[Photograph: Phoebe Lapine of Big Girls, Small Kitchen]

Pizza is my go-to cheap meal whether I'm out and about, or cooking at home. The dough is relatively easy to make from scratch, and if you're really feeling thrifty, this is certainly the way to go. On the other hand, it can also be really easy to pop into your favorite corner joint and pick up a premade ball of dough. My corner pizzeria charges $3 for a large ball, which is a few bucks cheaper (and certainly tastier) that the store-bought frozen varieties.

Making pizza at home becomes a great vehicle for leftovers. I've found some of my most creative and interesting topping combinations by simply dumping a few Tupperware containers on top, adding a lot of cheese, and hoping for the best.

This particular pie is one of the better results of this resourcefulness.

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