Every Friday is Pizza Night in our house. We almost always make our own pizza at home. Either I make dough, or sometimes buy it, and the kids help me make it. Sometimes it’s calzones, sometimes pizza muffins, but it’s always yummy, and a fun family event!
Our latest pizza creation involved cookie cutters to make pizza cutouts. They were as fun to cut out as they were to decorate. The kids got such a kick out of making this dinner. It is a good way to get the them in the kitchen and get them cooking!
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I have found that to make cooking really fun for the kids (and me) it is best to be prepared. I always sort each child’s ingredients and tools out, and put one child on each side of me. If they each have their own set of pizza makings there is no complaining, fighting, or pushing. This way they aren’t wasting food or struggling to get what they need. It’s no surprise that things get dropped, dumped, and eaten if you aren’t watching. If I have everything out and ready then I can concentrate on helping them and enjoying the process instead rushing to get what they need.
I sprayed each pan with cooking spray and rolled out the pizza dough. I cut it in half so each child had some on their pan. The kids choose their cookie cutters and cut the dough into shapes. I used the extra leftover dough to make mini pizzas for the hubby and I.
Next I put an egg white in a little container and beat it. The kids then brush it onto their cutout pizza dough. This is their very favorite step! Painting food is just plain fun. Then sprinkle pizza seasoning over the top. We love the flavor and it gives the crust that extra crisp and pretty brown color.
Next the kids spread their sauce and added the other ingredients. Here is the fun part! We used our toppings to make eyes and fun designs on our cutouts. This is where it is really helpful to have everything laid out for each child. They get so excited to decorate that they just can’t be bothered to wait for something.
Bake your pizza according to the directions on the crust packaging and cool a bit before serving. The kids were so excited to show Dad what they made for dinner and really enjoyed eating their creations. Here are some of their little pizzas. So cute – these would be really fun for a party too.
It was by far our favorite Friday family pizza night yet. I hope you give it a try and spend some time in the kitchen with your kiddos. I think cooking with your kids helps them learn a great appreciation for what has to happen before each meal and builds up a confidence in them that will last a lifetime. It’s so fun to see how proud they are of their cooking and creating. Happy Pizza Night!