Making Pizza 101 with Kids in the Kitchen

• Inexpensive meal for families on a budget
• Fun meal to prepare with children
• Great recipe to share at a potluck
• Can be easily customized for picky eaters or those with dietary restrictions
• Pizza is delicious

You need 3 key ingredients to make pizza: dough, sauce, & toppings.

• Healthy Pizza Dough Recipes
• Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

You can buy dough at most grocery stores. Fresh dough is best and usually costs less than $2. If you prefer to make your own dough, I have provided some links to recipes (I highly recommend using a KitchenAid for kneading the dough).

Rolling/Stretching Dough

You may choose to roll out your pizza dough using a rolling pin or just stretch it using your hands. Either way, it is best to first put the dough on a lightly floured and flat surface to work it into the desired shape and size.

I use a cookie sheet to cook pizza, so I stretch the dough into a large rectangle.

Use Cookie Sheet or Hot Pizza Stone to Cook Pizza

Once dough has been stretched or rolled out, place it on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking oil and sprinkled with a little corn meal or a heated pizza stone.

If using the cookie sheet, place stretched dough in 425° preheated oven for 5 minutes to slightly heat the crust, avoiding a soggy middle.

• Pizza Recipes: How to Make Pizza Dough and Homemade Pizza Sauce
• 5 Healthy Pizza Toppings: Pizza Sauce Recipes Included!
• White Sauce for Pizza

So many options are available at your local grocery store in jars, cans, and sometimes even fresh in the produce department. Alternatively, you may make your own...check out some pizza sauce recipes from other hubbers.

Sauce Alternatives

Who says you have to use a traditional red pizza sauce on your pizza?

Try these delicious alternatives:

• White Pizza (spread olive oil, optionally add minced garlic & crushed red pepper)
• Pesto
• Refried or Black Beans
• Olive Oil
• White Sauce

As you can imagine, the combinations are truly endless! Here's a few of our favorites:

• Eggplant & mushrooms
• Sliced button & portabello mushrooms sauteéd in minced garlic & olive oil
• Sauteéd onion & pepper
• Gimme lean vegetarian sausage & sweet peppers
• Grilled vegetables (eggplant, peppers, zucchini)
• Broccoli & sliced tomatoes

After sprinkling on your favorite toppings, optionally add cheese. I say optionally in case their are folks looking for a dairy free pizza recipe. If you like cheese, as I do, add your favorite kind.

Cheese (sliced or shredded)

• Mozzarella
• Cheddar
• Feta
• Monteray Jack
• Asiago

Shredded Cheese Tips

I find that most packaged shredded cheeses are very dry and tasteless, but if you have a food processor and buy a block of cheese instead, freshly shredded cheese not only tastes delicious, it is much less expensive than purchasing packaged shredded cheeses.

• Most kids love to help out in the kitchen. Making homemade pizza is a great recipe to include little helpers.
• Depending on their age, sprinkling the cheese may be enough responsibility for safety and available attention span, but many children over 3 are able to help out with other tasks while being supervised by an adult.
• Older children may enjoy helping with rolling out or stretching the dough.

Once I came across this old home video of my son when he was 2 1/2, I had to share it. He is older now, but still enjoys helping out in the kitchen.

• Bake your pizza in a 425° oven for 10-15 additional minutes, or until cheese starts to lightly brown and crust is cooked to desired crunchiness.
• Let cool for about 5 minutes and slice using a pizza wheel.
• Serve & Enjoy!

• Cooking with Kids: Easy Veggie, Rice & Cheese Casserole Dinner

  You probably have all of the ingredients needed to create this simple dish that is fun to prepare with children. Check it out!

• Kid Friendly & Healthy Smoothie Recipes

  These smoothies are a nutritious grab and go recipe for breakfast or a special treat to have kids make on their own by choosing from a variety of ingredients.

• Get Your Kids to Eat Leafy Greens Recipe, Inspired by Dr. Seuss

  Many children do not like the taste of leafy green vegetables, but adding spinach to my egg & cheese wrap recipe will have them asking for more!