OK, now that we are past the halfway mark of our ABCs, I decided it is time to address something rather serious and important for SCV families as we focus on the letter “P.”

For P we have Pizza. Yep, pizza. What family can live without pizza? Serious, right? I asked around to find out what people think is the best pizza in the SCV. The ABCs are all about fun and practical, helpful tips for SCV families, so favorite pizza places seemed like a perfect fit.

Vincenzo’s Pizza, which has locations in Saugus and Newhall, was selected by many as their favorite pizza, and I would have to agree, although it is a bit pricey for my budget. I know many Newhall and Valencia families who use it as a go-to for take-out as well as eating in, and I hear the Saugus location hosts the Saugus High School Jazz Band from time to time.

Our family occasionally does pizza at Stonefire Grill. It is perfect for when my husband and I want a nice salad at a good price, while the boys eat something they will really like, too.

The other place mentioned several times was Chi Chi’s, where I admit I have never eaten, but given how many people mentioned it as one of their favorite pizza places in the SCV, I have decided we will have to give it a try.

Other favorites seem to be Round Table, Pizza Factory and Downtown Philly. As for cheap and easy take-out, Little Cesar’s was mentioned. Costco pizza that you bake at home also got some mentions.

Our family has given up on both cheap take-out pizza and bake-it-at-home pizzas, as I have gotten better and better at making pizza at home. Homemade pizza, in fact, is now our favorite pizza in town. I highly recommend giving it a try. Do not be overwhelmed.

I am intimidated by the idea of making my own crust. Instead, I use the pizza dough balls from Vons/Pavillion’s. They are usually two for $3, making it really affordable to make pizza at home, and I prefer this crust to pre-made crusts or Pillsbury. Tastes better and is more affordable. Score.

Our favorite topping is Italian-style chicken sausage, which I usually cook on a countertop grill and then dice up to put on the pizza. We prefer white pizzas (dusting the crust with olive oil and crushed garlic instead of tomato sauce). My chicken-bacon ranch pizza is quickly becoming a new favorite, as well. For this one, I grill chicken and cook up some bacon and then crumble it on top of the crust, on which I have drizzled ranch dressing and then put cheese on. We also like pesto pizza, especially topped with cheese, sausage and mushrooms (I sautee the mushrooms in advance and cook the sausage in advance).

Of course, pepperoni is always a classic, and using turkey pepperoni is a nice way to reduce calories. This is the best thing about making pizza at home for your family – less sodium, preservatives and calories than take-out pizza – and it tastes better and can be a fun thing for your children to make with you. (My boys like to just play in the flour with the rolling pin after I am done rolling out the pizza crust). To really mix it up, we have even made pizza for breakfast.

OK, as always, it is your turn. What is your favorite pizza place in the Santa Clarita Valley? Do you make pizza at home? What are your favorite toppings? What about crust? Pop over to The Good Long Road on Facebook and tell me all about it.

Jennifer Fischer is co-founder of the SCV Film Festival, a mom of two, an independent filmmaker and owner of Think Ten Media Group, whose Generation Arts division offers programs for SCV youth. She writes about her parenting journey on her blog, The Good Long Road. Her commentary is published Saturdays on SCVNews.com.