This recipe is common sense, but, for the sake of this blog entry and my ego, we’ll say that I’ve invented it.  There are lots of variations on this recipe–some people use English muffins, biscuits, or bagels, and I like to think that these people are wrong.  The charm in my particular recipe is that you should ALWAYS have the 5 main ingredients in your fridge at all times.  These are not solely kept around for the purpose of making a Poor Man’s Pizza, but because they are versatile ingredients that you can use in making lots of other Poor Man (or Woman!) meals.

Poor Man’s Pizza ala RayRay

Serves: 1  Prep Time: 3 minutes Cook Time: 30-59 seconds

1 Flour Tortilla (Derrick will tell you that this is a mandatory ingredient in our household.  I just like to slop some butter on one, microwave it for 10 seconds, and walk around the house eating it.  If you haven’t done it, try it.  Though beware of terrible butter stains!  Also, I like 10″ tortillas, but size is really personal preference here.)

1 big spoonful of any kind of Spaghetti Sauce (since Derrick and I make lots of real pizzas, we have also been in the habit of keeping Ragu Pizza sauce around, which is available in a small jar, but this is essentially repackaged Spaghetti Sauce.)

1 handful of any kind of Grated Cheese (I usually keep Kraft Mexican Blend in the house, but use Mozzarella if you’re feeling a little more traditional.  Remember that cheese is a wonderful topper on everything from baked potatoes to eggs to Boca burgers to salads!  This is a 100% required fridge product.)

1 handful Turkey Pepperoni (because we can still watch our cholesterol when we’re poor, and it is much more tasty in my opinion than regular greasy pepperoni)

Parmesan cheese (which is also wonderful as a spaghetti topper when a vegetarian shows up at your door AND in my Bisquick Chicken Fingers recipe, also a quick delicious meal!)

Optional: Garlic Salt (please omit if you plan on doing any smoochin!)

Directions: Put tortilla on microwavable plate. Put one big spoonful of sauce in the middle of it and use the spoon to smear it all around!  Sprinkle cheese on top, then sprinkle pepperonis on top of cheese.  I do not like any sauce peeking through my cheese.  Make sure pepperonis are evenly distributed.  We might be poor, but our food can still look pretty.  Microwave for 30 seconds; check cheese meltage.  Cheese should look mushy all around with no visible grated pieces.  Do NOT microwave for more than 1 minute (unless you have a very slow cooking microwave).  You do not want the tortilla to overcook. Fold and eat, or eat with a fork.  I usually do a little bit of both.  If you are still hungry, repeat!

In terms of serving size,  I think that 1 is a snack, 2 is a meal.  It’s quick enough that you can make one, digest for a few minutes, and then decide that you want a second.

Feel free to add additional toppings to the pizza, but rememember that the main purpose of Poor Man’s Pizza is 1) meal on a budget, 2) convenient as you should always have all ingredients in your house, 3) easy cleanup as you use no pots/pans and only 1 plate (or maybe 2 if you make one for a friend/loved one).  Also, if you put too much weight on a tortilla, it might explode, and I am not responsible for any mess!