Canned Biscuits Are Perfect For Making Homemade Mini Pizzas

We could always use a few more simple weeknight dinner recipes in our culinary arsenal. Basic staples for a throw-together meal may include canned beans, frozen broccoli, and microwaveable rice. But keep a stocked slot in your fridge for canned biscuit dough, too. There's some serious potential lying within those doughy little rounds.

For another take on a mini naan bread pizza recipe, try using canned biscuits to make mini-pizzas in a pinch. Refrigerated biscuit dough is affordable, accessible, and versatile — definitely worth keeping on your permanent grocery list.

There's enough similarities between pizza dough and biscuit dough to make this substitution effective. However, the main different you'll probably notice is the texture. While classic pizza dough is quite chewy and structured, a biscuit-based version will tend more toward the tender side. If you were making a full-size pie, this might pose a problem, as the large slices would droop and tear upon pick-up. However, when you keep the pie petite and compact, there's less risk of a marinara misfortune. 

For the most part, you can bake these petite pizzas as you would the biscuits according to the package instructions. However, they may need a slight boost in temperature and timing. Try a 10 to 15 minutes in a 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven and adjust according to how crisp and golden you like them. 

And don't just plop the entire biscuit round onto a baking pan; roll it out with a rolling pin to about six inches diameter before topping it. That will provide more a little more real estate for those toppings. You don't need to pre-bake these little guys before adding toppings — they finish in a flash.

When selecting which pizza toppings you'll use, resist the temptation to overcrowd the minis. Compared with full-sized pizzas, these little guys have a lot higher crust-to-interior ratio. In other words, there's less topping space relative to how much crust you'll have. You'll probably only get half a dozen bites out of each mini. Make sure each bite enjoys just the right proportion of cheese, crust, and topping. Bonus tip: Finely dice the toppings for even distribution, as well as a more aesthetically pleasing final product. (Mini toppings for mini pizzas, of course.)

For the best biscuit-based mini-pizzas, you'll need to have the best biscuit brand to use as a base. In side-by-side comparisons, many reviewers rate Pillsbury and Immaculate Baking as the top two contenders among refrigerated canned options. Both are relatively easy to find nationwide at most supermarket chains, including Walmart, Target, and Safeway.

If you're a canned biscuit connoisseur, you know these delectables typically come in a flaky-layer variety as well as homestyle. Because you'll be rolling out the rounds and compressing any would-be flaky layers, the style of biscuit is less important than choosing the most flavorful brand. Look for a buttery, savory option that's not too sweet to match the flavor theme of your preferred toppings. The tenderness of the biscuit crust should balance out the texture of the toppings, whether that's crunchy bell peppers, chewy pepperoni, or juicy pineapple.

The next time you need a sub-20 minute meal on a rushed weeknight, pop open that can of biscuits that you're keeping on standby. Get ready for a delectable mini-delight that's low on effort and high on flavor.