Pizza recipes for everyone

Scott and I will celebrate our 17th anniversary this weekend, and with that comes our customary anniversary dinner at Pagliai's Pizza and Pasta restaurant. Pagliai's was closed for about six weeks for remodeling, and we went through withdrawal for the best pizza in town. Now that they have reopened, we can't wait to spend our anniversary dinner there again this year.

With so much talk about pizza, I thought it would be fun to include a few pizza recipes. Enjoy your favorite pizza this week, or give one of these homemade choices a try.

Thai Chicken and Shrimp Pizza

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 or 2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 1/3 cups peanut sauce, divided

1/3 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (12-inch) pre-baked pizza crust

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

4 green onions, sliced

1 carrot, cut into long, thin strips

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute chicken in peanut oil until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and cut into small pieces. Pour 1/2 cup of peanut sauce in heated skillet and return chicken to skillet. Cook and toss until evenly coated. Remove chicken and set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, saute shrimp until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp and cut into small pieces. Add 1/2 cup peanut sauce to hot skillet, return shrimp and toss to coat evenly.

Spread remaining peanut sauce over pizza crust. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and Swiss cheeses to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Spoon the coated chicken and shrimp pieces evenly over the cheese and top with green onions, carrots and peanuts. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into slices.

BLT Pizza

1 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crust

8 slices bacon, fried crisp

4 tomatoes, chopped

5 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 small lettuce head, shredded and divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Crumble crisp cooked bacon into pieces. In a large bowl, combine crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes, mayonnaise and half of the shredded lettuce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture over pre-baked pizza crust. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with additional shredded lettuce. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

1 (12-inch) unbaked pizza crust

1 (4-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 tablespoon fresh dillweed

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Thinly sliced smoked salmon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large baking sheet, place pizza crust and bake in oven for about 13 minutes, or until edges are crisp. Remove from oven and let cool until just warm. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, minced red onion, dillweed, grated lemon peel and horseradish, stirring until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread cream cheese mixture over warm crust to within 1 inch of the edge. Top pizza with desired amount of sliced smoked salmon. Cut into slices and serve.

Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 small green pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crust

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine ground beef, sliced onion and sliced green pepper. Cook five to seven minutes, until beef is cooked throughout and vegetables are softened. Drain off fat and add salt and pepper, mixing well. Place prebaked pizza crust on a greased 12-inch pizza pan. Spread ground beef mixture evenly over crust and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and cut into slices before serving.

Brie Pecan Party Pizza

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup cubed Brie cheese

3/4 cup raspberry jam

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 12-inch pizza pan or a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Separate crescent rolls into individual pieces. Lightly press crescent rolls, with tips toward the center, into the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove crust from the oven and sprinkle with Brie cheese cubes. Spread raspberry jam over the cubed cheese and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Return to the oven for an additional 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut and serve.

Strawberry Almond Pizza

3/4 cup almonds

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

1 (12-inch) pre-baked pizza crust

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur, optional

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

16 ounces sliced fresh strawberries

1/4 cup raspberry jam, melted

Whipped topping

Sliced toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a blender or food processor, combine almonds and 1 tablespoon sugar. Process until ground. Place pizza crust on a 12-inch pan lined with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and remaining sugar. Stir in egg, raspberry liqueur and almond extract, mixing well. Stir in ground almond mixture. Spread creamed mixture evenly over the pizza crust. Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Arrange sliced strawberries over pizza and brush with melted raspberry jam. If desired, garnish with whipped topping and sliced almonds.

Have a wonderful week and until next week, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator of Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.