School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe – pizza day was my favorite day in school. I loved that rectangle pizza! I found the recipe in a government cookbook and had to give it a try. OMG! So good and super easy to make with a simple pourable pizza crust. Yeast, flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, water, and oil. Top the pizza sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Can freeze the pizza for a quick meal later!
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I don’t know about you, but when I was in school my favorite day of the week was pizza day! Chicken Legs and I were talking about lunchroom pizza the other day, so I started Googling where to buy school pizza. While I couldn’t find a good place to buy it, but I did find an authentic recipe! I came across a government cookbook and it had the pizza recipe! I immediately added it to the menu. OMG! It was SO good. It was much better than the School Cafeteria Pizza I remember eating. I’m pretty sure it has to do with using real cheese and homemade pizza sauce. This has quickly become our go-to recipe for pizza night!
How to Make School Cafeteria Pizza
The original recipe made enough pizza for 100 servings. Obviously, most people don’t need to serve 100 people at a time, so I had to scale the original recipe WAY back. This recipe is made in a half-sheet pan and serves at least 8 people.
The crust is very easy to make. Start with dissolving some yeast in warm water in a small bowl. Let it stand for a few minutes. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, and oil. Add yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low speed for 10 minutes, until a batter forms.
Brush a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil and sprinkle it with some cornmeal. Pour the pizza dough batter onto the baking sheet and let rest for 20 minutes. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes. Spread pizza sauce over the dough. Sprinkle cheese and pizza toppings over the sauce. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Slice into rectangles for an authentic look and enjoy. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- This recipe uses non-fat dry milk. I buy it at Walmart.
- Can use store-bought or pizza sauce made from scratch.
- I used our Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce on the pizza: https://www.plainchicken.com/easy-homemade-pizza-sauce/
- You can also use our No-Cook Pizza Sauce: https://www.plainchicken.com/no-cook-pizza-sauce/
- The original recipe for old school cafeteria pizza was topped with ground beef/hamburger.
- Top the pizza with your favorite pizza toppings – Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, olives – anything goes!
- You can even add toppings in sections so everyone gets what they want.
- Can School Cafeteria Pizza be frozen? Yes! Bake the crust and add the toppings. Let the pizza cool completely and cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze the pizza. When ready to eat, bake the pizza at 425ºF until the cheese has melted and the crust is warm.
- You can also freeze the leftover pizza slices for a quick meal later. Let the pizza cool and place the slices in a freezer bag. To reheat, heat in the microwave or in the oven.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
What to Serve with Rectangle School Pizza
This recipe brings back great childhood memories! Our cafeteria always served corn, a roll, and a cookie or brownie with our pizza. When I make this pizza at home we usually eat this pizza with a salad or some pasta salad. You can also whip up some garlic breadsticks. YUM!
Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this homemade school pizza recipe:
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Copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks
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Broccoli Pineapple Salad
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School Cafeteria Pizza
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 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
- 1⅓ cups pizza sauce, or to taste
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste
- pizza toppings of your choice
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 475ºF. 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 and let stand for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add flour milk, sugar, salt, and oil to the bowl. Mix with the whisk attachment for 10 minutes. The batter may be lumpy.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and top with sauce, toppings, and cheese.
- Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Slice and serve.
Notes:
- This recipe uses non-fat dry milk. I bought it at Walmart.
- I used our Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce on the pizza: https://www.plainchicken.com/easy-homemade-pizza-sauce/
- You can also use our No-Cook Pizza Sauce: https://www.plainchicken.com/no-cook-pizza-sauce/
- The original recipe for old school cafeteria pizza was topped with ground beef/hamburger.
- Top the pizza with your favorite pizza toppings – sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, olives – anything goes! You can even add toppings in sections so everyone gets what they want.
- Can School Cafeteria Pizza be frozen? Yes! Bake the crust and add the toppings. Let the pizza cool completely and cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze the pizza. When ready to eat, bake the pizza at 425ºF until the cheese has melted and the crust is warm.
