Here I’m sharing an easy recipe for Make Ahead Pizza Dough. The crust is light and crisp and perfect for anytime entertaining. Keep it in the fridge for up to two days for fresh party pizza at anytime during your next party.

If you’re planning to host a football party, birthday party, or just friends for dinner, I’d like to introduce you to one of my nearest and dearest friends – make ahead pizza dough. I hosted 17 preschoolers and their parents for my son’s Superman birthday party and this pizza dough was a life saver. I had some extra dough in the fridge and when all the pizza disappeared within the first few minutes of the party I just took out the dough and whipped up more pizzas. Everyone raved about the delicious crust and how fresh the pizza tasted. My guests thought I was I miracle worker. Nope, just me, mom.

Kitchen Hack: Make Ahead Pizza Dough Stores Easily

I like to make a bunch of this pizza dough before a party (you can make it a day or two ahead.) For planning purposes, this recipe makes about two 15″ round pizzas that cut up into 8 slices apiece (16 slices total). This make ahead pizza dough can keep in the fridge for about two days and the active yeast will keep it puffed up and fresh – as long as you don’t set anything heavy on top of it. I just put my dough in a large gallon sized zip lock bag on a shelf in the fridge. This kitchen hack saves me loads of time on the day of the party. Making pizza dough ahead of time means I’m not waiting for the dough to rise several hours before a party.

This recipe was previously sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias. I continue to post and share about this easy recipe because it’s such a helpful pizza dough to have on hand – especially on busy weeknights when you need something “ready-to-go” for dinner.

Make Ahead Pizza Dough is Versatile

This dough can also be used to make calzones, soft pretzels, or any myriad of creative dough-inspired recipes. Stuff it, wrap it, cut it, twist it. Brush on some garlic, and a little salt and butter, and serve it as a breadstick with marinara sauce, You can’t go wrong with this recipe. If you make too much and can’t use it all, freeze it and defrost it the next time you want to make pizza. I love a recipe that never goes to waste!

There are lots of reasons to use this dough – it cooks up crisp and perfectly balanced, it saves you time on the day of the party or game. It tastes fresher than store bought, and you can shape it into any shape you want – if you want to, you can create a logo or symbol for your favorite team (I cut the first round of pizzas into Superman shields for my son’s Superman party). You can even dye this dough with your team’s colors if your’e feeling very festive.

MANWICH Style Pizza for Game Day

Now, my husband is from Texas, and he loves for his food to have a little spice. If you want to branch out and try a pizza with a hearty flavor and a touch of green chilis, you’ll want to try this “MANWICH” pizza. It’s topped with MANWICH sauce, diced RO*TEL tomatoes, a touch of ground meat, and loads of cheese. Just picture your guests picking up a slice of pizza with the melted, stringy, ooey-gooey cheese pulling from the crust. Pair this mouthwatering “man-sized” pizza with loads of fresh veggies in a chunky salad for extra nutrients, flavor, and variety. It’s a mouthwatering party dish, or family meal, that’s easy to make and perfect for hearty appetites.

Ingredients for Make Ahead Pizza Dough

• 3 1/2 to 4 Cups of bread flour (you can also use all-purpose flour)
• 2 Teaspoons of salt
• 1 1/2 Cup of water at 110 degrees Fahrenheit
• 1 Envelope dry yeast (I used pizza crust yeast)
• 1 Teaspoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (more for oiling bowl)

Toppings

• 1 Can MANWICH (pick your favorite flavor)
• 1 Can RO*TEL tomatoes in mild
• 1/2 lb. Cooked ground beef or ground turkey
• 3 Cups shredded cheese (3 cheese or pizza cheese will do nicely)

Salad

• 1 Head of green leaf lettuce
• 1/4 Cup diced raw carrots
• 1 Cup grape tomatoes
• 1 Cucumber sliced and halved
• Salad dressing (optional)

Directions for Make Ahead Pizza Dough

A short video to walk you through the steps of creating this hearty “MANWICH” Pizza. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video is worth more! I hope you enjoy. Subscribe to my channel on YouTube for more great “how-to” videos straight to your in-box. Detailed written step-by-step directions below.

Step 1: Gather all the ingredients. I always find it’s easier to pull together a recipe when all the ingredients are on hand and ready to use.

Step 2: Heat 1 1/2 Cups of water in the microwave on high for 45 second to one minute – you want a water temperature of 110 degrees.

Step 3: Mix the flour and salt together.

Step 4: Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water and leave for five to ten minutes or until the yeast starts to foam.

Step 5: Add the yeast mixture and the oil, to the flour and mix throughly. Knead the dough with your hands until smooth.

Step 6: Form a ball with the smooth dough and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and allow it to sit for at least one hour or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 7: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Step 8: Using your hands and/or a roller, roll out your pizza dough onto a baking dish or pizza stone.

Step 9: Open your cans of MANWICH and RO*TEL tomatoes and add them to your pizza as “sauce.” Then sprinkle on your ground meat and cover the dish with cheese.

Step 10: Bake in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes. Ovens vary, so check the pizza center for firmness before serving the pizza.

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Where to find MANWICH and RO*TEL

You can find everything you need to create this Make Ahead Pizza Dough at Walmart. I found the MANWICH and RO*TEL in the canned goods section. The pizza ingredients in the baking section, and the salad ingredients in the fresh produce section of the store. For more fabulous entertaining and recipe ideas check out ConAgra Foods online. You can also follow ConAgra® on these social media channels:

• Twitter: @ConAgraFoods
• Facebook: ConAgra Foods
• Instagram: @ConAgraFoods
• Pinterest: ConAgraFoods

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What are your favorite pizza toppings?

So what do you think? Think you can use this Make Ahead Pizza Dough Recipe? How will you top your pizza? I’m always looking for new recipe ideas. Please leave a comment or recipe idea below and join the conversation. I love hearing from my readers.

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Originally published on January 19, 2016.