This old school cafeteria pizza recipe captures the essence of everything that was good in the school cafeterias of our youth. (Cafeteria ladies are not included).
This fall was a real mom step for me. After 28 years of recording the first day of school with a picture every year, then sending my daughters to kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and finally high school – multiplied by five! – I faced the first day of my baby’s last year – and my last “first day of school”.
All but the youngest children have now gone on to university, but as anyone who has ever done so will tell you, sending a child to university is a totally different experience than sending a child to first grade. In any case, this rite of passage brought back memories, and as I went online to update Em’s lunch account, I started thinking about the cafeteria and school lunches of my childhood.
I grew up in northeast Portland and attended the same elementary school from kindergarten to grade eight; and by that time I think I had eaten almost 1,500 meals in our basement cafeteria. More than two-thirds of those were “hot lunches”.
Crust:
¾ cup powdered milk
2 T sugar
1 packet of quick rise yeast
1 tsp salt
1 ⅔ cup warm water (105-110 degrees)
2 T vegetable oil
1 cup water
⅓ olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tbsp dried oregano
½ tbsp dried basil
½ tsp dried rosemary crushed
Crust:
In a large bowl – flour, powdered milk, sugar, yeast, salt – whisk to blend
Add oil to hot water (110-115 degrees) – pour into your mixture
Stir with a wooden spoon until batter forms – don’t worry about lumps – you just want no dry spots
Spread dough into pan using fingertips until it’s even. If dough doesn’t want to cooperate, let rest 5 minutes and try again
Bake just the crust for 8-10 minutes – remove from oven and set aside.
Brown meats until it resembles crumbles – set aside and drain meat
Get out the pizza sauce – to partially baked crust, assemble:
Sauce – spread all over crust
Sprinkle meats
Sprinkle cheese
Bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes until cheese melts and begins to brown
Remove from oven – let stand 5 minutes
Cut in slices and serve!
Can’t see the recipe for school pizza. Click next and other stuff come up.
It’s just above. No need to click on anything. Good luck.
What size sheet pan is used for this recipe?
Half sheet pan
What size is a “half sheet pan”?
It’s half the size of a full size sheet pan.
18 x 13
When I had first saw this recipe I was excited to share it on Facebook, and tag my mother, as she is a very hard working lunch lady. Kids love her, and she does everything that she can to make school lunch and experience something kids remember, in every positive aspect. Wherever she can make something homemade or add a special touch for an event or a holiday, she does. It is too bad that cafeteria memories were good for you, but the experience and relationship with the ladies or men that served you were not. However, I think not only along with you but others should really be careful on how you word somebodies position and there effect on you, as we never truly know what others are going through. People who are in the work force and stick it through, truly care but it can be hard day to day especially if they are not seen and respected for what they do, and unfortunately some positions that obtain the most work, are looked at as lowest on the totem pole and overseen. It’s just too bad. Just know lunch staff that do it year after year have a passion for making sure all students are fed and hope for a good experience. They are very important, hardworking and they remember the memories with the students they serve breakfast , snacks and lunch to each day.
Indeed….♥️
I’d have to agree with Blair. I was an elementary school lunch lady for 10 years. Only stopped and moved on due to divorce. I loved my job! Loved seeing those children every day. I have very very sweet memories of my time as a lunch lady!
Thanks for this recipe and now asking about ” winier in a blanket” was also a favorite of my youth..
I remember the dough to be golden brown outside with a chewy inside then the hog dog inside that would shoot out if not careful…ant help remembering this recipe ? Thanks
Very good
For the sauce it had olive oil but no amount. Could you include amount, please. Thank you.
it says 1/3 cup olive oil for sauce
I’m so going to make this. I might sprinkle a little cornmeal on the oiled parchment paper and add a tiny amount of sugar, garlic powder and parsley to the sauce and use diced up pepperoni because I think my kids would like that better but I will also make it with the ground chuck because I wanna try it like that. Since I don’t have a big sheet pan 18× 13 I’ll just split it up and use 2 normal sized sheet pans.
Hi