Contestant #4 Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients
1 roll pizza crust (Pillsbury or store brand)
4 T. brown sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 large sweet potato, sliced and cubed
1 tsp ginger

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*F. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil cubed sweet potato pieces until just soft (you don't want them mushy). Drain and set aside.
In the mean time, layout crust on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with 2 T. brown sugar. Bake for about 8 minutes - or until crust just shows some brown. You don't want the crust fully baked at this point.
Spread out sweet potato pieces over the pizza crust evenly. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and ginger. Evenly place marshmallows on top then place in the oven. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to brown.
Cut into large square pieces, get a glass of milk and enjoy!

   

Contestant #3 Three Cheese with Walnuts and Cranberries

I was pretty excited about this challenge because the week prior, I had made pear and bleu cheese pizza. That's pretty odd, right? I wanted to do something different but knew that I wanted to include some strong cheeses as well as nuts. I really enjoy nuts in many savory dishes! So here it is — three cheese pizza with cranberries and walnuts. 

Ingredients

one tube of crescent roll dough
1/8 of a cup of corn meal
1 tsp of garlic salt for the crust
1/2 cup pasta sauce
a handful of bleu cheese crumbles
1/2 cup of buttercase cheese
4 1/4'' slices of fresh mozzarella (from the large ball size)
1/4 c chopped walnuts (feel free to toast before hand!)
1/4 cup of craisons
Season with garlic pepper grinder as you wish


The crust is made with crescent roll dough that is flattened out, seasoned, and sprinkled with corn meal for a crunch. I just used pasta sauce for the sauce basically because I like it better than pizza sauce. For my cheeses I used bleu, fresh mozzarella, and buttercase. I then sprinkled the pizza with craisons and walnuts.
Finally, I seasoned the pizza with my favorite spice these days...garlic pepper! It comes in a grinder and has just the right amount of pepper, garlic, and salt..I love it. And, I loved my pizza. I realize the photo isn't very beautiful but I really enjoyed eating the pizza!

Contestant #2 Corn Pizza

Pizza Ingredients
1 can Hunts tomato sauce (we prefer Roasted Garlic flavor)
1 package Kraft pizza cheese
Pepperoni
Pineapple tidbits
Banana peppers or pepperocinis
Red onion
Corn

Crust ingredients:(cut in half - this recipe makes dough for two pizzas)

2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. slat
1 package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
3 tbsps. olive or vegetable oil
1 cup very warm water

In large bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Add oil and warm water. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves sides of bowl. Use bread hook if you have a KitchenAid mixer and knead bread with hook on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. If you don't have a KitchenAid, place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead 5 to 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 385 degrees.

Roll out dough with rolling pin and place on pizza pan. Cut up red onion in small pieces. Dry off banana peppers/pepperocinis, corn and pineapple with a paper towel. Cut banana peppers/peppercinis into smaller pieces. Spread the tomato sauce on pizza and top with a layer of pepperonis. Scatter pineapple, red onions, banana peppers/pepperocinis, and corn on top of pepperoni. Lastly, cover pizza with cheese.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cheese and bottom of crust is golden brown.

Cut into eight pieces and enjoy!

Contestant #1 Breakfast Pizza

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water (115 degrees)

2 packets active dry Yeast

1/4 cup olive oil (more for the bowl)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons coarse salt

4 cups bread flour

Place water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast.   Let stand until foamy,

about 5 minutes.   Brush another large bowl with oil.

In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar oil, salt.  Stir in flour with wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms.   Transfer to oiled bowl, brush top of dough with oil.   Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface.   With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds, divide into two balls.  Pizza dough can be refridgerated or frozen at this point.

Topping Ingredients:

8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

2 large tomatoes

4 oz. oil cured black olives, or spanish olives, pitted and halved.

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

eggs 2 for each pizza round.

4 oz. browned bacon

basil and or cilantro for garnish.

Preheat ovent to 400 degree.  Divide each ball of dough into 2 equal pieces.  On a lightly floured surface work surface, roll each piece into a 7 inch round.   Top rounds with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, and cheddar cheese, season with salt and pepper. 


Place rounds on pizza stone, if using, or baking sheet.   Bake until crust is just starting to brown, remove from oven.   Break an egg into a bowl, and slide onto  pizza, repeat with remaining eggs.   Continue baking until egg whites are set the recipe says 4-5 minutes, however I like my eggs to be cooked well so I baked it for atleast 10 minutes.  Remove from oven arrange browned bacon pieces, additional cheddar cheese, and basil or cilantro on top, and serve immediately.


Variations:  instead of eggs, pineapple can also be used for a great change in taste.