What do you serve to guests to go with Pizza?

[mcplant]

Hello,
Just that really. We got a pizza oven earlier this year and have just used it ourselves and we only have pizza. We now have guests coming and feel like we can't just give them pizza. What other bits do you make to go along with the pizza.
It's an ooni oven and we have a plate that goes in for fish & meat.
Want to keep it simple too as sometimes the pizzas can be a faff as we're still getting to grips with it!
Many thanks

Garlic bread and a couple different salads - say a green one and another with tomatoes, peppers, avocado and some green leaves and mozzarella. Booze! Where's my invite?

Nothing to add on the sides front, as they all sound great, but as a PP mentioned cooking a few pizzas at once outside can be time-consuming. I've recently made a stacking tray of collapsible cooling racks and enough pizza peels to get them ready just ahead of time, then it's one in/one out. Very pleased with myself! 😁

This is genius.... our pizza oven is arriving soon.

Salad, wedges, garlic bread

We have an ooni. We tend to make a few salads in advance (as it can be a faff to make the pizza!) and lots of crisps!

Brilliant @3catsandcounting !

Love this. We have two peels but struggle to time it right sometimes. It often seems to take both DH and I (and he has a way of doing it that I am yet to develop!)

I too would have salads

I assume the pizza oven is just like a regular oven? What about making dessert in it too? With foil, wrap up a peeled banana, chocolate and maybe nuts (pending allergies) and serve the cooked banana with ice cream or custard. You could also try caramelised pineapple slices in a similar foil method with butter and brown sugar.

A bowl of pasta with tomato and basil sauce ( I like M&S or Sainsburys own brand sauce)- lovely eaten hot or cold.
A large bowl of green salad
Garlic baguette slices.

More pizza

Salads, pasta salads, garlic bread, new potatoes, warm or as a potato salad... think about Puzza Hut and the salad variety they have, not that I'm suggesting you should include all of the options.

I had pizza for guests last night and served it with Fanta, chips and popcorn. The guests were all 8 though 🧐

For adults I'd probably do a range of salad things including pasta and potato salad.

Salad, ummm nothing really, in a restaurant it doesn’t come with anything?

Caprese
Panzanella
Antipasti type stuff - olives, artichokes
Rocket
Wine!

(If it's like, a feast with guests, when we eat it as a family nothing, it doesn't need anything.)

Just a big salad.

Garlic bread from the oven.
Big bowl of tossed salad on the table.

Maybe separate bowl of olives.

Maybe a separate platter of sliced tomato and mozzarella neatly layered with a drizzle of olive oil (maybe splash of balsamic vinegar) over the top, and torn basil leaves garnishing (caprese) - or just tomato and mozarella cut into small chunks and tossed in a bowl with the seasoning/garnish - depending on what time and ability you have to "faff" with it.

Or if more American than Italian style pizzas/meal - could do chicken wings to start, garlic bread and corn cobs on the side and bowl of coleslaw to go along with it all.

Could also have some cookie dough or something like a fruit crumble to add to the oven while you eat to make use of the heat for dessert.

Or a cold tart in a pastry case (lemon or chocolate, for example) or a cheesecake - made ahead (or bought) and in the fridge to produce.

Corn cob wedges coleslaw etc

I also have a lovely pasta salad recipe from a Lidl flyer -
Cook 200g pasta (we usually use Fusilli or Penne).
Dice up: half a yellow pepper, half a red pepper, 1 small red onion, (crumble up) 100g feta
Slice roughly 10 black olives (I slice each into 3).
Add half a small (drained) tin of chickpeas.
Dressing is 4 tablespoons olive oil, 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of runny honey, salt and pepper.
Toss the cold things together and once pasta is cooked, drain and add to bowl. Immediately pour over dressing and toss well.

Salad, garlic bread, coleslaw and potato wedges

Another pizza?
And then maybe dessert pizza?

When we use our pizza oven, we cook mixed roasted veg, corn on the cob, jacket potatoes and nachos. Then serve with a few different salads and dips. And the pizzas obviously.

If the pizza is to be a main meal, then salad

Rocket, parmesan and pine-nut salad

Tomato, spring onion and cheese. I prefer feta, others use mozzarella

Alternatively, serve the pizza as an appetiser / starter, in slices to be eaten on the spot. A glass of beer or rosè. Bliss

@Ponderingwindow What white sauce would you recommend for pizza please? I've recently discovered I can't have tomatoes so am looking for alternatives!

Crudité's, antipasti and dips if you want to keep it all finger food.