In my home when discussing #Holidays that are celebrated into one day that is a Godsend. Because it saves me time now as well as when I was #Homeschooling Charlie.

This is why I was excited to find out about National Cheese Pizza because that is one of Charlie’s favorite Pizza’s and David likes #football and I’ve always thought it would be fun to go #Tailgating.

Knowing are some food holidays that make me want to get in the kitchen, and then there are food holidays that make me think, “Well, Buttercup… what can we do differently with this one?”

National Cheese Pizza Day and National Tailgating Day gave me one of those moments. Of course, we could make a regular pizza. We could buy a pizza kit, put a pizza on the grill, and call it a day. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But then I started thinking about our family and what we actually like to eat. Charlie likes either Cheese Pizza or Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza. I happen to be a big fan of Cheeseburger Pizza. Gerald likes Sausage on his Pizza and David says bring it all on but all Mushrooms and Pepper but not Bell Peppers.

And then another thought hit me. Why make one big pizza when we could make little biscuit pizzas instead? That sounds a whole lot more fun to me because everyone could make there favorite Pizza.

Instead of trying to maneuver a full-size pizza around on my Colemen tailgating grill, refrigerated biscuits can become individual little pizza crusts. Then everyone can make there own when there hungry.

That means you can have several different toppings ready, and nobody has to eat the same pizza. That is especially handy when you’re feeding a family with different tastes.

And because we’re talking about tailgating, I’m thinking about our Coleman tailgating grill. A portable grill can turn an ordinary tailgate or backyard afternoon into a little outdoor kitchen.

You don’t need to make a complicated meal. Sometimes the best meals are the ones where everybody gets involved. Just make sure whatever pan or cooking surface you use is appropriate for your particular grill, and follow the manufacturer’s directions for cooking with it.

If Charlie were standing beside me helping decide what goes on these little pizzas, I already know what he’d pick. Either Chicken. or Cheese, Bacon and Ranch Pizza.

That’s a combination that makes sense around here. Not for me though but if its what Charlie likes then that’s what he should make because he is the one eating it. Not me.

For the Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizzas, start with refrigerated biscuits and flatten each biscuit into a small round. Rather than making a traditional tomato-sauce pizza, use ranch dressing as the base.

Add cooked chicken, cooked bacon and shredded cheese. You could use mozzarella, cheddar or a combination of cheeses your family enjoys because the Sky’s the limit when making your Pizza.

Then cook the biscuit pizzas on a grill-safe pan or other appropriate cooking surface until the biscuit crust is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Which is why we will be purchasing this Pizza Kit.

The important part is making sure the chicken and bacon are already fully cooked before they go onto the pizzas. We’re assembling and heating these little pizzas, not trying to cook raw meat on top of a biscuit.

And if I’m helping Charlie, I suspect the bacon may mysteriously disappear before the pizzas ever reach the grill. That’s just how things happen around here.

Now we get to my pizza. Give me a cheeseburger and turn it into pizza, and I’m probably going to be happy. How about you. Have you ever had a Cheeseburger Pizza if not you should stop by Bosses Pizza and try the ones they make.

For my Cheeseburger Biscuit Pizzas, I’d start with flattened biscuits and add pizza sauce. Then comes cooked ground beef and plenty of shredded cheese. Pizza Cheese for me. How about for you?

You could add the toppings your family normally puts on a cheeseburger. Pickles would be fun. A little onion could work. You could even experiment with different cheeses. Not for me just Cheese and Hamburger Meat please. How about for you?

Personally, I like the idea of keeping each biscuit pizza individual so everybody can make theirs exactly the way they like it. That means I can have my cheeseburger pizza while Charlie has his Cheese Pizza and his Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza, and neither one of us has to compromise. That sounds like a successful family dinner to me.

This is where I think these little biscuit pizzas become more than just another recipe. Set up a table with your biscuits, sauces, cooked meats, cheese and whatever toppings your family likes. Let everyone make their own. Then take the cooking outside.

