Fully Loaded English Muffin Pizzas - Pepperoni and Mushroom and Ham and Pineapple

It's funny how food can evoke such powerful memories - both good and bad. Take liver for example, I can honestly say that some of the most traumatizing moments of my childhood involve that heinous, horrific smelling "food."

And don't tell me I've never had it cooked right. My mother and her mother before her were both amazing cooks and though they tried 95 different ways from Sunday to make it palatable for me, I just couldn't do it. Not then, not now, not ever.

At the same time, there are meals and dishes that give me such warm, fuzzy feelings when I think of them they can actually cheer me up when I'm feeling blue: the heart shaped valentines day cookies my mom would send me to school with every year in February, her sweet and sour spare ribs over rice, and English muffin pizzas.

The first time I ever had one of these was at an after school program I went to. Every day we would be given a different snack in between playing with Fischer Price toys or working on our colouring skills and on Wednesdays it was my favourite: English Muffin pizzas - these ones made with little pieces of cut up fried hot dog dotting the top.

Soon enough, other cooks were coming up with their own variations of this delicious snack figuring out they weren't just economical, delicious, and easy to make, they could also be made ahead and frozen!

And while English Muffin pizzas the way I had them as a kid were very good, with a few little updates from me, these little suckers are truly spectacular!

I've done two variations and both are equally delicious.

Get the printable recipe here: Fully Loaded English Muffin Pizzas

Or join me in the Casa de Kitchen Witch and I'll show you how easy these are to put together!




Fully Loaded English Muffin Pizzas
Ingredients

• 12 english muffins, split
• pizza sauce
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
• 1 diced green pepper
• 1 diced onion
• 1 cup ham cut into small dice
• 1 tin pineapple tid bits 
• thin slices of pizza pepperoni (app 96)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Heat the pepperoni slices in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp around edges, about 2 minutes. Remove from the and blot out any additional fat in paper towel. Do the same with the ham, sauteing just until it begins to crisp.  
2. Saute the onions, and peppers until they're soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove to a bowl.
3. Saute the mushrooms until they begin to lose their water. Add the garlic, and Italian seasonings. Set aside in another bowl.
4. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and preheat to broil. 
5. Lightly brush the muffins with extra virgin olive oil and place onto a foil lined baking sheet. Place under the broiler just until they begin to toast to lightly brown.

For the All Dressed Pepperoni

1. Coat each English muffin half with sauce. Sprinkle cheese on each English muffin. Place 4 pepperoni slices on top of each pizza. Sprinkle on the mushrooms, peppers, and onions and top with a little more cheese.

For the Hawaiian

1. Coat each English muffin half with sauce. Sprinkle cheese on each English muffin. Sprinkle the top of each pizza with the ham, green pepper, and onion. Add pineapple tid bits and top with a little more cheese.
2. At this point, you can bake these off or freeze until later. If freezing, place the baking tray into the freezer until the pizzas are completely frozen. Individually wrap each pizza bun in plastic wrap and then store in large freezer bags.
3. Freeze for up to 3 months or bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. To use frozen Pizza English Muffins: Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Nutritional AnalysisCalories: 287
Total Fat 17.1g
Saturated Fat 6.8g
Trans Fat 0.4g
Cholesterol 38mg
Sodium 714mg
Potassium 161mg
Total Carbohydrates 17.5g
Dietary Fiber 1.9g
7%
Sugars 2.6g
Protein 16.3g
Vitamin A 5%     •     Vitamin C 21%
Calcium 26%     •     Iron 12%

Nutrition Grade B

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, a former website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada, the $20,000.00 winner of the online competition "The Real Women of Philadelphia" and a finalist on the Food Network Canada show Recipe to Riches. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.