Celebrate National Pizza Week with a Family Pizza Party

There’s nothing better than getting my whole family into the kitchen with the goal to make a simple dinner together. Whether it’s National Pizza Week, a special occasion, or just a regular Wednesday, this gets each of us not only engaged in cooking and becoming familiar with kitchen safety and processes, but we also have a chance to connect with each other, discussing daily challenges and successes. It’s called sharing “The Rose and The Thorn” of the day. I borrowed this from a friend and by no means can lay claim to this clever and easy concept. It has been an excellent way to get the family (mostly the teenage kids) to be thoughtful of their own experiences and to share their ups and downs. It encourages self-reflection and also gives parents the opportunity to understand what’s happening in kids’ lives and how to help them better approach life. It’s a win-win!

It also gives us a chance to make dinner together. To start, I pick up or order WisePies Pizza online from most of my favorite grocery stores, and while I’m at it, I grab an assortment of my family’s favorite toppings. I choose WisePies Pizza because not only is it delicious, cooks really fast, and my kids love it, but I appreciate that this brand takes extra care to ensure all of their products are clean label, is made with all-natural ingredients, includes no artificial preservatives or flavorings, and has fewer carbs and fat than other national brands. I use the Four Cheese WisePies Pizza on traditional crust as a base, and then we GO. TO. TOWN. with toppings! This list can be endless. My kids have pretty simple tastes, but here’s a list of what we’ve used recently. For food safety, I always use fully cooked or ready-to-eat toppings, and often find frozen options to make it even easier!

TOPPING IDEAS

Interesting, flavorful proteins like:

  • Smoked bacon bits
  • Roasted or mesquite seasoned, diced chicken
  • Thinly sliced capicola
  • Uncured pepperoni
  • Canadian bacon or diced ham
  • Seared steak slices
  • Crumbled meatballs

Colorful, healthy vegetables like:

  • Asparagus
  • Black olive slices
  • Fresh bell pepper – sliced
  • Fresh jalapeño – sliced
  • Roma or halved cherry tomatoes
  • Sweet diced onion
  • Banana peppers

Fresh or crushed herbs & seasonings:

  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Salt & pepper
  • Chile pepper flake
  • Diced green chile from Hatch, NM (the best in the world!)
  • Oregano
  • Roasted & minced Garlic

And don’t forget more cheese! Try fresh mozzarella balls, cheddar cheese shreds, or if you like distinct flavors, add some gorgonzola crumbles or goat cheese from a local farm.

You can also use flavored oil drizzles or your favorite sauces to change up the flavor profiles even more. We’ve experimented with a simple olive oil lightly drizzled or splashes of buffalo sauce.

If you’re starting with the smart choice of a WisePies Pizza – Four Cheese Pizza, top your pizzas in this order to allow for the best cooking outcome. Take creative caution; use as many different toppings as you’d like, but portion them out and spread evenly. The more loaded the pizza is, the longer it will take to heat thoroughly. In fact, it may not cook as needed if piled too high.

  1. Proteins
  2. Veggies
  3. Fresh Herbs
  4. Cheese
  5. Sauces or oil drizzles
  6. Dried herbs and spices

Add 3-6 minutes to the cook time on the box to allow your new pizza creation to cook thoroughly.

Enjoy being creative with your family, sharing stories with each other, and taking pictures to share your special night with family and friends. I have a feeling if you follow these tips, you’ll have a family pizza party you’ll never forget!

About the author

Ms. Season Elliott, President of WiseChoice Foods and Mom of 3 Teens

Ms. Elliott maintains focus on the health and well-being of her family by providing healthy lifestyle advice and opportunities to her children through every stage of life as well as leading by example. She translates those same personal values into the development of the WisePies Pizza product lines that are made from clean label ingredients, which have removed more than 150 artificial additives found in many national pizza brands that could have adverse health consequences.