Are your guests starting to find excuses to stay home? Is "Hey, come on over--we'll slap some burgers on the grill and watch those Olympic highlight tapes again" not making it? Then let us suggest a backyard pizza party where guests make their own pies on the grill: light, thin-crusted pizzas that taste as if they were cooked in a smoky, wood-fired oven. If you think grilling a pizza sounds difficult, we've got step-by-step instructions that show you otherwise.

Simplicity is the key to these rustic, highly flavored pies, which call for only a few topping ingredients used sparingly (of course, you can always do your own improvising). To really save time, we have make-ahead instructions for the pizza dough, and because the crusts are thin, it takes only a few minutes to grill them. And considering the cooking method, these may be some of the best-tasting pizzas your guests have ever had--all in your backyard. No one will want an excuse to miss this party, and you'll be popular again.

Relax! The Grilling Is Easy
Because putting raw dough on a hot grill can be intimidating, we have some suggestions to help turn your fears into fun.

To make ahead, chill the rolled, uncooked crusts for up to 4 hours, or freeze the dough for up to 2 weeks. Make sure that the dough is brought back to room temperature before rolling it out and grilling it.

A little preparation goes a long way. Be sure you have all of your topping ingredients ready and nearby before you start to grill the pizza dough.

To give your pizzas a more pronounced smoky flavor, soak a couple of handfuls of aromatic wood chips in water for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle them over the hot coals, and close the lid to your grill. Wait a few minutes before you place the pizza crust on the grill rack.

Coat the grill rack with cooking spray to prevent the pizza crust from sticking.

Don't fret when your crust has irregular, puffy circles and grill marks. That's part of their rustic attraction.

Some grills are large enough to cook both crusts at the same time.