There are two facts in life: everyone loves Trader Joe’s and (almost) everyone loves pizza! Because of this, my monthly recipe is all about a favorite Trader Joe’s product: Trader Joe’s pizza dough! I won’t lie; I prefer a from-scratch experience, but I have to be realistic regarding kitchen projects when January rolls around. TJ’s pre-made, fresh pizza dough comes in very humble packaging, and if you’re not careful, you might miss it while you shop. Tucked away on a bottom shelf, this cult-favorite hasn’t let me down yet. So here are 3 fun ways to use the dough for your next at-home pizza party!
3 Easy, Delicious, and NEW Recipes That Use Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
For these recipes, the goal was ease because this is a perfect weeknight meal — especially when you don’t feel like cooking. Pre-made pizza dough is a great store-bought shortcut (think Ina Garten, not Sandra Lee) when you spruce it up with some fun ingredients.
BTW every topping featured in today’s post is from Trader Joe’s! You’re not going to find basic marinara and pepperoni here… cuz what’s the fun in that?? All told, I only spent $50 buying ingredients for all 3 of the pizza recipes (including wine and a bag of Chili Mango slices), making this a great budget-friendly meal idea, too!
Let’s go beyond the instructions on the back of the bag! To get you started, here are some basic pizza making tips:
Prepping:
Admittedly, the instructions on the back of the packaging are limited and not the best for prepping pizza dough. Because of this, I’m sharing my tips so you can achieve the best possible results:
- Instead of resting your dough on a floured surface, use olive oil. You can do this on a cutting board or in a glass bowl; either way, olive oil is the way to go. Just a drizzle will do you!
- When you start your 30-minute rest, make sure the dough is formed into a nice ball shape. This helps promote a lovely round pizza shape. Think of it as pre-shaping for all you bread bakers out there.
- Keep in mind that the dough won’t have a noticeable rise after you’ve rested it. Most of that magic happens in the oven for this dough!
Rolling vs. Stretching:
Rolling pins are lovely for pies but terrible for making pizza. This rule of thumb includes all pizza dough, store-bought or otherwise. Using a rolling pin to roll out pizza dough often over-excites the gluten and makes your pizza tight and tough.
Instead, here’s how to stretch your Trader Joe’s Pizza dough: working with the dough, allow it to form using gravity. First, flatten the dough ball and hold up, going around the edge in a circle, letting gravity do the pulling. Like how you see people tossing the pizzas in movies, but easier! This method helps the dough keep from seizing up. Next, press the dough into shape instead of rolling.
If you feel like you’re fighting to get the dough to hold its shape or stay in place, give it a 15 minute time out. A fight with gluten is one you will lose if you don’t allow the dough to relax when it’s overworked.
Toppings:
One of the best parts of making pizzas with ingredients from Trader Joe’s is the variety of toppings. Many of the options are vegan, just like the pizza dough itself, making it easy to accommodate dietary restrictions. While shopping, spread throughout the store. You will find pestos, dips, seasonings, produce, and tons of cheese options that are great on pizza. Feel free to try out what we recommend or do a little freestyling of your own!
Cooking Trader Joe’s pizza dough:
The key to any good crust is oven temperature. For this reason, we will deviate from the package instructions. Before beginning, remove your pizza from the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Ideally, your Trader Joe’s pizza dough temperature should be room temperature before starting to work with it.
A hot oven equals a tasty pizza which is why the instructions in our recipe call for an oven temp of 475°. Also, this temperature works well for a pizza stone or a sheet pan. Use whichever you have!
As for cook time, the packaging says 10-15 minutes, but the truth is, it will vary. Watch for the pizza to arrive at the level of doneness you prefer. Typically, I set a timer for 10 minutes and then check it every few minutes for doneness. And don’t forget to brush your crust with a bit of olive oil, we don’t want a pale crust!
Planning Ahead:
One of my favorite things about Trader Joe’s pizza dough is how accommodating it can be. Keep in mind that you have two days before the dough over-ferments and turns to mush in the fridge. That being said, it can be frozen for about two months before it gets frostbitten!
