Every family enjoys a fun evening at home and is more fun than a family pizza night? It’s a great opportunity to spend time together and enjoy some good food.
The first step is to choose a night, Friday nights are usually popular choice for pizza. Scheduling your pizza night allows you time to get everything you need, and it’ll give your kids something fun to look forward to. If you’re health-conscious, making your own pizza at home is a great alternative to purchasing a pizza.
Dough
There are a few options for the pizza dough. You can make traditional dough, whole wheat dough or you can purchase dough from a grocery store or market. There is a variety of delicious dough recipes available online, including special cheesy dough recipes, choose the type of dough that you think your family will enjoy best.
Cheese
Cheese is a great source of calcium, so don’t hesitate to use plenty of cheese on the pizza. Part-skim mozzarella cheese is a popular choice for homemade pizza, and a half cup is only 170 calories. It also contains more than 40 percent of the recommended amount of calcium. Don’t be afraid to try other cheeses, cheddar and parmesan are two options or you can even mix them in with mozzarella.
Sauce
The next part of making a pizza is the sauce. You can purchase a canned sauce from your local grocery store, but if you’d prefer to make your own sauce, there are plenty of recipes available online and in cookbooks. There are also some fun alternatives to tomato sauce, if you want to try something new. For example, barbecue sauce or ranch dressing are tasty choices.
Toppings
Toppings are the final touch to any homemade pizza and there are no limits to what can choose. If your family members are all meat lovers, consider using sausage, pepperoni, chicken, or beef as potential toppings. Vegetarian families can use a variety of veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and onions. Whether it’s veggies, pineapple or meat toppings, your pizza will be complete with whatever you choose.
Individual Pies
Since family pizza night is meant for your family to enjoy, what could be better than everyone making their own individual pizzas? Instead of making the pizza yourself, clear plenty of space for everyone to work. Be sure to cover the workspace with a tablecloth and napkins if you’re worried about your kids making a mess. Distribute the ingredients; allowing your kids to choose what goes on their pizza (it is a great way to avoid any picky eating problems.) Kids love being able to create a customized pizza for themselves and they’ll enjoy learning how to make pizza as you help guide them step by step.
Sides
Although the pizza is obviously the most important part of a family pizza night, you can always add some great additional snacks, drinks, and sides. Breadsticks are a good choice for a pizza snack, whether you make your own with a recipe or if you purchase them from a grocery store. Some online recipes are so easy to make and can even be made with basic ingredients. Regardless of how you make them, breadsticks are a good idea for a pre-pizza snack.
Dessert
If your kids have a sweet tooth (like most children do) they might crave a dessert when they’re done with their meal. Consider purchasing a sweet treat for your kids, such as ice cream or cookies. They can enjoy it after the meal is over, and you can even enjoy it too.
Drinks
If your family likes to drink soda, that’s a great item to purchase for a family pizza night, but if you prefer something healthier, lemonade or fruit juice are good alternatives. Of course, water is the healthiest choice, if your family will be satisfied with drinking water, you may not want to bother purchasing a drink.
Disposable Plates and Utensils
Family pizza night should be a time for everyone to relax, so you may want to opt for using paper plates and utensils to avoid having to wash a lot of dishes afterward. And if you’re planning on making family pizza night a regular affair, you could fill a container with supplies such as paper plates, napkins, utensils, and plastic cups. Just store it in your kitchen or pantry so it’s handy whenever you decide to have another family pizza night.
The key to having a fun pizza night is bonding with your family while enjoying a good meal. If you’re making the pizza yourself, you can always ask your kids for assistance and they’ll enjoy being involved. Focus on spending time together and don’t worry about the food being perfect. Follow these rules and you’ll have a fantastic family pizza night everyone will love.
