Our family spent countless nights in the kitchen creating these doughy, mouthwatering masterpiece. We cherished pizza night, which was not only easy on our budget, but something everyone enjoyed doing together. I hope my kids will remember all the special time we shared around that beloved pizza stone. It started about 12 years ago, when I made my first pizza for our family, and we have had a pizza night every week since. To keep things fresh, we’d get creative. For example, in the summer, we’d throw tortillas or prepared pizza crusts on the grill, moving pizza night to the backyard. Now pairing a grilled pizza with a pile of s’mores around the fire pit is a new favorite summer traditions. But for a more traditional pizza night, I break it down into 3 steps so I can build endless varieties of pizza. This will help you make your pizza night a fun activity that’s quite easy on the wallet!

Step 1: Pick Your Crust

You never need to have the same pizza night twice with all the fun crust options that are out there. Pizza crusts made from cauliflower, tortilla bases, long crusty loaves of bread opened and hollowed for filling, English muffins, easy prepared mixes at your grocery store or a prepared ball of dough from your favorite pizza place will keep pizza night from getting stale. We love small personal pizzas too so everyone can customize their own pizza with their favorite sauce and topping combos. Individual pizzas are also a great way to get your kids involved in the assembly. Consider buying small pizza pans from your local restaurant supply store and give all of your kiddos their own unique pizza night experience.

Step 2: Pick Your Sauce

Although I am usually a traditionalist with a marinara sauce, we have recently discovered how fun it is to try new sauce options. Prepared jarred pesto, jarred alfredo sauce, salsa for a little Mexican flair or smoky barbecue sauce can be fun options to switch up your usual routines. If marinara is your favorite though, it couldn’t be simpler to whip up your own with a little diced garlic sautéed in olive oil, a 28-ounce jar of crushed tomatoes, salt and a little dash of sugar to cut the acidity in the sauce. If I have leftover pesto in my fridge, I love to add a scoop of that to enhance the flavor too. Use the leftover sauce for dipping your slices or those last bites of crust.

Step 3: Pick Your Toppings

Looking for fresh topping inspiration? Take a peek at your favorite pizza restaurant’s website for their sauce & topping combinations, or just for new ideas. My favorite tip for saving money and reducing food waste for our toppings is visiting our supermarket’s salad bar. Not only is it super convenient since everything is chopped, it also is a really affordable way to add a variety of toppings without taking up a huge amount of space in your refrigerator. If your fridge is like mine, anything to reduce the waste and used space is a winner. Not only is it super convenient since everything is chopped, it also is a really affordable way to add a variety of toppings without taking up a huge amount of space in your refrigerator. If your fridge is like mine, anything to reduce the waste and used space is a winner — and it’s a delicious way to use up everything from Land O’Frost hickory smoked ham to broccoli. You can keep pizza night fun and fresh without getting fancy or dropping a bunch of money. Switching your style up keeps things interesting, which keeps your kids engaged, so don’t be afraid to try something different next time!