If you’re freezing the dough, it requires nothing more than putting it in the freezer. To defrost, pop it in the fridge a day or two before you plan on making it. Then make the pizza as usual.
Sub the plain Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough for one of these other variations:
Trader Joe’s also offers TONS of options to make meals more inclusive and diet-restriction friendly. Try out fresh whole-wheat, garlic, herb dough, and Gluten-Free options such as Trader Joe’s Stone Baked Pizza Crust or gluten-free pizza dough!
This Mediterranean inspired pizza is topped with vegan tzatziki, olive tapenade, feta cheese, and Za’atar for a deliciously savory meal. Serve with a Greek salad of slices cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and more feta!
Mediterranean Inspired Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 ball Trader Joe's Pizza Dough
- 4 tbsp Trader Joe's Vegan Tzatziki
- 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade
- Trader Joe's Feta with Greek Seasoning
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Trader Joe's Za'atar Seasoning
Instructions
- Remove dough from packaging, Pre-shape into a ball, and on a well-oiled surface or bowl, allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, flatten the ball with your hand, and working in a circular motion, hold the disk up and work around the edge, like the dough was a steering wheel. Allow gravity to pull the dough. Once all the way around, Place the circle on a piece of parchment and flatten out the center to the edges with your hand/fingers, making a defined crust.
- Once the dough has been shaped to the desired size (about 10 inches), Spread the Olive Tapenade, dot with the Tzatziki, and sprinkle the desired amount of crumbled feta. Next, brush the crust with Olive Oil and sprinkle the Za'atar seasoning along the crust.
- Transfer to a baking sheet, or pizza stone, and bake for 15-20 minutes, slightly less time If you're using a baking stone.
Notes
Nutrition
In the mood for a little heat? Try this spicy pesto pizza that’s topped with grilled artichoke hearts, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.
Spicy Pesto and Grilled Artichoke Heart Pizza
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Vegan Pesto
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
- 4-5 Grilled Artichoke Hearts
- 2-3 tbsp Crunchy Chili Onion paste More if you prefer spicy
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Remove dough from packaging, Pre-shape into a ball, and on a well-oiled surface or bowl, allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°.
- Once the dough has rested, flatten the ball with your hand, and working in a circular motion, hold the disk up and work around the edge, like the dough was a steering wheel. Allow gravity to pull the dough. Once all the way around, Place the circle on a piece of parchment and flatten out the center to the edges with your hand/fingers, making a defined crust.
- Spread an even layer of pesto, dotting with the Crunchy Chili onion sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes halves, and artichoke hearts. Brush the crust with olive oil.
- transfer to a baking sheet, or pizza stone, and bake for 15-20 minutes, slightly less time If you're using a baking stone.
Notes
Nutrition
This pizza recipe is truly the best way to impress someone with your pizza skills… but with low effort! The pears provide the perfect touch of unexpected sweetness, too.
Fig, Ricotta, & Prosciutto Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe's Pizza dough
- 2-3 tbsp Fig Butter
- 4 tbsp Ricotta cheese
- 5-7 Sundried tomatoes Chopped
- 4 Slices prosciutto
- 1/2 Pear Sliced thin
- Arugula
Instructions
- Remove dough from packaging, Pre-shape into a ball, and on a well-oiled surface or bowl, allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°.
- Once the dough has rested, flatten the ball with your hand, and working in a circular motion, hold the disk up and work around the edge, like the dough was a steering wheel. Allow gravity to pull the dough. Once all the way around, Place the circle on a piece of parchment and flatten out the center to the edges with your hand/fingers, making a defined crust.
- Spread the Fig Butter evenly, top with dollops of ricotta cheese, sundried tomatoes, prosciutto, and pear slices. Brush the crust with olive oil.
- Transfer to a baking sheet, or pizza stone, and bake for 15-20 minutes, slightly less time If you're using a baking stone.
- Allow to cool slightly and top with fresh arugula
Notes
Nutrition
So what do you think?? We hope you love these 3 easy recipes — they are SO perfect for a weeknight pizza party when served with a salad and wine. Enjoy!
