Even though this is truly Americanized in taste compared to a Classic Italian Pizza, everyone looked forward to this style on pizza day every Friday for our high school lunch.
After graduation in the 1970s, I still craved that pizza day taste and all the fond memories from those childhood days with friends, this pizza brings me back in time to those good ole days.
While I'm sure every school cafeteria had its own recipe in each town, this is a very close replica of how I remember our lunchroom pizza back then and a close copycat to my childhood memory of it.
As far as toppings go, our school only offered a cheese-topped pizza however I realize after the 1970s it may have changed dramatically, so just adapt this recipe to how you remember it.
Back in the day, our school pizza was smothered in a golden yellow grated cheese and came in large style bricks we knew as "Government Cheese" and tasted like a very delicious sharp cheddar and no mozzarella or white cheese.
This cheese was in several other recipes on our school menu including grilled cheese sandwiches, melted on top of baked spaghetti, and used in their macaroni and cheese.
If you were ever a fan of school cafeteria pizza, I think this recipe will pleasantly surprise you and bring back some fun times with classmates to reminisce about while taking that first bite into this pizza recipe.
If you're in a hurry scroll down to the bottom of this page to print off this copycat recipe for this version of school cafeteria pizza.
1970s School Cafeteria School Days
I grew up in an all-Italian home in central N.Y. and my old high school lunch cafeteria I attended was at Proctor High School in East Utica, New York.
As a child, I was very fussy, and I didn't usually enjoy anything the lunchroom was serving almost all my lunches were fantastic leftovers mom would pack for me.
The one school memory of lunch I would always look forward to was on Pizza Day and our 1970s great times we all had together.
Although not at all as delicious as mom's Italian Pizza (which was the best I might add), the days of good friends, great conversation, and going back to this nostalgic time period brings fond memories of fun days to look back on.
This large tray of pizza is still really economical, comes together super fast, and will easily feed a hungry large family.
Step By Step How To Make School Cafeteria Pizza
- Mix in a bowl of all-purpose flour powdered dry milk(I used coffee mate dry nondairy creamer powder), warm water that should read 110 degrees with an instant-read thermometer(very important) fast-rising yeast, and granulated white sugar
- Pour this batter (using vegetable shortening) onto a greased baking sheet and spread it to the edges
- Bake for 14 to 15 minutes
- Remove from the oven and spread with pizza sauce and cheese
- Place back into the oven and bake until the cheese starts to brown
- Enjoy this trip down memory lane and a blast from the past with the full recipe at the bottom of the page that's printable!
Sauce and Cheese Ideas
- pizza sauce, tomato sauce, jarred meat sauce, marinara sauce
- sharp cheddar, whole milk mozzarella, provolone
- grated Parmesan cheese
- see topping suggestions below
Topping Suggestions
- peppers
- olives
- eggplant
- pepperoni
- crushed meatballs finely chopped
- leftover cooked buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese
- loose cooked sausage
- ham, and pineapple
- mushrooms finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
- finely chopped zucchini or spinach with ricotta and garlic
- minced finely minced shrimp and garlic
- anchovies
- loose cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions
- tuna, cheddar cheese, minced onions
- leftover cooked meats, pizza sauce, and cheese of choice
- although we prefer using freshly sliced deli cheese you can use whatever kind of cheese you prefer grated or sliced
Ingredients for Making School Cafeteria Pizza(measurement in the printable recipe card below)
- salt, sugar
- fast rising yeast (quick yeast dry in a package)
- powdered milk or I have used nondairy powdered creamer
- water (must be at 110 degrees)
- oil vegetable or canola
- flour all-purpose
- pizza sauce jarred or homemade
- the cheese we use is a combination of cheddar and provolone or whole-milk mozzarella
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Pizza Creations
Everyone has an era of school they remember "pizza day" for lunch at school and although every school had a different taste and style, adapt this recipe to what you recall in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Again, these are just the memories of my childhood alma mater, if yours had meat, all shredded mozzarella on top, go for it and just get creative.
This was close to the exact version etched in my mind, I hope it brings you back some good times as it did me with a big smile.
School Cafeteria Pizza
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the crust:
- 1 package of fast-rising yeast
- 2 - 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of powdered milk (I used non-dairy coffee -mate powdered creamer)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
- 1-2/3 cups of warm water (this must be at 110 degrees using an instant-read thermometer)
- Topping:
- Pizza Sauce jarred, canned, or homemade of your choice (16 - ounces or 2 cups)
- 1- 15 inch baking sheet
- a few teaspoons of vegetable shortening to grease the sheet
- Cheese: we recommend a combination of extra sharp cheddar cheese slices with provolone or mozzarella slices around 8 to 12 slices
- Optional: Parmesan grated cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees
- Grease a 15-inch baking sheet.
- Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl making sure the water is at 110 degrees.
- Once this is blended together evenly. spread this into the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes or until the top start to brown.
- Remove from the oven.
- Topping:
- Spread with your favorite pizza sauce.
- See suggestions for meat toppings or additions in the notes.
- Top with cheese slices.
- Optional: Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired, red pepper flakes, and oregano before baking, or place on the table for garnishing.
- Place the pizza back into the oven and continue to bake the pizza until the cheese starts bubbling and begins to brown, around 5 to 8 minutes more.
Notes
Topping Suggestions
- peppers
- olives
- eggplant
- pepperoni
- crushed meatballs finely chopped
- leftover cooked buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese
- loose cooked sausage
- ham, and pineapple
- mushrooms finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
- finely chopped zucchini or spinach with ricotta and garlic
- minced finely minced shrimp and garlic
- anchovies
- loose cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions
- tuna, cheddar cheese, minced onions
- leftover cooked meats, pizza sauce, and cheese of choice
- although we prefer using freshly sliced deli cheese you can use whatever kind of cheese you prefer grated or sliced
Sauce and Cheese Ideas
- pizza sauce, tomato sauce, jarred meat sauce, marinara sauce
- sharp cheddar, whole milk mozzarella, provolone
- grated Parmesan cheese
Pin for later
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That thick layer of cheesy topping looks so amazing!
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