Memories of school pizza always made me wonder how it was so distinctly different from other pizza. Anyone who has had school cafeteria pizza knows that nothing else tastes like it. My kids like a packed lunch from home except for pizza day – go figure!
One day I came across a recipe that claimed to be the recipe for schools to use and I had to try it. I was very impressed; it was really good.
I surprised my kids by making this one night for dinner. They were skeptical at first but that changed quickly when they tasted the pizza. They loved it so much that the have requested individually frozen pizzas to have in the freezer. I agreed with the condition that they help me. Sneaking in bonding time by making school cafeteria pizza… I’ll take it!
Ingredients
Crust
1 Tbsp. shortening
1½ Tbsp. cornmeal
1 (0.25-oz) packet of yeast
1⅔ cup water
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cups instant non-fat dry milk powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp salt
1½ tsp oil
Sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
15 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. oregano to taste
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ Tbsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
Meat Topping
1 pound ground beef
1/2-pound mild Italian sausage
Cheese Options
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese – or more for extra cheese
Blend comparable to the traditional “Government Cheese”
Combine all three in a bowl.
• 4 ounces shredded American cheese
• 4 ounces shredded medium cheddar
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Crust
Oil a half sheet pan with 1 Tbsp. Crisco shortening. Sprinkle pan with cornmeal and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water (about 110° F) and let stand for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, and oil to the mixing bowl. Mix with the whisk attachment for 10 minutes. The batter may be lumpy – keep in mind that this is a pourable crust.
Sauce
Mix tomato paste and sauce together in a medium size bowl until well combined (all the lumps of paste are incorporated into the sauce).
Add the rest of the ingredients (oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and sugar) and mix well!
Meat Topping
Combine ground beef and Italian sausage in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the meat is thoroughly cooked and well browned. Drain excess grease.
Assemble the Pizza
Preheat oven to 475ºF.
Spread crust batter into the prepared pan and let rest for 20 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and top with the sauce, meat topping (if desired), and choice of cheese. (See Notes)
Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Slice and serve.
Notes:
• The non-fat dry milk is usually available at any grocery store.
• If you do not want the traditional ground beef topping, feel free to switch it up and use what you like. You can also do different toppings in sections.
• Freeze to bake later: bake the crust and add the toppings. Once the crust has cooled, wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to eat, preheat oven to 425° F, unwrap pizza, and bake until the cheese has melted, and the crust is warm.
• The term “Government Cheese” always sounded wrong to me – like it was an experiment and not a food item! Nevertheless, it was used on nearly everything in the cafeteria. I am not sure anyone truly knows the ingredients, but the cheese mixture comes very close. If you want to use just mozzarella, that is perfectly fine!