Most schools offer a pizza day at some point over the course of their calendar year: for some it’s weekly, others monthly and there are even those schools that only provide it on special occasions, or during particular months. Sadly, pizza often gets a D- when it comes to healthy lunchbox fare, but seeing that it’s one of the most loved foods going, you will get top marks for packing some homemade pizza in your child’s lunch box every one in a while.
While the idea of working with fresh dough early in the morning may not be appealing to many mothers, there are plenty of other ways to come up with a homemade pizza base. Think bread, bagels, English muffins, frozen puff pastry and pitas, all of which make for an excellent starting point. Purchase or make homemade pizza sauce, garnish with grated cheese and add any favourite toppings your kids may love. Better yet, allow them to choose a topping or two, and insist that a least one of them be a vegetable.
Homemade Pizza Recipe: Panini Pizza Sandwich
Makes 2 sandwiches
- ¼ cup pizza sauce
- 10 slices pepperoni or salami
- ¼ cup thinly sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 buns or 4 slices of bread
Slice the buns in half. Spread the cut sides with pizza sauce. Layer pepperoni over top, then mushrooms and sprinkle with cheese.
Sandwich the top half, sauce side down and press.
Heat a panini press (or pan) and lightly brush the bottom with oil. Grill the panini, (pressing down with a spatula if you’re using a pan) over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Other Homemade Pizza Recipes:
- Pita Pizzas – Quick and easy, pitas make pizza making easy as pie.
- Pizza Bento – Bite-sized nibbles that will fulfill the craving for pizza.
- Dessert Pizza – A sweet alternative to the real thing.
- Puff Pastry Pizza Swirls – Deliciously easy to assemble.
- Pizza Breadsticks – Make a batch of these and tuck them in the freezer. Simply warm in the microwave and tuck in the lunchbox.