Pizza for Lent?

My initial approach to Lent can throw me into a bit of a panic about what meatless dishes I can make. We always go meatless on Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesdays is a personal choice to cover any misteps in our proposed sacrifices! It sounds easy but, being a meat-eating family, I find it hard to think around the missing ingredient of the day.

One meal that I tend to forget is pizza! No, we don't go out to buy one but I make one at home. If you can throw together some bread dough, you can make a pizza. Most stores sell these large, round pans with punched holes to insure the crust gets brown and crispy. A plain baking sheet lined with parchment paper is a good substitute. And who says pizza has to be round?

Basically, you make your dough and then press it into your pans. You don't even have to wait for the dough to rise! Use olive oil on your hands to keep the dough from sticking and add a bit of flavor to the finished product.

For the tomato layer, you can use drained, canned diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, or even the white Alfredo sauce that is available in jars. Fresh tomatoes work, too, thinly sliced.

Mozzarella cheese is usually the first choice. Provolone, Romano, Parmesan, or even cheddar can be interesting. Mine often have a combination of two or three. Don't forget Feta!

Meatless toppings? Diced bell pepper, mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts, hot peppers, tuna, etc. If you like it, you can use it!

I usually put the tomato on the unbaked crust, first, the cheese, and then the vegetables, etc. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until bubbling and brown.