Easy Pizza Recipes for the Whole Family

Looking for easy pizza recipe shortcuts for dinner with the kids? We can help you out with these kid-friendly pizza recipes.

I love pizza, as in I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and be totally happy with that. I’m also from New Jersey so I know what good pizza is. It’s the only thing I’m an expert and snob about so let me have it. That said, sometimes you need a good pizza fast to either satisfy those cravings or make something quick with your kids, who are also pizza lovers and will immediately come to eat dinner if there’s pizza on the table. 

I grew up learning all kinds of pizza concoctions (again, #Jersey) so I’m going to share a couple with you here. They are easy and fun and can be customized to your own tastes. I demonstrated making most of these on Access Carolina if you want to see all the action.

Easy Pizza English Muffins

This was a favorite of mine when I was little, partly because I could do it myself by the time I was in first grade. 

Ingredients: 

• English muffins
• Red sauce 
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni 

Directions: 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (alternatively, you can use a toaster oven)
2. Take out sheet pan and halve the English muffins, nooks & crannies side up. 
3. Top with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.
4. Bake until the cheese is bubbly or they look done to you. 

Easy Pizza Pitas 

I like to be a little more creative with these but again, do as you wish with the toppings and sauce. 

Ingredients: 

Pitas

• Either red sauce or pesto sauce
• Mozzarella cheese or another cheese that you like, maybe brie or ricotta
• Any toppings – I like olives, artichoke hearts, and arugula

Directions: 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Take out sheet pan and put the pitas on it.
3. Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings.
4. Bake until the cheese is bubbly or they look done to you. 

Easy Pizza Dough

This is the easiest pizza dough to make but I don’t really measure ingredients so bear with me. 

Ingredients:

• Packet of active yeast
• 1.3 cups warm water
• Tsp of sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 3.5 cups flour  
• 3 tsp salt 

Directions:

1. Put the yeast in a big bowl along with the water and sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until you see the yeast rise to the top and look bubbly. 
2. Add in the salt and olive oil and stir it up. 
3. Add in the flour a cup at a time until it’s all used up. If the dough is sticky, then add a little more flour. If it’s not sticking together, then add a little more water. 
4. Knead the dough until it’s nice and not sticky and then put the bowl and cover for a few hours while it rises. 
5. Once risen, you can roll it out and either use a sheet pan or pizza stone (I prefer the pizza stone – make sure you preheat it in the oven) to cook it, then add sauce and toppings. I can make two pizzas with this recipe. 

Demonstrating pizza hacks with Access Carolina

Pizza Crescent Rolls

This final recipe is really an ultimate pizza shortcut to make something that tastes like pizza but looks a little different. It’s super easy.

Ingredients:

• Pillsbury (or generic) crescent roll dough
• Pizza sauce
• Cheese 
• Pepperoni or another topping

Directions:

1. Heat oven to whatever Pillsbury says.
2. Lay out the crescent rolls flat on a sheet pan.
3. Put a little sauce, cheese, and toppings in each crescent roll.
4. Roll up the crescent rolls and bake for however long Pillsbury says.

Short Cuts for Making Your Own Pizza

Don’t want to make your own dough? No problem. Trader Joe’s and Publix both sell premade pizza dough.

Aldi also sells pizza that you only need to take home and bake, which is a great option if you want something easy but also something individualized since you can buy it and then add your own toppings when you go to cook it. 

If you’re not sure what toppings to put on, almost anything (except pineapple – don’t do it) goes. I personally love arugula, kalamata olives, ricotta cheese + mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, onions, prosciutto, ham, mushrooms, and sausage. 

I hardly ever make my own pizza sauce, although I really should try. America’s Test Kitchen has an amazing homemade pizza sauce recipe. You’ll have to get their cookbook to see it (you can borrow it from the Greenville Library). My mom also made the best white sauce, which was similar to an alfredo sauce. My go-to is pesto sauce, which I usually get from Trader Joe’s or Aldi. Don’t feel bad taking this shortcut for some tasty and easy sauces. 

OK, now you know the pizza shortcuts so go make it happen! 

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