Recipe

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Imagine, it’s the end of the week and your kids are sitting at the end of the kitchen counter, laughing at silly jokes. In your mind, you’re thinking “these guys are awesome” instead of “I have to do laundry.”

family pizza night with anitpasto salad and gluten free pizza

Every Friday night we have pizza night at our house. Sometimes, the kids come to the studio because I’m working late and we do pizza night there and the boys think it’s super special.

For years, I’ve been buying Freschetta pizzas to save me a little time on busy weeknights. It’s something I can appreciate since at the end of the week this mama is often spent.

And what makes this night even more amazing is that Freschetta’s scratch-made pizzas save me a lot of cleanup -letting me spend that time with my kids instead. Being able to spend more quality family time makes Pizza Fridays the highlight of our week!

All the Naturally Rising pizzas, Brick Oven, and Gluten Free are made with preservative-free crusts, topped with real cheese, and the best cuts of meat, veggies, and flavorful sauces. Keeping a stash of them in my freezer is a convenient food option I can feel good about.

My crew and I are homebodies. With a full-time job, homeschool, and all the activities, at the end of the week we just want to be home. And in the kitchen, while the pizza cooks and I prepare a side salad, is where we share some of our best jokes.

My son loves pulling out his book of jokes and making me guess things. I keep telling him that English is my second language and I often don’t “get” jokes. The funniest part is not the joke; it’s my 12-year-old often chiming in from the living room saying “mom doesn’t get jokes. And that’s even funnier!” I agree.

My three tips to creating an EPIC pizza night:

First, choose your pizza! Or pizzas in our case.

At my house, we never can agree on one pizza which is why I love Freschetta, they offer a variety of choices like Naturally Rising Four Meat, Naturally Rising Supreme (I’m a total fan) and Naturally Rising Canadian Style Bacon & Pineapple. My husband is a Brick Oven fan and he never wants to share.

If you’re gluten-free you can still enjoy the classics like Gluten Free Four Cheese (which my son loves), Pepperoni, Spinach & Roasted Mushroom, and Tuscan Style Chicken. I personally love their gluten-free pizzas because of their thin, crispy crust with the same cheesy load.

Next step, choose your side!

I always opt for a salad of sorts with the pizzas and my favorite is an Antipasto salad. It’s simple and quick to assemble while the pizzas bake in the oven.

Together, it’s like eating at my favorite local pizzeria but at home, with my family, where I can enjoy their company and listen to their conversations.

You could also go for a side of fresh cut veggies or fruit. There’s really no wrong way to enjoy pizza night.

Finally, keep it simple!

Want to picnic on the living room floor? Go for it! Want to play board games at the kitchen counter? You can do that too!

And remember, while most people think of Friday night as pizza night, there’s nothing wrong with moving it to a Wednesday. Fresh, hot pizza straight from the oven… YUM!

Visit the Store Locator on Freschetta.com to find your favorite variety near you.

Antipasto Salad and Freschetta Pizza Night

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10

5 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

1 Freschetta Pizza, Naturally Rising or Brick Oven
6 cups romaine lettuce, about 2 heads
4 ounces sliced salami
4 ounces sliced prosciutto
¼ cup Kalamata olives
4 ounces roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped (jarred or homemade)
4 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, (drained)
4 ounces marinated mozzarella balls
4-6 small pepperoncini peppers
optional garnish: chopped parsley

Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Bake pizza according to package directions.
On a large platter, make a bed of lettuce. Top with remaining ingredients by arranging the meats, cheese, olives, and vegetables on top of the greens.
Prior to serving, drizzle dressing over the top and garnish with parsley if desired.
Make the dressing by placing all the dressing ingredients inside a mason jar. Shake until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to eat, plate salad and drizzle dressing over the top. Serve along with 1 to 2 pizza slices.