Hawaiian Pizza

A couple of weeks ago, when we were at Wegman's for the Paula Deen book signing, my son had Hawaiian pizza for the first time and LOVED it! I wasn't surprised since he is a huge fan of pizza (what kid isn't?)and also likes ham and pineapple. So, the combination was a big hit with him and I was happy to replace his usual (greasy) topping of pepperoni with something a bit healthier (lean ham and pineapples). I told him we could make this at home too and he was one happy camper.

I had intended this to be totally from scratch, so the night before I made the pizza dough (recipe below)but I never got a chance to make the homemade pizza sauce. Instead I just used a good quality jarred pasta sauce and pureed it for a smoother texture. The pizza dough was make with both regular and whole wheat flour. It would normally yield enough for a large pie. However, I divided into four equal parts to make individual size pizzas...a very kid friendly size!

My son had so much fun making the pizza and was so proud of himself for doing all the assembly. Needless to say, he also loved how it tasted and quickly ate it all up!

Crucial to any kid's cooking project...all the ingredients and tools are at hand!

Step 1: roll out the dough

Step 2: spread on sauce

Step 3: add toppings

Step 4: top with cheese


The finished product!

And the best part...eating it of course :)


Ingredients
pizza dough (either store bought or homemade)*Click HERE for the recipe **see note below**
pizza or marinara sauce (either store bought or homemade)
mozzarella cheese, shredded
lean, low-sodium ham, diced
fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks
Italian seasoning, dried
olive oil

**The pizza dough recipe calls for 2 cups of bread flour. When I did this it left my dough still too sticky, so I added another 3/4 of flour (whole wheat this time) and it was perfect**
Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
Start by dividing the pizza dough into four equal parts (about the size of a tennis ball each). Then on a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough, till it is about 1/3 inch thick. Then roll about 1/2 inch of dough to form the outer crust. Transfer the rolled out dough to a cookie sheet. Lightly brush entire pizza dough with oil and spread sauce so all of the surface is evenly covered.
Add the topping and sprinkle with a generous amount of cheese. Add a small amount of Italian seasoning on top. Place prepared pizzas in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and it looks hot and bubbly.