Loaded Hawaiian Pizza

This is my version of a loaded Hawaiian pizza - and the variation that I love to order and make too! I pretty much just add banana peppers and mushrooms to a basic Hawaiian pizza recipe. We didn't have Canadian bacon, we had some ham that needed using so that was the meat of choice for this one. Homemade pizza night is always a fun night - everyone gets to help pick and choose their favorite toppings, and Lindsey loves to get in there and help roll out dough, spread sauce, and sprinkle ingredients. It's so much fun to cook with your kids and get them excited about being in the kitchen!

We made two pizzas with the dough recipe below - loaded Hawaiian for most everyone else and the one above was half cheese, half pepperoni for my 6-year old picky baby! She has very distinct ideas of what does, and does not, belong on pizza. If it's not plain cheese, or occasionally light pepperoni, it is not allowed. She's such a funny eater. So picky about so many things - but she loves broccoli, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, most fruits, etc. She just doesn't like things mixed together. She likes single component ingredients.

So you'll notice below a very *strange* pizza topping addition. You can blame this one on my dad - we grew up with cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes on homemade pizza night. There's something about that contrast of the cold with the hot, and the layer of creamy... it was always a special addition. We don't pull it out very often - we don't keep cottage cheese in the refrigerator all that often - but we had some the night we made this pizza so my sister and I had a moment of nostalgia! 

Loaded Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredients
1/2 of the Pizza Dough recipe below for 1 crust
1 to 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
Italian Seasoning (about 1/4 tsp, more to taste)
Garlic Powder (about 1/4 tsp, more to taste)
2 cups chopped ham
1 cup diced pineapple
8-oz fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced thinly
1/2 cup chopped banana peppers
Optional topping: cottage cheese and fresh sliced tomatoes

Directions

1. Roll out dough to fit a large round pizza pan or rectangular baking sheet and allow to rest while you prep your topping ingredients.
2. Spread out the spaghetti sauce over the dough, and sprinkle with Italian seasonings and garlic powder.
3. Evenly distribute the ham, pineapple, mushrooms, and banana peppers. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is fully melted and lightly browned.
5. Serve with a dollop of cottage cheese and fresh sliced tomatoes if desired! 

Pizza Dough
makes enough for 2 pizzas

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 packets (4 1/2 tsp) active yeast
4 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TBS oil

Directions

1. Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until frothy and activated.
2. Add in all remaining ingredients, put the dough hook attachment on, and set mixer to medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until well combined. (Dough will be soft, don't add extra flour).
3. Scrape dough off the bottom of the bowl and add in enough vegetable or olive oil to coat the bottom and place dough back in the bowl, covered with a towel, and allow to rest about 30-45 minutes, until it has risen.
4. Punch dough down and roll out into desired shape on a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin.
5. Allow dough to rest again for about 15-20 minutes once you have it shaped, before adding toppings.