It’s not that I can’t wedge a slice of pizza into Kenya’s LapTop Lunch Box, it’s just that it can be a bit of a challenge. When kids open their school lunch, the first thing they’ll likely judge their food on is it’s appearance, so a piece of pizza that’s been smashed to fit in the box, doesn’t seem like the easiest sell — no matter how much they love it. That was part of the reason that I came up with these Pizza Pinwheels. If you tune in to weelicious enough, you know that we make a lot of pizza in our house and coming up with new recipes for how to present it besides the everyday slice with tomato and cheese is part of the fun for me. These pinwheels are really like a pizza “sandwich” because the filling is savory, kind of like a ham and cheese sandwich, but much cooler looking. They almost dare you not to eat them. It’s also a versatile recipe in that you can substitute your fillings to fit your mood. Whether you decide to replace the ham with turkey or chicken or even go with just traditional red sauce and cheese, these Pizza Pinwheels will have your kids coming home from school asking for more!
*If you decide to buy a LapTop Lunch Box, put the word ‘weelicious’ into the code and get 10%off!

Pizza Pinwheels (Makes 35 Pinwheels)

1 16 oz Pkg. Ready Made White or Wheat Pizza Dough *Let dough come to room temperature before you roll it out.
2 Tbsp Dijon or Yellow Mustard
1 Cup OR 8 Slices of Ham, without the rind, chopped fine
1 Cup Mozzarella or Cheddar, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Roll out pizza dough until 1/4 inch thick and the shape of a large rectangle (about 18 x 12 inches).
3. Evenly spread 2 tbsp of mustard on the dough.
4. Sprinkle the ham and cheese on top of the dough.
5. Starting with end nearest you (the long end of the rectangle), roll the dough away from you, creating an even cylinder as you go (similar to a jelly roll).
6. Lightly sprinkle some flour on top of the roll (so it’s easier to cut) and using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 1/2 inch discs (pinwheels).
7. Place pinwheels on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and lightly press them with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten and bake for 12-15 minutes.
8. Serve.

*After rolling up the dough, cut the roll in half and freeze for later. When you are ready just take it out and let it thaw to room temperature then cut them into pinwheels and follow the steps 7-8. Or you can just cut the entire roll in pinwheels and place some pinwheels on a baking sheet, freeze for 30 minutes then place them in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. But be sure to always let the pinwheels come to room temperature then bake.

PIZZA!!!! That’s the only word I tend to hear these days whenever I ask my husband and Kenya what they want for dinner. Our newest Sunday night tradition has become making homemade pizzas together as a family and it’s so much fun. One of Kenya’s favorite parts is getting to choose the toppings for his side of the pie. We’ve even found that foods he normally won’t eat on their own, become totally appealing to him when tossed on his pizza.

A few Sundays ago when we were making some delicious thin crusted creations, Chloe was on the kitchen floor playing with one of the muffin tins and it gave me a genius idea: Pizza Muffins! Why, you may ask? Why not! Pizza is crunchy, cheesy, delicious, totally kid-friendly and when it’s cooked in the shape of a muffin, it just adds a cool twist to the same old slice that you’re used to. When I told my husband about my inspiration for this recipe, the first thing he said was, “thank goodness Chloe wasn’t playing with a jello mold when you thought this one up”.

Pizza Muffins (Makes 16-18 Cups)

1 Lb Package Pizza Dough (white or Whole Wee-Eat Pizza Dough)
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
Olive Oil

Toppings: Mushrooms, Ham, Red Peppers, Olives or whatever you and your kids love. The possibilities are endless.

1. Bring dough to room temperature and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Roll out the dough to a thin 18 x 12 rectangle and cut into squares about 3 x 3 inches.
3. Grease mini muffin cups and place one square in each cup, making sure that the corners of the dough are sticking out.
4. Brush edges of dough with olive oil.
5. Par-bake dough for 8 minutes and take tins out of oven.
6. Pour 1 tsp of sauce in each cup and evenly distribute the cheese between the cups (you can add toppings now as well).
7. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.

Hmm.. what to make for dinner? Pizza? Quesadilla? Why not have both and make Pizza Quesadilla’s!

Just whisper the word “pizza” in our house and Kenya will look up from whatever he’s doing with unbridled excitement in his eyes. Luckily, my 2 1/2 year old isn’t picky about how or what his pizza is made with or on, so whether it’s a weelicious portobello pizza or a slice from our local pizza joint with tons of veggies on top, he’s game for anything.

Pita pizzas are the perfect recipe when you want something healthy to serve your kids, quick for you to prepare and not expensive for your budget. I can cook them up in minutes and everyone in our house feels like they’re getting a special meal. And now that Kenya’s getting ready to head off to school for the first time, I guarantee these will be in the lunch box rotation!

Pita Pizzas (Serves 4)

1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Italian Herbs
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
4 Whole Wheat Pita (I used mini pita from Trader Joes)
1/3 Cup Black Olives, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl to combine.
3. Cover the pitas with 1/4 cup sauce, 1/4 cup cheese and slices of black olives.
4. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Cut and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

Have you ever met anyone who DIDN’T like pizza? I have come across a lot of picky eaters in my time and I can’t remember one who has an aversion to this king of all dishes. It’s kind of a no-brainer: yummy toppings on top of a crispy bread crust, baked until bubbly and delicious. The best part is that you can very simply make a slew of variations on the original theme so that everyone in your family is happy.

For any pizza aficionado, the true sign of great pizza is the crust. It all starts and ends there. In my experience, whole wheat pizza dough can either be delicious or as heavy and dense as a rock. This recipe uses half wheat and half white flours, so it has some added nutrition while also staying light and airy. I usually make a batch and then keep it around for whenever my family is in the mood — what’s better then having frozen pizza dough in the freezer that’s ready to be topped with all your favorite goodies?

On Monday I made one for my and Kenya’s lunch with simple red sauce and veggies, last night I made one for my husband with pesto and mozzarella and I still have 2 servings of dough left for whenever we need or want more. No dialing out for dinner, no wasting money on delivery or takeout, just healthy, homemade pizza that you can enjoy any time, AND it doesn’t come out of a box from the freezer section!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Makes Four 8 inch Pizza Dough Disks)

1 package dry yeast
1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing bowl and brushing on pizza crusts
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

*Pizza toppings: Marinara Sauce, Pesto, Olive Oil, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Veggies and more.

1. Combine yeast and water in a bowl and allow to stand until foamy, about 5 minutes (Make sure to check the expiration date on the yeast. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be old and you will need to buy fresh yeast).
2. Stir the flour and salt in a bowl or a bowl of a standing mixer (using a dough hook attachment).
3. Add the olive oil and honey to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients mix on low for 3 minutes or until smooth and elastic (you could also combine the liquid with the flours in a bowl and knead the dough on a clean surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic). You want the dough to be smooth and bounce back when you press it.
5. Transfer ball to an oiled bowl and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 seconds. Cut into 4 equal balls and form each into rounds and flatten with your hands into a disk. Let the 4 disks rest for 5 minutes.
8. Take a disk and pull and stretch the dough until it is approximately 9 inches across. You want the dough to be thin so it will get really crispy.
9. Bake the pizza dough for 5 minutes, remove and top with sauce, cheese and veggies and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
10. Serve.

*Freezing: Place one round disk on a parchment lined plate or cookie sheet and layer the rest of the disks on top with parchment in between. Freeze for one hour and then transfer the stack of chilled pizza disks to a freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
*When ready: remove the disks from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, let them come to room temperature and continue to follow steps 8-10.