Pizza Friday! Cooking with a little chef

Pizza pizza pizza! Who doesn’t love some form of pizza! Making it at home is so easy with premade ingredients or can be a whole experience if you want to make your dough and get fancy with toppings. For this recipe it’ll be simple, the one I make almost weekly with my son. Trader Joe’s has a great plain dough or you could opt for garlic/herb or gluten free—love the options they provide. Plains easiest for picky kids, and gives you the option to add herbs/flavor to portions if you want 🙂 There tomato basil marinara gives that simple pizza taste but again feel free to go rouge if your feeling adventurous! A bag of shredded mozzarella and your all set! Literally, that’s all you need. And when cooking with a toddler simple is usually best<3

Start by letting your dough be room temperature if you can—if you cant time it with the kids its ok to take it straight from the fridge. Just stretches a little better and will give a more even crust—but somedays that extra time just isn’t there (or memory power to get it out early 😊). Lightly flour the surface in front of your child (or you) and kneed the dough a bit by giving it small punches. Then take your roller and start rolling it out! Once flat pick it up, spin it holding onto the edges to help stretch a bit, and put it down on the other side. Repeat rolling and then your ready to put it on your pan! If doing this yourself its nice to bake the crust a little on its own if you want it crispy, or sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom. I leave it simple and as is with him so nothing is too hot to touch.

Sauce it up time! Pour some sauce in a bowl and spoon it over your dough. Sprinkle some all over then flip your spoon so the back is facing the pie and spread it out. This helps avoid ripping the dough and is almost like painting a picture.

Next is the best part—the cheese! Add to a bowl and sprinkle that bad boy all over the pie, leaving a little extra to snack on too 😊 After we usually add a sprinkle of salt and the pie is ready to bake! One dough is enough to make two small pies, feel free to make one simple for kids and one a little more complex if you’d like. Burrata is my favorite topping to add—TD’s also got that covered for you! Also can brush the crust with a little melted butter mixed with garlic/basil  if you’d like. Could still be kid friendly but if your littles picky like mine less is more.

Put it in the oven and bake at 450 for 12-18 minuets, depending on how crispy you like it. Usually when the cheese starts to get pops of golden color on it is when I take them out. Varies a little based on size and if the pies are side by side or under/over each other. Let it cool for 10 minuets and slice it up! Your very own pizza made by you, plus a mini chef if your working with one<3

Enjoy!