No matter how busy life gets, a delicious lunch or dinner makes everyone’s day better. This easy mini Pizza Margherita recipe was made in the toaster oven, and it was ready in minutes! This is a sponsored blog post; while the views expressed here were genuinely mine, consideration was paid to me by Bays English Muffins to review this product.
If you have never tried Bays English Muffins, you are in for a delicious surprise! You can use them for lunches, brunches, snacks, and dinner. They are a lighter bread, with a soft texture and they toast up so nicely. They are so good that they taste homemade.
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Easy Mini Pizza Margherita Recipe with Bays English Muffins
I love everything about pizza. The smell of the sauce and the texture of the melted cheese, and the crunch of the crust — it has always been one of my favorite comfort foods.
Thankfully, I don’t need a ton of time to roll out fresh dough to make this easy Mini Pizza Margherita recipe. Even though I am an empty-nester now, life is busy and I rarely make elaborate meals unless I am entertaining. I discovered that these versatile Bays English Muffins can be the main ingredient for mini pizzas and many other delicious meals, without all the prep time. Plus the cleanup is a cinch too.
Pizza Margherita Shopping List
To make my Mini Pizza Margherita, you only need a few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need before you start cooking.
- 1 can (14 oz.) whole tomatoes, with 1/4 cup of the juice reserved
- Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 10-12 large fresh basil leaves, divided
- Sugar
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 4 BAYS English Muffins, any variety, split (adjust quantity to your needs)
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
What is Pizza Margherita?
Pizza Margherita is a Neapolitan pizza and the colors, red (sauce), white (mozzarella cheese), and green (basil) represent the same colors as the national flag of Italy.
When you order a Pizza Margherita in a restaurant or from a pizza parlor, the crust is typically very thin. The pizza only has a few ingredients: fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes. You won’t find any meat on a Pizza Margherita.
How To Make Easy Mini Pizza Margherita
These are incredibly simple to make. Here are some step-by-step instructions that will help you make your own amazing little mini pizzas.
Pin this post so you can find the recipe later! Here is a printable card with my easy Mini Pizza Margherita recipe.
- 1 can (14 oz.) whole tomatoes, with ¼ cup of the juice reserved
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 10-12 large fresh basil leaves, divided
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Few dashes black pepper
- 4 BAYS English Muffins, any variety, split
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- Place tomatoes and reserved liquid in food processor or blender; blend until chunky.
- Heat olive oil in medium saucepan several minutes over medium-low heat.
- Add garlic and 6 of the whole basil leaves; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomatoes, sugar, and seasoning; bring to a simmer.
- Cook over medium-low heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally and discard basil leaves.
- Toast muffins; place on baking sheet. Spread with tomato mixture and top with cheese.
- Broil 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with remaining basil leaves.
Place tomatoes and reserved liquid in food processor or blender; blend until chunky like in my photo.
Heat olive oil in medium saucepan several minutes over medium-low heat.
Add garlic and 6 of the whole basil leaves; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes, sugar, and seasoning; bring to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Discard basil leaves.
Toast the muffins first to get them crisp.
Next, place on baking sheet, spread with tomato mixture and top with cheese.
Broil 2 minutes in the oven or in the toaster oven or until cheese is melted. Top with remaining basil leaves, either torn or Chiffonade cut.
Tip: To Chiffonade cut basil, stack 4 to 5 leaves. Roll tightly; cut crosswise with chef knife into thin strips.
Where to Find Bays English Muffins
You will find Bays English Muffins in the refrigerated dairy section, next to the eggs and milk. All of their muffins are made to order and leave the factory within 24 hours of their baking to be shipped in refrigerated trucks. They go from their refrigerators to yours. You will taste the freshness!
In 1933, George W. Bay opened a bakery in Chicago and sold English muffins with orange marmalade using the original recipe his English grandmother brought to this country in the 1800’s. Bays English Muffins are still made according to the original Bay family recipe. Now I know why they taste homemade!
There are a variety of options you can choose too. In fact, I bet the Sourdough would taste amazing with my Margherita Pizza recipe. These are the varieties available:
- Sourdough
- Multigrain
- Cinnamon Raisin
- Original
Go to the Bays website to find what stores near you carry Bays. If you want to buy extra, they freeze very well too.
Follow along on social media and “Like” Bays on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest for great recipes, fun English muffin ideas, and a ton more!
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