When it comes to pizza, pepperoni is a right of passage and while the classics will never die, sometimes it’s fun to switch things up. That’s the beauty of pizza: the possibilities for toppings are endless. Here at Mortadella Head, we are constantly thinking outside of the pizza box to come up with new ideas for some tasty pies. Here are 6 different toppings that we like to put on our pizzas that maybe you’ve never tried before!

Broccoli Rabe - Vegetables might be the last thing you want to put on a pizza but hear us out -- broccoli rabe is tasty. On our Commendatore pizza, we pair it with aged mozzarella, porchetta, roasted peppers and grated pecorino for a perfectly balanced and tasty bite. You’ll forget you’re even eating veggies , but mom will be so proud. 

Boneless Buffalo Wings- The app of all appetizers meets the best food in the world: pizza. Buffalo wings are already amazing, but when you pair these two together you have the perfect dynamic duo. Our Buffalo Chicken Pizza features feta, aged mozzarella, boneless wings and creamy gorgonzola dressing. Perfect for your next football party or Netflix night!

Pulled Pork- Not just for backyard barbecues. Trade in your average pulled pork sandwich and upgrade it into a pizza. This is a perfect way to pack some protein onto your pie without having to sacrifice any flavor. The Pig Pen on our menu features BBQ pulled pork, bacon, pickles, aged mozzarella and fried onion strings. Now you can bring the BBQ to your living room. 

Pickles: Cheeseburger pizzas are becoming more and more popular, but oftentimes they’re missing this key ingredient. Pickles are an essential flavor in any classic cheeseburger, that’s why we put them on our burger inspired pizza, The Pig Mac. This pizza features ground beef, bacon, tomato, caramelized onions, american cheese, iceberg lettuce, 1000 island dressing and of course, pickles. No more need to fight over burgers or pizza for dinner. Why not both?

Fried Eggplant: Eggplant has a soft texture and mild flavor which is enhanced when breaded and fried. Frying most things is a great way to enhance in general. Eggplant parmesan is an overall classic italian dish. We took that and put our own MH twist on it. The Jimmy Two Times pizza features aged mozzarella, fried eggplant, ricotta, grated pecorino and fresh basil. You’re welcome.

Honey: It might seem weird to put something sweet like honey on your pizza but think about it... there’s a reason why chocolate covered pretzels are so delicious: sweet and salty is a killer combination. We use honey on one of our pizzas called The Shredder to help balance out some spice. The Shredder features aged mozzarella, pepperoni, jalapenos and honey and is sure to take your taste buds on a wild ride. 

It’s certainly okay to stick with the classics -- they’re still popular for a reason. But sometimes the best things are outside of your comfort zone and we’re here to help you with that. Still not convinced? Come on in and try one of these pies for yourself! You won’t be disappointed.

What (usually) comes from cows and tastes good on everything? If you guessed milk, you would be semi-correct. The answer is: CHEESE. Being an Italian joint, we obviously take our cheeses very seriously. Every cheese has its place and serves its own purpose. When it comes to our pizzas, each cheese is chosen to compliment the other toppings perfectly. 

La Margherita: This classic pizza is better than your average cheese pizza. The fresh mozzarella compliments the tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil perfectly. Sometimes you have to leave the crazy  toppings aside and stick with simplicity. That’s probably why these fresh flavors have withstood the test of time. 

The Pig Mac: This pie is anything but simple. Think the pizza version of your favorite cheeseburger. Start with a base of tomato sauce and then load it up with ground beef, bacon, tomato, caramelized onion, iceberg lettuce, a thousand island, pickles and most importantly, american cheese. American cheese is the perfect choice to tie all of these flavors together and meld these two classic dishes into one. 

The Balboa: For this pizza, think a classic cheese steak with a twist. Topped with tomato sauce, grilled steak, roasted peppers, sauteed onions, roasted mushrooms, all tied together with aged mozzarella and fonduta cheese. Fonduta is a delicious, drippy and creamy blend of flavors that puts the “cheese” in cheese steak. 

Buffalo Chicken: This spicy favorite is becoming more popular by the minute. With tomato sauce, our juicy boneless buffalo wings, creamy gorgonzola dressing, aged mozzarella and feta cheese, this pizza serves up a delicious, spicy bite. The feta cheese and gorgonzola dressing balance out the spiciness of the mozzarella perfectly. 

La Mortazza: Peppers and onions are like the peanut butter and jelly of pizza toppings. This pizza is topped with tomato sauce, mortadella, vinegar peppers, onions, mozzarella and brie cheese. The brie is a great choice for this pizza because the creaminess of the cheese balanced out the tartness of the vinegar peppers. 

These are just a few of our mouth-watering specialty pizzas. And trust us, there is no shortage of cheese here at Mortadella head. Whether you prefer the classic pies, or like to live life on the edge, we have something to satisfy your taste buds. Comment below and let us know what your favorite cheese to put on a pizza is!

Picture this: It’s 3 AM and all of the pizza places are closed. You’re craving pizza so badly, but don’t want to go through all of the effort of kneading dough to satisfy your craving. So what do you do? You’ll need to get creative. You have the sauce, cheese and maybe some toppings but what to put it on? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

English Muffin: This breakfast staple is more versatile than you think. Instead of popping them in your toaster, preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 375 degrees. While the oven is warming up, split open your english muffin and build your mini pizza. The nooks and crannies that English muffins are famous for are perfect to hold all of the sauce. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes and enjoy! 

Mug Pizza: Now I know we said you won’t be using dough, but this one is so easy you won’t even feel like it’s a hassle. Just mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt all together in a microwaveable mug. Then, add some milk and olive oil and stir it all together. After you’ve stirred, put your favorite marinara sauce over the surface and then top with cheese, herbs and whatever other toppings you desire. Microwave for 1 ½ minutes or until it rises up and the toppings start to bubble (every microwave is different). Give it a second to cool down before digging into your quick creation. 

French Fries: We’ve all heard of cheese fries. They’re a classic, so why not combine them with another food that stands the test of time? Take your favorite french fries (thicker cut may work better to hold all of the good stuff) and put your pizza toppings on them! To quickly melt the cheese but keep your fries crispy, we recommend popping them in the oven on broil until you see the cheese starts to melt into gooey wonderfulness. 

Naan Bread: This is a twist on the ever so popular Flatbread trend. Naan Bread is usually buttery and thick, making it a perfect base for pizza. Instead of going the classic route, try opting for a white pizza with a base of olive oil and garlic. Bake a few of these at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted and cut into pieces for a perfect party appetizer! 

Bagel: Much like English muffins, bagels are a versatile and well loved breakfast food. Using a bagel as your base makes having pizza for breakfast a lot easier and more portable! Pop the pizza bagel in your oven at 375 for 10 minutes while you’re getting ready for the day and you’ve got a perfect on the go breakfast! 

Tortillas: You have two options with this one: you can either use the tortilla the same way as naan bread and bake it into a thin crust snack or you can make pizza roll ups! Both are tasty, but how do you make the pizza roll up? You want to make sure the tortillas are warm and pliable so stick them in the microwave with a damp towel before you get to rolling. Once your tortillas are ready, put your ingredients on the bottom third of the tortilla (you don’t want them to overflow), roll it up and put them in the oven for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Cut each roll up in half and serve them at your next football party or just put them on a plate to enjoy for your Netflix marathon! 

Let us know if you try any of these alternatives, we love hearing from you! And if they don’t work out or you just want the real thing, you know where to find us.

It’s that time of year again. The time for fresh starts and new beginnings. To many, this means a change in their lifestyle. People want to get in shape and be healthier so they start a new diet. Some go vegan, some do Whole30, and some may go the Keto route (why anyone would give up carbs is beyond us). Whatever path you choose to take, we encourage you to be inclusive of all foods, especially pizza.

Pizza gets a bad rap for being unhealthy but in reality, it’s just misunderstood. Pizza can be very healthy depending on how you look at it. First of all, cheese packs a bunch of protein. And if you’re adding meats like pepperoni or chicken you can forget about your post workout shake! Your pie will have all the protein you need to replenish your body after that spin class. 

Now, we’re not gonna ignore the obvious reason you might be giving up pizza: carbs. Carbs are often painted as the villain of the food pyramid, whereas in reality, they’re the unsung hero. Carbs are fuel. If you find yourself feeling sluggish during your workouts, it may be because you didn’t eat enough to fuel your body beforehand. However, you don’t want to eat immediately before your workout, give your body about 2 hours to digest and turn the carbs into energy. Before your next workout, try having a slice of pizza topped with veggies for some extra nutrients. 

Cutting pizza out of your diet completely might be doing yourself more harm than good. Very often when people go on diets, they start deeming certain foods as “bad” or “good”. However, as humans we all know when something is deemed as off limits, it makes us want it  more. Instead of cutting out the foods you love because they’re “bad” allow yourself to have them in moderation. Not only will it prevent you from going overboard in the future, but this mindset leads to a balanced lifestyle which is what health is really all about. So go ahead and keep that pizza in your diet and stick to your (realistic) goals, we’ll be cheering for you at the finish line! 

Mortadella Head pepperoni jalapeno roman pizza

At Mortadella Head, we take pride in our pizza dough. Our Roman-style pizza is crafted using a multi-day process of activating yeast, allowing the dough to rise, and perfecting the flavors you know and love. At home, homemade pizza dough is something that you can make for parties or even just a fun family dinner everyone can participate in. Here are a few ways to make your own pizza dough at home, ranging from a fast and quick method to a much more intensive process.

Three Different Ways to Make Pizza Dough at Home

It’s really easy to make your own pizza dough, no matter how much time you have on your hands. Here are three ways, all varying in time spent making the dough and time needed to allow the dough to build up.

Quick Dough - The Fastest Way to Homemade Pizza Dough

The simplest doughs can be made using just a few ingredients. For starters, a good flour needs to be in your kitchen any time you make a dough. By simply adding warm water to a packet of instant yeast, you can slowly add the flour and some salt to form a sticky dough. Cover it for around 10 minutes to allow the fast-acting yeast to rise the dough so it’s ready for stretching and baking. In terms of going from basic ingredients to a homemade pizza, it doesn’t get much easier than this.

24-Hour Pizza Dough - Stepping it Up a Notch

In terms of a natural rise and plenty of air entering the dough, using fresh yeast can make a big difference. If you’re not ready to tackle a multi-day dough, a 24-hour recipe is a great way to get your toes wet with a more labor intensive dough. Luckily, the ingredients to something like this often stay the same, substituting instant yeast for fresh yeast and often using a combination of normal flour and bread flour. In many recipes you’ll find online, working the dough will be followed by cutting it in half, and refrigerating for 24 hours. When you go back to check on your dough, you’ll be glad you halved it - both halves will look as big as the original dough you formed! From here, you’re good to stretch, top, and cook this intermediate style dough.

Multi-Day Dough - Becoming a Pro

The fun thing about a multi-day dough is, once again, the ingredients don’t change. Everyone has their little secret touch they like to add, but you’re still dealing with flour, salt, water, and yeast. The difference here is allowing the dough time to respond to the activated yeast. Many multi-day doughs involve three steps. First, combine the ingredients of the dough and let rise for 24 hours. Next, take the dough out, work it around with freshly floured hands, and then divide the dough into portions, depending on the size crust you’d like. Lastly, let the dough sit for another 24-48 hours to allow the new formations time to expand, providing you with a canvas to work away your pizza loving heart’s desires.

No Time to Deal with Dough? We’ve Got You Covered

Making pizza at home is a blast, but sometimes you just need to skip the labor of love and get your hands on authentic Italian flavors made fresh for you. Mortadella Head has you covered, whether you’re in the mood for pizza, wings, or any of our signature dishes.