Pizza on the grill

Toppings & dough are all you need

I admire my friend Fritz for a zillion reasons, but today I want to talk about how she's a grill boss (not to be confused with a girlboss, which she also is). While I like to cook and bake, I've never attempted the big scary grill that sits on my parents' patio. Yes I've been a self-acknowledged weenie, but Fritz's most recent adventures in grilling may just turn the tide. Because: Pizza. 

Have you ever cooked pizza on the grill? Neither had I before Fritz recently suggested it. All you need is store-bought dough and toppings of your choice. Wizard that she is, Fritz had an array of scrumptious toppings all chopped and lined up: mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, onion, shredded cheese, sliced fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, chopped basil, and sauce. We tenderized some of the toppings (mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini) by sautéing them for a few minutes. 

For the dough, Fritz bought the Sendik's store-made kind, which we rolled out ourselves. You have to roll until it's very, very thin — otherwise your finished pizza will turn out rather doughy. If the dough springs back, don't give up! Keep rolling, tossing, and working that dough til it's quite thin. Then comes the grill. 

Heat the grill, brush one side of the rolled-out dough with olive oil, and place the dough oil-side down on the grill. We didn't have too much trouble with the dough sinking between the grill grates, but to be safe, you might want to use a grill pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes, staying vigilant so the crust doesn't burn. In the mean time, make sure your toppings are ready to go — you'll have to work fast! 

After the 2-3 minutes are up, brush the top side with olive oil and flip it. Working quickly, top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Close the lid of the grill and let cook another 2-ish minutes. Plate it, and voila! I was really impressed with how our grilled pizzas turned out, but since Fritz was at the helm (with the help of grill-fearless boyfriend Charlie) I don't know why I expected anything less.