If you’re heading to an actual tailgate, prepare the meats and other ingredients ahead of time and transport everything safely. If you’re staying home, your backyard can become the tailgate.

And if you have kids around, let them help assemble their own pizzas with an adult handling the hot grill. There is something about eating outside that can make an ordinary meal feel like an event.

Now here’s where my blogger brain kicks in. Once I started thinking about making pizza on a tailgating grill, I realized there are a lot of things that could make this easier.

A pizza kit could be useful. So could a grill-safe pizza pan, a small baking surface, a pizza cutter or other outdoor cooking accessories. And, of course, if you don’t already have a portable grill, that can become part of the shopping conversation too.

We already have our Coleman tailgating grill, so that is what immediately came to mind when I started thinking about making these outdoors. But the rest of the items would be fun and unique items for David and Charlie for Christmas and that is why you will find them inside our Christmas Gift Guide.

These are also the kinds of items that can make sense for a Christmas shopping list. You don’t necessarily have to buy somebody another sweater or another coffee mug. If someone loves football, tailgating, grilling or pizza night, an outdoor pizza setup could make a pretty fun gift.

That’s one reason I like connecting these holiday posts together. A food holiday can give us an idea for a family activity, and that activity can turn into something you can actually use.

Two Biscuit Pizzas, Two Family Favorites

Chicken Bacon Ranch Biscuit Pizza

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated biscuits
• Cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
• Cooked bacon, crumbled
• Ranch dressing
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Optional cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Make sure the chicken and bacon are completely cooked.
3. Flatten each biscuit into a small round.
4. Place the biscuits on a grill-safe pan or appropriate cooking surface.
5. Spread ranch dressing over each biscuit.
6. Add chicken and bacon.
7. Top with cheese.
8. Cook until the biscuit is cooked through and the cheese has melted.
9. Let cool slightly and enjoy

Cheeseburger Pizza

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated biscuits
• Cooked ground beef, crumbled
• Pizza sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional mozzarella cheese
• Optional chopped pickles
• Optional cooked bacon
• Optional onion or other favorite burger toppings

Directions:

1. Preheat your grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Cook the ground beef completely and drain excess grease.
3. Flatten each biscuit into a small round.
4. Place the biscuits on a grill-safe pan or appropriate cooking surface.
5. Spread pizza sauce over each biscuit.
6. Add cooked ground beef.
7. Sprinkle with cheese.
8. Add any additional toppings.
9. Cook until the biscuit is cooked through and the cheese has melted.
10. Let cool slightly and enjoy.

I don’t think National Cheese Pizza Day has to mean that everybody eats the exact same cheese pizza. Sometimes a holiday is simply an excuse to try something different.

For us, that means taking two family favorites — Charlie’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza and my Cheeseburger Pizza — and turning them into little biscuit pizzas that we can make outside.

And honestly, I think the best part might be letting everybody create their own. One person gets extra bacon. Another wants more cheese. Someone wants ranch. Someone else wants cheeseburger toppings.

And before you know it, you’ve turned National Cheese Pizza Day and National Tailgating Day into a family memory. That’s my kind of holiday.

#TeachingMoment: Sometimes the best family activities aren’t complicated. Take something everybody already loves, change it up a little, and let everyone participate.

And if you’re looking for ideas for the pizza lover or tailgater on your Christmas list, keep an eye on our GreatfulMoments.com Christmas shopping and gift-guide posts. Lord willing, we’ll find a few things worth adding to that list along the way

Cheese Pizza

Directions

1. Flatten each biscuit into a small round.
2. Place the biscuits on a grill-safe pan or appropriate cooking surface.
3. Spread a little pizza sauce over each biscuit.
4. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese.
5. Add a little cheddar or Italian seasoning if desired.
6. Cook according to your grill’s instructions until the biscuit is cooked through and the cheese is melted.
7. Let cool slightly and enjoy your simple cheese pizza!

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates