after-school pizza

For whatever reason, it seems that most kids really like pineapple on their pizza, so let’s give them what they want! An easy thin-crust pizza with fresh pineapple, barbeque sauce, mozzarella, and bits of bacon.

If you make pizza (or bake frozen pizza) often at home, it would be wise to invest in a pizza stone.  The stones are available at all kitchen stores and produce the best “restaurant quality” crisp, thin or thick crust pizza. Without a stone, just bake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet, sprinkled with a little cornmeal to prevent the pizza from sticking.

When using a stone be sure to preheat your oven, with the stone inside, at the highest temperature your oven can be set at for at 30 minutes. I made one with and another without the bacon, delicious both ways, so go vegetarian, if you choose. Buon appetito or (E ‘ai ka-kou, in Hawaiian)!

oops, I forgot to sprinkle with the basil before snapping this picture!

Pineapple Pizza

Prepared or homemade whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Very thin slices of fresh pineapple
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
Very thin slices red onion
4 –6 large fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade, for garnish

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 – 550 degrees for 30 minutes.

Shape crust onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Spread the barbeque sauce out evenly to the edges of the crust. Scatter half of the cheese, pineapple, bacon, and onions, and then top with the remaining cheese.

Slide a pizza peel or a cookie sheet under the parchment and slide the pizza, (along with parchment paper) onto the hot pizza stone.

Bake 10 to15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly or brown. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 2 hungry kids