Party Pizzas: easy to make / easy to freeze

Here’s a favorite family recipe that we usually have on Christmas night – along with She-Crab soup. {Both recipes are from my Aunt Trecie: her She-Crab is THE BEST but I better not include that one without her permission!} These little pizzas need to be served right when they leave the oven – but they freeze wonderfully so they’re a great menu item for get-togethers.  We serve at our oyster roasts and TV tailgates {watching football from the comfort home : )  Here’s the recipe: {makes 45 little pizzas}

Ingredients for pizzas {no, this is not an ad for Publix!}

• Rye bread rounds {1 lb / 45 slices}
• Mozzarella cheese slices, slice into 1/4’s {12 oz – I buy two 6-oz bags}
• Hot sausage, cooked & crumbled {16 oz hot pork} {we’ve always used the sausage but I’m sure other toppings would work well}
• Tomato sauce {8 oz can}
• Dried oregano {a sprinkle for each}
• Parmesan cheese {a shake for each:  I typically love freshly grated but for this, we’ve always used the kind in the shaker}

Place bread slices on baking sheet {lightly greased… OR see good tip – below}. Then, layer the following:

1. Cheese slice
2. Tomato sauce {approx 1 tsp}
3. Crumbled sausage {approx 1/2 tsp}
4. Parmesan cheese {a shake or two}
5. Oregano {a shake or two}

This is what pizzas look like before baking - just to give you an idea of how I top them

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12-15 minutes {until melted and bubbly}

To freeze: Make just like above but instead of putting into oven, place in freezer {on top of anything flat that’ll fit in freezer without tilting: a baking sheet, cutting board… my mom uses a strong piece of cardboard}.  Once frozen {about an hour} place pizzas in air-tight freezer bag/container. Good in freezer for about a month.  To serve, bake the same as above – just add a few extra minutes to cooking time.

TIP:  Line your baking sheet with parchment paper when making these pizzas {or baking cookies} instead of having to grease up the pan. Baked goods easily slide off – and clean up is minimized.  Parchment paper also works well when you’re using the kitchen counter as a work surface – not that I use my rolling pin often! But the times I have, parchment paper – sprinkled with flour or powdered sugar – works beautifully.