How to Make the Best Homemade Pizza

Don't have the money for delivery? Tired of eating frozen pizza that tastes like cardboard? Making your own pizza at home can be healthier, tastier, and even cheaper.

What You'll Need:

Pizza Pan - Any size will do, but let's assume that you have one roughly one foot in diameter. Of course, if you're cooking for more than two people, want leftovers, or have a larger pan, you'll need to double the recipe.

One package of pizza crust mix, any brand

One 8-ounce can of tomato sauce

Oregano and/or any other spices you prefer

Any toppings that you like

A working oven

Follow the instructions on the pizza crust package to prepare it. You don't have to be a chef or the owner of a pizzeria to do this, and the fancy tosses or completely optional (and not recommended). Once you're done with that and have the dough nicely spread out and flattened onto the pan, the artistic part of the work can began. The beauty of pizza is that you can customize it to your heart's content, and chances are, it will survive, unscathed and delicious.

There are sauces and pizza kits that you can purchase at the grocery store, but a plain can of tomato sauce is likely cheaper and works just as well. Of course, if you prefer the unique flavor of pizza sauce, you may want to amend this recipe before trying it. Otherwise, all you need to do is add the right spices to the tomato sauce and spread it over the dough. I prefer a single teaspoon of oregano, but you might also like to add some salt, pepper, or any other favorites to give it an extra kick.

After that, what you put on top of the dough is entirely up to personal preferences. The most important topping is, of course, cheese, so you'll want to pick up some of that in advance. A one-cup package of pre-shredded cheddar is fine, or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella. Before that, however, you'll want to throw on anything else you want. Pepperoni can be found pre-sliced at the store, and olives and mushrooms can be purchased in any number of pre-packaged conditions. If you prefer fresh ingredients, you can visit the produce aisle, but I'm content with canned olives and mushrooms in a jar. But if you want to add green peppers and onions, you'll probably have to chop them yourself, anyway. Any vegetable or meat that you like can be picked up in large enough quantities that you'll be able to make more than one pizza at once, or at least have enough ingredients for more than one dinner.

Don't feel bad about buying the pre-packaged ingredients, whether it's the dough or the vegetables; it saves time, and as long as you check the labels, you can still find things that taste good and are good for you.

After sprinkling the cheese on top, you're ready to bake it. Set the oven for 350 degrees and set the timer for 30 minutes. Total preparation time, not including baking, comes out to about 20 minutes, depending on whether you have any help and who's doing the helping.

Making your own pizza at home allows you to decide exactly what goes in it and how much you're willing to spend for it. And you can turn it into a family activity. Who can think of a better type of dinner than that?