Yup, even pizza can be made into a nutritionally-balanced meal, and we promise, it's a WAY better option than the takeout kind. Even better, your kids can have a blast helping to make dinner! This week we've included asparagus as a side dish, but salad is a great option as well.
Ingredients
Pizza dough, thawed and left at room temp
Marinara
Mozzarella Cheese
Toppings of choice
Flour for working with dough
Basil and parmesan cheese for topping (optional)
Vegetable or Salad For Serving on the Side
Directions
Let your frozen dough sit out on the counter for 2-3 hours until thawed. As your dough warms past room temp (from the warmth of your hands or having it near the hot stove) it will be harder to move around so place in the fridge until you're ready to work with it.
This week we have included TWO balls of pizza dough and enough marinara, shredded mozzarella and pepperoni for 2 pizzas! Kids often like the traditional route, but parents- it's your chance to get creative! Feel free to experiment with the second pizza. Here we have used artichoke hearts, salami, and some fresh vegetables from our garden: yellow tomatoes, jalapenos and bell pepper.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. If you are cooking your pizza on a sheet pan, add that to the oven to preheat!
Whatever your toppings, have them all chopped up and ready before you work your dough. Lightly dust your CLEAN countertop with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Work it in all directions, sometimes picking it up to stretch with your hands, until it has reached your desired size. With your provided dough, if it stretches to 12" in diameter, you will have crust of average thickness. Smaller will yield a 'deep-dish' crust and bigger will yield a thinner crust.
Add 3-4 Tablespoons of marinara and spread evenly around the pizza, leaving a 1" border. Next goes the cheese, followed by your toppings. Being VERY careful, remove your hot sheet pan from the oven. Add the pizza to the pan and back into the oven as quickly as possible. Bake at 425 until crust starts to crisp and cheese is bubbly. Once removed from the oven, top immediately with parmesan and basil. Allow to cool, slice and enjoy!
NOTE: If you enjoy pizza-making, a pizza stone (heats in the oven and mimics a wood-fired grill) and a large pizza spatula (called a pizza peel) and can make your life much easier and take your pizza game to the next level! They aren't expensive so may be worth considering if you plan to continue to make your own pizza :) Here are the links to the ones I recommend:
Spatula: Amazon.com: American Metalcraft 3016 Extra large blade pizza peel, 30-Inch: Kitchen & Dining
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