There are always a few nights during the week when I just don't feel like cooking, but I also don't want to spend a lot of money. Ordering a pizza usually pops into my mind, and then after thinking about, I realize that our favorite large pizza (enough to feed my boyfriend and myself, and have some leftovers) will come to around $20. If I decide to have it delivered, it's even more. For me, the perfect solution is to make my own pizza. It's cheap, quick, and simple, which is why even if I don't feel like cooking, making a pizza is always a great option.

Last week, I made two medium sized avocado quesadilla pizzas, which ended up being about the equivalent of one large pizza. Because I already had some of the ingredients, it didn't cost me a whole lot of money to make. I had two avocados that I needed to use up: my inspiration for this dish. I also had a tomato, salsa, and dried black beans. (I always try to keep my favorite beans and grains in bulk because  it ends up being cheaper, and I leave myself with an assortment of ingredients to choose from.) All I needed to buy was some shredded cheese, sour cream, and pizza dough. I know it would have been even cheaper to make the pizza dough, but when I don't feel like cooking it's a lot easier to buy some already made dough. If you are interested in making your own dough, check out these websites for whole wheat pizza dough and regular pizza dough. Pizza dough is also cheap on its own. Most grocery stores sell it, or you can go to your favorite local pizza shop and ask if they have any for sale. I bought two bags of whole wheat pizza dough for $.99 each at Trader Joe's.

My grand total for a delicious gourmet pizza cost me a whopping $7. And even if I didn't have any of the ingredients on hand already, I would only be adding about another $7 or so to my bill, still making the grand total much cheaper than if I went out.

Making your own pizzas allows for endless possibilities of deliciousness. And you'll never have to have your creativity inhibited by the dreaded "pay by the topping" price tag that many pizza places have. In addition to avocado quesadilla pizza, I have a few other tasty and cheap pizza favorites. I absolutely love the traditional Margaretha Pizza (mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil); any type of pizza with a pesto base instead of the more traditional red sauce (pesto, mozzarella cheese, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and artichokes are all great additions together or in various combinations);  and my favorite go to pizza: pineapple and mushroom with mozzarella cheese and traditional marinara sauce. It's always fairly cheap to purchase a jar of pizza sauce, but if you're looking for some excitement, making your own sauce can always be lots of fun. Check out allrecipes.com for a fancier sauce and a more simpler sauce.

When it finally comes time to make your pizza, sit down with your family and find out what everyone's favorite pizza is. Maybe you'll end up making a few different kinds to please everyone's taste buds, or maybe you'll create an entirely new pizza that everyone will enjoy. Whatever you do, you'll be sure to end up with tasty results!