Saturdays have turned into pizza nights in lately.  As much as I love our local pizza joint (not a chain!) they don’t deliver and some weekends I just can’t bring myself to put real clothes on and go pick up a pizza.  AND if I make pizza at home I can experiment with all kinds of toppings I can’t get there.

If you use a storebought pizza dough here this comes together super fast so you can get back to binging that Netflix show.  Make sure you’re getting a good quality one though.  My grocery carries fresh pizza dough over by the bakery so that’s what I typically go for when I don’t have time (or I’m being lazy, it’s Saturday after all).  Your pizza will thank you!

Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom Pizza

1 skin pizza dough (homemade or storebought)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
½ parmesan cheese, grated
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt & pepper
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 bunch kale, washed and torn into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Olive oil

Preheat a pizza stone in a 450° oven.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add smashed garlic clove and cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in milk, making sure all the lumps are gone. Bring to a simmer and cook 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese and pinch of nutmeg. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Cook sausage (breaking it up into crumbles along the way) until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add kale to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Set aside.

To assemble pizza, roll out pizza dough to desired thickness and place on a flour or cornmeal dusted pizza peel or cookie sheet. Make sure it’s dusted to make transferring your pizza easier! Spoon a layer of sauce on the pizza. Top with your desired amount of kale, sausage, and sliced mushrooms (I use ½-1 cup of each and save the leftovers!).* Sprinkle pizza with cheese. Brush a little olive oil on the crust.

Bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is crispy.

*Pop any remaining pizza toppings in a container and stash them in the fridge and use them for a morning hash or in pasta!

Source: Ruth’s Table, 2018.