Grilled San Diego Pizza

I grew up in San Diego and one of the best places there to eat is Pat & Oscars. Everything on their menu is delicious! One of my parent’s favorites is the San Diego Pizza. I had it for the first time just a couple weeks ago and loved it. But, like most food at restaurants it is really easy to re-create yourself. I rarely enjoy eating at restaurants anymore because I know that I can make food just as good, at home, for a quarter of the price. For this reason, we rarely eat out as a family. I love to make restaurant meals at home – I know exactly what’s going into it, I can tweak it exactly to my taste and we save a lot of money. I also try not to use the oven during the summer (keeps the house cooler – saves on utilities), so I made this pizza on the grill. But, if you don’t have a grill, or don’t feel that ambitious, by all means, make this in the oven – it will still be tasty. If you have never grilled a pizza before, it can be a little daunting, but I encourage you to try it. It won’t turn out perfect – you can tell by my picture that mine’s a little misshapen and a couple of edges are over done (I kinda like the rustic look so I don’t mind). But, the crust gets nicely crisp and it has a smoky flavor (and it’s pretty darn impressive – you could entertain with this one). See the recipe here.

Here's what I spent on it:

Pizza dough – I used Pillsbury, $1.25 at Walmart (I didn’t have a coupon?! – why, I have no idea!)

Marinara Sauce – I used Bertolli, on sale at Smith’s for $1.67, used $1.00 coupon, total - $.67 for whole jar, used 1/3 – total $.22

Mozzarella cheese - $2.09 at Target, used $1.00 coupon plus $1/2 Target coupon – total $.59

Feta Cheese – I used Athenos Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Feta, $1.68 at Walmart, used $1.00 coupon – total $.68

Avocado - $.50 at Walmart

Red Onion - $.20 / lb at Walmart – approximate total - $.05

Basil, Garlic Powder, Cornmeal – these are pantry item that I’ve had for a while and don’t know the exact cost, but I’m approximating $1.00 which is probably high

Grand total - $4.29 for 4 servings, $1.07 / serving!

At Pat & Oscars, they charge $15.49 for this! That’s a lot of savings! Pair this with some seasonal fruits and veggies (like artichoke and strawberries) and you have a complete meal for a lot less than you’d spend at a restaurant.