3. Turn grill to high. Cover half of grill with foil.

4. Place crust on foil and cook until cheese is melted. Remove, slice and serve.