The Ben and Shanda (Pizza)
Mostly classic pizza, done in a home oven, with a twist we picked up from a pizza joint in our college town, Manhattan, Kansas.
Prep Time12 minutes mins
Cook Time8 minutes mins
Pre-Heat Time40 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Servings: 2 servings
- 1 pizza crust, store-bought or 5-6 oz from recipe link in blog body
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeno, more to taste
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
- 3 oz cream cheese
Pre-heat your oven to 500F. We keep a baking steel on the bottom rack, so we wait about 20 minutes after the oven has reached temperature to then prepare the dough. Roll out the dough with flour and place on parchment paper on a peel or backside of a half sheet pan. If you are baking on a regular cookie sheet, see my main post notes. Leave the cream cheese in the fridge until actively adding to the toppings, it's easier to work with when very cold.
Spread the marinara sauce into a thin layer with a spoon. Evenly sprinkle the cheese across the sauce. YES, sauce then cheese then toppings. This is better for home oven pizza baking so that the cheese doesn't trap the moisture of other ingredients and make your crust soggy. Slice small pieces of cream cheese and spread out evenly across the pie. Add pickled jalapenos and pepperoni last.
Slide the pie into the oven with the parchment paper and all. Bake for 6-9 minutes or until the top or bottom of the crust are as dark as you prefer. Place on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes (it's torture to wait, but you want the cheese to set a little). Slice into 4 or 6 pieces and serve! A salad on the side is a classic for a reason and rounds out the meal.