Old Skool Cafeteria Pizza Recipe

 

If there is anything I remember best about my formative years in grade school through high school from most of the 1980s and early-to-mid 90s were the outstanding cafeteria lunches that were served.

While not all of them were necessarily my favorites -- frozen chicken patties were a big nope for this guy -- others were certainly memorable and which I looked forward to whenever they appeared on the weekly menu schedule. Spaghetti and meat sauce for one, with servings of various vegetables, fruit cups, chocolate milk, and some form of baked rolls.

Perhaps the most nostalgic school lunch for many kids that grew up in the same time-frame was that weird, thin rectangular cafeteria pizza that was often best lovingly (and mockingly) described as "cheese on cardboard" by some. Sometimes it was topped with hamburger, or sausage, or pepperoni, and other times just plain cheese; but it was pizza none-the-less.

These days school cafeteria lunches are a bit bland, with larger (allegedly) healthier options; with the old cafeteria pizza having been removed altogether.

Pizza days at lunch time were among some of my favorites, to name a few others. So much so that I had to seek out the recipe for this Old Skool Cafeteria Pizza and wanted to share it in case there are others who wanted to take a stab at recreating a piece of tasty -- if not necessarily healthy -- piece of nostalgia.

If y'all love and miss the old school rectangle pizza, then here’s the recipe.

List of Ingredients

 

The Crust: 

2 2/3 flour
3/4 cup powdered milk
2 T sugar
1 packet of quick rise yeast
1 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup warm water
2 T vegetable oil

The Toppings:
1/2 pound ground chuck (or pepperoni as another option)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 8oz block mozzarella cheese -- grated yourself (To be authentic school pizza, you will have to use imitation mozzarella shreds.)

Sauce:

6oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
1/3 olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary crushed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
Spray a 10X15" baking sheet with cooking spray and lay Parchment paper down to allow it to stick.
Pour flour, powdered milk, sugar, yeast, & salt into a large bowl and mix with a whisk.
Add oil to hot water and pour into your mixture.
Stir with a wooden spoon until batter forms.
Spread dough into pan using fingertips until it’s even.
Bake just the crust for 8-10 minutes then remove from oven and set aside.
Brown meats in vegetable oil in frying pan until meat is cooked and then set aside and drain. (If y'all opted for Pepperoni Pizza then disregard.)
Spread pizza sauce all over crust.
Sprinkle meats & cheese.
Bake at 425F for 8-10 minutes until cheese melts and begins to brown.
Remove from oven -- let stand 5 minutes
Cut in rectangular slices and serve.

This blog post is dedicated in fond memory to all the lunch room and school cafeteria workers in my Grade School, Junior High (Middle School), and High School years (1982 to 1995) -- as well as all those in the profession today -- in appreciation for their largely thankless work.