How do you make oven pizza dinners a bit more exciting?

[moremeatballs]

We are super busy at the minute. DP working very long shifts, I’m working and studying alongside so quite often it gets to 7pm and we’re bunging an oven pizza in the oven.

They’ve been a lifesaver recently and I’m not complaining (huge pizza lover ) but I was wondering what you all serve alongside pizza to make it a bit more of a meal rather than just a few slices of pizza on your plate if you see what I mean? Same goes for other oven favourites we’ve been having lately - kievs, fish cakes etc.

Looking forward to some inspiration TIA!

Pizza is one of our go-to night off meals; if I serve a salad it's usually either a simple slaw like @HappyInL0nd0n's or this cucumber & avocado salad [https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/04/obsessively-good-avocado-cucumber-salad/]]

Link fail! [https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/04/obsessively-good-avocado-cucumber-salad/]

Love an oven pizza! But every now and again I'll make a batch of dough which can then be split in to 4 or 5 portions, clingfilmed and frozen.

In the morning I'll leave them in on the worktop to defrost, add a bit of homemade tomato sauce (also easily frozen), ham or whatever is in the fridge and grated mozzarella and it's so so tasty and quick to cook.

I use this recipe and don't bother with the polenta:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/05/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-pizza

Give it a go!

With fishcakes I would do a simple salad of rocket, shaved parmesan, olive oil and pepper. Plonk the fishcake on top and then a poached egg on top of the fishcake. It's delicious.

Salad and posh salted crisps.
Or soup! For a weekend lunch we often have pizza and soup.

I’m aghast at both the people ‘double carbing’ and those suggesting cooked veg with pizza. No no no!

I like adding some homemade coleslaw. I make my own because I find the shop bought stuff to be too sloppy as I like the veg just coated with mayo.

Homemade coleslaw
Yummy dip
Chunky salad with zingy dressing

I sometimes buy m&s deal 2 pizzas , 2 sides.
Sides are things like mac cheese bites, garlic dough balls , salad, mozerella sticks

New potatoes in garlic butter always goes well, a huge salad or some roasted baby corn, peppers or whatever vegetables of your liking. Corn on the cob is another great option.

Roasted vegetables like carrot and parsnip and swede

We have salad, olives and coleslaw. Also plenty of variety of toppings on the pizzas - mushrooms, onions, peppers etc. No garlic bread here as that's just ... well, more pizza base! DP likes chips with his, then wonders why he passes out in a carb induced coma🙄

You could make some loaded fries in the slow cooker. Pop some tin foil in add potatoes (wedged) I like normal and sweet potatoes in there...add some cheese, pasata, pepperoni (anything you want in it I love pulled pork in mine) do a couple of layers wrap the tin foil over it and cook it on high for a couple of hours.....amazing

Should have said, I don't think pizzas need to be made more exciting. They're about as exciting as it gets for me

A can of lager followed by ice cream.

This is our Friday night pizza night anyway!

A mixed salad and some coleslaw, maybe some garlic bread or potato wedges.

We have sweet potato fries and sweetcorn with ours. But then DS and I tend to share an individual pizza - so only a couple of slices each.

I usually do a pizza with garlic bread, onion rings, salad and sweet corn.

However the other night I tried to make it more like a takeaway and added some chips (replacing potato wedges) and some chicken goujons. I then put it all into little bowls so everyone could help themselves.

Sounds like a lot of food but it was really yummy.

A nice big mozzarella salad (bagged leaves, cherry toms so cucumber is the only thing you have to cut) tear up a ball of mozzarella and top with some ground pepper and balsamic vinegar or glaze. With Kiev's etc microwave steam fresh veg bags.

Salad, olives, garlic bread, mozerella sticks.

Salad, dressing, coleslaw, few over chips, bit of pickle etc

I think one way of jazzing up a salad is to buy a bag of mixed seeds, toast them quickly in a pan and sprinkle over the salad with a good dressing. Could do croutons as an alternative.

Wedges, garlic bread, salad, coleslaw, potato salad.

We just have a full pizza each. Sometimes we add some olives to it, and occasionally, some mushroom or peppers. But to be honest, that's too much trouble most of the time.

I always serve it with salad for the kids to alleviate some guilt. Usually just rocket, baby plum tomatoes, peppers, maybe grated carrot and sweetcorn if I'm scraping the barrel of the fridge. I used to always buy the make your own coleslaw prepped salad to go with pizza but the kids went off it sadly.