I’m going to begin a tough challenge on Monday, where I’m planning to attempt to consume only $4.50 per day of meals a day. I can remember being extremely hungry last year during my SNAP challenge, and I was tempted to indulge in one last moment before beginning the challenge. What’s the most indulgent meal, IMHO? Pizza, of course. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pizza, to be exact.

WHAT KIND OF PIZZA DOUGH TO USE

I decided to create this pizza using a non-knead pan crust that needs to be made the night before. However, you can create this pizza using the traditional pizza base or an extremely fast, thinner crust. The toppings that come with the pizza are so delicious that you could literally place them on any pizza crust.

DO I HAVE TO USE A CAST IRON SKILLET?

It’s the only option for this pizza. I made this pizza using a 10-inch Lodge skillet. However, these toppings will suffice to make a 12-inch pan pizza or an ordinary pizza of 14 inches. You can bake your pizza on a regular pizza pan, a pizza stone, or even on a square baking sheet.

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.30)

One teaspoon salt ($0.05)

1/8 teaspoon instantly yeast ($0.02)

One tablespoon olive oil ($0.16)

3/4-1 cup of water ($0.00)

CREAMY SPINACH SAUCE

1/2 lb. frozen chopped spinach ($0.85)

1 Tbsp of butter ($0.10)

One clove of garlic ($0.08)

Four oz. cream cheese ($1.00)

1/2 cup of milk ($0.19)

1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)

PIZZA

1 Tbsp of cooking oil ($0.02)

1/2 15oz. heart of artichoke ($1.30)

One pinch of crushed fresh red pepper (optional) ($0.05)

1 cup shredded mozzarella ($1.00)

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the dough on the night prior In a bowl large enough to mix all the ingredients: flour, salt, and yeast. Mix the olive oil and 3/4 cup of water and put it in the bowl along with the flour. Mix until an even (slightly dry and sticky) dough ball forms without any dry flour remaining on the top of the bowl. Add one or two tablespoons of water, depending on the amount, to form the dough into a ball. The dough can be covered loosely and allowed to sit at temperatures between 12 and 18 for at least 12 hours.

The next day, let the spinach cool and then squeeze as much water as possible. Heat the oven to 425oF. Pour 1 Tbsp cooking oil into a 10- 12 inch cast iron pan. Distribute the oil all over the skillet and along the sides.

To prepare the sauce, chop the garlic, then put it in a smaller saucepan together with butter. Cook the garlic and butter for about 2 minutes at a medium temperature until the garlic becomes soft and aromatic. Add milk, cream cheese, as well as salt, to garlic and butter. Mix and cook on low temperatures to cook until the cream cheese melts to the milk until a thick sauce has formed (3-5 mins). Then, mix the squeezed dried spinach with the sauce. Break any clumps you find as you stir. Take the sauce off the stove and place it aside.

Make use of the oil that has escaped the skillet to grease your hands. Then, scrape the fermented dough from the bowl. Press and stretch the dough until it covers the bottom.

Spread the spinach-based sauce with creamy consistency over the dough, covering it from edges to ends. The artichoke hearts should be rinsed, then a rough chop, and then sprinkled over the creamy spinach sauce. Sprinkle on a few red pepper flakes as desired. Then add the shredded cheese.

The pizza is baked in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes to ensure that the edges have begun to sizzle and the top has a golden brown. Take the pizza out of the range and run a knife of butter around the edges to release any cheese that is melted. You can either slide the entire pizza onto a cutting table or carefully cut the pizza out of the pan. Slice into six pieces and serve.