Cooking with your kids can be a great way to have fun and connect. Depending on your kid’s age and level of independence, cooking a meal together can also be a little stressful.
The Time Timer can be a big help in the kitchen to keep everyone on track with timing while cooking, and today we’re sharing a fun pizza recipe you can make that the whole family will love being part of making (and eating)!
Recipe: Family Pan Pizza
First Step: Washing Hands!
While cooking it is especially important to practice proper handwashing to avoid spreading germs and bacteria. Time Timer can help with that! The Time Timer WASH + Soap Dispenser is the perfect tool while cooking to ensure proper handwashing while staying clean. There is no touching needed. Simply hold your hand under spout, soap automatically dispenses, and the timer will begin the countdown.
In 30 seconds, you will have germ free hands ready to start your recipe!
The Dough
Making pan pizzas can be a great meal to make as a family. Grab some pizza dough from the store or if you’re feeling adventurous and up for a few more steps, make your own! We recommend starting out with this crust recipe from King Arthur Baking Company.
When your dough is ready to bake with, there are a few steps needed to get your pizza(s) ready to eat - a key to a successful family meal for kids and adults of all ages.
The versatility of a pan pizza is perfect for family meals. Everyone can be creative and top their own quarter or half pizza. If only the adults like artichokes, it’s easy to add them to half a pizza and leave it off the kid’s side. There are no arguments over what toppings to add when everyone gets to choose their own.
Once the oven is preheating (crank the temp as high as your home oven goes), and the dough has been laid out on the pan, it’s time to prepare your toppings.
Use your Time Timer Wash regularly in order to not cross-contaminate your ingredients as everyone will be mixing up their topping selections. This is especially important if adding any meat - be sure to keep it separate from everything else.
Here are a few topping ideas we love to use for homemade pizzas, along with a basic method to get you started with some ideas.
Ingredients - The Red Sauce Pizza
- Tomato sauce base: store bought or make your own with this easy recipe from Bon Appetit!
- Marinated artichokes
- Sundried tomatoes
- Kalamata olives
Ingredients - Pesto Pizza
- Pesto base
- Sundried tomatoes
- Red onions, thinly sliced
Pan Pizza Basic Method
- Bake your crust for about 10 minutes. This will set your crust so it can hold up to the sauce or pesto without becoming soggy from the moisture. Set your Time Timer Original 3” and remove the pizza from the oven when the timer goes off.
- Top your pizza with the appropriate toppings. Use the Dry Erase Card for your Time Timer Original 3” to write out the toppings for each pizza to serve as a reminder for the younger kids. If you’re adding any greens, leave them off for now. You can wilt them in the last minute or add them raw once the pizza comes out of the oven.
- Set the Time Timer for 15 mins and check the pizza again. Pull it from the oven and check to see if more time is needed to finish baking. Pan pizzas typically take 25-30 mins to bake through.
- If you’re making multiple pizzas, bake them at the same time if your oven has space or enjoy the first pizza while the next one bakes.
We hope you try out a pizza night with your family soon and find it as enjoyable as we do. Make it a weekly tradition while you’re at it! Don’t forget to use your Time Timer visual timers to keep everyone on track, and let us know how you enjoy your family pan pizza night on Instagram or Facebook - we love to hear from you.