How to Throw a Homemade Pizza Party

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I love entertaining, and pizza is guaranteed to make everyone happy … especially when they can pick their own toppings.

Today, I’m showing you how to throw a homemade pizza party!

Pizza is one of my favorites foods. There are a million and one ways to top a pizza, and I’ll never get sick of attempting to try them all!

Throwing a homemade pizza party is one of the easiest ways to entertain a crowd. All you need to do is prep the ingredients. Then you can sit back and let your guests do the work!

I first shared this post about how to throw a homemade pizza party over at The Pinning Mama, but it was so fun that I wanted to share it here, too!

Here’s what you’ll need for your Homemade Pizza Party:

(Makes enough for 10 small pizzas.)

Pizza Sauce:

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt, to taste

Suggested Toppings:

8 oz. white mushrooms
1 large onion
1 large red bell pepper
4 large garlic cloves
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup kalamata olives
1 bunch basil
6 oz. baby spinach
6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup olive oil
additional toppings of your choice

24 oz. pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Next, prepare your toppings and arrange them in small bowls:

thinly slice the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic
halve the grape tomatoes
pit and quarter the kalamata olives
julienne the basil

Arrange the ingredients on a table with the olive oil, pizza sauce, and cheese together on one end. You’ll want to encourage your guests to start with the sauce first, followed by a sprinkle of mozzarella, and then their favorite toppings.

Once the toppings are arranged, divide the dough into 10 balls and carefully stretch each ball into a 6-inch round (don’t worry if it isn’t perfect). Let the dough rest for a few minutes if it won’t stretch out.

If you have enough room for everyone at your party to spread out, place the dough on individual parchment squares. Once they add their toppings you can transfer the parchment to a large baking sheet.

If space is a little more tight, place the dough rounds on a lightly greased cookie sheet before adding the toppings.

Now for the fun part … let everyone pick their favorite toppings!

Bake the pizzas for 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned on the bottoms and sides. Remove from oven and let cool a minute before cutting. Serve hot and enjoy!

Some guests will appreciate a few toppings suggestions. Try writing your favorite combinations on a chalkboard. If you don’t have a chalkboard, type your topping suggestions up in Word, print the file on cardstock, and pop the printout into a cheap frame.

Here are some combinations that are sure to be a hit at a homemade pizza party:

Margherita: olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil
Greek: tomato sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, peppers, kalamata olives, and feta
Tricolore: tomato sauce, mozzarella, peppers, onions, and spinach
White: olive oil, garlic, and mozzarella
Green: tomato sauce, mozzarella, spinach, basil, and feta

How to throw a homemade pizza party successfully:

Prep everything ahead of time, so you can relax during the party.
Add cheese to your pizzas after topping the crust with sauce. The pizza will be less soggy, and the pretty toppings will stand out.
Cook the pizza in a hot oven for a crispy crust.
Get creative with the toppings! Try other sauces, such as barbeque or pesto. Pick a theme like Mexican and top your table with beans, salsa, pepper jack, olives, cilantro, etc.!
People tend to add lots of toppings, so err on the side of prepping extra toppings (especially cheese) if you’re unsure.
Complete the meal with a simple salad, brownies, and a few drinks.

Now that you’ve learned how to throw a homemade pizza party, check some of my favorite pizza recipes!

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