- You can also freeze the leftover pizza slices for a quick meal later. Let the pizza cool and place the slices in a freezer bag. To reheat, heat in the microwave or in the oven.
Steph
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Can you give a measurement of how much yeast is in the one packet? I only have a large container of yeast.
Hi googled this…2 1/2 teaspoons. Hope that helps.
This was our dinner tonight……so good! I was surprised at the crust since it turned out soft and pillowy. It was like a soft dinner roll rather than the usual pizza crust, so I guess this is normal. (?) No problem though…even picky son raved about it and wants me to be sure and put it on my “keeper” list! I made three sections with different toppings, using items that are each person’s favorite; love that you can do that!
While this wasn’t quite the same as what I remember getting at school, I still thought it was good! I needed to use more sauce than I did and will remember for next time. My husband loved it. We used a roll of seasoned pork sausage and pepperoni on 3/4ths and left it just cheese for the remainder for our non topping lover kid. 12 minutes on the second bake was perfect for us.
I’m going to reduce the sugar to 1 TB next time (and double it!!!), but this was such a trip down memory lane. Thank you!
Keep in mind that reducing the sugar may change how much the dough rises. Sugar is part of the formula for how dough rises quicker.
Wow, memories… was lunchroom lady myself in Naples Fl for years. We did not make our own pizza but our pizza was Tonys brand. it came in frozen cases that we only had to open and place on full sheet pan, it was made to fit perfect in the pan and was presliced. Also served on Friday so we could deep clean and inventory. Just a another bit of info… chicken nuggets served were Tyson brand.
I was born in Los Angeles County in ’71. I don’t remember cafeteria pizza. But the 2 years I spent in parochial school reminds me if my favorite meal day.
It was a hamburger that sort of tasted like sausage, served with mashed potatoes and corn. Probably also with the much talked about cafeteria brownie or chocolate cake. Spooned the potatoes inside the burger, funny thing it was so tasty.
please print recipe for school brownies…sooooo good Pizza day was my favorite I think brownies were made with dried eggs ….will be watching
I’m testing out the brownie recipe this week. Stay tuned!!
Please tell me if you have the peanut butter sheet cake with chocolate icing?
I do! It is on my list to test out.
I want to try this recipe. It calls for oiling the pan with shortening, but in the directions it doesn’t say if you are to melt it or use as a solid form.
Please find the original recipe for wiener wraps!!!! It was more like soft bread than crescent rolls!
My cookbook says they use the School Cafeteria Yeast Rolls recipe.
I loved pizza day! We had corn with it too.
Do you have the name of the Government recipe book? I’d probably like to see it.
Thanks!
This looks easy and great. I was a lunch lady and our pizza crusts came premade and all did is proof them and them top and bake them. I think the homemade crusts would be wonderful. I will definitely try this and keep it handy for my Grandkids and family. Thanks for sharing.
OMG I remember this!!!! Anyway you can do the chocolate cake recipe from the school lunch lady? Soooooo Yummie!!!!
Thanks!!!!
I have the chocolate cake recipe! I’ll make it soon.
Would love to make this for my twin granddaughters !! How big is the sheet pan? I have 4 sizes 🍕
Hi Paula– When I checked the Amazon link, it said the half sheet was 13x18x1. I’m going to measure mine now and double check it!
Ah…what memories! We always had pizza on Friday, and it was served with corn and blackeyed peas. Yum!
Friday was pizza day at my school too. Pizza and corn – such a weird combination.
This is awesome Stephanie! My family had this conversation not too long ago. They must have changed how they make the school pizzas these days b/c my kids are not fans at all! And my husband and I both used to love it! We will have to try this and see what the kids think.
Pizza day was my favorite! They are missing out!
now i have to find those tiny square pepperoni bits lol
yes!!!!
What a fun dish to make while we are still staying home! This will bring back memories to share along with the pizza. Thanks for sharing!!
What memories that brings back. Yours looks better than what ours looked like in school. Ours was always dry but I did love it!!! Thanks
Awesome! How fun to find a government cookbook. My daughter would love to know how school burgers are prepared, but pizza is also a favorite.