Freezer English Muffin Pizzas
Yield: 24 pizzas (recipe easily scales up or down)
Taking the time to prepare these pizzas in advance will reward you with a speedy meal on a busy night. You may bake them straight from the freezer and pair with your favorite veggies or a salad for a well-rounded meal. Kids often enjoy them with their favorite raw veggies or apple slices.

While you may "eyeball" the amount of cheese and beef as you assemble the pizzas, the measurements provide a good estimate as to the total amounts needed.


Ingredients

  • 12 English muffins, split so you have 24 halves (may use a gluten-free variety, if needed)
  • 1½ pounds ground beef (or 1 pound ground beef and ½ pound mushrooms; see notes for mushroom option)
  • ½ a large onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon each black pepper and garlic powder
  • 1 15-ounce can pizza sauce (you will use a total of about 1⅓ cups)
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella, plus extra for garnish, if desired (finely shredded works well)

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 400℉.
  2. Place the muffin halves on two baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes or until well toasted. I like them to be on the crunchy side. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a couple teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling well as you stir, another 5 minutes or until browned. While the beef is cooking, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. (See the mushroom option in notes below.)
  4. Top each muffin half with one slightly rounded tablespoon of cheese. Then drizzle or carefully spread 2 – 2½ teaspoons of the pizza sauce over the cheese. (If you are tempted to go heavier on the sauce, you will need to go heavier on the cheese to create a barrier that prevents the extra sauce from making the bread mushy.) Finally, top with a slightly rounded tablespoon of the beef mixture, and sprinkle with a little more cheese, if desired.
  5. If you would like to eat some right away, bake in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or until the pizzas are heated through and the cheese is melted.
  6. Alternatively, place the pizzas on a baking sheet and freeze, uncovered, for several hours. Once frozen, remove from the freezer, wrap individually in plastic wrap or foil, and store in the freezer until ready to use. Bake, frozen, in an oven preheated to 350℉ for approximately 20 minutes or until hot throughout.

Notes

If you would like to try the mushroom/beef option, start by quartering the mushrooms and pulsing them in a food processor until the mixture resembles large crumbs. You may chop the onion this way, too. Otherwise, you may mince the mushrooms by hand. The food processor just makes quick work of this job.

Next, sauté the onion and the mushrooms in a couple teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the moisture has cooked out of the mushrooms and the mixture is starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. At this point, add the ground beef and sauté, stirring and breaking up the meat, for another 5 minutes or until the meat is browned. While the beef is cooking, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Cooking the mushrooms and onions first allows them to really caramelize and develop great flavor.


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