Here's a spoiler for this video right off the bat: I used to be a chef at a pizza restaurant. Not just any pizza restaurant, but one that many would consider to be in the top 10 pizza spots in New York, Roberta’s.
Now, I was great at my job. I learned a ton and was able to whip up incredible pies by the time I left. All this is to say, I may have had an advantage over Brooke going into this episode of Grocery Showdown.
We pitted Target against Wegmans to see which store’s ingredients could produce the best pizza. Taking inspiration from their store-brand ingredients, we went head to head to see who could either:
- Have the cheapest meal
- Have the best-tasting meal
Or you can be an overachiever and do both!
Crazily enough, Brooke and I both ended up being inspired by Mexican food for this challenge. Brooke used the surprisingly flavorful and delicious Target Birria Simmer Sauce, and I took advantage of the show's “all spices are free” rule and used Tajin to make a riff on Hawaiian pizza. The rules for this episode were as follows:
- We have 30 minutes to make enough pizza to serve four people.
- All spices and oils/fats in the Delish Test Kitchen were free to use.
- Whenever possible, we had to shop for and use the grocery store brand items.
In a recurring theme, Brooke won on budget, spending $21.75 at Target. Whereas I actually went slightly over budget, but we both ate enough ham to get me down to $25. To see whose pizza went home with the crown, watch the video above. But if looking for the recipes, look no further:
Brooke’s Mushroom Birria French Bread Pizza
Place 2 sliced small jalapeños in a small bowl. In a small pot, bring ½ c rice vinegar, ½ c water, ½ tbsp salt, and ½ tbsp sugar to boil. Pour over jalapeños and set aside.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and ¼ of a thinly sliced medium yellow onion. Season with ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp cumin, and 1 tsp oregano and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add 1 8 oz jar of tomato sauce and 1 12 oz jar Good & Gather birria sauce and simmer until sauce thickens to a pizza sauce consistence, 5-8 minutes.
Bring a medium skillet to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and 8 oz of thinly sliced white button mushrooms. Cook 2 minutes and add ¼ of a thinly sliced medium yellow onion and season with ½ tsp of salt, and ½ tsp oregano. Cook until mushrooms are starting to soften and onion is becoming translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400F and separate the halves of an 18-ounce loaf of garlic French bread. Spread the garlic butter with a knife or spatula to evenly distribute. Using a serrated knife, Slice each piece in half to create 4 pieces and arrange them on a sheet pan. Using a spoon or a ladle, top each piece of garlic bread with birria sauce mixture until the surface is just covered. You will likely not use all of the birria sauce. Divide ½ of the mushroom mixture between each piece of bread, then top each ½ c of Mexican-style shredded cheese blend. Add remaining mushrooms on top of the cheese layer and bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms of the bread are crusty and toasted.
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sour cream, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of kosher salt and stir until smooth. Add 1 tbsp of water at a time until you reach a drizzle-able consistency.
Top each pizza with pickled jalapeños, crema, and a few fresh cilantro leaves.
Justin’s Spicy Pineapple Prosciutto Pizza
In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups and 3 tablespoons all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup lukewarm water, ¾ teaspoons instant yeast and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the wet mixture to the flour until a shaggy dough comes together. Transfer the contents of the bowl to a lightly flour surface and knead for 3 minutes. Then, let the dough rest for 15 minutes under a kitchen towel.
Knead an additional 3 minutes then cut the dough into two equal pieces. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the fridge. Remove the dough from the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to make the pizza.
Place a 10” cast-iron skillet on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 550ºF, or as high as your oven can go. In a large bowl toss together 2 cups of ½” cubed pineapple, 1 thinly-sliced white onion, 1 thinly-sliced jalapeño, the juice of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon of Tajín. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and allow to sit and marinate until ready to use.
Working in batches: shape, toss and or roll out the one of the pizza doughs into a 10” to 12” circle. Remove the preheated cast-iron skillet and dust it bit of flour or cornmeal. Immediately add the dough to the cast iron. Start topping the pizza with a drizzle of olive oil, ½ cup shredded mozzarella and ⅓ cup of finely grated parmesan. Top the pizza with about ½ cup of the reserved pineapple slaw and top with 2 to 3 slices of Wegmans prosciutto ripped into small shred. Brush the crust with a little more extra-virgin olive oil and then sprinkle 2 teaspoons Tajín all along the rim of the crust.
Transfer to the oven and baked until the curst is baked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully move the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and cook the pizza until bottom crust begins to develop some charred bits, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, sprinkle over a little more Tajín, cut into sixths and serve. Repeat with the other dough and the remaining ingredients.
Previously on Grocery Showdown: Trader Joe's vs Aldi: $25 Budget Burger Showdown
Justin Sullivan is the Associate Food Producer for Delish, where he cooks up exciting new recipes and videos to stimulate your taste buds and your eyeballs. He has worked in professional kitchens across New York, but his favorite role will always be as matzoh ball sous chef to his grandma. He loves diners and being from New Jersey, and when he’s not in the Delish Test Kitchen, Justin travels the globe as the world’s foremost chicken finger critic.
