Recipes in this article: Mexican Pizza Chicken & Cranberry Pizza with Brie & Almonds Greek Pizza with Spinach, Feta & Olives Thai Chicken Pizza with Carrots & Cilantro Ask Pamela Anderson a food question! More great recipes from USA WEEKEND Magazine, visit usaweekend.allrecipes.com

Quick pizzas for busy nights

Dinner turns on a dime when you start with premade crusts.

The shift from summer's lazy days to fall's crazy pace is never as bad as we imagine. After a relaxed season of late nights and slow mornings, we start to long for our routine. To ease you through the transition in the kitchen, try these four super-quick pizzas. Who says a scheduled life can't be fun?

Of course, you always can order take-out or grab a pie from the supermarket freezer section, but you can't buy pizzas as interesting, colorful and fresh as these. And they're quick, too. With a prepared crust in the freezer and a few pantry ingredients, an exciting, healthful dinner is never more than 20 minutes away.

Challenge yourself to think beyond tomato sauce, mushrooms and pepperoni, and create your own pizza. After all, the crust is nothing more than a big piece of bread. BLT pizza, anyone?

Go to top

Mexican Pizza

Half a 16-ounce can (scant 1 cup) spicy fat-free refried beans (see note)
1 cup salsa, divided
1 12-inch pre-baked Italian pizza crust
2 cups shredded hearts of romaine lettuce
3 to 4 medium thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup crumbled tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese

NOTE: If you can't find the spicy variety of refried beans, then use the traditional kind and stir in 1 tsp. of chili powder.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix beans and 1/2 cup salsa in a medium bowl. Place crust on a cookie sheet, then spread the bean mixture over crust. Bake until it's crisp and warm, about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven; top with lettuce, green onions and dollop with the remaining salsa. Drizzle (or, if dressing has an easy-pour top, squirt) dressing over pizza. Top with chips and cheese, then return to oven and bake until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes longer. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Makes 6 slices
Per slice: 314 calories, 34g carbohydrates, 14g protein, 14g fat (5g saturated), 24mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 815mg sodium

Go to top

Chicken & Cranberry Pizza with Brie & Almonds

NOTE: Use a rotisserie chicken or a package of pre-pulled roasted chicken.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place crust on a cookie sheet, and spread 1 cup of cranberry sauce over the crust. Toss remaining 1/2 cup with chicken. Top pizza with chicken, brie, green onions, almonds and mozzarella. Bake until the crust is crisp and cheese melts, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Makes 6 slices
Per slice: 559 calories, 52g carbohydrates, 35g protein, 24g fat (9g saturated), 92mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 555mg sodium

Go to top

Greek Pizza with Spinach, Feta & Olives

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, garlic and 1/2 cup feta in a small bowl. Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet; spread mayonnaise mixture over pizza, then top with tomatoes, olives and oregano. Bake until heated through and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Toss spinach and onion with the 1 Tb. sun-dried tomato oil. Top hot pizza with spinach mixture and remaining 1/2 cup feta cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, about 2 minutes longer. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Makes 6 slices
Per slice: 414 calories, 30g carbohydrates, 12g protein, 29g fat (8g saturated), 38mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 844mg sodium

Go to top

Thai Chicken Pizza with Carrots & Cilantro

NOTE: Find Thai peanut sauce in the grocer's Asian food aisle; use a rotisserie chicken or a package of pre-pulled roasted chicken.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place crust on a cookie sheet. Mix peanut sauce and peanut butter, then spread 2/3 of the sauce over the pizza crust; toss remaining 1/3 of the sauce with the shredded chicken. Spread chicken over pizza.

Bake until the crust is crisp and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with carrots, green onions, peanuts and cilantro. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Pam Anderson is the author of four cookbooks, including her latest, "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over" (Houghton Mifflin, $35).
Find more of Pam Anderson's CookSmart recipes, including quick dinner dishes, at allrecipes.com.