Print

Easy Homemade School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe

Easy Homemade School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 25 reviews

This Easy Homemade School Cafeteria Pizza recipe recreates the classic, nostalgic flavors of your favorite school lunch pizza. Featuring a crispy olive oil and cornmeal crust, a rich tomato sauce, and gooey melted mozzarella, it’s fully customizable with your choice of toppings for a comforting and delicious meal that’s perfect for family dinners or casual gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough and Crust

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 1 recipe homemade pizza dough or 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough from grocery deli

For the Sauce and Toppings

  • 1/2 to 1 cup pizza sauce, to taste
  • 2 to 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Additional toppings of choice (optional): ground beef, diced peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, ham, pineapple, fresh basil
  • Optional seasonings: garlic powder, dried oregano

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan, then use a brush or your fingers to evenly spread the oil over the bottom. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornmeal on top of the oil to create a slightly crunchy crust base.
  2. Shape the Dough: Press your prepared pizza dough into the jellyroll pan, stretching it carefully to fit the entire surface area. The dough should spread evenly to the edges for a uniform crust thickness.
  3. Add Sauce: Spoon 1/2 to 1 cup of pizza sauce over the stretched dough. Spread the sauce evenly across the entire surface, reaching all the edges. Adjust the amount of sauce according to your preference for sauce coverage and flavor intensity.
  4. Top with Cheese: Sprinkle 2 to 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauced dough evenly, covering the pizza surface completely. Use more cheese for a richer, cheesier pizza, or less if you plan to add many other toppings.
  5. Add Toppings and Season: Add any chosen additional toppings such as ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, or pineapple. Optionally, sprinkle garlic powder and dried oregano over the top to enhance the flavors.
  6. Bake the Pizza: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden, and the crust is crisp.
  7. Cool and Slice: Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to cool slightly to set toppings and prevent burning your mouth. Use a pizza cutter or a bench scraper to cut the pizza into rectangles for serving.

Notes

  • Feel free to customize the pizza toppings to your liking – this recipe is flexible and perfect for using up leftovers.
  • Using cornmeal on the pan helps prevent sticking and adds a pleasant texture to the crust bottom.
  • If using homemade dough, make sure it has rested and risen before stretching.
  • This pizza is great for serving a crowd as it yields a large sheet-style pizza.
  • For a crispier crust, you can pre-bake the dough for 3-5 minutes before adding toppings.

Nutrition

Keywords: school cafeteria pizza, homemade pizza, easy pizza recipe, sheet pan pizza, classic American pizza, mozzarella pizza, customizable pizza

Find it online: https://leofoster.com/easy-homemade-school-cafeteria-pizza-recipe/