With the holiday season in full swing, it is easy to cut date night for office parties, family events, or plans with friends. Hi again, Lauren here, from LaurenKelp.com and I am here to break down the perfect date night at home! Everyone loves quality time with the one they love, so instead of cutting it out all together, bring it home and have a special, relaxed night with just the two of you. If you are in need of some quality time with your someone, point them here because we’ve got a fool-proof date night in plan to leave you feeling extra loved! Truth be told, no one loves going out on a date night more than me, but there is something really romantic and wonderful about a relaxed date night at home. But just because it’s “at home” doesn’t mean you should take the easy route.

It’s still date night after all, so put a little extra TLC into the evening. The first step for the perfect evening at home, is to set the mood. Select a recipe that reflects the two of you, grab a bottle of your favorite red, and put on an upbeat, but casual playlist while you prep. My go-to date night food is a fabulous homemade pizza. It’s super fun to make, highly customizable, and it can be as fancy or as casual as you want to make it. The best part of homemade pizza is that you can do whatever you want! I love loading up toppings and playing around with flavors. This particular pizza recipe came from mixing a bunch of our favorite toppings together and it’s been a favorite ever since!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FOR THE TOPPINGS:

You are more than welcome to customize your pizza how ever you want. We used the following:

• Pesto
• Potatoes, onions, & fresh rosemary
• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Prosciutto
• Micro greens

Once you’ve got all your ingredients laid out, it’s time to start the dough! Give yourself a little bit of time for prep as it takes a bit of time for the dough to rise.

STEP ONE: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in water. Let is stand for about five minutes and then add in your oil and salt. Stir in the flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms.STEP TWO: Grab a large cutting board, or clear off a dry space on your counter top and sprinkle it lightly with flour (maybe 1/2 cup). Grab your ball of dough, place on the floured surface, and begin to knead until the dough becomes smooth & elastic. This takes about 2-3 minutes.

Place back in the bowl, cover top of bowl with a dish cloth, and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

STEP THREE: While your dough is rising, multi-task by prepping the toppings! For this pizza, we thinly sliced potatoes and browned them in a skillet alongside minced onion and some rosemary for a fun, flavorful twist. STEP FOUR: Preheat your over to 400 degrees. Roll out your risen dough on a lightly floured surface (a baking sheet is perfect). Place your delicious crust on your surface and pop it in the oven for a quick par-bake for around 6 minutes.

Remove the crust and spread on your pesto. Make sure not to spread it all the way to the edges, but leave a nice inch for crust.  STEP FIVE: Now it’s time for the really fun part – the toppings! Load up your pizza with as many toppings as you see fit. We started by placing the potato slices down first and added the cheese and slices of prosciutto on top. STEP SIX: Pop your delicious pizza back in the over for another ten minutes to give it a nice crispy texture. Once it looks just right to you, take it out and place on a wooden cutting board or pizza plate.

Then, for the final touch, grab a handful of micro greens and lightly sprinkle across the top of your pizza. The heat will wilt the greens and give it a fun, gourmet feel! Whether you add an egg on top or just stick with cheese, have fun! Tonight is all about being relaxed and spending time with the one you love. So sit back, relax, pour yourself another glass of wine, and enjoy your date night at home!