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A family-sized crispy crust rectangle pizza recipe with no yeast that makes 8 individual servings or dozens of party-sized portions similar to school cafeteria pizza and Totino's!
I've spent more time thinking about this pizza than I'd like to admit. There are two pizzas from my childhood that occupy big spaces in my memories. And they might have been the same thing.
The first is the rectangle pizza we were served for school lunches from middle school on through high school. For me, that would be about 1986-1993. Prior to middle school, we still had the rectangle pizza but it was more of a deep dish affair that had a very thick crust and gave me hella heartburn.
Which is hilarious because Mama cut all my hair off in first grade (thanks) and I had a legit businessman hairstyle (side part and all) so thinking of 8-yr old me walking around looking like a car salesman wincing from heartburn sounds like the makings of a fabulous sitcom about growing up GenX.
Anyway, I'm pretty certain whatever we were eating from middle school on wasn't homemade and am convinced it was just frozen pizza but MY GOD we loved it!
And just like the rest of the unsupervised hooligan children coming of age in the 80's, I ate my share of frozen pizzas at home too. My favorite? Totino's Party Pizzas!! The Combination variety, to be exact!
Looking back on it, the school pizza HAD to just be Totino's (or an institutional version of it) because I swear, they tasted the same to me!
The moral of the story is that I absolutely LOVE the crispy, rectangle frozen pizzas and have given them considerable thought through the years.
Now, as recipe creator, I decided to figure out how to make something that comes close. And I did!! This recipe comes close. I won't sit here and try to tell you it's exact because it's not.
Real Totino's Party Pizzas start with a FRIED crust. I didn't want to fool with all that (and doubted you did either) so I made a recipe that somewhat fries the crust in the bottom of the oven first then we make the pizza!
NOTES ON THE MOZZARELLA
- Use part skim or whole mozzarella but DON'T use fresh mozzarella. Look for packages that read "low moisture" or "melt & stretch". Fresh mozzarella will weep and make the pizza soggy.
- Absolutely shred your cheese from a solid block and don't use preshredded mozzarella. It just doesn't melt as well and if you're going through the trouble of making your own dough, you might as well go all out and shred your own cheese!
- Totino's Party Pizzas have a little less cheese. If you're aiming to recreate a Totino's pizza, use about 12-oz of cheese instead of the entire 16-oz block.
FAQ ON SHEET PAN PARTY PIZZAS
Why olive oil and vegetable oil? We're not using olive oil in both applications because the flavor is pretty pronounced and doesn't yield the same taste as the pizzas this recipe was crafted after. You can absolutely use all vegetable oil and omit the olive oil. By vegetable oil, I mean any neutral cooking oil.
Why do we cook the crust separate? That's how we get that crispy bottom crust!
Can I omit or reduce the oil in the pan? Not if you want the crispy crust. Totino's Party Pizza crusts are actually fried first. We're mimicking the frying by cooking the crust in oil on the bottom rack of a super hot oven.
Do I do anything different to make an all cheese pizza? Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (and omit the meat toppings obviously).
Why mini pepperonis? No culinary reason. I'm not willing to buy a whole piece of unsliced pepperoni from the deli to make the traditional tiny cubes so the next best thing is to use the minis. You can use whatever you like!
What size is a half-sheet pan? Half sheet pans are typically 18x13 inches.
Can I make this in a 13x9 pan? Unfortunately, no. The dough must be spread thin to work (otherwise it would be dense and tough).
What do I do if my dough won't spread/stretch enough to cover the bottom of the pan? Two things. Pick it up by two corners (side by side, not diagonal) and let the weight of the dough stretch itself (then do the same on the opposite side). You can also just let the dough rest 10 minutes then try again.
HOW TO FREEZE PARTY PIZZAS & COOK LATER
- Follow the recipe through Step 5 but only bake the pizza ONE MINUTE. You technically don't have to bake it at all but it really helps the cheese stay on the pieces of pizza when freezing.
- Cool pizza completely in the pan then cut into 8 rectangles.
- Place each frozen pizza in a quart-sized zip-top bag (you can fit two in one bag but place them back to back).
- Freeze up to 3 months.
- To cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook pizzas directly on the rack for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
MORE RETRO RECIPES TO TRY
Hamburger Vegetable Beef Soup - An easy vegetable beef soup recipe made with ground beef and canned vegetables just like the old-school cafeteria lunch rooms once served!
Chicken à la King - A classic recipe for the traditional creamy chicken gravy made served over toast, biscuits or rice that cooks up perfect every time.
Porcupine Casserole - An easy rice bake based on the classic retro recipe for Porcupine Meatballs made with ground beef, rice and tomato sauce topped with cheddar cheese.
Scalloped Chicken Casserole - a.k.a. "Hot Chicken Salad", an old-school casserole with chopped chicken in a creamy, cheese sauce topped with buttery cracker crumbs.
Helpful Hamburger Stroganoff - A family-size recipe for ground beef stroganoff like homemade Hamburger Helper that’s quick, easy and surprisingly delicious!
Recipe for Sheet Pan Party Pizza
Sheet Pan Party Pizza
A family-sized crispy crust rectangle pizza recipe with no yeast that makes 8 individual servings or dozens of party-sized portions similar to school cafeteria pizza and Totino's!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water
- 2/3 cup pizza sauce
- 16 oz mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage, cooked & crumbled
- 1/2 cup mini pepperonis
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl then whisk together. 2.5 c. flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp sugar
- Add olive oil and water then stir into a shaggy dough. 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 c. water
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it comes together into a tight ball (about 1 minute). Just flatten it then fold it in half onto itself 15 times or so, rotating it by 90 degrees each time.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap then let it rest 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees and place oven rack in the bottom position.
- Flour the back side of a half-sheet pan (13x18). You don't have to use the backside of the pan but it makes a perfect template.
- Remove dough ball from the bowl then pull into an elongated shape (this makes it easier to roll and shape into a rectangle).
- Using floured hands and a rolling pin, spread dough to cover the backside of the entire pan. Pick the dough up by the corners to help stretch it if necessary.
- Add vegetable oil to a second sheet pan (or simply slide the dough rectangle onto a clean surface and use the original pan right-side up) then spread oil evenly with a pastry brush (or clean hands). 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- Place dough rectangle into greased pan then perforate with a fork every 3 inches or so.
- Bake at 450 degrees on the bottom rack 10-12 minutes or until the bottom of crust is light, golden brown (just peak under a corner).
- Remove from oven then assemble pizza.
- Move oven rack to the middle position in the oven and keep temperature set at 450 degrees.
- Spoon pizza sauce evenly over pizza, going all the way to the edges. 2/3 c. sauce
- Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan on top. 16-oz cheese
- Add crumbled sausage and pepperoni evenly over top. 1/2 lb sausage, 1/2 c. pepperoni
- Bake at 450 degrees on the middle rack for 10-14 minutes or until cheese is starting to bubble and brown.
- Remove pizza from oven, cut into 8 rectangles then serve immediately.
Notes
- Fennel seed is one of the predominant spices in the Totino's Party Pizzas. Consider adding some to the pizza sauce!
- Use part skim or whole mozzarella but DON'T use fresh mozzarella.
- Remove the pizza from the pan if you're not ready to serve immediately. The bottom crust will lose it's crispiness if left in the pan too long.
- Use as much or as little sauce and toppings as you'd like.
- See FAQ and notes on cheese and freezing in article above the recipe card.
