'DIY Pizzas' and No Junk Playdates

We often have 'DIY Pizzas' for dinner when the boys have friends over for a playdate. They have so much fun creating their own pizzas, which make a healthy meal served with crunchy veg. Keep reading for the recipe!

I give the kids ready made dough to roll out, spread with tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese and toppings of their choice. I prep the toppings and put them on big plates so they can easily help themselves. I prep loads of each topping and use the leftovers in a stir fry or pasta dish.

Giving them ready made dough helps limit the mess considerably! I usually make pizza dough in my bread machine or use an easy recipe for yeast-free pizza dough I found on the Organix website (scroll down for recipe). If there's no time for dough making then Pitta Pizzas are a good shortcut.

I've tried all sorts of tomato sauce recipes for pizza over the years and found the easiest and the best is simply passata mixed with tomato puree and a pinch of dried oregano. I use around 1 tablespoon of tomato puree for every 4 tablespoons of passata. Good quality passata makes a world of difference here.

I put out a mix of toppings - some they love and some they're not really into. Often they will try something their friends are really into, and vice versa. Cheese is always a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar - mozzarella for stringy-ness and cheddar for flavour!

The kids enjoyed their pizza with some crudités and Organix Goodies carrot sticks - which made it feel more like a treat. Little Isaac (he's 13 months old) thoroughly enjoyed munching some strips of pizza at the table which the boys kindly shared with him along with some cucumber sticks and Organix Goodies carrot sticks.

Another good recipe to make on a playdate are these banana & oat cookies. They are very quick & simple and also kids can choose some of extra ingredients such as raisins or cranberries. If you're feeling really adventurous, get a production line going and make healthy homemade chicken nuggets.

After dinner, Organix Goodies make a great healthy sweet treat - gingerbread men, oaty bars and blackcurrant & apple stars are favourites in our house. Because they are 'no junk' they don't make children hyper before bedtime. Perfect end to a playdate for kids and parents!

DIY Pizzas for Playdates

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Makes: 4 small pizzas

Ingredients:

For the dough* (see notes above):

300g self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting)
4 tablespoons olive oil
120ml water

For the sauce:

8 tablespoons passata
2 tablespoons tomato puree
Pinch of dried oregano

Toppings (some ideas):

Chopped peppers
Sliced mushrooms
Olives
Diced ham
Canned tuna
Shredded chicken
Grated cheese
Fresh basil leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 230 C / gas mark 8 / 210 fan.
Line two large baking trays with baking paper and put to one side.
To make the dough, mix together the flour, oil and water. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour. If it's too dry, add a splash more water.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for around 5 minutes.
Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough out on a floured surface to make a thin pizza base. Place two pizza bases on each baking sheet.
Mix the passata, tomato puree and oregano together to make the tomato sauce. Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce over each pizza base.
Add toppings of your choice and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

*Inspired by a recipe on the Organix website.