For the busy parents, this is an easy way to not only make dinner, but also spend quality time with your little ones. Now don’t confuse home made for made from scratch. This is an easy home made pizza recipe the whole family can enjoy making together. In fact it’s so easy that my 2 year old can make it by himself! Here is what you’ll need:
- 1 Pre-made pizza crust (gluten free optional)
- 1 Jar all natural pizza sauce
- 8 oz Italian cheese mix
- 8 oz Colby Jack or Monterrey Jack cheese
- Toppings of choice (I use pepperoni and sometimes mushrooms)
- Olive Oil and Garlic Powder
First start by brushing olive oil on both sides of the pizza crust. Next add the sauce in a thin layer but stopping a 1/2 inch away from the edges. At this point, I sprinkle garlic powder lightly on the sauce to give it more of a kick. This is optional.
Next add a generous amount of Italian cheese covering the entire pie. I always recommend shredding your own cheese as it tastes better and doesn’t have any tree parts in it (cellulose), but after a hard day of chasing the kids or working, the already shredded stuff is definitely easier. Shredding Mozzarella cheese can be difficult since it’s soft, so put it in the freezer for 15 minutes right before you shred it.
After the initial layer of cheese, add the toppings. You can buy ready to go pepperoni or you can cook up some Italian sausage, blackened chicken, or whatever you like on your pizza. After the toppings, add the final, smaller layer of Colby Jack and you’re ready to bake.
Preheat your oven to 450 and follow the cooking directions on the crust you bought. It usually says to bake about 7 – 10 minutes or until the edges get charred. For crispier crust, bake directly on the oven rack. That’s it! Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Bonus – White Pizza
My wife loves white pizza and this recipe can easily be converted. To make this a white pizza, replace the pizza sauce with Ricotta cheese. You can then add toppings such as blackened chicken, spinach, artichoke hearts, and fresh sliced tomatoes if you really want to have a pizza experience! Yum Yum!
- 1 Pre-made pizza crust (gluten free optional)
- 1 Jar all natural pizza sauce
- 8 oz Italian cheese mix
- 8 oz Colby Jack or Monterrey Jack cheese
- Toppings of choice (I use pepperoni and sometimes mushrooms)
- Olive Oil and Garlic Powder
- Brush both sides of crust with olive oil.
- Add a thin layer of pizza sauce stopping 1/2 inch from edges.
- Add Italian cheeses.
- Add toppings such as pepperoni and mushrooms.
- Add final layer of Colby Jack cheeses
- Bake at 450 degrees for 7 - 10 minutes or according to crust directions.
- There are great gluten free alternatives for the crust.
- Adding Ricotta cheese takes the pizza to a whole new level!
I stumbled across your site on a whim and just had to say, I love it! I also enjoy cooking with my child (although at 17 months, his skills are in the ‘not so helpful, but adorable nonetheless’ category.) I think it’s great that you’re encouraging your kiddos to help you out in the kitchen. To many parents rely on the heat and eat options, which, I’m not saying I haven’t resorted to those a time or two (or twelve) but home cooking is a great way to bond. Kudos to you and thanks for the recipes!