This Old School Pizza recipe capturesthe essence of all that was good in the school cafeterias of our youth. (Cafeteria ladies not included.)
In the day, our Cafeteria Ladies served us up savory squares of school lunch pizza made with three distinct elements: a pourable crust, meat sauce topping, and government cheese. This old school pizza recipe perfectly recreates the memory; tender crust, meaty sauce, copycat cheese blend and all.
I was one of those kids who got hot lunch almost every day. Both my parents worked outside our home and mom wasn't the lunch-packing sort, so until I got old enough to where my mom would let me pack my own lunch, I was most often in the hot lunch line. From first through eighth grade, I figure I ate about 1000 hot lunches in our basement cafeteria.
Recipe: Remember School Lunch Pizza? Here's How You Make It
Most days, the actual food served for hot lunch wasn't all that awesome, but ever so often, it was great. I mean, truly Good. My favorite was Chili & Maple Bar Day (I'll get to that here on the blog someday - you're gonna love it!), and my second favorite was Pizza Day.
Oh sure, by the time I hit my tweens, my mom had finally decided that she'd give the pizza at Amalfi's a try, and from then on we had it at least once a month. But even though I have had countless amazing, hand-tossed, artisan-created, wood-fired, rustic pizzas since those long-ago days, a slice of old school cafeteria pizza now and again is a comfortable, reassuring memory.
To recreate the unique flavor memory that is School Cafeteria Pizza, you need three basic elements: a pourable crust, a meaty topping, and copycat government cheese.
Kitchen Serves '80s School Lunch Style Pizza
The pourable crust is arguably the most critical piece of the cafeteria pizza puzzle, because it gives school pizza its unique texture and bite. Every source I could find for pourable pizza crust made enough dough for at least eight full-size sheet pans. After some serious tinkering, however, I was able to adjust the recipe down so that it is just right for a single half-sheet pan.
School pizza in 1970s Portland always came topped with a thick, meaty, tomato-based sauce; almost like a Bolognese sauce. (There were no
As usual, the topping sauce in this recipe is presented as a Ia jumping-off point. If you want to use your own topping sauce, or make it vegetarian, or add a stew of other ingredients to it, by all means - go for it!
Lunch Tray Pizza Recipe
*Original school pizza was usually made with only ground beef, but we really like to add Italian sausage to the meat blend. For a pure, authentic sauce, omit the sausage and just use ground beef.
. Government cheese was ubiquitous in the cafeteria of my youth; it was found in grilled cheese sandwiches, lasagna, mac-n-cheese, and of course, pizza.
If you have never experienced government cheese in all its glorious goldenness, you don't know what you are missing. Rumored to have been created from the tears of Midwest dairy farmers, this “pasteurized process American cheese product” wedges in on the dubious side of the cheese wheel, somewhere between Velveeta and Kraft Singles.
School Cafeteria Pizza
I don't have access to government cheese these days; however, I've created a blend that comes pretty close. It is this copycat government cheese that gives this cafeteria pizza recipe its authentic, old school flavor.
Use a textured baking pan if you have one. The texture allows air to flow under the pizza dough as it bakes on the parchment, making for a more evenly baked crust.
Combine oil and warm water in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl, and then pour the liquid into flour mixture and stir thoroughly for about 5 minutes. The dough will be thick, loose, and
The Mysteries Of School Cafeteria Pizza, Sort Of Solved
Pour the dough mixture from bowl onto prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula. Set dough in pan aside in a warm spot to rest for 30 minutes.
In a large, heavy skillet, combine the chopped onion, mild Italian sausage, and ground beef. Cook over medium-high heat until meat is thoroughly browned and onion is soft and translucent.
Hint: Processed American cheese usually comes in slices. To grate the American cheese easily, first stack the slices, then cut them in half and stack them again before grating.
Best School Pizza (rectangle Lunch Pizza Recipe)
Return pizza to hot 475°F (245°C) oven and bake for 8-10 minutes; until the cheese is melted and the topping is heated.
Pizza, just leave out the meat and double the tomato sauce and spices to create the sauce. It really is as simple as that.
Toppings: Like any pizza, the choices are practically limitless when it comes to topping a school lunch pizza. You can go traditional and add pepperoni or peppers; or zhuzh it up with caramelized onions or a sprinkling of roasted Brussels sprouts. One of our favorite additions is homemade meatballs!
Thick Crust Sicilian Pizza
The important thing is to incorporate whatever you use into the sauce, because that saucy center is what makes it old school pizza.
Sheet Pan: I recommend using a textured half sheet baking pan (20 x 14 x 1) for this recipe. It also bakes up nicely in two quarter sheet pans (9x13). A pizza cutter is also helpful, but not necessary.
Meat Masher: This inexpensive little kitchen tool makes the job of breaking up ground meat 10x easier, and saves your wrists, too.
School Lunch Square Pizza
Refrigerator: Homemade school pizza stores like any other pizza. According to the USDA, leftover pizza will last in the fridge forup to 4 days. Wrap and refrigerate within 2 hours of taking it out of the oven.
Freezer: This cafeteria pizza recipe can also be frozen. To do this, prebake the crust as directed, and then add the toppings and cheese. Allow the pizza to cool completely, and then cover with plastic wrap. Wrap a second time in aluminum foil, and put in the freezer.
When ready to eat, bake as directed, adjusting the time as needed. The pizza is done when the cheese is fully melted and the crust is warm and golden brown.
Recipe: School Lunch Pizza Crust
Store-bought crust: If you don't want to make the pourable dough, you can use refrigerated pizza dough. You can find this in the freezer section, or at the grocery store deli or pizza counter. (If you have a Winco, the pizza section there sells raw dough.)
Air-fryer Reheating: We find that the best way to reheat school pizza (or any pizza for that matter) is in an air fryer. Preheat the air-fryer to 390-400°F (200-204°C), and then air-fry individual servings for 3-4 minutes each.
Updating and revamping vintage recipes is kind of our thing here on GHW. As Generation Jonesers, our favorites include such budget-friendly favorites as layered taco salad, tamale pie, and salmon patties.
Old School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe • The Good Hearted Woman
Allow the cooked pizza to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. Like any cheesy, saucy dish (i.e., lasagna, eggplant parm, etc.) the ingredients need a little time to set.
Since school pizza is usually something you make for a crowd, the easiest way to serve it is straight from the pan. First cut with a pizza cutter, ulu, or sharp knife, and serve it up with a spatula.
For the ultimate retro experience, serve it on school lunch trays, with fruit cup and a carton of milk on the side.
Vegan School Lunch Pan Pizza(no Yeast!)
This Old School Cafeteria Pizza recipe captures the essence of all that was good in the school cafeterias of our youth. (Cafeteria ladies not included.)
Air-fryer reheating: We find that the best way to reheat school pizza (or any pizza for that matter) is in an air fryer. Preheat the air-fryer to 390°-400°F (200°-204°C), and then air-fry individual servings for 3-4 minutes each.
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 280 kcal | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 42 mg | Sodium: 514 mg | Potassium: 251 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 298 IU | Vitamin C: 3 mg | Calcium: 161 mg | Iron: 2 mg
Ground Beef Pizza Usda
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.
We use cookies to make this website a better place. Cookies help to provide a more personalized experience and relevant advertising for you, and web analytics for us. To learn more about the different cookies we use, check out our Cookie Policy.
Remember Your School Cafeteria's Rectangular Pizza? This Alabama Market Sells It
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for
0 Response to "School Lunch Square Pizza Recipe"
Posting Komentar