pizza

Kids in the Kitchen: Tortilla Pizzas

Kids in the Kitchen: Tortilla Pizzas

I think it”s great to get kids in the kitchen early and even to arm them with recipes so that once they”re a little older, and staying home alone, you know they can take good care of themselves in the kitchen (without you having to worry about the house exploding while you”re gone).

I first came up with this idea just before we moved. Our house was becoming more and more depleted of ingredients and we had some leftover pizza toppings and an opened package of tortillas. My hubby was gone on a business trip so I wanted to make something quick for me and Max. This was the first thing that popped into my head and I must admit, I didn”t expect us to like it so much.

This is a great recipe for kids to learn to make on their own – my son had so much fun and was so proud to make a pizza all by himself. And, they won”t be the only ones enjoying it, it makes a yummy quick lunch for us adults too. :)

It”s also a great project to do to when the kids are bored out of their minds, being stuck inside all winter. Take a little extra time on lunch and watch them get excited about making their own creations and then eating every last bite.

A Few Topping Ideas

These personalized pizzas are a great way to use up those leftover scraps of veggies and meat that you”re not sure what to do with. Here are a few ideas.

Sauce:

  • pizza sauce
  • pesto
  • dressing (such as southwestern ranch)
  • salsa
  • leftover bolognese/pasta sauce
  • cream cheese
  • refried beans

Meat:

  • leftover chicken
  • sandwich meat
  • taco meat/fajita filling
  • leftover ham
  • vegetarian: beans

Veggies/Fruit:

  • bell peppers
  • mushrooms
  • green onions/onions
  • pineapple
  • corn
  • spinach

And don”t forget the cheese!

Tortilla Pizzas How-to

A step-by-step guide for the kiddos.

Step One:

Assemble ingredients and place a tortilla on a baking sheet. Top with pizza sauce.


Step Two:

Put on desired toppings – be as creative as you like. :)


Step Three:

Top with cheese. (Mom and Dad – avoid the urge to help them make it perfect.) :)


Step Four:

Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven. Bake at 450ºF (or under a broiler) until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp. Make sure to keep your eye out for the “boiling” cheese! :)

P.S. If you”ve got one, you could make these in a toaster oven to be more kid-friendly.


Step Five:

Remove from the oven, cut into slices and enjoy!


Tropical Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Tropical BBQ Chicken Pizza

Does anybody else feel like Christmas should be at the end of January?We get so excited about the snow leading up to Christmas and then as soon as Christmas is over we seem to be ready for winter to be over too. But, winter has just started!

I genuinely like winter. It gives you the excuse to do lot’s of baking, have a pyjama day without feeling guilty and enjoy the coziness of coming in from the cold and sipping on some hot chocolate. The problem for me is that most of the “magic” disappears along with Christmas. If we celebrated it at the end of January that would give us one whole extra month to be in the Christmas spirit and have something besides Spring to look forward to.

I’m not saying we should change tradition, but I guess maybe it’s just time to find the magic of winter without Christmas. I think my friend Aimée’s idea of a winter picnic would be the perfect way to do that. Now if only my jacket would do up over my pregnant belly. :)

Our family has a pizza night every weekend. For the longest time would just make Hawaiian because it’s my hubby’s favourite. But, since we were having it every week I was really wanting to branch out and find some other favourites. Surprisingly enough it seems difficult to find a pizza that we all love. But this time I hit the nail on the head.

I took our favourite thin crust pizza dough, topped it with barbecue sauce, chicken, cheese, red peppers, green onions and pineapple. It was perfect and we all ate way too much of it. I think my two year old had three or four pieces. Although, when the pizza crust is so thin you can down a lot more slices. :) I love that this doesn’t have the traditional tomato pizza sauce because sometimes you just need to change things up.

This one will definitely be going into our pizza night rotation and I’ll be sure to share any other favourites that we hit along the way.

One Year Ago: Cappuccino Nanaimo Bars

Tropical Barbecue Chicken Pizza

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided
  • 1 ball thin crust pizza dough
  • 3 cups shredded cheese
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 (227g/8oz) can pineapple tidbits
  1. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil and then add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. Add 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce and toss to coat.
  2. Roll and stretch pizza dough to cover a 12×15 inch jelly roll pan. Spread remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over all. Top with chicken, cheese, pepper, onions, and pineapple.
  3. Bake at 500ºC for 10-12 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is cooked through.

Serves: 4

*Make sure to use your favourite barbecue sauce. The better it tastes the better the pizza will taste!

* You can use whatever pizza dough you like just make sure to follow the instructions for the baking of that dough.

Print Recipe

Thin Crust Pizza Dough and a Simple Sauce

Thin Crust Pizza Dough and a Simple Sauce

Thank you everyone for your well wishes last week! We are feeling much better after a very restful weekend.

I try and make a point of making as many things from scratch as possible. Not only is it healthier and cheaper then eating out, but it”s darn satisfying when you are able to make something that is better then store-bought or is restaurant quality.

Pizza was always one of those things that I didn”t make at home very often because my husband simply preferred the frozen or pizza shop variety. In large part, it was because most homemade pizzas are doughy and heavy. But, I”m happy to say that I finally perfected the perfect pizza crust for my husband and he now prefers my pizza over all others. Woot!

This dough is perfect because it draws all the attention to the toppings rather then the crust, which is just the way we like it. The dough is so pliable (due to the amount of vinegar) that it can be easily stretched to the thickness desired. It also freezes like a dream with no adverse affects. When I make it for us I always throw one ball of dough in the freezer immediately, along with half the sauce, and then I have it on hand for a busy day.

I”m still on search for the perfect pizza sauce, but this is so far the favorite and my go to for now. I will share my findings if that perfect pizza sauce ever smacks me in the face.

Are you a pizza topping or thick and crusty dough person? I think for me it depends on my mood and if the crust is done right. Feel free to share any yummy pizza sauces or perfect crusty dough”s in the comment section below.


Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Step by step photos at bottom of post.

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1.5 tsp. yeast
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3-4 cups flour

  1. Stir together water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let proof for 10 min.
  2. Stir in oil, salt, vinegar and 2 cups flour until well incorporated.
  3. Add additional flour and knead until pliable and  barely sticky.
  4. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
  5. Once doubled. Punch down and divide into two portions.
  6. Roll and stretch each piece of dough to cover a large un-greased baking sheet. Cover with pizza sauce and toppings of choice.
  7. Bake at 500ºF for 10-12 min. until browned and bubbly.

1 pizza serves: 4

* You can either bake this on a large cookie sheet or an 12×15 inch jelly roll pan.

* If you are only making one pizza now you can freeze the other dough for later use. Grease the inside of a ziploc bag with cooking spray, drop the dough ball in and seal. To use later: take the dough out in the morning or at lunch time and allow to thaw at room temperature (it needs approximately 5-6 hours). Remove from bag and proceed as usual.

Print Dough Recipe

Simple Pizza Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 can diced italian seasoned tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp. oregano

  1. Cook onions in oil until soft. Add garlic and allow to cook until softened. Do not brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 min.

Makes enough sauce for 2 pizza”s

* For a smooth sauce, puree once cooked.

Print Sauce Recipe

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